I wish to thank most sincerely my proposer & seconder, my Fianna Fail party colleagues & Council Colleagues who have voted for me today.

To the outgoing Cathaoirleach Cllr Jimmy Cudden who has carried out his duties in a professional, proficient and exemplary manner throughout the past year, we thank you most sincerely. You and your wife Nan had a difficult year through illness, On behalf of all councillors we wish you good health and success in the years to come. To the Leas Cathaoirleach, Cllr Tom Kelly who was so supportive of Jimmy during his illness & stepped into carry out the necessary duties over the last 12 months we thank you most sincerely.

I would like to start this journey by quoting from the first verse of Frances Ledwidge poem “Skreen Cross Roads” written in 1917 while in Flanders, shortly before he was killed in the first world war. Fighting with the Royal Inniskillen Fusileers in the trenches of Ypres. This poem refers to the beauty of our historic county as he travelled through its green pastures to the North, East, and South & West.

“Five roads meet on the hill of Skreen
Five fair ways to wander down
One road sings of the valleys  green
Two of the Sea, and one of the town
And one little road has never a song
Tho’ the world be fair and the day be long”

 

M3 Clonee to Kells.

The River Boyne flows gently through our County before flowing into the Irish Sea at Drogheda. Its valleys & fertile soil, have ensured that it has been inhabited continuously from the end of the Ice Age. It is one of the most historic regional areas not just in Ireland, but in all of North-West Europe, particularly as it flows along side the great Stone Age burial sites of Dowth, Knowth & Newgrange.

All Councillors here elected by the people of Co. Meath are proud & sensitive to the history of our county. We show respect and concern for our ancient history. Today we operate in a county that continues to grow in population, which requires services & additional infrastructure as we reach a population of 214,000 by 2013.

The information deliberately given to the world’s media, by misguided academic career opportunist on the M3 has set the economic growth of this county back by five years. The People of county Meath have been also been ignored by M3 opposition activists who are not from Meath. The Taoiseach has called for practical “Patriosm” I am calling as the incoming Caithaoirlaech, to those who have through the democratic fight of opposition to the M3, to stand aside & let the works go ahead through the Tara/Skryne Valley. As this county develops its economic growth, with the best infrastructure that supports its residents & its business. The building of the M3 Clonee to Kells is an essential part of that development of this county & the future of its people.

The M3 protesters must realise that they live in a democracy, that the voters of County Meath, who voted for the main political parties, showed a clear preference in the recent General Election that the M3 proceeds. This treacherous opposition by those who continuously oppose the M3 through Tara/Skryne Valley must pack their bags & vanish into the night and find another cause to occupy their lazy days.

Tourism

Over the coming year I wish to see the further development of County Meath as a tourist destination. Too many tourists simply drive through our county after visiting sites in Trim, Tara & Newgrange. We must now find additional ways to keep tourist in our county, for additional bed nights.  With the ever increasing number of hotels opening throughout the county, a greater awareness of Co. Meath as a tourism product needs to be put in place. Last year with thousands of visitors at the Ryder Cup in our neighbouring county Kildare, large parts of County Meath where deliberately left out of tourism brochures and maps.
          
In conjunction with Meath tourism through its chair John Farrelly, I propose that a Meath Tourism workshop  for County Meath tourism providers, takes place in the month of November in Fairyhouse Racecourse. Where the tourism providers within this county can play their part by inputting there concerns and proposals, to an improved tourism strategy for County Meath.

Dog Pound

Two years ago, I raised  the provision of a dog pound for our county within County Meath. With the growth of our  urban communities the ever increasing number of dogs. The need for a Meath dog pound with in our boundaries is essential.  I wish for the relevant section of this council to pursue this objective over the coming months with an evaluation and proposal for such a pound, by December this year.

