Senator's wife co-opted to take up vacant seat on Waterford City and County Council

Waterford City and County Council once again has its full complement of Councillors following the co-option of Sandra Conway into the vacant seat in the Tramore and Waterford City West LEA.

Councillor Conway was nominated to fill the vacant position under the Local Government Act 2001 by her husband, the newly elected Senator Joe Conway.

Councillor Sandra Conway said she was “honoured and privileged to have been co-opted on to the Council [on Thursday] by the Members”. 

The new Tramore and Waterford City West Councillor recognised in a statement that “the times ahead will be a challenge” as she “adapt[s] to the work of a Councillor”.

“It goes without saying that I will do my very best for the people of Tramore and Waterford.” 

Speaking at the recent Plenary Council meeting following her co-option, the new Independent Councillor thanked her "proposer and seconder Councillor [Lola] O'Sullivan and Councillor [Blaze] Hannigan” saying she was “looking forward to working with you both over the next few years."

Fine Gael Councillor Lola O’Sullivan, who proposed Cllr Conway’s co-option, credited her new colleague as having lived in Tramore “for close to 40 years”.

“She knows the town and its people well and I know she will work hard with her councillors to improve our town, our city and our county,” Cllr O’Sullivan said.

Councillor Mary Roche welcomed her new colleague to the council saying, “On my own behalf and on behalf of the Women’s Caucus, which is a sub-committee of the council with all of the women councillors, regardless of party.”

Cllr Roche highlighted the fact that the co-option of a female councillor brought the number of women in the chamber to seven, which she said was the “highest representation of women on Waterford City and County Council”.

“This brings us up to just 20% representation – which is an interesting statistic that people might be interested in. Obviously, I am sure all of the other women in the chamber and indeed many of the men – although not at their own expense – would like to see that number grow higher!”

Cllr Roche wished the new Senator “the very best” and said she was sure “it will do us well to have such a close connection between the chamber and the Senate going forward.”

Speaking to Waterford News & Star, the outgoing council representative Senator Joe Conway said his wife was an “ideal fit” for the vacant seat on the Council and described her as a “very shrewd political operator” who has built up knowledge and experience in and around the Council chambers over the past two decades.

“The whole purpose of co-option is based on the dual mandate, which was done away with some years ago and prevents people from taking up seats on the local authority and the national parliament, and I think that was a good thing,” he said.

“The co-option process tries to ensure continuity and familiarity, and I think Sandra, who was working with me on the election trails for the last 21 years, certainly has the familiarity but also will provide good continuity on the council.”

Senator Conway said his election to the Seanad had been “a long and arduous process” highlighting his repeated electoral attempts going as far back as 1981 “which is now 44 years ago, it’s probably the longest apprenticeship in Irish employment history!”

While the new Senator speculated he may be eligible for the Guinness Book of Records, he said he was proud to have been elected to the position after a long tenure on Waterford Council.