AMBITIOUS DENEW MAYOR ELECTED IN LISMORE

Former Deputy Mayor Jan Rotte has been elected as the new mayor of Lismore. Cllr John Campion was also nominated for the position.

After thanking the outgoing mayor, Mr. Peter Ahearne for his commitment to his duties in spite of very trying personal circumstances, the new mayor outlined in his acceptance speech two very important issues that he would like to see implemented while he is in office.

Mr. Rotte explained that his main focus would be to end the ‘Sam Shire saga’ and to open a 24-hour GP service in Lismore. Sam Shire Recycling Ltd was a Lismore company which developed a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) where dry recyclable materials were taken by Waterford County Council to be processed in Lismore.

The County Council ambitiously initiated the project in an attempt to cut the levels of domestic and household waste brought to landfill sites at Dungarvan and Tramore by 35%. The company has since gone bankrupt and the waste mountain at the former recycling plant is now posing a serious health hazard.

“There are now 500 tons of waste that the county council cannot remove without going to court. The tax has been paid and there should be no extra cost,” said an understandably concerned Mayor Rotte. He also vowed that he would do everything to make sure that the county council removes the waste.

As for the 24-hour GP service, Mayor Rotte has been working on securing such a facility for Lismore for the past two years, by asking questions of the relevant politicians and sending letters and requesting to meet with the minister, but without any success to date.

“The nearest such clinic is in Dungarvan and I would like to see one in Lismore,” the mayor said pointing out a recent situation where a father had to take his 18 month old baby to Dungarvan for medical attention at the weekend.

Mayor Rotte said he was hopeful he would be successful in his efforts to secure the facility and concluded, “All we can do, is do the best for the people of Lismore.” Mayor Jan Rotte is originally from The Netherlands and has lived in Lismore since 1997 with his wife Catherine, a native of Lismore and their four children: Shayne, Martin, William and Maeve.

Before settling in the area Mayor Rotte spent 25 years in International Development Aid programmes in Africa and Asia in positions ranging from volunteer to country director.

Since coming to Lismore he has become actively involved with the local community through membership of Mochuda Development Company Ltd., the Immrama Festival of Travel Writing and the Credit Union. Mr. Rotte has been a town councillor since 2006 and is a member of the Labour Party.

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