Bradley takes chain of office 02.07.07

Buncrana's new Town Mayor Cllr. Paul Bradley has pledged to make the local authority a "catalyst" for job creation during his year in office. The Fine Gael councillor and businessman said he would push for a special tax status for the seaside town to make it more attractive to inward investment.
	"There has been serious neglect of the Inishowen area by successive governments over the years. The number one thing I will be looking for is a special designation for this area," he said. "I remember bringing this suggestion up one time with the Minister for Enterprise, Micheal Martin. He dismissed it out of hand and nearly laughed me out of the room.
But there we had (Finance Minister) Brian Cowen recently giving such a designation to the Shannon Basin." Cllr. Bradley, the proprietor of Buncrana's Eurospar supermarket, said he would use his connections with his party's Opposition backbenchers, Deputies Joe McHugh and Dinny McGinley, to further the case of Buncrana and its most pressing needs in the Dail. "Buncrana Town Council can't create jobs but it can act as a catalyst to put the necessary infrastructure in place to attract jobs."

He said he would keep a close eye on the progress of decentralisation in the town and the "bureacratic red tape" that was currently hampering progress on the town's much-needed harbour breakwater. Cllr. Bradley, who succeeded Cllr. Joe Doherty as mayor, said he would also push for better recycling facilities including a civic amenity site for the town.
"On a personal note, I would like to say that I enjoy my job as a councillor and I am looking forward to the year ahead. I hope that we, as councillors, can work towards a consensus on the major issues for the betterment of Buncrana. "I promise to give my full commitment to the Council, the Executive and the people of Buncrana," he added. Cllr. Bradley, who was elected unopposed, received warm wishes and congratulations from his councillor colleagues. All said they believed he would bring hard work, dedication and distinction to his new role. This will be Cllr. Bradley's first time as chairman of the nine-member Council, in his eight years serving on the local authority. His deputy for the year will be his Fine Gael colleague, Cllr. Peter McLaughlin. Meanwhile, warm thanks were also extended to Cllr. Doherty, whom they said had served the town with distinction - bringing his many years of experience as a councillor to bear on a number of sensitive and important issues affecting the town in the previous 12 months.
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