THE new cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has outlined her vision for the county following her election.
At the recent annual meeting of the council, which took place in County Hall, Labour councillor Carrie Smyth was elected to the office of an cathaoirleach, with Fine Gael councillor Barry Saul elected to the office of leas chathaoirleach.
Speaking to the full council following her election, the newly elected cathaoirleach said:
“I feel very privileged to be elected.
“It is to date the highlight of my political life and I am humbled and honoured to be cathaoirleach in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown where I was born, grew up, work and live.
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She went on to outline her plan for the year ahead and stated that there were a number of projects that she wished to initiate during her term in office.
These include the acquisition of Shanganagh Castle, which will enable the completion of Shanganagh Regional Park and the refurbishment of the Dún Laoghaire Baths.
In addition, she confirmed her commitment to the continuing development of a sporting hub in Marlay Park.
Cllr Smyth has represented the Labour Party in the Ballybrack ward since 2003.
She currently serves on the Organisation Procedure and Protocol Committee, the Joint Policing Committee and the Local Policing Forum.
She will chair the current Organisation Procedure and Protocol Committee as cathaoirleach. She will also be an ex-officio member of the dlr Leisure Services Board of Directors and a member of the Monitoring Committee D̼n Laoghaire Town Centre РIntegrated Area Plan.
Cllr Smyth is also a member of the SIMS Sub Committee/RAPID County Monitoring Group and the County Dublin VEC.
In further correspondence with Southside People Cllr Smyth elaborated on her goals for her term in office.
“At the Annual General Meeting of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council I was delighted to receive the support of the entire council and was unopposed.
“You do not become cathaoirleach on your own so I thanked a number of people including my family, supporters, friends, work colleagues, council staff and of the course the people of the Ballybrack Ward now the Killiney/Shankill Ward who have voted for me in 2004 and 2009.
“I couldn’t have done it without their support.
“During these difficult times we are all experiencing it is not the time for political point scoring and I hope we all can work together for the betterment of all the citizens of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown.
“We can all work together to look out for each other especially the elderly, the young, the disabled and the most vulnerable.
“I am not going to promise the sun, moon and stars. However, there are a number of projects I would like to see initiated during my year as cathaoirleach.
“The acquisition of the mid 18th century Shanganagh Castle as part of the proposed land swap, which was first mooted over a decade ago prior to the rezoning of the Woodbrook lands is a priority for me.
“The castle is now in a serious state of disrepair. It is imperative that the castle and the surrounding lands are brought into council ownership without further delay. This will enable the final completion of Shanganagh Regional Park.
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Cllr Smyth also described Dalkey Island as an extraordinary heritage resource of national significance.
“As such it offers a unique insight into our past,
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“The Dalkey Island project, which includes the preparation of a conservation plan, bye-laws, a new management regime for the island and a programme of physical works will conserve this wonderful asset for the future.
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According to the new cathaoirleach the refurbishment of the Dún Laoghaire Baths complex and the general upgrade of the area between Newtownsmith and the East Pier has long been an ambition of the council ever since the baths closed in the mid 1980s.
“The current position is that an application for a foreshore licence in respect of this project was submitted to the Department in December 2012,
? she explained. “Once the foreshore licence is granted a Part 8 process will commence. I intend to do everything in my power to ensure that this long awaited project gets on site before my term as cathaoirleach ends.
“I am also committed to the continuing development of a sporting hub in Marlay Park, which will include a full size athletic track, improved tennis courts, a modern golf clubhouse, improved cricket facilities and a white water course and centre.
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Joining Cllr Smyth as Leas Chathaoirleach will be Cllr Barry Saul, a Fine Gael councillor for the Stillorgan electoral area, who was first elected to the council in June 2009 in the Stillorgan Ward of the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.
Following his election Barry was nominated by the council to the DLR Properties, Dublin Regional Authority, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Sports Partnership and the Eastern River Basin Authority.
He is also a member of the Joint Policing Committee, Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly and in July 2012 was appointed to the Southside Partnership dlr.