This article is from page 41 of the 2008-07-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 41 JPG
“?M GOING to give politics back to the community”. That’s the vow of the newly-elected mayor of Shannon, Councillor Gerry Flynn (Ind).
Mr Flynn (54) assumed the new role last week, after serving on the town council for the past nine years. He has also been a county councillor for the past four years.
The outspoken councillor said he was thrilled to take up his new role.
“I’m excited. It’s fantastic. I’m very pleased more than anything that I got unanimous backing from my fellow councillors,” he said.
‘“T see the role for me as mayor to facilitate debate. I will try to do my best to be fair and impartial. I am go- ing to meet the community and make myself available to the community in
Shannon,” said Cllr Flynn, who is a full-time public representative.
The Miltown Malbay native moved to Shannon over 30 years ago, hav- ing spent two years in London and a period in Limerick. The lure of a good job and decent home attracted himself and his wife Phil (nee Col- lins, from the Burren) to Shannon and they never left. The couple have two daughters, Irene (26) and Jac- queline (24).
‘Shannon has been good to us. You feel the sense of achievement. Little do you think when you come into a town that you will achieve so much,” said the former Fine Gael councillor.
Issues such as the local airport, the development of the town centre in Shannon, estate management and the provision of services for the elderly will be among his priorities over the
next 12 months, while he will also be preparing to mount his challenge to retain his seat on both the county council and town council.
“If I have my health I am to run again for both. Pll put my best foot forward next year,” he said.
“Tt is an exciting time for the town, with the development of the master plan. However the fact that our air- port is suffering 1s worrying, while funding has dried up for the elderly. We are now refusing housing aid for the elderly. I am big into that. My own mother spent several years in a wheelchair before she died,’ he pointed out.
“We need to tighten up on estate management. Joint policing will be rolled out to all local authorities in Ireland. It will mean local elected representatives will enter into a part-
nership with gardai and we need that,’ he said.
Given the developments relating to Shannon Airport in recent years, Cllr Flynn is acutely aware of the importance of its future, to the local area. He firmly believes that Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports should not have been split up.
“Treland is too small an island to have three airports competing with each other. I think it’s not good news for Shannon (the split). I fear the fu- ture will be privatisation of Shannon Airport and that could spell trouble for all of us,” he said.