The Labour Party has selected its three sitting Councillors, Emma Cutlip, Michelle Hall and Pio Smith, to contest June’s local elections for Louth County Council.
The Party will select its candidates for Mid-Louth and North Louth in the coming weeks. Meath Councillor, South Drogheda-based Elaine McGinty’s selection convention will take place in early February.
“We have a fantastic, experienced and energetic team facing into summer’s local election which will soon be followed by the General Election” said local TD Ged Nash at the convention last Monday night.
“The people of Drogheda and South Louth are very well represented by our dedicated team of Emma, Michelle and Pio who work extremely hard and with enormous integrity day in day out to make our town and all our communities in South Louth better.”
Cllr. Emma Cutlip, who succeeded Fiachra MacRaghnaill on the Council several months ago, said that her priorities are to ensure Drogheda feels safe again, that dereliction and vacancy are properly tackled, and that families can live without the fear of homelessness, vandalism, or crime.
“Whether you live in Ballsgrove, Rathmullen, Dublin Road or Sunnyside, I know the issues our community faces, because I live here and I am committed to ensuring our community is a great place to live.
“I am proud to have achieved some successes in my short time on Louth County Council. “I have ensured that it is now cheaper to develop creche facilities, it is cheaper to redevelop derelict properties, and I have continued to work for real solutions to our housing crisis.
“I have highlighted the crisis in disability services and worked to make Drogheda more inclusive for people with disabilities by bringing Drogheda into the AsIAm autism friendly towns initiative and working with DDI to audit Drogheda’s accessibility. I have met with the NTA to bring a review of the 173 Drogheda Town Bus route – now underway.
Termonfeckin-based Councillor Michelle Hall who had a very successful and high-profile term as Mayor of Drogheda said that it has been a great privilege to serve the residents of Drogheda Rural since she was elected in 2019.
I hope to continue to represent them following my Labour Party nomination for this year’s local elections” she added.
“My main aim has always been to try to improve local people’s lives and through hard work and my representations, there have been a lot of positive changes these past five years – increased public transport, new bus shelters, new footpaths, traffic calming, a new playground planned, cleaner towns, promotion of tourism, active travel, integration and much more.
“I was so lucky to have had successful terms as both Deputy Mayor and Mayor of Drogheda, only the second female in 770 years. There’s nothing like the feeling of being the first citizen of your home town. It was a year I’ll never forget”
“While there’s been many successes, there is still so much work to do to improve Drogheda Rural in terms of dereliction, traffic congestion, the need to increase business opportunities, public realm infrastructure needed (especially in the Northern Environs) and to see the Northern Cross Route continue into Phase 2.
“I want to thank our community, my family, friends, work colleagues and Labour Party comrades for all their continued support, I couldn’t do it without them.”
Cllr. Pio Smith, another former Mayor of Drogheda, and also former Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council said that his intention if elected is to continue working to make the town a better place.
“The West Gate Vision which I launched in 2018 as Mayor is now ready to be lodged to the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) for funding.
“Also, I have worked with the council to actively purchase buildings in Narrow West Street. Both of these issues will in time transform the area and I would like to continue on this work into the future.”
