Committee roles first for Sinn Fein pair

Councillor Brendan Curran has been appointed as chairperson of environmental services while his colleague, Councillor Paul Ó Gríbín is heading up the public services liaison committee.

Mr Curran said that despite the image portrayed by some individuals, Banbridge Council has been progressive and has embraced all sides of the community.

He continued, “There is still a lot of work to be done within our communities but the system of power-sharing on council sends out a positive message and other councils could learn from Banbridge’s positive approach. The ability to share responsibilities and honour agreed procedures without compromising principles shows political maturity and political confidence.”

He added that as chairperson of environmental services, he wanted to build on Banbridge’s “excellent reputation” as a council with a forward-thinking approach to helping the environment. “I want to help maintain the high standard that already exists. Banbridge is one the best and we want to keep that going,” he insisted.

Mr Ó Gríbín emphasised that he and Mr Curran would do their utmost to carry out their roles effectively. “Within the chamber all members express their views openly and honestly and without acrimony. We will continue to ensure that this is the case by carrying out our duties in a professional and fair manner,” he explained.