Village Cleanliness

Our strategic objective as outlined in our 2005 Corporate Plan states “To support & promote a clean, safe & healthy environment for present and future generations”. Our county is a litter disaster area at present, only for the volunteers  & the impact of the Tidy Towns & Pride of Place initiatives, our county would be much worse. Our villages & the residents deserve to have streets cleaned on a regular basis by staff provided by this council, by provision of additional staff and cleaning machinery. In the Budget for 2008 I wish to have initiative put in place to increase our services in the cleaning of our towns & villages and also for new playgrounds & parks.

Budget 2008

I also with your support wish to initiate an agreed proposal from our 2007 budget debates & submissions to have a all party budget committee put in place intended to work with our finance director in the preparation of budge estimates for 2008. This committee to be put in place later on to-day, with representatives of the 3 groupings. With a view to having an initial meeting within the next two weeks.

Register of Electors

I believe that we need a full review of the Register of Electors to take place by September following in from the General Election, where many people were excluded from the register. This review to be ready for the September meeting.

Railway

The delivery of the railway to Dunboyne and Navan, continues to b e one of our most important projects as a local authority. Focus on the delivery date of 2009 for the railway to reach Dunboyne must be kept to the foremost of our minds as councillors and staff of Meath County Council. We all have a responsibility to ensure that nothing gets in the way at either local or national level to delay our first passengers to Dublin in late 2009.

Arts

We are fortunate that the Arts Office of Meath County Council implements a varied programme of arts initiatives. These include projects and events through music, drama, visual arts and literature as well as festivals for children and older people.

Ambitious, innovative, developmental, sustainable and inclusive are ideological words, yet they inform the principals of a good Arts Office, devised for artists and communities throughout the county. I would like during the coming 12 months the Co. Meath Arts Office working towards establishing a sustainable Youth Theatre for the county.

Social Inclusion

As you are all aware of my strong interest in disability matters. Our strategy as outlined in our Corporate Plan states: “To increase awareness of social exclusion both within & external to Meath local authorities through consultation & co-operation”.

The government introduced in 2005 a National Disability Strategy which involved local authorities in many initiatives through the Dept of the Environment Sectoral plan. I wish to thank a Director of Services Michael Killeen for the many initiatives he has introduced over the past two years in our libraries, buildings etc.

I clearly indicated As chair of the SPC, in 2005, that if by the time I became Cathaoirleach that the Council Chamber was not fully accessible to a disabled persons, whether they be staff of Meath County Council or members of the public from our county who wish to attend the visitor’s gallery, that no further meetings would take place in the Chamber.

As Cathaoirleach, I wish to clearly state that as this chamber is not accessible, that no further monthly meetings of Meath County Council take place in the Chamber until the proposed lift which has been delayed unnecessarily is constructed & put in place. This given our own policy of social inclusion  must be  meaningful in every respect & not to deny the disabled citizens of our county “equality of  opportunity” to attend meetings in the visitors gallery of Meath County Council is therefore a denial of there rights as outlined in the 2005 Disability Act which was voted through both housed of the Oireachtas.

Over the last two years we have honoured two great sportsmen of our county Sean Boylan & Peter McDermott by awarding them the Freedom of the County of Meath.

As Cathaoirleach I wish to see this continued in 2008. Colleagues with your approval I wish to put forward two National politicians that have  worked relentlessly, by helping to  create a peaceful & prosperous Ireland, particularly in the North of our 32 counties, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, T.D. & former Prime Minister of Great Britain, The Right Honourable, Tony Blair. That this function and award would take place at the Battle of the Boyne site near Donore. I would earnestly request colleagues to support this proposal.

Colleagues I intend to do my utmost to work hard over the next 12 months in a positive manner for County Meath. To have meetings that are run effectively and efficiently, to try to improve the role of the councillors. To work in partnership particularly with you Manager and all of the staff of this great local Authority in Co. Meath. Brian Fitzgerald stated in 2005 we must become a “can do” authority, “can do” for our residents, “can do” to increase economic development & “can do” to improve our services to the public of this proud  & historic County Meath."

 

Thank You!

 

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