Co Waterford Garda suffers minor injuries

Gardai have detained a 21 year old in Waterford on suspicion of endangerment after a member of the Garda Síochána yesterday.

 

The incident occurred in the Lismore Park area of the city about 4pm when Gardai were performing routine patrols.

 

While carrying out their duties, Gardai identified a vehicle that is understood to have been involved in a number of incidents in the area.

 

A male member of the force attempted to stop the vehicle but the driver did not stop, knocking the garda to the ground.

 

The Garda was taken to University Hospital Waterford to be treated for minor injuries and has since been released.

 

Gardai followed the vehicle and arrested a 21 year old driver and have detained him on suspicion of endangerment as well as other offences.

Hill walkers rescued near Mount Melleray after five hour ordeal

Two hill-walkers were rescued in the Knockmealdown Mountains over the weekend close to Mount Melleray Abbey after they got trapped in what has been described as a forest of Rhododendron plants at an area known as Bay Lough on the Waterford/Tipperary County Boundary.

Rhododendron is a purple tree like plant, not native to Ireland but was introduced to Ireland sometime believed to be in the 1800’s and planted in Mountainous areas.  

The Walkers who are in their fifties and experienced hill walkers had to endure a five hour ordeal before they were rescued by the South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association.

Those that took part in the rescue on Sunday have described the conditions they had to endure before reaching the couple.

Jimmy Murphy a volunteer with the South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association earlier today reported how it took the team two hours to battle through just 400 metres of land to reach the couple.

Rescuers have described the weekend rescue as one of the most difficult they have undertaken. It was Horrendous Jimmy Barry told the BBC earlier today, “I have been a member of the mountain rescue for 15 years and it was probably one of the most dangerous exercises or rescues I’ve been on” he said.

Mr Barry described how the rescue team had to crawl through the Rhododendron carrying their gear while trying to locate the couple at the same time.

“We kept going,” Mr Barry said and “Two hours later we finally reached the two people inside the middle of the rhododendron forest, and then the fun began, because we had to decide how we were going to get out of it.”

The couple had got trapped while walking through the Knockmealdown Mountains which had a dense covering of Rhododendron Plants in the area. The couple were attempting to reach a nearby lake but were unable to do so after they found it impossible to get through the plant.

To avoid a risky and arduous trek back up the slopes Cahir River Rescue and Gardai responded to help complete the last leg of the journey, transporting the two along with Mountain Rescue personnel across Bay Lough by boat to safety.

O'Ryan, Geoghegan, Tobin and O'Sullivan to lead Councils.

Ballymacarbry based Councillor Michael J. O’Ryan was elected Cathaoirleach at the inaugural meeting of the Comeragh Municipal District Council in Dungarvan recently.

Cllr. O’Ryan who took his father Kieran seat on Waterford County Council in 2009 and was elected to the newly formed Waterford City and County Council in May with the highest quota of first preference votes across the five electoral divisions.

Cllr. O’Ryan was purposed for the position of Cathaoirleach by fellow Fianna Fail councillor John O’Leary who was also elected to Waterford County Council for the first time in 2009 and was seconded by another Fianna Fail Councillor Mary Butler who was elected for the first time in May at the first time of asking.

John O’Leary was elected Leas Cathaoirleach. The Kilmeaden man is currently Vice Chairman of the Waterford County G.A.A. Board.

He was purposed for the position by Mary Butler and was seconded by Fine Gael’s Sean Power from Rathgormack.

Meanwhile Damien Geoghegan who served as the last Mayor of County Waterford was unanimously elected Cathaoirleach of the Dungarvan/Lismore Municipal District Council.

Fellow Fine Gael Councillor Pat Nugent was unanimously elected the bodies Leas Cathaoirleach.

It means that all leadership positions on the council and its sub division are now filled.

Long Standing Fianna Fail Councillor James Tobin supported by his fellow Fianna Fail Councillors and those from Fine Gael plus Labour sole member of the new City and County Council John Pratt was elected the first Cathaoirleach of the new combined councils.

The Kilwatermoy man, a former Chairman of Waterford County GAA Board beat off the challenge of Sinn Fein’s John Hearne and Independent Davy Daniels collecting seventeen of the available votes when the new council met for the first time at the former Waterford City Council Chambers.

First time Councillor Jason Murphy (FF) was elected Leas Cathaoirleach of the new Council beating Siobhan Whelan (SF) and Joe Kelly (IND) in a contest for the position.

Tramore based Councillor Lola O’Sullivan (FG) has become the first Mayor of Waterford City Metropolitan Area, purposed for the position by her cousin John Cummins who served as Waterford City’s last Mayor.

Cllr O’Sullivan beat Mary Roche in a contest for the position collecting eleven of the eighteen votes. Two members of the Metropolitan Area abstained in the vote.

Passage East man John Carey was elected as the Metropolitan Area’s Deputy Mayor.

Lola O'Sullivan is elected Mayor of Waterford Metropolitan District

Waterford Metropolitan District has elected its first Mayor.

 

Fine Gael Councillor Lola O’Sullivan was elected to the position today at the bodies first meeting at the council chambers in Waterford City.

 

The Tramore/Waterford City West Councillor beat independent Mary Roche in a contest for the position eleven votes to five.

 

Fellow Fine Gael Councillor John Carey who serves in the Waterford City/East Electorate division was elected unopposed as Deputy Mayor.

 

Councillor O’Sullivan was elected after she received the support of fellow Fine Gael Councillors, John Cummins who was the last Mayor of Waterford City Council, and John Carey who has served as Mayor of County Waterford in the past along with Jason Murphy, Adam Wyse and Eamon Quinlan from Fianna Fail, Breda Brennan, John Hearne, Pat Fitzgerald and Jim Griffin of Sinn Fein and Independent Councillor Eddie Mulligan.

 

Mary Roche a former Mayor of Waterford City received backing from independents Davy Daniels, Joe Conway, Blaise Hannigan and Cha’ O’Neill.

 

Two independent Councillor’s Joe Kelly and Sean Reinhardt abstained from voting.

Lucky escape for motorists and pedestrians

Motorists and pedestrians had a lucky escape in the North East Cork Town of Fermoy this morning after a rigid truck carrying building rubble overturned on the approach to the town centre.

The incident occurred around 8-15am when the truck tipped over on its side approaching MacCurtain Street while making its way down a steep decline from on the Cork Road.

The building materials which the truck was carrying spilt onto the footpath, which would have been a hive of activity in the minutes that followed as pupils would have made their way to two nearby schools, Gaelscoil de hÍde and Bishop Murphy Memorial National School.

No serious injuries were reported as a result of the accident, but the driver of the truck was treated for shock.

The cause for the truck turning over on its side is not currently known, but Gardai in the town are carrying out and investigation.

Former Labour Town and County Councillor not backing Conway in Deputy Leader contest

A former Labour member of Waterford County Council and Dungarvan Town Council has said that he will not be backing Ciara Conway in her bid to become Deputy Leader of the Party.

Billy Kyne, a member of a famous political dynasty served the people of Dungarvan and the surrounding areas on both bodies for a quarter of a decade up to his retirement ahead of the recent local elections.

He has said that he will be backing Joan Burton in the election to become party leader while he is backing Alan Kelly a former MEP for Munster and current Junior Minister in a four way race to become Deputy Leader. The former Town and County Councillor had made his mind up those he was backing in both contests ahead of Ciara Conway announcing on Monday that she was standing for Deputy Leader.

In 2011, Billy Kyne showed an interest in running for the Dáil after Brian O’Shea announced that he was not seeking re-election, and contested a challenge with Ciara Conway to see who would run in the election. Former Waterford City Councillor and then Dungarvan Town Councillor Ciara Conway were the two elected to run for Labour on polling day.

Deputy Conway invited her former Town Council Colleague along with former County Councillor Ger Barron to her press briefing in Dungarvan on Monday where she announced that she was to stand in the contest for Deputy Leader but both the two now former County Councillors opted not to attend.

Oireachtas members and Union Officials meet ahead of Bausch and Lomb talks.

Fine Gael Deputy Paudie Coffey and his Labour counterpart Ciara Conway as well as Fine Gael Senator Maurice Cummins and Sinn Fein Senator David Cullinane met with SIPTU officials today at the Tower Hotel in Waterford to discuss the treat of job losses and wage cuts at one of the counties largest private employers Bausch and Lomb.

The company which manufactures Contact Lenses last week announced that it was seeking 200 redundancies amongst its 1,100 work force and were looking for the remainder of the staff to take a 20 per cent pay cut or the plant could be forced to close.

Workers were told €20 million in savings had to be made just to keep the facility open and according to management, payroll costs are running 30 per cent more in Waterford than at its base in Rochester, New York, and these costs need to be lowered to keep the Waterford base viable.

Speaking on his way into the meeting today, SIPTU Official Alan O’Leary said he wanted TDs and senators to seek more time to discuss the management plans and that the June 17 deadline for the conclusion of cost-cutting talks be put back.

SIPTU represents about 900 of the workforce at the factory and said that it was unfair that the staff were given just two weeks to either accept or reject the deal put to them by the company.

Mr. O’Leary added that they were looking for the local politicians to engage with government officials as it was their understanding that Valeant the Canadian owners of the Bausch and Lomb were engaging with management in Waterford as well as the IDA and the Jobs Minister Richard Bruton.

The SIPTU official added that they were hoping to achieve is to reduce the number of people affected by the redundancy and come up with a range of measures to deal with this cost issue of €20 million.

The 20 per cent pay cuts envisaged by Bausch & Lomb are “unsustainable for workers” Mr. O’Leary said but added “We’re not going to rule anything in or out at the moment. The stakes are pretty high he added but we don’t want to end up having no agreement because the impact of that would be catastrophic for the southeast.

SIPTU have also said that they want to know when the Government first became aware that jobs at the company were under threat.

Union Officials and Management at Bausch and Lomb are set to begin discussions tomorrow.

Ciara Conway to Stand for Deputy Leader of Labour Party but is not interested in a Cabinet Position.

Ciara Conway has declared her intention to run for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party.

The Dungarvan based TD however says that should she be elected as Deputy Leader that she would decline any offer of a Cabinet or Junior Minister Position if chosen by her fellow labour party members.

Ciara Conway was elected to the Dáil in the 2011 General Election after long serving Labour TD for Waterford Brian O’Shea decided to retire from politics.

She was part of the so-called ‘gang of eight’ (TD’s Derek Nolan, Ged Nash, Ciara Conway, Aodhan O Ríordáin, Arthur Spring, Michael McNamara and Dominic Hannigan as well as Senator John Gilroy) who tabled a motion of no confidence in Eamon Gilmore hours before he announced his intention to resign as party leader.

On Tuesday morning last on Morning Ireland she declared an interest in running for the position of Deputy Leader, but as the week advanced she seemed to distance herself from running for the position.

Outlining her intention to stand for Deputy Leader of the Party, she said that it was not her intention to accept any ministerial position if elected, but that she would expect to attend all meetings of the Labour Ministers. She added that she did not want to be “compromised by the vested interest of Cabinet or Ministerial position.

In declaring her intention to run for the Deputy Leader Position, she declared that “This government has done some powerful things to restore Ireland’s integrity in the world. We have achieved much, and there is every reason to believe that the future of the Irish economy is bright”.

She added “But a high price has been paid – in many instances by those who cannot afford to pay it. And we have made mistakes. We should have acted much more quickly than we did to recognise the need for a new approach to medical cards. We should have ensured that serving and former Gardai raising genuine concerns about issues of malpractice were immediately, rather than belatedly, respected.

