Health issues force Fenlon to step down as chairperson
CLLR. JIM MOORE ELECTED NEW CATHAOIRLEACH AT MONTHLY MEETING
Wednesday March 10 2010
CLLR. ANNA Fenlon has stepped down from the chair of Wexford County Council for health reasons. Unable to attend meetings of the local authority since November, she has been replaced by Fine Gael party colleague Jim Moore.
Cllr. Moore was in charge once more on Monday, as he has been since the November meeting of the council. At the start of proceedings the vice-chairman conveyed apologies from the absent cathaoirleach for her non-attendance. Shortly afterwards he read out a brief letter from Cllr. Fenlon conveying her formal resignation as the first woman to chair the council.
She referred in the letter to her recent ill health and expressed her thanks to officials who assisted her during a term of office that proved shorter than expected. The news was not unexpected and Cllr. Paddy Kavanagh was ready to make a prompt nomination for a new chairman.
The Enniscorthy Fine Gael man suggested that vice-chairman Jim Moore should move up to take on the job that he has been carrying out anyway since the autumn. The move was backed by Cllr. Pat Codd and, with no-one else put forward for the post, Cllr. Moore was deemed elected.
Cllr. Michael Sheehan ( F. F.) expressed the feelings of all when he wished Anna Fenlon a speedy recovery, a sentiment echoed by Cllr. Ted Howlin (Lab.) who hoped that the outgoing chairwoman would be back in the chamber soon. Pat Codd observed that his colleague is a wonderful person and a credit to public life. He expected her to resume her good work as a councillor.
Cllr. Declan MacPartlin (Ind.) told Jim Moore that he had been doing a good job and the new chairman responded: 'I did not envisage this.' He admitted that he had been on a sharp learning curve since being elected for the first time in June. He commented that the decision of Cllr. Fenlon to step down testified to her integrity.
'I expect her back shortly,' he said. No vice-chairman was elected on Monday though the new man at the top indicated that the vacancy will be filled during the April meeting of the council.
