Elected Council Members

As Gaeilge

The members of each local authority in Ireland are all called 'Councillors'. The number of members of each local authority is fixed by law. Wicklow County Council has a membership of 32 councillors.

Councillors are directly elected in local elections by members of the local community. The number of Councillors elected to each local authority depends on the population of the local authority area.

Elected members come into office seven days after polling day. Each member holds office for five years, that is until seven days after the polling day at the next local elections – which are by law held in the month of May or June on a day fixed by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. Each elected member is expected to regularly attend meetings of the full council.

A Councillor may resign by delivering a notice in writing. They are deemed to have resigned if he or she does not attend a Council meeting for 6 consecutive months (unless he or she was ill or there was some other good reason).

However, before the expiry of this period a local authority may by resolution grant an extension for a further six months where the absence is due to illness or occurs in good faith due to other reasons. Only one further subsequent such extension may be granted, subject to a maximum period of eighteen months continuous absence.

If a Councillor dies, resigns or becomes disqualified from being a member of the Council, the vacancy is filled by co-option. The political party who originally nominated the member who caused the vacancy nominates a new member and the Council then passes a resolution to appoint the new member.

The councillors appoint a chairperson(cathaoirleach) and a vice chair(leas cathaoirleach) which changes on a yearly basis.

Cathaoirleach: Edward Timmins
Leas Cathaoirleach: Par Vance