Kilkenny has said good-bye to Malcolm Noonan as one of the most popular mayors ever seen by the city, and welcomed its newest arrival into the Mayoral Chambers – Martin Brett.
The title of mayor is no stranger to Fine Gael councillor Martin Brett who topped the poll in the last local elections and who has held two terms of office as mayor in recent years. He was voted in by the members of Labour, Fine Gael and the Greens at a special meeting of Kilkenny Borough Council on Monday night last.
A pact in place between the two parties ensures that the title of mayor and deputy mayor goes to a member of these parties. Cllr David Fitzgerald was appointed deputy mayor.
Fianna Fail councillors expressed their disappointment once again at the pact which excludes any of the Fianna Fail councillors from a chance at the title, while acknowledging that they too had partaken in a pact in previous years, that was to their advantage.
“I know we were also involved in a pact some 15 years ago but now I think it is time to stop these pacts and elect a mayor from any of the parties. There are long-serving members of Fianna Fail who have never had the honour of being mayor and this is regrettable,” said Cllr Andrew McGuinness.
Cllr Kathleen Funchion voted for Malcolm Noonan to be returned as mayor for a second term, however, nobody would second her proposal. Cllr Noonan himself said that he would be unable to break the pact which saw him take the position of mayor last year and so could not support Cllr Funchion’s proposal either.
Cllr Funchion called for the pacts to be done away with within the council and for a new system to be put in place to elect the mayor in future.
“I was hoping that we would change our system and get rid of the pact and look at electing the mayor differently this year. The process is very exclusive rather than inclusive right now and this is not right. I think maybe a directly elected mayor is the way to go in the future.”
Meanwhile speaking following his election this week Mayor Martin Brett said that he was honoured to take up the chains of office once again this year and he included the extension of the borough boundary and job creation as some of his priorities for the year ahead.
