Independent Councillors (from left) Dermot Quigley, Gary Donnelly and Darren O’Reilly arriving at Derry’s Guidhall for the first ever meeting of the Derry City and Strabane District Council.
Strabane Sinn Fein Councillor Maoiliosa McHugh is the first presiding councillor (chairperson) of the new Derry City and Strabane District Council.
Cllr McHugh, who successfully stood in the Derg Electroral Area, was elected to the position unopposed after being nominated by his party colleague, Cllr Elisha McCallion, at the first ever meeting of the “super council” in Derry’s Guildhall earlier this evening.
Sinn Fein Cllr Maolíosa McHugh, the first ever presiding councillor of the Derry-Strabane “super council.”
In his acceptance speech, Cllr McHugh, who will hold the post until 1 April next year when the new “super council” comes into effect, said he was honoured to appointed presiding councillor.
Cllr McHugh said it was a “great honour” to be in the chair on such a “historic occasion.”
He added: “The main objective is to create dynamic growth within our community to attract the funding to meet the needs of all of our residents – in health, education and employment which we in the North West have felt deprived of.”
DUP Cllr Maurice Devenney was elected deputy presiding councillor.
Before the meeting got underway and following a request of Standing Orders by the DUP’s Maurice Devenney, the SDLP, Sinn Fein, UUP and DUP condemned the recent firebomb attack on the Everglades Hotel.
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