Wexford County Council

Comhairle Contae Loch Garman
Coat of arms or logo
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
John Fleming, FF
Structure
Seats34
Political groups
  •   Fianna Fáil (12)
  •   Fine Gael (9)
  •   Sinn Féin (3)
  •   Labour Party (2)
  •   Aontú (1)
  •   Independent (7)
Elections
Last election
24 May 2019
Motto
Latin: Exemplar Hiberniae
"An example to Ireland"
Meeting place
County Hall, Wexford
Website
Official website Edit this at Wikidata
The area governed by the council

Wexford County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Loch Garman) is the authority responsible for local government in County Wexford, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 34 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (chairperson). The county administration is headed by a Chief Executive, Tom Enright. The county town is Wexford.

History

Wexford County Council was established in statute in 1898 by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. The first meeting of the council was on 22 April 1899.[1]

From 1899 to 1920, meetings of the county council were held in the Grand Jury room of the old Wexford Courthouse on Commercial Quay.[2] After the old courthouse burnt down in the Irish War of Independence, a new courthouse was established on the site of the old jail in Hill Street in 1930.[2][3] The county council relocated to the site in Hill Street at the same time.[4][5] After the condition of the properties in Hill Street proved inadequate, the county council moved to a modern County Hall in Carricklawn in September 2011[5] and a modern courthouse was opened on Belvedere Road in 2018.[6]

In 2014, the Local Government Reform Act 2014 dissolved Enniscorthy Town Council, Gorey Town Council, New Ross Town Council, and Wexford Borough Council. Wexford County Council became the local authority for their areas of jurisdiction.[7]

Regional Assembly

Wexford County Council has three representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly who are part of the South-East Strategic Planning Area Committee.[8]

Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts

Wexford County Council is divided into local electoral areas, defined by electoral divisions. [9] [10] These are grouped into borough and municipal districts for the purpose of local exercising of the powers of the local authority. The municipal district which contains the administrative area of the former Wexford Borough Council is referred to as a Borough District.[11]

Municipal district LEA Definition Seats
Enniscorthy Ballindaggan, Ballycarney, Ballyhoge, Bree, Castledockrell, Enniscorthy Rural, Enniscorthy Urban, Ferns, Kilbora, Killoughrum, Kilrush, Kiltealy, Marshalstown, Moyacomb, Newtownbarry, Rossard, St. Marys, The Leap and Tombrack. 6
Gorey–Kilmuckridge Gorey Ardamine, Balloughter, Ballybeg, Ballyellis, Ballylarkin, Ballynestragh, Coolgreany, Courtown, Gorey Rural, Gorey Urban, Huntingtown, Kilcomb, Kilgorman, Kilnahue, Limerick, Monaseed, Rossminoge and Wingfield. 6
Kilmuckridge Ballycanew, Ballygarrett, Ballyhuskard, Ballymore, Ballyvaldon, Bolaboy, Cahore, Castle Ellis, Castle Talbot, Edermine, Ford, Kilcormick, Killenagh, Killincooly, Kilmallock, Monamolin, The Harrow, Tinnacross and Wells. 4
New Ross Adamstown, Ballyanne, Ballyhack, Barrack Village, Barronstown, Carnagh, Carrickbyrne, Castleboro, Clonleigh, Clonroche, Dunmain, Fethard, Horetown, Inch, Kilgarvan, Killann, Killesk, Kilmokea, New Ross Rural, New Ross Urban, Newbawn, Old Ross, Oldcourt, Rathroe, Rochestown, Rosbercon Urban, Templeludigan, Templetown, Tintern, Whitechurch (in the former Rural District of New Ross), Whitechurch (in the former Rural District of Wexford) and Whitemoor. 6
Rosslare Aughwilliam, Ballymitty, Bannow, Bridgetown, Clongeen, Duncormick, Harperstown, Harristown, Kilcowan, Killag, Killinick, Kilmore, Kilscoran, Ladys Island, Mayglass, Newcastle, Rosslare, St. Helens, Tacumshin, Taghmon and Tomhaggard; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Drinagh and Rathaspick not contained in the local electoral area of Wexford. 5
Borough District of Wexford Wexford Ardcavan, Ardcolm, Artramon, Carrick, Forth, Glynn, Kilbride, Killurin, Kilpatrick, Wexford No. 1 Urban, Wexford No. 2 Urban, Wexford No. 3 Urban, Wexford Rural; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Drinagh and Rathaspick to the north of a line drawn as follows: Commencing at the boundary between the electoral divisions of Rathaspick and Wexford Rural at the N25 and then proceeding in a south-easterly direction along the N25 to the roundabout at the junction of the N25 and the R730, and then proceeding along an easterly projection to the boundary between the electoral divisions of Drinagh and Rosslare. 7
Total 34

