New Council Chairwoman Sets Out Her Stall For The Year

The new chair of Wexford County Council says she's been preparing for this role all her life.

Fianna Fail councillor Lisa McDonald replaced her now former party colleague Joe Sullivan and took up the chains on Friday.

Her time in local politics began with her election to the council in 2004 before moving on to become a Senator between 2007 and 2011 and returning to Wexford County Council in 2016.

She told South East Radio the reality of the situation is still sinking in.

"I didn't realise how much of an honour this was until I was in the position. I've been on the council for a long time and watching other people get the chair but now I've managed to get elected myself.

"The Cathaoirleach position is 127 years old and I'm delighted to be the fourth woman to hold the role but also, the first person from the Piercestown area to hold it too."

It's also the first time both the chair and vice chair positions will be held by women thanks to the election of councillor Bridin Murphy as her second in command.

Councillor McDonald says this is a move in the right direction but the issue of gender parity is a long way from being solved:

"We've made huge strides in terms of women's representation over the years but it's not really good enough currently either.

"What's wrong with asking for 50/50. There's actually more women in County Wexford than men so all the women are very able operators.

"There are 7 positions between the main council and the districts and 4 of those roles are held by women."

During her acceptance speech on Friday, Councillor McDonald said the theme of her year in charge would be delivery.

She said she understood the frustrations people had with local government as sometimes it can be a lot of talk and not too much action.

That's why she marked out the Oylegate Bypass as one of the key priorities for the next 12 months as she says people have been waiting far too long for clarity on the issue:

"We had it first announced back in 2009, we're now here in 2026 and it hasn't even gone in for planning yet. It is shocking

"The amount of people that are on that road, that have had their properties and farms effectively sterilised over that period of time. They're right to be cynical and right to be upset.

"The communities along the corridor deserve clarity and deserve this to be brought to fruition.

"I'm not going to take any more excuses on this, this road has to go for planning permission in the next 12 months."

Speaking of roads, they're always a source of huge tension at council level as many councillors want to see action taken but the executives say the money just isn't there from central government.

Councillor McDonald says one of her goals this year is to streamline the process and ensure road projects are started and finished in a timely manner.

She says she's very familiar with how hard it is to get them over the line but they're all worth trying:

"I brought a motion last year for money to bring in safety measures for the junctions on the Newline road.

"I got it but I hope to go get more money to deliver more junction safety works along that road.

"That just took me bringing a motion and fighting for that funding.

"We can all work together on this instead of just giving out, let's come up with proposals and solutions and let's get moving on this.

"The whole roads situation is abject when it comes to the funding that we get in terms of what we need."

Housing is another key area that Councillor McDonald would like to see delivery in this year.

She pointed to having the relevant Minister from this constituency and she won't be afraid to use her connections to ensure everyone in the county has somewhere to live:

"I have a very good working relationship with (Housing Minister James Browne) and I've told him that he may help me land a few planes on this.

"We want to try and get our Housing Action Plan finetuned and delivered and then get working on it.

"There's lot of housing estates underway and and more with planning permission, we need to get them started and finished and get keys into people's hands."

Coming from the Rosslare Municipal District, Councillor McDonald says climate change will also be on her agenda for the next year.

With flood defence schemes and coastal erosion projects desperately needed, she says these are not things that we can put on the long finger.

She pointed to one project in her local area which shows that the time is ticking and action is needed:

"I want to see the main Rosslare erosion scheme going in for planning permission in the next six months.

"The emergency works are only going to last so long, we reckon 4 years so we have to have that coastal protection in Rosslare Strand.

"Protecting Rosslare is a no brainer in my view, one of the most vibrant coastal communities, and a fantastic tourist destination that we have here in Wexford.

"To not protect that would be a travesty."

Finally, Councillor McDonald says her next 12 months in charge will be an attempt to restore the trust of young people in their local government.

While many surveys and reports find high levels of disengagement between politicians and younger people, Councillor McDonald says there is always a way forward in this area.

She's not afraid to try and reach out to those who feel the process is not for them and she will ensure that she's a councillor for everyone, no matter what age they are:

"Because they're listening to so much on Tiktok and on social media, when they actually see something real, they engage with it.

"We really need to look at how best to break down those barriers.

"They need to meet with you in person, tell you what they're thinking and they need to hear what you're thinking and why."

That report was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.

You can hear the full report below: