Willie Aird's replacement on Laois council gets top job in Portlaoise district

Fine Gael's newest county councillor is replacing the party's new Laois TD as Cathaoirleach of the biggest Municipal District in Laois.

Cllr Paddy Buggy was backed by his Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael colleagues to assume the chairmanship of the Portlaoise Municipal District at his first meeting. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael share power on Laios County Council.

Cllr Buggy was co-opted by Fine Gael to Laois County Council after the election of long time Portlaoise councillor Willie Aird to the Dáil. Dep Aird had been selected as chair of the Portlaoise Municipal District after the June local elections.

Cllr Buggy contested the same local elections in the Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick Municipal District but was unsuccessful. He previously contested for a council seat in 2009 in the Portlaoise area but did not succeed.

He also put his name forward for consideration by Laois Fine Gael to be their candidate at the 2024 General Election. However, he withdrew at the Convention stage before being nominated.

Cllr Buggy was proposed by his Fine Gael colleague Cllr Barry Walsh and seconded by Cllr John Joe Fennelly of Fianna Fáil. He thanked his colleagues for granting the "honour2 to be Cathaoirleach.

"It’s not often you get to be Cathaoirleach on your first day in a meeting, so I wish to say thank you very much," he said.

There was no vote as the counter-proposal for Chair by Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley was not permitted by Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald of Fianna Fáil.

Cllr Buggy took the opportunity to praise council workers and others for their response to the cold snap.

"I want to say on a personal level, last week we had a huge problem with snow in the county, and I want to congratulate everyone who took part in keeping the wheels moving. There was a lot of work done by staff here in County Hall, by farmers, and by a lot of other volunteers around the county. I want to say thank you very much to each of them," he said.

The new councillor tabled one motion in the seven-member district, which includes the County Town and Abbeyleix, Ballinakill.

He asked that the Council extend the areas for salting and gritting in the Portlaoise Municipal area in particular around Kyletelesha, Sluggies Cross and in the vicinity of the secondary schools in the Portlaoise area.

Fine Gael says the Kyletalesha native manages Mountmellick Development Association, a not-for-profit community development organisation and is also a small tillage and beef farmer, farming in Clonaslee and Kyletalesha.

He is also involved with the IFA and was a leading member of the Laois Public Participation Network for many years.

Married to Zita Kelly Fine Gael says he has "a strong passion" for the development of Laois to its full potential.