logo
Fergal Dennehy elected as Lord Mayor of Cork

Fergal Dennehy elected as Lord Mayor of Cork

RTÉ News​21-06-2025
Fianna Fáil's Fergal Dennehy has been elected as the Lord Mayor of Cork at a meeting of Cork City Council.
Mr Dennehy, a councillor, was elected by 23 votes in the Council Chamber.
In his mayoral speech, Mr Dennehy said he was "deeply honoured" to be elected mayor, adding that he is "fully aware of the responsibility it carries".
He pledged to "acknowledge and strengthen" communities and to work with "young people to ensure that they can be the best that they can be".
He added that he will collaborate and work with officials and stakeholders "across the political spectrum" to make Cork city "a place that all Corkonians can be proud of".
Newley Elected Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Fergal Dennehy with elected Deputy Lord Mayor Margaret McDonnell. pic.twitter.com/1IBhLwbdVM
— Cork City Council (@corkcitycouncil) June 20, 2025
Mr Dennehy was co-opted to Cork City Council in 2003 and subsequently elected in 2004, 2014, 2019, and 2024.
His father, John Dennehy, was also Lord Mayor of Cork.
The Lord Mayor also announced that fellow Councillor Margaret McDonnell will be the Deputy Lord Mayor.
Ms McDonnell, also of the Fianna Fáil party, said she was "extremely honoured" to be elected as Deputy Lord Mayor.
"I look forward to working with the new elected Lord Mayor and supporting him in every way I can over the coming year," she said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The bizarre reason why restoration of Rathfarnham Castle has taken 30yrs
The bizarre reason why restoration of Rathfarnham Castle has taken 30yrs

Extra.ie​

time10 hours ago

  • Extra.ie​

The bizarre reason why restoration of Rathfarnham Castle has taken 30yrs

Restoration works at one of the country's oldest examples of Elizabethan-era grandeur will take another two years at least – because the weather hasn't been right. In a statement read into the Dáil record, the Office of Public Works (OPW) said it anticipates that it will now complete the restoration of the facade of Dublin's Rathfarnham Castle in 2027. The OPW had been under fire recently for its costly and delayed projects including at the Workplace Relations Commission in Ballsbridge, Dublin, which resulted in a 70 metre stretch of low wall outside the building costing €490,000 to complete. The beleaguered agency, which also oversaw the building of the now infamous €336,000 Dáil bike shed, has been engaged in a restoration project at Rathfarnham Castle for three decades. This month the OPW admitted that the promised completion of render to the front of Rathfarnham Castle which had been promised by this summer, will now take at least another two years. Rathfarnham Castle. Pic: Sean Dwyer The issue was raised by the Fianna Fáil TD John Lahart who asked OPW Minister Kevin 'Boxer' Moran why, having been told in 2024 that the job of restoring the frontage of the castle would be finished in 2025, the OPW was now saying the job wouldn't be completed until 2027. The minister replied the exterior of the castle is showing signs of wear and tear and needs to be finished with a substance called lime harling, to be restored to its former glory. However, Mr Moran said he had been advised by the OPW that the 'problem with lime harling is that there is a short seasonal window, along with weather conditions, in which the lime harling finish can be applied and these works are not expected to take place until 2027'. Mr Lahart asked why 2027 was the new date, given that in 2024 he had been told 'a weather window would be required to carry out the works and the works would be carried out in 2025'. The beleaguered agency, which also oversaw the building of the now infamous €336,000 Dáil bike shed, has been engaged in a restoration project at Rathfarnham Castle for three decades. He said: 'The warm weather window has well and truly been with us for the past four or five months. Now, the Minister of State is saying the works will be carried out in 2027. What has changed?' In reply the minister said: 'To be honest, I can't say.' Mr Moran noted that funds have been allocated to undertake this project, with a senior architect assigned to oversee the design and completion. The minister also assured the Fianna Fáil TD that he would not let the matter rest, saying 'I will pursue it because I fell in love with the castle when I went there. It is a fabulous facility.' Rathfarnham Castle was built in 1583 and has been owned by Archbishop Adam Loftus, the founder of Trinity College, 18th century politician Speaker Conolly, and the Jesuit Order. The castle is one of Elizabethan houses. It was declared a national monument and purchased by the State from the Jesuits in 1987. Responding to this latest delay, Mr Lahart told this week: 'The OPW appear to exist in a different time zone to the ordinary citizen, where one year in citizen time is three years in OPW time. Fianna Fáil TD John Lahart. Pic: RTÉ One 'The castle is a critical social and cultural asset and yet the driest summer on record does not apparently provide them with the three decades-long job. Apparently, even climate change cannot speed up the OPW.' Elsewhere, the OPW is also embroiled in a row with locals in Co. Kildare over Castletown House. Last year, it proposed a new entrance and car park to the popular estate near the village of Celbridge but locals objected. In response, some locals have been maintaining a protest at the entrance to the Castletown estate for 11 months. The site has been open to the public for the past three decades but over the past year the row has bitterly divided the Co. Kildare town.

