Alliance is 'people's choice'
Outgoing Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Michael Donovan handing over the Mayor's chain of office to fellow councillor Ciaran Byrne.
Wednesday June 24 2009
AN alliance between the Labour Party and the Socialist Party is a response to how the people of Fingal cast their vote in the ballot box at the Local Elections, according to the county's new Deputy Mayor. At the council AGM, last Friday, the Socialist Party made it clear that its members were not interested in mayoral chains, leaving the way open at the council's AGM for the election of a Labour Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The new Deputy Mayor of Fingal is Cllr Tom Kelleher (Lab), who said that creating the conditions to preserve and create jobs in the county should be the top priority for the new council.
Speaking after his election, he said: 'I met dozens of people on the canvass who were out of work or about to be out of work of fearing that they may be out of work, often with mortgages and I think Fingal County Council may well have a role in creating jobs and creating the impetus for employment and I want to be part of that.'
Despite the Socialist Party saying that they will make their mind up issue by issue in the council ahead, Cllr Kelleher, believes the alliance that saw the parties come together for the election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, will hold.
Reacting to criticism of the alliance, particularly from the Fine Gael benches, he told the Fingal Independent: 'I was part of the old Dublin County Council where we sat for years on the back benches while Fianna Fáil ruled the roost.
'Fine Gael have been involved in every single council for the past while and they just don't like the idea of not running the show.'
