Reilly in the frame to succeed Killian

Veteran Fianna Fail councillor Tommy Reilly of the Navan municipal area is expected to be his party’s nominee when the election of a new cathaoirleach of Meath County Council is held early next month.

His party colleague Paul McCabe is expected to be the nominee for the post of leas cathaoirleach.

A combination of 12 Fianna Fail councillors and 10 members of a technical group have controlled the positions of cathaoirleach and leas cathaoirleach since the last local election.

The Fianna Fail councilllors are Mike Bray, Paul McCabe, Wayne Harding, Stephen McKee, Damien O’Reilly, Conor Tormey, Sean Drew, Tom Behan, Padraig Fitzsimons, Tommy Reilly, Aisling Dempsey and Deirdre Geraghty Smith and the technical group comprises Independents Brian Fitzgerald, Nick Killian, Amanda Smith, Francis Deane, Gillian Toole, David Gilroy, Geraldine Keogan, Trevor Golden, along with Elaine McGinty (Labour Party), Emer Toibin (Aontu).

In a pact worked out between FF and the Independents following the last election, Fianna Fail was allocated three chairmanships (Wayne Harding, Sean Drew and the nominee this year) while the technical group was allocated two (David Gilroy and Nick Killian).

In the five years prior to the last local election there had been a pact between Fine Gael and the technical group.