Campaigners rally at Cork City Hall in protest against LNG terminals
Campaigners rally at Cork City Hall in protest against LNG terminals

Irish Examiner

timea day ago

  • Irish Examiner

Campaigners rally at Cork City Hall in protest against LNG terminals

Climate activists, local councillors, and concerned residents gathered outside Cork City Hall this week to protest against potential plans for liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in the region. Organised by the environmental group Not Here Not Anywhere (NHNA), the demonstration featured banners reading 'No LNG Terminals' and chants of 'Flooded Lee, rising seas, we say no to LNG.' Campaigners warned that the Government's reversal of a ban on fracked gas imports earlier this year has opened the door to new fossil fuel projects along Ireland's coast — including the Port of Cork. The protest supports a motion submitted to Cork City Council by Green Party Councillor Oliver Moran, which calls on the Council to oppose any LNG infrastructure and instead prioritise large-scale renewable energy. The motion is due to be debated in September by the Council's Environment, Water & Amenities Strategic Policy Committee. It states: 'That, as a Mission City to be climate neutral by 2030, Cork City Council is opposed to the development of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals, as new fossil fuel infrastructure, and will work to ensure no LNG terminals are developed in the Cork region; and shall focus its support on the development of large-scale renewable infrastructure for energy security instead.' "Cork City Council is a member of regional energy stakeholder groups and an EU Mission City to be climate neutral by 2030," said Mr Moran. "Cork's future is in renewables. It's why the Port of Cork is investing €100m in a deepwater berth dedicated to servicing offshore energy. "Offshore energy will bring jobs and energy security tied to Cork. LNG will bring neither of those." Niamh Guiry, an NHNA campaigner and PhD researcher, added: "The people of Cork have made it repeatedly clear, we do not want and cannot afford any new fossil fuel infrastructure in the midst of a widespread and devastating climate crisis. "We are at a pivotal point in history. Now is the time for radical action and political bravery." She urged Cork City Council to pass the motion in September, calling it a critical signal to Government that the fossil fuel era must come to an end. Campaigners argue that LNG terminals would lock Ireland into high-carbon energy for decades, risking failure to meet 2030 climate targets and potential EU fines of up to €26bn. A recent EPA report also identified 115 climate-related risks to Ireland, with Cork seen as particularly exposed. They also pointed to a landmark advisory opinion issued last week by the International Court of Justice, which found that states may breach international law by supporting fossil fuel development or subsidies. 'It's unthinkable that Ireland could be locked into fossil fuel infrastructure and dependency for years to come," Ms Guiry added. "Passing anti-LNG motions that champion a just transition and the development of widespread renewable energy infrastructure like the one before Cork City Council is hugely important."

