Newry,_Mourne_and_Down_District_Council

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

Local authority in Northern Ireland


Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (Irish: Comhairle Ceantair an Iúir, Mhúrn agus an Dúin) is a local authority in Northern Ireland that was established on 1 April 2015. It replaces Down District Council and Newry and Mourne District Council and covers most of the southeast of Northern Ireland. The first elections to the authority were on 22 May 2014. At the 2019 Northern Ireland local elections, Sinn Féin became the largest party with 16 seats. This success was continued at the 2023 Northern Ireland local elections, winning 20 seats.

Quick Facts Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Comhairle Ceantair an Iúir, Mhúrn agus an Dúin, Type ...

Chairpersonship

Chairperson

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Deputy Chairperson

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Councillors

For the purpose of elections the council is divided into seven district electoral areas (DEA):[4]

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Party strengths

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Councillors by electoral area

More information Council members from 2023 election, District electoral area ...

† Co-opted to replace an elected councillor

For further details see 2023 Newry, Mourne and Down District Council election.

Councillor Incidents

The Mournes DEA DUP Councillor Glyn Hanna is currently the focus of media over the William Walker pervert case.

William Walker, former Chairperson of Down District Council in 2014/2015, and DUP councillor for Rowallane, was in court in June 2023 over the charges. He admitted to sexual offences with underage girls, and Councillor Hanna provided a "positive" character reference for Walker. This has caused major outcry, including from DUP MLAs, including Edwin Poots, former DUP Leader.

Bilingualism policy

The former Newry & Mourne District Council, uniquely among local authorities in Northern Ireland, had a bilingualism policy which sets out the Council’s commitment to facilitate and encourage the promotion and use of both the Irish language and the English language in the Council area. In order to ensure that the new administrative division does not constitute an obstacle to the promotion of the Irish language, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council was obliged under the terms of Article 7.1 (b) of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, to progressively implement the bilingualism policy throughout the whole of the newly enlarged district.[5]

Population

The area covered by the new Council has a population of 171,533 residents according to the 2011 Northern Ireland census.[6]


References

  1. "Naomi Bailie is new Council Chair", Newry.ie, 31 March 2015
  2. "Chairperson's Office". Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) [dead link]
  4. "NI Census 2011 - Key Statistics Summary Report, September 2014" (PDF). NI Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 28 September 2014.

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