Councillors

2019 seats summary

Party Seats
Fianna Fáil 12
Fine Gael 9
Labour 2
Sinn Féin 2
Aontú 1
Independent 8

Councillors by electoral area

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 24 May 2019.[12]

Council members from 2019 election
Local electoral area Name Party
Enniscorthy Kathleen Codd-Nolan Fine Gael
John O'Rourke Independent
Barbara-Anne Murphy Fianna Fáil
Cathal Byrne Fine Gael
Aidan Browne Fianna Fáil
Jackser Owens Independent
Gorey Malcolm Byrne[a] Fianna Fáil
Anthony Donohoe Fine Gael
Diarmuid Devereux Fine Gael
Dónal Kenny Fianna Fáil
Joe Sullivan Fianna Fáil
Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin Sinn Féin
Kilmuckridge Pip Breen Fianna Fáil
Mary Farrell Independent
Oliver Walsh Fine Gael
Willie Kavanagh Fianna Fáil
New Ross Pat Barden Independent
Michael Sheehan Fianna Fáil
John Fleming Fianna Fáil
Michael Whelan Fianna Fáil
Anthony Connick Independent
Brídín Murphy Fine Gael
Rosslare Ger Carthy Independent
Frank Staples Fine Gael
Lisa McDonald Fianna Fáil
Jim Moore Fine Gael
Jim Codd Aontú
Wexford George Lawlor Labour
John Hegarty Fine Gael
Leonard Kelly Independent
Garry Laffan Fianna Fáil
Tom Forde Sinn Féin
Maura Bell Labour
Davy Hynes[b] Independent
Notes
  1. ^ Replaced during term, see table below for details.
  2. ^ Changed party, see table for details.

Co-options

Party Outgoing Electoral area Reason Date Co-optee
Fianna Fáil Malcolm Byrne Gorey Elected as a TD at the 2019 Wexford by-election. November 2019 Andrew Bolger[13]

Changes in affiliation

Name Electoral area Elected as New affiliation Date
Davy Hynes Wexford Independent Sinn Féin December 2022

References

  1. ^ "Wexford County Council Minute Books". Wexford County Archive. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Wexford Courthouse". Wexford Hub. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  3. ^ "County Council Minutes" (PDF). Wexford County Council. 26 May 1930. p. 45. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  4. ^ "County Hall, Hill Street, Wexford". Wexford Hub. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  5. ^ a b Cullen, Conor (27 September 2011). "Council officially open new €46m headquarters". Gorey Guardian. Independent News and Media. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Official Opening of Wexford Courthouse - Courts Bundle PPP". BAM Ireland. 19 February 2018. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  7. ^ Local Government Reform Act 2014 (2014 Establishment Day) Order 2014 (S.I. No. 215 of 2014). Signed on 22 May 2014. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 15 September 2020.
  8. ^ Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014, Article 5 and Schedule 3 (S.I. No. 573 of 2014). Signed on 16 December 2014. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 23 April 2023.
  9. ^ County of Wexford Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2018 (S.I. No. 637 of 2018). Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 9 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Revised Electoral Areas 2018". Wexford County Council. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  11. ^ Local Government Reform Act 2014, s. 19: Municipal districts (No. 1 of 2014, s. 19). Enacted on 27 January 2014. Act of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 5 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Local Elections 2019: Results, Transfer of Votes and Statistics" (PDF). Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. pp. 213–218. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  13. ^ Walsh, Dan. "Andrew Bolger is Gorey's new Council member". Wexford Today. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2020.

External links

Local government in the Republic of Ireland
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