Mayo's newest councillor is officially ratified

MAYO'S newest councillor has pledged to 'hit the ground running' and work positively for the betterment of constituents.

Deirdre Lawless of Aontú was formally ratified this morning to fill the seat on Mayo County Council vacated by her brother Paul on his election to the Dáil.

The meeting was held online, with councillors told the seat could only be filled by an Aontú member.

Councillor Lawless's nomination by her party to fill the seat was proposed by Councillor Peter Flynn of Fine Gael and seconded by Councillor Damien Ryan of Fianna Fáil.

However, Councillor Flynn hailed the meeting as being a 'rubber stamping exercise', where they knew nothing about the candidate and had no choice but to ratify.

That said, he welcomed that the new councillor is female - meaning there's now four women on the authority - and he wished Ms. Lawless every success.

Councillor Ryan agreed they were being asked to make a decision in a vacuum, and he suggested they put forward a submission for the Programme for Government regarding local government and its continued erosion.

Members from the Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District, which Councillor Lawless is now a member of, commented on the constructive manner in which they work to deliver for the area and they, along with councillors across the county, offered their support to the newest member.

During the discussion, the fact Councillor Lawless does not live in Mayo was alluded to.

A return to her native county is something she is working hard to achieve, she told her new colleagues, but that is being impacted by the housing crisis, with no rental accommodation available in Claremorris at the moment.

However, that will not impact the people she represents. Coming into the job with great enthusiasm, she stressed that she is very much available to constituents, is heavily invested in the area and is looking forward to working hard for the area in a very positive way.

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