Addressing his fellow public representatives and council executive during the December meeting of Athlone-Moate Municipal District, District Mayor, Cllr Vinny McCormack, expressed his best Christmas wishes to those in attendance, also noting that the festive period can be a time for much sorrow and remembrance in households.
“Christmas can be a difficult period in many households, whether due to financial difficulties or the loss of a loved one over the past year. We all think of, and support families in difficult circumstances at this time of year and I want to particularly think of our colleague, Tom Farrell and his family who face into their first Christmas since the tragic loss of Eoinie.
“I am sure that the support you have received over the past number of months will be of some comfort for you over the festive period. I hope you all share great memories of Eoinie over the dinner table and I have no doubt that he will be looking down and watching over you all with great love.
“We are also thinking of our dear friend Cllr Liam McDaniels as he continues his battle with illness. Last week was a good one for Liam as he was allowed home from hospital after over 420 days. You still have a long road ahead Liam but I am sure that you will come on leaps and bounds from the comfort of your own home. Undoubtedly, there will be much to be thankful for in the McDaniel household this Christmas and I also want to congratulate you on the recent arrival of your first grandchild which will make this Christmas even more special,” Cllr McCormack said.
The District Mayor referenced the cost of living crisis which, as Christmas approaches, has given cause for many families to make critical budgeting decisions.
“The latter half of 2022 has been incredibly tough financially for many families with rising energy costs and rising interest rates leaving many households with some tough budgeting decisions. I want to pay tribute to the great local and national charities who come to the aid of families, especially at this time of year. Government have provided significant assistance to families through the recent budget and I am sure more assistance will be forthcoming in the new year,” the District Mayor commented.
The District Mayor paid due gratitude to the voluntary and community groups, stating that their contributions to local communities can never be “over-estimated”, while he also acknowledged the ongoing work of the council’s outdoor and emergency response teams.
“As we brace ourselves for a severe change in weather conditions in the coming days, I want to mention the work of our outdoor staff and emergency response teams in dealing with storms and incidents on behalf of the people of this District. There will undoubtedly be tough circumstances to deal with over the coming weeks and our response teams do a phenomenal job in ensuring these issues are dealt with as quickly as possible. I sincerely hope that you get to spend an enjoyable Christmas with your families.
“To all the staff in the District office, I want to offer our sincere thanks on behalf of all the members. I am sure we are not the easiest bunch to be dealing with on a daily basis but I have to say that we are extremely lucky to have the staff which we do across all of the services in the District,” Cllr McCormack continued.
Looking towards 2023, the District Mayor expressed his hope that major development projects would come to fruition.
“This has been an extremely busy year for this District and I look forward to the completion of many great projects in 2023 including the greenway bridge and regeneration projects in Athlone, Moate and Kilbeggan.
“To you, my fellow members, I want to wish you all a very happy Christmas, it is a pleasure to work with each of you and you are all wonderful examples of public representatives with the interest of your communities at the heart of all you undertake.
“Finally, I want to again wish all the citizens of our District a happy and peaceful Christmas. I hope we can all appreciate the time we can spend with our families and friends at this time of year,” Cllr McCormack concluded.