We need at all times to be certain that the tough decisions necessary for recovery are tempered by decency and humanity. Even in hard times we must strive to reduce inequality in our society, rather than allow it to increase”.

Those with an interest in standing for the Leader or Deputy Leader positions of the labour party have until noon on Tuesday (June 3) to declare their intentions.

Already Deputies Joan Burton and Alex White have already declared that they are to stand for the leader’s position.

Cork East TD Sean Sherlock, the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Jobs & Innovation and Department of Education & Skills with responsibility for Research & Innovation, Cork South West TD – Michael McCarthy, and Alan Kelly A former MEP and Current TD for Tipperary North who is Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport with responsibility for Public & Commuter Transport along with Ciara Conway have all stated their intention to run for the Deputy Leaders position.

Deputy Conway has already backed Alex White in the leadership battle. Dublin North TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin is believed to be supporting Ciara Conway in her bid to become deputy leader.

Arthur Spring, a nephew of former Labour Party Leader and Tánaiste is expected to declare his intentions about the leadership of the Labour Party.

Waterford man could be about to drop down pecking order or leave Premiership club

Just days after being an unused sub in Queen’s Park Rangers 1-0 win over Derby County in the Championship Play-off Final at Wembley, Waterford man Brian Murphy could be set to leave the Loftus Road Club or drop down the pecking order for a place between the posts at the club.

The Waterford man provided back up to former England International Goalkeeper Rob Green this season, after manager Harry Redknapp decided to leave Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar leave the club on loan joining MLS side Toronto FC in February and is not believed to be looking for an experienced back up player to Green ahead of the clubs return to the Premier League.

The Irish Sun are reporting today that Redknapp is going to have Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper David Forde scouted this evening in the game between the Republic of Ireland and Italy.

However, with Crystal Palace also believed to be scouting the Irish man this evening, should the 34 year old whose contract with Millwall expires this summer decide not to take up the offer of a new contact with the club, he could have a number of offers on the table to decide on.

With Forde looking to keep his place as Martin O’Neill’s number one in the Euro 2016 campaign in the autumn, a move to the Selhurst Park Club could prove to be a better move.

Forde could be forced to be back up to Greene at Loftus Road but with Julian Speroni’s contact at Palace set to run out this summer, should be decide on a fresh challenge, Forde could find himself wearing the number one shirt at Selhurst Park next season should he join Tony Pulis charges, with Wayne Hennessey proving back up.

 

Appeal made against permission for new 500 pupil school

Planning permission granted by Carrick-on-Suir Town Council before its abolition in Phil Hogan’s reform of local government for a new campus for Comeragh College in the town has been appealed to An Bord Pleanala.

The new campus which would cater for about 500 students received planning permission in April and would have seen a two story building on a green field site on the outskirts of the town at Tinvane built.

A appeal against the permission for the school that would have pupils enrolled from counties Tipperary, Kilkenny and Waterford was lodged on May 1.

The College is currently split between two separate sites in the town, at Greenside and the former Saint Josephs College.

An Bord Pleanala hopes to have a decision to the appeal made by the first week of September which falls inside the eighteen week target for decisions following an appeal to the granting of permission for any construction.

Management at the school had hoped that construction work would begin in early September and that the new school would be complete within eighteen months.

Tipperary Education and Training Board (formally Tipperary VEC) hopes the new school would be welcoming its first students through the doors in September 2016.

No ambulance available to transfer 4 year old to hospital 55Km from home

 

 

The H.S.E. has come in for criticism for not having an ambulance available to cover in the East Cork and West Waterford area to deal with a recent emergency.

 

On May 18, a mother in the town of Youghal whose husband served as the first and last Mayor of Youghal Town Council had to drive her four year old asthmatic stricken son to Cork University Hospital despite calling for an ambulance to her home after her son went into a chronic attack just before 11pm.

