Cllr Paula Desmond
Paula was first elected to Cork County Council in June 1985 at the age of 21. She has since been re-elected at each local authority election and is the leader of the Labour Group on Council. She chairs the Social and Community SPC, having in the past chaired the Cultural, Recreational and Amenity SPC of Council.
Under the 2001 Local Government Act, the title of Chairman changed to 'Mayor of the County of Cork', making Paula the first Mayor of the County in 2002. Coincidentally, Paula was the first and only woman to be elected to the Chair of Cork County Council in 1994 and again as Mayor in 2002.
Paula has had the experience of being a member of most Council committees at various times during over her 25 years on the Council, including the travellers committee, coastal management, higher education, national monuments and County Cork VEC, and has retained her membership of the housing & sanitary, and the development committees throughout her tenure. She is also a member of the County's Planning SPC and the County Development Board.
Paula also contested the Euro elections on behalf of the party in the Munster constituency in 1999, winning in excess of 54,000 votes.
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