Hanafin elected Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council

Following her election to the role of Cathaoirleach, Councillor Hanafin outlined her main priorities for the year, which have both a local focus and wider view:

The global pandemic has made us all look local and appreciate our open spaces and public areas. From the mountains to the sea we owe it to our citizens to continue to enhance our facilities, continue to improve our villages, and create inclusive and welcome spaces. We now have an opportunity to develop a plan for the Blackrock seafront, linking it again to the village.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is one of the few counties without a Refuge for victims of domestic violence. I have been working for two years on delivering such a safe haven and I am determined to make it a reality.

A national priority, which is also a local one, is the provision of housing. Almost 600 homes are due to be built in Shanganagh and I am determined that this major project goes on site and progresses quickly.

Education and innovation are two of our greatest assets, with 1,000 companies based in Sandyford and Cherrywood, with UCD and IADT providing top quality research and education. I aim to create partnerships internationally, perhaps with Silicon Valley, to build on this ambition & expertise.

This is a very exciting time to be elected Cathaoirleach of DLRCC and I appreciate the cross-party support. I look forward to working constructively with my fellow councillors and the council executive.”

At the Council AGM Councillor Michael Clark was elected as Leas-Chathaoirleach. Councillor Clark (FF), was elected in the Killiney-Shankill Local Electoral Area in 2019 as a first time Councillor. Cllr Clark works in education, as a teacher of Maths, Applied Maths and Physics and as a lecturer in Statistics. He completed a PhD in Meteorology in 2009, has a keen interest in sport and continues to sing and perform with choirs and musical societies. Councillor Clark stated that in his year as Leas-Chathaoirleach he would engage with sporting, cultural and community organisations to revive those sectors that were badly affected by the pandemic and would work to ensure that the provision of facilities for young people are prioritised by the Council.