New Louth County Council chairman Cllr Oliver Tully
Despite being the largest party on Louth County Council, a voting pact has denied Sinn Féin control of the new council.
In a vote at the first meeting of the council this morning, Fine Gael’s Oliver Tully was named the new chairman of the local authority, defeating Sinn Féin’s Tomás Sharkey by 17 votes to 10.
Every member of the council bar those in Sinn Féin opted to vote for Cllr Tully, although independents Maeve Yore and Jim Tenanty opted to abstain from the vote.
Sinn Féin’s Jennifer Green tweeted about the matter moments ago, saying: “Sinn Féin proposes to use the d’hondt system for Chairs & Vice’s in LCC and it was refused to be discussed.”
She followed the tweet with the hashtag “greedy coalitions” before later adding “Cronyism and greed won the day… Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Labour, Greens, Independents refuse to discuss fairness & equality in Louth CoCo.”
Cllr Sharkey added on Facebook: “Breaking News in Louth County Council: Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Labour, Greens and 2 Independents refuse Inclusion and create a Cutback Alliance. Sinn Féin is largest party and is the only opposition.”
Cllr Tully, a retired schoolteacher from Drogheda, has been a member of Louth County Council since 1991 and was chairman previously from 2011-2012.
Meanwhile, Green Party councillor Marianne Butler was named vice chair, defeating Sinn Féin’s Cllr Edel Corrigan by 18 votes to 10 with Cllr Tenanty the only one to abstain from voting on this occasion.
Marianne Butler of the Green Party is the new vice chair
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