Kildare County Council
Kildare County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Chill Dara) is the authority responsible for local government in County Kildare, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 40 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (chairperson). The county administration is headed by a Chief Executive, Sonya Kavanagh. The county town is Naas.
Kildare County Council Comhairle Contae Chill Dara | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Daragh Fitzpatrick, FF | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 40 |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 24 May 2019 |
| Motto | |
| Meanma agus Misneach (Irish) "Spirit and Courage" | |
| Meeting place | |
| Áras Chill Dara, Naas | |
| Website | |
| kildarecoco | |
History
The County Council was formed in 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. It was originally based at Naas Courthouse but, after a major fire in the courthouse, moved to the former St Mary's Fever Hospital in the late 1950s.[1] By late 1990s, the old hospital buildings were in poor condition, and the county council identified the former Devoy Barracks site as its preferred location for new facilities.[2] It moved to Áras Chill Dara on the site of the old barracks site in 2006.[2]
Regional Assembly
Kildare County Council has three representatives on the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly who are part of the Eastern Strategic Planning Area Committee.[3]
Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts
Kildare County Council is divided into the following municipal districts and local electoral areas, defined by electoral divisions.[4]
| Municipal District | LEA | Definition | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athy | Athy East Urban, Athy Rural, Athy West Urban, Ballaghmoon, Ballitore, Ballybrackan, Ballyshannon, Belan, Bert, Burtown, Carrigeen, Castledermot, Churchtown, Dunmanoge, Fontstown, Graney, Grangemellon, Harristown, Inchaquire, Johnstown, Kilberry, Kilkea, Kilrush, Moone, Narraghmore, Nurney, Skerries and Usk. | 5 | |
| Celbridge–Leixlip | Celbridge | Donaghcumper; and those parts of the electoral division of Celbridge not contained in the local electoral area of Leixlip. | 4 |
| Leixlip | Leixlip; and those parts of the electoral division of Celbridge to the north of a line drawn along the M4 motorway. | 3 | |
| Clane–Maynooth | Clane | Ballynadrumny, Cadamstown, Carbury, Carrick, Clane, Donore, Downings, Drehid, Dunfierth, Kilmeage North, Kilmeage South, Kilpatrick, Kilrainy, Lullymore, Robertstown, Timahoe North, Timahoe South and Windmill Cross. | 5 |
| Maynooth | Balraheen, Cloncurry (in the former Rural District of Celbridge No. 1), Donadea, Kilcock, Maynooth, and Straffan. | 5 | |
| Kildare–Newbridge | Kildare | Ballysax East, Ballysax West, Cloncurry (in the former Rural District of Edenderry No. 2), Dunmurry, Feighcullen, Kildangan, Kildare, Killinthomas, Lackagh, Monasterevin, Pollardstown, Quinsborough, Rathangan, Rathernan and Thomastown. | 5 |
| Newbridge | Carnalway, Carragh, Droichead Nua Rural, Droichead Nua Urban, Gilltown, Kilcullen, Ladytown, Morristownbiller and Oldconnell. | 5 | |
| Naas | Ballymore Eustace, Bodenstown, Kill, Killashee, Kilteel, Naas Rural, Naas Urban, Newtown, Oughterard and Rathmore. | 7 | |
Councillors
The following were elected at the 2019 Kildare County Council election, under the boundaries which existed at the time. [5]
| Party | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| Fianna Fáil | 12 | |
| Fine Gael | 11 | |
| Labour | 5 | |
| Social Democrats | 4 | |
| Green | 3 | |
| Sinn Féin | 1 | |
| Independent | 4 | |
Councillors by electoral area
This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 24 May 2019.[6]
| Council members from 2019 election | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Local electoral area | Name | Party | |
| Athy | Mark Wall[lower-alpha 1] | Labour | |
| Aoife Breslin | Labour | ||
| Ivan Keatley | Fine Gael | ||
| Brian Dooley | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Veralouise Behan | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Celbridge | Michael Coleman | Fianna Fáil | |
| Íde Cussen | Independent | ||
| Vanessa Liston | Green | ||
| Ciara Galvin | Labour | ||
| Clane | Brendan Weld | Fine Gael | |
| Daragh Fitzpatrick | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Pádraig McEvoy | Independent | ||
| Aidan Farrelly | Social Democrats | ||
| Brendan Wyse | Fine Gael | ||
| Kildare | Suzanne Doyle | Fianna Fáil | |
| Anne Connolly | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Kevin Duffy | Fine Gael | ||
| Mark Stafford | Fine Gael | ||
| Patricia Ryan[lower-alpha 1] | Sinn Féin | ||
| Leixlip | Joe Neville | Fine Gael | |
| Bernard Caldwell | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Nuala Killeen | Social Democrats | ||
| Maynooth | Naoise Ó Cearúil | Fianna Fáil | |
| Paul Ward | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Angela Feeney | Labour | ||
| Tim Durkan | Fine Gael | ||
| Peter Hamilton | Green | ||
| Naas | Vincent P. Martin[lower-alpha 1] | Green | |
| Evie Sammon | Fine Gael | ||
| Fintan Brett | Fine Gael | ||
| Seamie Moore | Independent | ||
| Carmel Kelly | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Bill Clear | Social Democrats | ||
| Anne Breen | Labour | ||
| Newbridge | Fiona McLoughlin Healy | Independent | |
| Peggy O’Dwyer | Fine Gael | ||
| Robert Power | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Tracey O’Dwyer | Fine Gael | ||
| Noel Heaney | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Chris Pender | Social Democrats | ||
- Notes
- Replaced during term, see table below for details.
Co-options
| Party | Outgoing | Electoral area | Reason | Date | Co-optee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinn Féin | Patricia Ryan | Kildare | Elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2020 general election | February 2020 | Noel Connolly | |
| Labour | Mark Wall | Athy | Elected to Seanad Éireann at the 2020 Seanad election | May 2020 | Mark Leigh | |
| Green | Vincent P. Martin | Naas | Nominated by the Taoiseach to Seanad Éireann | June 2020 | Colm Kenny | |
References
- "Maternity care featured in debate on future of Kildare hospitals". Leinster Leader. 27 November 2008. Archived from the original on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- "Council's new civic offices go full tilt in Naas". Irish Times. 26 January 2006. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014, Article 5 and Schedule 3 (S.I. No. 573 of 2014). Signed on 16 December 2014. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 26 April 2023.
- County of Kildare Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2018 (S.I. No. 620 of 2018). Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 24 May 2019.
- "2014 Local elections – Kildare County Council". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- "2014 Local elections: Kildare County Council". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.