Martin named new Louth County Council chief

Joan Martin of Louth County Council

Earlier this week Joan Martin was appointed as the new chief executive of Louth County Council.

Ms Martin had been filling the position for the last few months since the last County Manager, Philomena Poole, left Louth to take up a position with Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

Ms Martin has previously filled in as acting County Manager following Conn Murray’s departure from Louth two years ago.

She has worked in the Irish public service for close to 40 years and holds a degree in Public Administration, as well as a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

Amongst the areas she has worked in over the years include transportation, planning, environment and water services.

Ms Martin has been most active in recent years in the Louth Age Friendly Alliance.

Louth has joint lowest rate of collection of commercial rates in the country

The offices of Louth County Council

Louth County Council has the joint lowest rate of collecting commercial rates in the country, according to new figures.

It and Limerick City Council collected just 55% of commercial rates each in 2012, with auditors for Louth County Council saying that the decline in collection is “a serious matter for the council to address.”

In total, local authorities around the country failed to collect over €355 million in rates in 2012, with businesses struggling to pay for them due to a fall in business.

The figures for Louth and Limerick City do not reflect well on former County Manager Conn Murray who was located in both areas in 2012, starting the year in Louth before leaving to take up his new role on Shannonside midway through the year.

Sharkey calls on County Manager to deliver report on housing inquiry before her departure

Departing County Manager Philomena Poole

Sinn Féin councillor Tomás Sharkey has called on Louth County Manager Philomena Poole to deliver her report on the conduct of council management before she departs the county.

Ms Poole launched an investigation into the conduct of council staff last year after it was revealed that two high-ranking members of the local authority had sold their own homes to the council for social housing uses.

The report on that investigation has yet to be delivered though, despite the fact it hit the headlines nationally and was even raised in the Dáil.

Yesterday, Ms Poole announced she would be leaving Louth less than a year after replacing Conn Murray to take up the County Manager’s job in Dun Laoghaire and Rathdown.

In a statement issued this morning, Cllr Sharkey wished Ms Poole well in her new role but said it was important she finished the job she started here by delivering her report to councillors as soon as possible.

“We in Sinn Féin wish Ms Poole all the best in her new role. On a number of occasions we saw Ms Poole offering honest, factual data to councillors.

“She was up front with us on the issue of Housing Adaptation grants, funding for Women’s Aid, the Auditors Report into Louth’s 2012 accounts and the financial implications of cash reserves being spent on land during the boom.

“Ms Poole’s first meeting was in September. Then she announced an audit into the purchase of houses from council management staff. That was a bold move by Ms Poole. We are not convinced that previous management would have shown such commitment to getting to the truth.

“That audit has become a wholescale enquiry. Our concerns remain and we now have concerns about the credibility of the enquiry. We have not received the findings of this enquiry yet.

“Sinn Féin feel that Ms Poole has a job to finish here in Louth. We need to discover all the details around house purchases and also why land was bought in Louth Village and Kilkerley using cash reserves at astronomical prices, with not one house ever being built.

“We do wish her well and expect to meet her in the future when investigations come to fruition,” he concluded.

New Louth County Manager needed following Poole’s departure

Departing County Manager Philomena Poole

Louth is set to have a third County Manager in the space of just two years following the announcement that Philomena Poole is set to depart the county after less than a year here.

Ms Poole is leaving her role after being named the new County Manager of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

She took over the role in Louth last July following Conn Murray’s departure the previous year.

Unfortunately for her, most people’s memories of Ms Poole’s time in Louth will be for her decision to launch an investigation into the conduct of staff members in the local authority regarding the purchase of their own homes by the council for social housing uses. While the incidents took place before her time here, it dominated her tenure with councillors still anxious to hear the outcome of the investigations.

Prior to arriving in Louth, Ms Poole had previously filled the role of acting County Manager in South Dublin County Council, having been Deputy County Manager before that.

This week’s Dundalk Leader

This week’s Dundalk Leader unsurprisingly leads with the flooding in Blackrock over the last few days. There’s also news of Castlebellingham woman Amanda English winning her first professional cage fight on New Year’s Eve. Meanwhile, Cllr Tomás Sharkey makes a call to review the appointments made by former County Manager Conn Murray during his time in Louth.

All that and more in this week’s Dundalk Leader, which can be read online for free here.

 

Sharkey could look for investigation into Murray’s appointments in Louth

Conn Murray

Former Louth County Manager Conn Murray has come under plenty of fire in recent months for various appointments he has made in his new position in Limerick but an investigation into his appointments here could also be on the horizon.

The appointment of his best man Dr Pat Daly to a senior managerial role in Limerick City Council without an interview was heavily criticised before Christmas. Prior to that Mr Murray had previously been accused of cronyism over his appointment of Patricia Ryan to the position of CEO of the Limerick City of Culture 2014 body.

Ms Ryan’s resignation yesterday has dominated much of today’s headlines but one local councillor could be set to call for an investigation into Mr Murray’s past appointments in Louth.

Commenting on his Twitter feed last night, Sinn Féin’s Cllr Tomás Sharkey said: “Limerick City Manager was once County Manager in Louth. We probably need to check records for cronyism during that time.”

If Cllr Sharkey or Sinn Féin are to pursue the matter it is likely to be at the monthly meeting of the council later this month.

Mr Murray served as County Manager in Louth for five years prior to his departure in the summer of 2012. Last year he was replaced by Philomena Poole.

Cllr Sharkey’s Tweet suggesting he may seek an investigation into appointments made by Conn Murray during his five year tenure as Louth County Manager

Previously: Former Louth County Manager under fire after appointing his best man to a plum post in Limerick

Former Louth County Manager under fire after appointing his best man to a plum post in Limerick

Former Louth County Manager Conn Murray came under fire at the weekend for appointing the best man at his wedding to a €98,000-a-year post in Limerick without the position being advertised publicly.

Mr Murray, who has previously been accused of cronyism for appointing former EU President Pat Cox’s assistant Patricia Ryan to the position of CEO of the Limerick City of Culture 2014 body, left Louth last year to take up the role of Limerick City Manager.

Now he has come under fire for appointing his best man Dr Pat Daly, to a senior managerial role in the council.

Following the appointment of Ms Ryan, Labour councillor Tom Shortt called on him to step down and similar requests are likely to be made after The Irish Independent revealed on Saturday that Dr Daly – best man at Mr Murray’s wedding in November 2000 – was given a senior post in Limerick City Council last summer.

The appointment came after the Shannon Development authority, where he worked was wound down.

In a statement to the Irish Independent, a spokesman for Limerick City Council has insisted Mr Murray’s friendship with Dr Daly played no part in his appointment.

“Dr Pat Daly did act as best man for Mr Murray on the occasion of his wedding 13 years ago,” a spokesman said.

His appointment by Mr Murray in Limerick City and County Council followed an internal process, the spokesman added. Mr Murray then made the appointment on the recommendation of an independent interview board.

“His association with Dr Daly could not in any way justify doing otherwise,” the spokesman added.

The spokesman insisted the appointment process followed the established redeployment procedures provided for in the Public Service Agreement.

Philomena Poole confirmed as new Louth County Manager

Philomena Poole

Ms Philomena Poole was this morning confirmed as the new Louth County Manager by the members of the council.

The vote was passed at their July meeting in County Hall.

Ms Poole, who has previously filled the role of acting County Manager for South Dublin County Council, takes over the reins from Joan Martin, who had been standing in temporarily following Conn Murray’s move to Limerick last summer.

The Public Appointment Service recommended Ms Poole for the role last month and she was fully ratified by members today.