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Wexford County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Loch Garman) is the local authority of County Wexford, 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 34 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, currently Eddie Taaffe. The county town is Wexford.
Wexford County Council Comhairle Contae Loch Garman | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Pip Breen, FF | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 34 |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 7 June 2024 |
| Motto | |
| Latin: Exemplar Hiberniae "An example to Ireland" | |
| Meeting place | |
| County Hall, Wexford | |
| Website | |
Official website  | |
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Wexford County Council was established in statute in 1898 by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. The first meeting of the council was on 22 April 1899.[1]
From 1899 to 1920, meetings of the county council were held in the Grand Jury room of the old Wexford Courthouse on Commercial Quay.[2] After the old courthouse burnt down in the Irish War of Independence, a new courthouse was established on the site of the old jail in Hill Street in 1930.[2][3] The county council relocated to the site in Hill Street at the same time.[4][5] After the condition of the properties in Hill Street proved inadequate, the county council moved to a modern County Hall in Carricklawn in September 2011[5] and a modern courthouse was opened on Belvedere Road in 2018.[6]
In 2014, the Local Government Reform Act 2014 dissolved Enniscorthy Town Council, Gorey Town Council, New Ross Town Council, and Wexford Borough Council. Wexford County Council became the local authority for their areas of jurisdiction.[7]
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Wexford County Council has three representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly who are part of the South-East Strategic Planning Area Committee.[8]
Members of Wexford County Council are elected for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) from multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).
County Wexford is divided into LEAs, defined by electoral divisions, for elections to the council.[9][10] These are grouped into borough and municipal districts for the purpose of local exercising of the powers of the local authority. The municipal district which contains the administrative area of the former borough of Wexford is referred to as a Borough District.[11]
| Municipal district | LEA | Definition | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enniscorthy | Ballindaggan, Ballycarney, Ballyhoge, Bree, Castledockrell, Enniscorthy Rural, Enniscorthy Urban, Ferns, Kilbora, Killoughrum, Kilrush, Kiltealy, Marshalstown, Moyacomb, Newtownbarry, Rossard, St. Marys, The Leap and Tombrack. | 6 | |
| Gorey–Kilmuckridge | Gorey | Ardamine, Balloughter, Ballybeg, Ballyellis, Ballylarkin, Ballynestragh, Coolgreany, Courtown, Gorey Rural, Gorey Urban, Huntingtown, Kilcomb, Kilgorman, Kilnahue, Limerick, Monaseed, Rossminoge and Wingfield. | 6 |
| Kilmuckridge | Ballycanew, Ballygarrett, Ballyhuskard, Ballymore, Ballyvaldon, Bolaboy, Cahore, Castle Ellis, Castle Talbot, Edermine, Ford, Kilcormick, Killenagh, Killincooly, Kilmallock, Monamolin, The Harrow, Tinnacross and Wells. | 4 | |
| New Ross | Adamstown, Ballyanne, Ballyhack, Barrack Village, Barronstown, Carnagh, Carrickbyrne, Castleboro, Clonleigh, Clonroche, Dunmain, Fethard, Horetown, Inch, Kilgarvan, Killann, Killesk, Kilmokea, New Ross Rural, New Ross Urban, Newbawn, Old Ross, Oldcourt, Rathroe, Rochestown, Rosbercon Urban, Templeludigan, Templetown, Tintern, Whitechurch (in the former Rural District of New Ross), Whitechurch (in the former Rural District of Wexford) and Whitemoor. | 6 | |
| Rosslare | Aughwilliam, Ballymitty, Bannow, Bridgetown, Clongeen, Duncormick, Harperstown, Harristown, Kilcowan, Killag, Killinick, Kilmore, Kilscoran, Ladys Island, Mayglass, Newcastle, Rosslare, St. Helens, Tacumshin, Taghmon and Tomhaggard; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Drinagh and Rathaspick not contained in the local electoral area of Wexford. | 5 | |
| Borough District of Wexford | Wexford | Ardcavan, Ardcolm, Artramon, Carrick, Forth, Glynn, Kilbride, Killurin, Kilpatrick, Wexford No. 1 Urban, Wexford No. 2 Urban, Wexford No. 3 Urban, Wexford Rural; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Drinagh and Rathaspick to the north of a line drawn as follows: Commencing at the boundary between the electoral divisions of Rathaspick and Wexford Rural at the N25 and then proceeding in a south-easterly direction along the N25 to the roundabout at the junction of the N25 and the R730, and then proceeding along an easterly projection to the boundary between the electoral divisions of Drinagh and Rosslare. | 7 |
| Total | 34 | ||
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The following were elected at the 2024 Wexford County Council election.
2024 seats summary
| Party | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| Fianna Fáil | 9 | |
| Fine Gael | 8 | |
| Wexford Ind. Alliance | 5 | |
| Sinn Féin | 3 | |
| Labour | 2 | |
| Aontú | 1 | |
| Independent | 6 | |
Councillors by electoral area
This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 7 June 2024.[12]
- Notes
Co-options
| Party | Outgoing | LEA | Reason | Date | Co-optee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinn Féin | Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin | Gorey | Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election | 16 December 2024 | Craig Doyle[13] | |
| Labour | George Lawlor | Wexford | Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election | 16 December 2024 | Vicky Clancy Barron[14] | |
Changes in affiliation
| Name | LEA | Elected as | New affiliation | Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Sheehan | New Ross | Fianna Fáil | Independent | 4 November 2024[15] | ||
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