Paddy O'Rourke wants to see progress continue
Cllr O'Rourke topped the polls in the Ballinamore LEA
Paddy O'Rourke said this is the beginning of his 21st year on Leitrim County Council and said he would like to think we will be able to continue the progress that's been made.
“When I came in 2004 I more or less hit the ground running as there was money for everything, then we went through a very lean period, left with ghost estates and blights on our landscapes, all of those ghost estates have been tightened up now and people are enjoying the benefit of good homes.
“I suppose there are many days that we probably wish a few more estates were built during that period because we have a very lengthy list of people seeking homes.
“Our county has been acknowledged as a very welcoming place. Over the last six weeks the amount of people who are from other countries, I'm not talking about refugees, I'm talking about people who made a choice to buy a house and come here. It's very welcoming for people who have an interest in the arts and writers and people who enjoy our landscape and the tranquility.
“The other issue is the lack of a permanent residential centre for adult persons with disability. We have a situation here where we are only one of two counties in the Republic of Ireland that doesn't have such a facility.
“There is a significant amount of elderly parents and guardians who have an adult person with disability for whose future they are very worried and we need to remedy that,” he said.
On a personal level he said it is a great satisfaction to his supporters and family.
“Being a councillor can require the call up of all resources of the family. When I am absent someone else has to step up and do something or organise something that needs a rapid response and they have stepped up,” he said.