New Oireachtas members congratulated
Tributes were paid by local elected members at their February monthly meeting to colleagues and past colleagues who have since saw their status elevated to, and within the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Following the conclusion of the Seanad elections, Cavan is now among the best represented counties across Dáil Eireann and the Upper House.
Cavan now also has a representative on each of the five vocational panels in the Seanad, another historic marker; and between the constituency of Cavan and Monaghan there are now closer to a dozen representatives.
“If we don’t start to get a few pound into Cavan we know who it blame,” jested Independent Ireland, Shane P. O’Reilly, who also paid tribute to the likes of Fine Gael’s Carmel Brady who missed out on getting elected to the Seanad’s Education and Cultural Panel.
He said it had been a busy past 12 months for many, especially those who contested local, general and then Seanad elections. Cllr O’Reilly, who himself stood for election to the Seanad twice before, said he doesn’t “want to hear about” the prospect of going to the polls again for another five years at least.
He gave credit to Aontú’s Sarah O’Reilly on her elevation to the Agricultural Panel of the Seanad, meaning there is now a vacant seat to be filled by Aontu in the council chamber for the Bailieborough area.
Cllr O’Reilly was elected for second term to the council last June; and to Pauline Tully, a former member of Cavan County Council for the Ballyjamesduff local electoral area from 1999 to 2012, on securing her seat on the Education and Cultural Panel.
He also highlighted Deputy Niamh Smyth’s appointment as Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation. She was a councillor from 2009 to 2016.
Fianna Fáil’s John Paul Feeley was equally effusive in his praise of Deputy Smyth’s appointment, saying it was a “great honour” for her, and wished her “every success” in the future.
He acknowledged the return to the Seanad of Fianna Fáil’s Diarmuid Wilson (Administration Panel), now the longest serving member and deemed ‘Father of the House; as well as Fine Gael’s Joe O’Reilly (Labour panel); and Sharon Keogan from Denn to the Industrial and Commercial panel.
Patricia Walsh (FF) said it has been a “serious achievement” for the now Senator Sarah O’Reilly to get elected; and to Cllr Brady said “well done. Keep your head up.”
Words of congratulations were also extended to Lynda McGavigan, SEO at Human Resources and Corporate Services, on her appointment as Director of Services.
She fills the role left vacant by the council chief executive, Eoin Doyle, who also extended his personal congratulations to those elected to the Seanad and to Ms McGavigan.