 

Kate Revins has told how she rang South-Doc (Care-Doc in the South-East Region) when she noticed her son was having breathing difficulties and was becoming distraught.

After getting through she was told to ring for an Ambulance to have her son transferred to hospital.

An off duty Paramedic from the area soon arrived at her house to render assistance to her son soon after making the call.

Almost thirty minutes after the call was made for an ambulance, a Rapid Response Vehicle arrived at Mrs. Revins home where the driver told her that no ambulance was available to transport her son to Hospital and he did not know when one would become available.

The H.S.E. does not allow patients to be transferred to hospital in a Rapid Respond Vehicle, so it was suggested that the child be brought to Cork by the family with the Paramedic following in case the child’s condition deteriorated on route.

Travelling alone with her son in the car as her husband remained in the house to be with two other children, Mrs. Revins has told how she had to keep talking to her son while driving to keep him awake while at the same time ensuring how he remained awake and sitting up for the duration of the trip.

Mrs. Revins and her son accompanied by the Rapid Respond Vehicle arrived in the grounds of Cork University Hospital about 12-30am and her son was immediately treated for his difficulties before he was discharged later in the morning.

The H.S.E. have since issued a statement in which they say that they dispatched the nearest available emergency resource (the Rapid Respond Vehicle) which arrived at the house twenty-seven minutes after the call was made. It also says that they contacted an off duty paramedic who was at the scene within five minutes.

The H.S.E. also stated that there was no staff shortages on the evening in question but refused to comment when asked by a journalist from the East Cork area how many ambulances would or should normally have been serving the Youghal and East Cork area at the time.

Another jobs loss announcement for Waterford

200 jobs out of work force of around 1,200 at one of the South-East’s biggest employers Bausch & Lomb in Waterford city are at risk. The Company is the largest private employers in country.

The company which produces eye care products which was taken over last year by Canadian company Valeant which is Canada’s largest drug manufacturers will also be asking the remaining workforce to take a 20 percent pay cut bringing costs in line with those in Rochester in New York where the company say wage rates are in the region of 30 percent lower.

It is understood that the redundancies will be voluntary at first.

The Pharmaceuticals giant Valeant which owns the plant employs 13,000 people worldwide.

The company has said discussions with staff and union representatives will begin next Tuesday and the company hopes to reach a decision in principle by June 17.

It is understood that the Government and IDA Ireland have both been briefed on the situation and that Waterford’s four elected members to Dáil Eireann met with the Jobs Minister Richard Bruton this morning.

RTE News have reported that Independent TD for Waterford John Halligan said it is "deeply disturbing" that Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton knew jobs were on the line for a number of months and did not bring it to the attention of the Dáil.

Last October, the company announced that 48 temporary staff were to be laid off.

In recent years, Waterford has become a jobs black spot. Earlier this year Honeywell previously known as Measurex, was to close with the loss of 26 full-time jobs.

In October last year Honeywell Turbo Technologies announced that the firm would be laying off 74 staff members.

Last May, Citibank decided to close its office in Waterford which employs around 50 people but they expected some of the staff affected would be offered redeployment to the Dublin office of the bank.

In April 2013 Diageo announced that there were closing their Waterford plant and transferring operations to Dublin.

In 2011 Talk Talk closed in Waterford with a loss of 575 jobs

In 2010 Teva Pharmaceuticals announced to their staff that there would 50% of their 730 workforce were be made redundant.

In 2009 Bausch and Lombe announced it was to shed 120. This announcement came hot on the heels of news that ABB engineering is to close with the loss of 178 jobs.

In 2007 Waterford Crystal confirmed it was planning 490 lay-offs in a cost containment exercise and that production would be transferred to Europe. A spokesman said that the decision to cut jobs had been made with the goal of making the 510 remaining jobs more secure. The company closed down in 2009.

2007 also saw French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis decide to close it Irish manufacturing facility in Waterford with a loss of 200 jobs.

In 2006 Hasbro announced 140 job losses at their Waterford factory.

