Revealed: Person chosen to fill vacant Kilkenny County Council seat
Empty seat on council following election of Peter 'Chap' Cleere to Dáil
A person has been chosen to fill the seat on Kilkenny County Council left vacant by the election or Peter 'Chap' Cleere to Dáil Eireann.
It was revealed on Sunday night that the person to be nominated to the role is the new TD's brother - Brian Cleere.
A special Fianna Fáil party selection convention was held in the Hoban Hotel in Kilkenny last Sunday evening, to choose the candidate, and Mr Cleere was unopposed.
Brian Cleere has been a member of Fianna Fáil for the last ten years and has been a strong supporter of his brother in his role as councillor.
The new councillor will be officially co-opted on to Kilkenny County Council at a special meeting of the body on Thursday.
The co-option procedure, to fill a vacant council seat, is in place of a by-election, which is not used at council level. It is usual that the party who's representative held the now vacant seat will nominate the replacement. A vote is then taken by the full council. The 'dual mandate' was abolished in 2003, but until that time a person could remain on as a councillor after their election to the Dáil. This is no longer permitted. The co-opted councillor serves until the next local elections.