Tipperary County Council's new chairman vows to promote rural communities during his term
Fianna Fáil Cllr John Carroll outlines the issues he will be focusing on as the the Council's new leader
Lobbying for more waste water treatment systems for rural areas and more choice in rural housing will be among the key issues Cllr John Carroll will be pushing in his role as Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council over the next year.
The Fianna Fáil councillor from Kilcolman near Nenagh says his “heart is in rural Ireland”.
He has vowed to work hard in promoting rural development, agriculture, the agri-food sector and renewable energy developments in the county during his year long term as the Council’s political leader.
He was unanimously elected to chair the 40-member local authority at its AGM in Halla na Féile in Cashel last Friday thanks to a voting pact between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour councillors.
He was proposed and seconded respectively by Fianna Fáil colleagues Cllr Michael Smith and Sean Ryan.
He takes over the role from Cashel Fine Gael Cllr Declan Burgess, who was the Council’s youngest ever Cathaoirleach.
Fine Gael Cllr Mark Fitzgerald from Cloneen was unanimously elected as Leas-Cathaoirleach of the Council.
He was proposed by Cllr Marie Murphy and seconded by Cllr Declan Burgess, both Fine Gael party colleagues.
Cllr Carroll brings a wealth of political experience to his new role.
He chaired the former North Tipperary County Council in 2006 and subsequently served a term as Cathaoirleach of Nenagh Municipal District.
He chaired the HSE’s Western Regional Health Forum during the Covid pandemic and is the current chairman of Tipperary Local Community Development Committee (LCDC).
He told The Nationalist his priorities as Cathaoirleach will be to progress the provision of more rural housing for young people.
He said he will be pressing for greater provision of waste water treatment facilities not alone in the big towns but in villages throughout the county to assist with the provision of rural housing and to make rural communities more sustainable.
And he will be lobbying for more choice in terms of the types of building materials such as timber, steel and glass used in rural housing.
“We need to bring choice into the market,” he said.
Cllr Carroll said he will work with farming organisations such as the IFA and government colleagues to promote agriculture and and agri-business. He also pledged to do his utmost to promote rural development in his role as Cathaoirleach and through his involvement with the Local Community Development Committee and LEADER .