In recent times, a considerable amount of jobs have also been lost in different areas of the county.

Knockanore and Slieve Rue men to become Deacon’s this Sunday

Twenty years ago, the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore had a plentiful supply of priests.

At times up to the early 90’s no position could be found within the Diocese for some newly ordained men, who were at times sent to Dublin or England for short periods filling positions there until such time they were recalled to the Waterford and Lismore Diocese when positions became available.

In recent years however, all that has changed.

Since 2007, six priests who were listed to be part of a parish at the time are currently not holding a position in a parish according to information that can be obtained from the Diocesan website.

Seven Priests that held positions within parishes in 2007 have since died. A further nine priests that had retired by 2007 but some of whom helped out in parishes when it was needed have died. A number of priests that helped out in parishes but who were attached to other parishes but moved to the Waterford and Lismore Diocese after they retired have died.

And since 2007 ten priests that held positions in parishes at that point have since retired from active ministry, some of whom help out in parishes when they can.

Since 2000 only four men have been ordained as Priests for the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore, one of whom died within ten years of his ordination.

Since 2007, one Diocesan Priest who worked outside the Diocese has returned to the Waterford and Lismore Diocese to take up a position.

Currently there is two Polish Priests working in the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. In recent weeks a Priest from the Rosminian Order who previously worked in Parishes run by the order around the country including Clonmel has taken up an administration roll in a parish that was served up to now by Diocesan Priests, while a member of the Augustinian Community in Dungarvan has worked in the Parish with the last number of years. Parishes in South Tipperary are also at times able to avail of the services of member of the Holy Ghost Community at Rockwell College when the need arises.

Twenty years ago, most rural parishes had at least two priests to cover two or three churches in the Parish. In urban areas twenty years ago, some urban parishes could have had anything from two to five priests working in it.

Now most rural parishes in the diocese have just one priests and while all Urban parishes have also seen a reduction in numbers working with the faithful in the parish, most still have at least two priests in the parish, which in some cases is a Parish Priest and a retired Parish Priest who opted to stay working pasted their 75^th Birthday, the retirement age for Priests.

The drop in the numbers of priests available has also meant that there is a drop in the number of masses celebrated in each parish each weekend. Twenty years ago, many churches had three masses celebrated in them each weekend. Now, many churches have just one. The reduction in the number of clergy also means that some of the most traditional of Catholic’s who like to fulfill their obligations on a Sunday, have to visit a neighbouring parish to do so, as Mass is no longer celebrated on a Sunday.

In recent years, the number of parishes without a resident priest has also grown.

Ten years ago, following the death of the then Parish Priest of the Modeligo and Affane Parish, no replacement was picked. The administration of the Parish was carried out by the Parish Priest of the neighbouring parish in Cappoquin.

As the numbers of priests in the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore further dropped and it was time for the Curate in Modeligo and Affane to be promoted to the position of Parish Priest, it meant that no priest was going to be resident in the parish.

The Parishes of Tallow and Ballyduff Upper have also been administered by the same priest since the Parish Priest of Tallow retired some years back.

No Parish Priest was appointed in Dunhill and Fenor when the position became available a few years back. Instead an administrator was appointed. The Parish has since lost their administrator after he took up another position and the Parish began to be administrated from Tramore. When another Parish Priest died in recent years and a reshuffle of priests were made, Butlerstown lost their in resident Priest and the parish was administrated from the Saint Paul’s Parish in Waterford City.  

Further changes are going to be made in the coming years as more the Diocesan Priests retire or Die and there is not enough man power available to fill the positions that will become available.

However, there is some hope.

This coming Sunday at Saint Patrick’s College in Maynooth, Knockanore man Shane O’Neill will be ordained to the Diaconate along with fourteen other men from across Ireland. Amongst the others to be Ordained will be Brian Griffin from Slieve Rue who is to be ordained to the same position for the Diocese of Ossory.