New legislation could allow people choose who inherits their estate, say tax group
New legislation could allow people choose who inherits their estate, say tax group

The Journal

timea day ago

  • The Journal

New legislation could allow people choose who inherits their estate, say tax group

'CHOSEN RELATIONSHIP' LEGISLATION could allow individuals select one or two heirs to their estate under the same grouping as parent and child, a specialist expert group has told government. The Tax Strategy Group, an expert advisory panel at the Department of Finance, has noted that the point has been made that people who are not related could have 'equally close and meaningful relationships similar to familial relationships'. The tax experts state that there are a number of ways to develop a policy to capture these 'chosen' relationships. 'For instance, legislation could provide for individuals to select one or two heirs to their estate for Group A Threshold,' it states. Currently, Group A deals with the inheritance to a child (including certain foster children) when a parent dies. This threshold was increased in 2024 to €400,000 from a previous value of €335,000. Penalising people with no children However, in the run up to the election, a debate arose around inheritance tax rules favouring parents and penalising someone who is child-free. The net result in this situation, where 'chosen relationships' could be included in this grouping, would be a tax-free threshold, state the experts, however the paper said that this was not possible to cost. 'Therefore, the costings have been calculated on the basis of three separate instances of a tax-free €400,000 threshold for each group. This would create an additional cost to the Exchequer of €390 million based on up-to-date Revenue data,' state the review papers. Advertisement The Programme for Government contains a commitment to maintain a broad tax base of which Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT or inheritance tax) is one contributory element, state the papers. 'However, it is important to get some sense of the cost of various changes to a particular tax as these are factors which the Minister for Finance must consider when deciding upon his broader budget package. This is particularly relevant this year because of the case being made to expand the scope of Group A to include broader family arrangements,' said the tax experts. Both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael made a number of pledges in their election manifestos around the expansion on inheritance tax groupings. Fianna Fáil pledged to review the inheritance tax thresholds applicable when the deceased does not have children. The party also said it would increase and adjust the inheritance tax Category A, B and C thresholds in each budget 'to reflect the wider increase in property prices in the Irish economy in recent years'. Meanwhile, Fine Gael will said it would increase Capital Acquisitions Tax thresholds and raise Group A threshold (for children) to €500,000, Group B (for siblings) to €75,000, and Group C (for others) to €50,000, 'building on the progress made in Budget 2025″, it said. The tax review papers directly address whether there is discrimination at play when it comes to the differential tax treatment for direct familial relationships and more distant relationships, stating that this has existed in the Irish legal system since the foundation of the State. 'This is reflected explicitly in the Constitution, most clearly in Article 41. The current CAT legal framework, differentiating between Groups A, B and C takes account of this constitutional framework,' states the review papers, stating that it is the beneficiary of the inheritance or gift and not the person who passes away who has to pay the inheritance tax. 'In this context, it is not clear that there is a case that disponers are being discriminated against. Instead, legal concerns, if any should be viewed from the perspective of those who are liable for the tax i.e. the beneficiary. 'It should be noted that it is not clear that such concerns exist here either, as it is not uncommon for the tax system to tax people in different ways depending on the situation or their circumstances,' states the report. The Department is satisfied that the existing inheritance tax legislation and the taxation benefits are not unconstitutional or otherwise unlawful, states the review. Related Reads Financial advisor: Thinking of retiring? Here are the things to consider... Opinion: Inheritance tax changes in the budget have brought some relief, but not enough Breaking down further costings, the group looked at the cost of giving the same status to aunt, uncle and sibling relationships that currently apply to parental relationships – i.e. equalising Group A and B at a tax-free threshold of €400,000. This would cost the State €305 million based on the most up-to-date Revenue data. 'The likelihood is that in reality the costs of collating Groups A and B would be lower, but in the absence of appropriate data it is not possible to demonstrate this at this time,' it adds. Boosting €3,000 tax-free gift to your child per year The tax papers also looks at the gift threshold that parents are allowed give to their children on a yearly basis. Currently, a parent may give a gift up to the value of €3,000 to a child or anyone else each calendar year without any CAT arising. Two parents can make gifts of €3,000 each to a child, resulting in a gift to the value of €6,000 in any year free of CAT. There is no limit on the number of small gifts a person can receive in a year from different donors. The small gift exemption applies only to gifts and not to inheritances, but if government were to increase the small gift exemption, for example, in the case of giving their child help towards a deposit to buy a house by €1,000 (to €4,000) such a move would cost €0.7 million, states the paper. The cost of increasing it to €5,000 per parent is estimated to be €1.4 million, based on the number of CAT returns filed for 2023. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store