Fianna Fáil are the dominant party in pacts that have seen them take control of the new Limerick City and County Council and Cork County Council.
Following a pact between the two main parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, long-serving Askeaton- based Councillor Kevin Sheahan was elected the first Cathaoirleach of the new Limerick City and County Council at its historic first meeting at the University Concert Hall last Friday.
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with a combined total of 25 members on the 40 member authority, agreed a pact in the early hours of Friday morning that will see the prestigious posi-tions of Cathaoirleach and Mayor of the Metropolitan District alternate between the two for the next five years. Fianna Fáil will supply the Cathaoirleach for three of the five years and Fine Gael two, with the mayoralty going to Fine Gael for three and Fianna Fáil for two. Fianna Fáil’s Councillor Joe Crowley was elected Leas Cathaoirleach.
In Cork it was a pact of a different kind with Fianna Fáil’s 17 members joining forces with seven Indepen-dents and two Labour party councillors to elect Cllr. Alan Coleman as Mayor of the newly expanded 55 strong Cork County Council. The combined vote of 26, while it was enough to elect the Bel-gooly public representative to the top job, does not constitute a majority and could cause uncertainty down the line when it comes to the consideration of budgets and the like.
Meelin based Independent Cllr. Timmy Collins was elected deputy mayor. It is the first time Fianna Fáil has had control of Cork County Council since 1991.