 

And while it is only one that is ordained this year as opposed to four or five year in the past, that one should be seen as a bonus for the Diocese.

The Diaconate is the final step towards full Ordination to the Priesthood which would be expected to happen within twelve months.

Once ordained to the Diaconate and becoming a Deacon, a person will be able to fill many duties of a priest, such as administer the sacrament of Baptism and can serve as the church’s witness at the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, which the bride and groom administer to each other. Deacons may preside at funeral rites not involving a Mass and may assist the priest at Requiem Masses. They can preside over various services such as Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and they may give certain blessings but they cannot hear confession and give absolution, anoint the sick, or celebrate Mass.

Meanwhile it is expected that Pope Francis in the near future will appoint a successor to Bishop William Lee who resigned as Bishop of Waterford and Lismore on health grounds last October.

The Pontiff favouring appointments from outside the diocese that a vacancy arises, since he was elected has filled a number of vacant positions within the Hierarchy in Ireland, his most recent appointment being Father Kevin Doran, a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin to the roll of Bishop of Elphin replacing Bishop Christopher Jones who had offered his resignation to the then Pope Benedict XVI having celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday.

Appointments have been made quicker where they arise when a Bishop reaches the retirement age than they have where a Bishop stands down for health or other reasons.

This could mean that the Dioceses Like Cashel and Emly as well Cork and Ross could have a new Bishop ahead of Waterford and Lismore as Archbishop Dermot Clifford (Cashel and Emily) and John Buckley (Cork and Ross) have passed or about to pass their seventy-fifth birthdays and are set to stand down from their positions as soon as a replacement is in place.

Meanwhile as Pope Francis is filling vacancies in Irish Dioceses, it is looking for now that a report which appeared in some sections of the media in 2011 which suggested that the number of dioceses could be cut from a current twenty-six to eleven or twelve will not go ahead at this point.

The reports suggested that Archdiocese of Cashel could be cut from its current seven dioceses to three with Waterford and Lismore merging with Cloyne, Cork and Ross merging with Kerry and Cashel and Emly merging with the diocese of Limerick and the Diocese of Killaloe.

Elected members of Waterford Council are confirmed.

The make up of the new Waterford Council was confirmed on Sunday afternoon when business man Eddie Mulligan became the thirty-second member to be elected to the new body.

Waterford City which had fifteen elected members and Waterford County Council which had twenty-three members has been abolished and will be placed by a new single body. The Dungarvan, Tramore and Lismore Town Councils have also been abolished in line with other town councils around the country. Former members of Dungarvan and Tramore Town Councils will be represented on the new council but no member of the outgoing Lismore Town Council allowed their name to go forward for election to the new body.

Sinn Fein Councillor John Hearne was the first member elected to the new body. Hearne who was co-opted onto Waterford City Council in 2011 after David Cullinane was elected as a member of the Senate was elected for the Waterford South area which covers Waterford city.

Of the seventy-three that put their name forward for a place on the new council, fourteen were women, five of whom were elected, one coming from each of the five electorate areas.

Fianna Fail Councillor Michael Joseph O’Ryan polled highest across the five electorate areas. The Ballymacarbry based councillor who is the third generation of his family to be elected to serve the people of Waterford in almost one hundred years received 1,484 first preference votes in the Comeragh area which stretches from Annestown in the East of the County to Ballymacarbry and Ballinamult in the North West of the county.

Damien Geoghegan and John Cummins both of the Fine Gael Party and who served as the last Mayor of the County and City Councils respectfully were both re-elected.

Dungarvan man Damien Geoghegan was the first to be elected in the newly formed Dungarvan/Lismore area, topping the area pole with 1,337 first preference votes, passing the quota of 1,312 votes needed to be elected.

Waterford City man John Cummins who serves in the Waterford South district received 780 first preference votes and was elected to the new body on the tenth county having passed the 1,032 quota with 1,089 votes.

