Fianna Fáil councillor Paul McAuliffe has officially been elected the 350th Lord Mayor of Dublin.
Mayor McAuliffe was elected at the first meeting of the new council after the local elections at the end of last month.
He secured the position as part of a voting pact with the Green party, Labour and the Social Democrats.
The parties needed to assemble a majority of 32 of the 63 council seats to secure the five-year pact – with Fianna Fáil boasting 11 seats, the Greens 10, Labour eight and the Social Democrats five.
. @PaulMcauliffe has been elected the 350th @LordMayorDublin best of luck on the year ahead. pic.twitter.com/7GBOadANun
— Dublin City Council (@DubCityCouncil) June 7, 2019
Council pact
In a statement this afternoon, the Green Party said the pact was the “widest-ranging councillors’ agreement in living memory” – with a focus on climate change, housing, waste, culture, transport, and accessibility.
Green Party Councillor Patrick Costello said the deal “brings councillors together on a deliverable agenda for change in our capital” instead of “just carving up positions.”
“Core concerns on housing, waste, and climate change are addressed with ambitious targets and specific actions,” he said.
“Our ten Green councillors look forward to working with all 63 councillors to improve Dublin. This agreement gives us a strong starting point for make Dublin a greener, more liveable city.”
The pact has been endorsed by 34 of the city’s new councillors and is open for others to sign. The ten page document will be published next week.
Newly elected @LordMayorDublin @PaulMcauliffe with wife Ciara, children Millie & Hugh and his parents / in laws. "It's a special honour to be elected & I feel a huge responsibility." pic.twitter.com/eznfp8DTtq
— Dublin City Council (@DubCityCouncil) June 7, 2019
Lord Mayor
Mayor McAuliffe was first elected to Dublin City Council in 2009, representing the people of Finglas, Glasnevin, Ballymun and Santry.
He has served as Chairperson of the City Council’s Enterprise and Economic Development Committee and is a member of the seven-person Corporate Policy Group.
Thank you to the people of Dublin for your support and encouragement during my term as first citizen of this great city. You have given me so many wonderful memories that I'll always cherish. It was an honour and a privilege to be Lord Mayor of Dublin. pic.twitter.com/xrJ0ifSu7B
— Lord Mayor of Dublin (@LordMayorDublin) June 7, 2019
Agenda
The Green Party said the pact will see a new Strategic Policy Committee to “deal directly with climate change, set emissions targets and plant more trees.”
A new Dublin City housing plan will see “increased enforcement on derelict and vacant sites, an increase in housing above commercial units, and a rejection of selling off public land for private development.”
The pact also works towards the “full pedestrianisation of busy streets such as Moore Street, Drury Street, and South William Street.”
It said the cycle lane network will be expanded, with protective batons added to many existing lanes.
