Cllr Lettie McCarthy elected to office by Councillors at dlr County Council AGM
Councillor Lettie McCarthy has been elected Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council at the Council’s Annual General Meeting on 14 June. Councillor McCarthy, a representative of the Labour Party, was first elected to the County Council in 2004 as a Councillor for the Glencullen-Sandyford Ward.
The new Cathaoirleach, who previously served as Cathaoirleach from June 2010 to June 2011, was also Leas-Chathaoirleach of the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Dublin Regional Authority in 2008.
She has a keen interest in politics and has been particularly involved in trying to make the immediate environment and community a better place to live by clearing litter, planting trees, flowers and shrubs. Living in one of the fastest-growing areas of the city, she was also a founding member of Stepaside Area Residents’ Association and the very successful Stepaside Saint Patricks Day Parade.
The newly-elected Cathaoirleach outlined her main priorities for the year:
“The past year has challenged us in ways we would never have thought possible. It made us realise how much we rely on services provided by our Local Authorities like public parks, libraries, good walking and cycling infrastructure and public seating. Building on this foundation with energy, positivity and fun will be my priority during the year. In collaboration with my Councillor colleagues and the Arts Department, I would also like to introduce positivity walls in some of our public spaces.
Over the last year, the Dublin Mountains played host to 1000’s of people daily. The mountains are a wonderful amenity for our County and I want to introduce this public open space to all dlr citizens and create greater awareness of scenic walks and access points.
I plan on visiting every village and town in our County, strengthening links between business and the Council. I will also be giving my full attention to many proposed projects, including Jamestown Regional Park and Phase 2 of the Samuel Beckett Civic Campus, which includes a swimming pool and library.”
Councillor Juliet O’Connell was also elected Leas Chathaoirleach at the meeting. Councillor O’Connell, also a representative of the Labour Party and local small business owner in Dún Laoghaire town, was elected in the Dún Laoghaire Local Electoral Area in 2019 as a first time Councillor. Cllr O’Connell is the Labour Party spokesperson for small businesses and at the Council AGM stated that in her year as Leas Chathaoirleach she would like to work with local businesses and the dlr Local Enterprise Office to encourage upskilling and training for small business owners.
