Tramore’s Lola O’Sullivan, who was elected as Mayor of the new Waterford Metropolitan Area on Monday afternoon.
Her Fine Gael colleague John Carey from Passage, was elected as Deputy Mayor at City Hall yesterday (Monday), as a result of a nomination from outgoing city mayor John Cummins which was seconded by Dunmore East’s Pat Fitzgerald (SF), which went unchallenged amongst the new Council’s 18 members.
Mayor O’Sullivan received 11 votes of support, three from Fine Gael councillors and three from Fianna Fáil, along with the votes of Independent Eddie Mulligan and Sinn Féin’s four representatives.
Poll topper John Hearne described the alliance as an “inclusive pact” that supported the D’Hondt system favoured by Sinn Féin.
Under the cross-party agreement, Hearne will be Waterford’s fourth Mayor in this local government cycle.
Fianna Fáil gains one Mayoralty (in 2015/2016) and Deputy Mayoralty under the terms of the agreement, while the Independents shall receive two in 2016/2017 and 2018/2019.
The chain of office shall most likely be worn by two of the following three: Eddie Mulligan (who supported Lola O’Sullivan), Joe Kelly and Sean Reinhardt, both of whom abstained from the vote.
O’Sullivan was challenged in her pitch for the Mayoralty by Independent Mary Roche, who was nominated by Davy Daniels, seconded by Joe Conway and voted for by Cha O’Neill and Blaise Hannigan.
Mayor O’Sullivan, a mother of four, was first elected to Tramore Town Council and Waterford County Council in 1999 and has, according to her proposer John Cummins, given great service to the area.
