Advancing rural communities will be the main priority for new Mayo Cathaoirleach

The new Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council has outlined that removing the obstacles facing young people to live in rural Mayo will be his main priorities for the coming year.

Belmullet-based councillor Seán Carey was elected as the new Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council at the annual general meeting of the local authority which was held this morning in Áras an Chontae in Castlebar. He replaced Fine Gael's Cllr John O'Hara who served as Cathaoirleach for the previous 12 months.

The Fianna Fáil councillor was unanimously elected after he was nominated by his party colleague Damien Ryan and seconded by Westport-based councillor Brendan Mulroy, who served his term as leas-Cathaoirleach of the council.

Following his election, Cllr Carey said it was a great honour for him to be the first person from the Kilmore parish to be Cathaoirleach and first citizen of the county and thanked his fellow councillors for placing their trust in him.

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A farmer and former board member of Aurivo, Cllr Carey said that advocating for rural communities will be one of his main priorities for the coming year.

“Housing is a key challenge that we face as a country and as elected representatives we must all play our part in addressing this. We must do more for people who wish to build houses in rural parts of Mayo. My colleagues and I have constantly raised the challenges and obstacles that young people and families face in the planning process in this county.

"Throughout my term I intend to make addressing these issues a priority. We want young people and couples to stay and build homes and live in our villages and families to return to our communities,” he said while also encouraging the delivery of more affordable housing and supporting families affected by pyrite.

Along with housing, Cllr Carey said that his other main focus will be on 'the advancement and delivery of key capital projects which will shape our future' and he will also be an advocate for community led development.

The upgrade of the R312 road from Castlebar to Erris will also be a priority for Cllr Carey as will more funding for regional and local roads. Other projects in Erris he will be advocating for will be investment in Belmullet hospital and an indoor swimming pool.

Outside of Erris, he said the advancement of the SDZ at Knock Airport and the Western Rail Corridor will be projects he will be advocating for.

“They are big ticket items which are of massive strategic importance to our county and the whole western region. If we are serious about growth and investment then we need to push these projects,” he said.

As the first person from a Gaeltacht region to become Cathaoirleach since 2006, Cllr Carey said that he will be pushing to ensure that Mayo County Council continues to promote the advancement of the Irish language.

A number of supporters of Cllr Carey travelled from Belmullet to see Cathaoirleach elected while Minister Dara Calleary and Galway-based senator Ollie Crowe were also present in the council chamber.

He thanked the people of Belmullet for putting their faith in him to serve as their elected representative and reminded all the councillors that they are there to serve the people.

“In conclusion as Cathaoirleach I pledge to lead with openness with purpose and with deep respect for all those we serve,” he said.

Cllr Carey was praised by his fellow councillors for the vision he outlined in his speech and they looked forward to working with him to deliver his objectives.

Tributes were also paid to outgoing Cathaoirleach Cllr John O'Hara for representing the local authority particularly during the aftermath of Storm Éowyn.

Castlebar-based councillor Ger Deere was also elected as the leas-Cathaoirleach of the council after he was nominated by Cllr Cyril Bourke and seconded by Cllr Donna Sheridan.