Limerick councillor breaks glass ceiling as first woman elected to lead council
Speaking with the Irish Independent after her election, Cllr Slattery said: 'Well, in the lead up to it, I was a little bit nervous but when I actually got into the chamber, the nerves left me,' she said.
'I knew that, you know, this day was going to go down in history, really, because I was going to be the first woman Príomh Chomhairleoir elected.'
Ms Slattery, a Fianna Fáil councillor, was first elected in 2019 and her rise to the role of Príomh Chomhairleoir has been swift but hard-earned.
'Little did I think in 2019 when I was elected as a councillor that I would go on to be the Príomh Chomhairleoir,' she said. 'It is one of the best honours in my political career so far.'
A breakthrough in gender representation in Limerick politics, Cllr Slattery noted: 'It leads the way for other women as well.'
'Since being elected, some women have reached out to me that wouldn't have before, this paves the way for other young girls who might decide to go into politics,' she beamed.
The chamber was filled with support for Slattery on the day, with colleagues from across the political spectrum showing their backing. 'My colleagues were fantastic and not just my own party colleagues, but my other colleagues in the chamber and the Mayor and the Director General of the Council,' she said.
Alongside her on the day were her extended family 'My daughter, my two grandchildren, my mother, father, sisters, my partner and some of my canvassing team. It was great to have them all there to witness something they wouldn't have witnessed before,' she stated.
Cllr Slattery's tenure on the council has been down to her strict support for youth, the elderly and her communities.
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'You have to put in the hours, you have to make yourself available to people and communities,' she said. 'But I love it. To me, it doesn't feel like a job.'
Among her key priorities for the year ahead are youth and community services, tackling anti-social behavior, and supporting the elderly.
'Indoor and outdoor sports facilities and community facilities are important,' she said, but added that anti-social behaviour in Limerick city is at an all-time high. 'We need extra Garda patrols on the streets,' she stated.
In terms of community engagement, Cllr Slattery enjoys visiting the elderly at St Camillus Hospital. 'We hand out Easter eggs, selection boxes and that kind of this. It's important because they were once our age and they need their voices to be heard now.'
Housing remains another major concern for the Fianna Fáil councillor. 'We need more affordable homes. We need more cost rental and more social houses,' she said. 'The youth of Limerick are going to leave Limerick because they just can't purchase houses here at the moment.'
As a woman in politics, she acknowledged the challenges which brought her to the position she has today.
'There's no training, nothing like that, so you either sink or swim. And I suppose I swam but didn't have much of a choice!' she chuckled.
In thanks to the people of Limerick for their votes, she said: 'Since I was elected Monday, people have been ringing me, texting me, leaving messages on social media to congratulate me.
'Limerick is a fantastic place and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.'
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