Wexford County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Loch Garman) is the local authority of 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.
Wexford County Council Comhairle Contae Loch Garman | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
John Fleming, FF | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 34 |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 24 May 2019 |
| Motto | |
| Latin: Exemplar Hiberniae "An example to Ireland" | |
| Meeting place | |
| County Hall, Wexford | |
| Website | |
Official website  | |
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
County Wexford is divided into local electoral areas, defined by electoral divisions, for elections to the council.[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
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 | ||