Nugent ready for council return

A Sinn Féin city councillor has spoken of his delight to return to Cork City Council.

Cllr Mick Nugent was recently co-opted to the council after newly elected Sinn Féin TD, Thomas Gould, vacated his council seat for Dáil Éireann.

The rules of council state that political parties may nominate a replacement if one of their members step down or gets elected to Dáil Éireann. Speaking to the Cork Independent, Cllr Nugent said: “There is definitely things that I have been working on up to before the local elections and I am happy to have an opportunity to pursue these things again.” He continued: “One of the key things that I have been raising has been the North West Regional Park in Knocknaheeny. The council has committed to do a draft of it, but I think it is a missing piece in the regeneration of the northside of the city.” Among other things, Cllr Nugent said housing, the regeneration of the northside of the city and the availability of drinking fountains to reduce single use plastics are his main priorities.

Cllr Nugent was first co-opted on to Cork City Council after Jonathon O'Brien was elected to Dáil Eireann in 2011. However he failed to retain his seat in the local elections in 2019.