Six Councillors were elected on the first count. Michael Joseph O’Ryan and Liam Brazil were elected in the Comeragh Area. In the Dungarvan area Damien Geoghegan was elected after the first round of counting.

In the Tramore/Waterford City West area no member of the new body were elected after the first round of counting. Joe Conway was the first of the eighteen names on the ballot paper in the area to be elected, after eight rounds of counting.

In Waterford City/East outgoing City Councillor Davy Daniels and out going County Councillor Pat Fitzgerald were elected on the first count, while John Hearne was elected in the first round of voting in Waterford South.

Fourteen members of the new body were elected without reaching a quota.

In the Comeragh area, Sean Power was just nine votes short of the quota after nine counts but was elected along with Mary Butler.

In the Dungarvan/Lismore area half the representatives were elected without reaching the quota. Tom Cronin, Declan Doocey, Seamus O’Donnell and John Pratt were all elected without reaching the set quota.

In the Tramore/Waterford City West area, another four were elected without reaching the quota, Blaze Hannigan, Joe Kelly, Lola O’Sullivan and Eamon Quinlan.

In Waterford City South Jason Murphy, Laurence ‘Cha’ O’Neill and Sean Reinhardt were all elected without a quota while Eddie Mulligan in the Waterford City/East area was the last elected councillor again failing to reach the quota.

In total nine non-party members will sit on the new council with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael having eight members each, Sinn Fein have six members while John Pratt will be the sole Labour member.

With seventeen votes needed to form a majority grouping on the new council, the various parties and non party members will be meeting in the coming days to decide who will control the council.

Members of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have already indicated that that they could come together and work together over the next five years, but they would need one more vote to form a majority.

Sinn Fein was the bigger winners in Waterford as was the case throughout the country. However, it remains to be seen if they will take part in controlling the new council as not all parties and independents will be willing to share control with them.

The new council is made up of

Liam Brazil                  Fine Gael        Comeragh Area

Mary Butler                 Fianna Fail      Comeragh Area

Declan Clune              Sinn Fein         Comeragh Area

John O’Leary              Fianna Fail      Comeragh Area

Michael J. O’Ryan      Fianna Fail      Comeragh Area

Sean Power                Fine Gael        Comeragh Area

Tom Cronin                 Fianna Fail      Dungarvan/Lismore Area

Declan Doocey           Fine Gael        Dungarvan/Lismore Area

Damien Geoghegan   Fine Gael        Dungarvan/Lismore Area

Pat Nugent                  Fine Gael        Dungarvan/Lismore Area

Seamus O’Donnell      Non Party        Dungarvan/Lismore Area

John Pratt                   Labour             Dungarvan/Lismore Area

James Tobin               Fianna Fail      Dungarvan/Lismore Area

Siobhán Whelan          Sinn Fein         Dungarvan/Lismore Area

Joe Conway                Non Party        Tramore/Waterford West Area

Jim Griffin                   Sinn Fein         Tramore/Waterford West Area

Blaze Hannigan           Non Party        Tramore/Waterford West Area

Joe Kelly                     Non Party        Tramore/Waterford West Area

Lola O’Sullivan            Fine Gael        Tramore/Waterford West Area

Eamon Quinlan           Fianna Fail      Tramore/Waterford West Area

John Carey                 Fine Gael        Waterford/East Area

Davy Daniels              Non Party        Waterford/East Area

Pat Fitzgerald              Non Party        Waterford/East Area

Eddie Mulligan            Non Party        Waterford/East Area

Mary Roche                Non Party        Waterford/East Area

Adam Gary Wyse       Fianna Fail      Waterford/East Area

Breda Brennan            Sinn Fein         Waterford South Area

John Cummins           Fine Gael        Waterford South Area

John Hearne               Sinn Fein         Waterford South Area

Jason Murphy             Fianna Fail      Waterford South Area

Laurence O’Neill         Non Party        Waterford South Area

Sean Reinhardt           Non Party        Waterford South Area