Fingal SF county councillor to step down due to work commitments

A Fingal county councillor has announced his intention to step down from his role.

Cllr Aaron O’Rourke, who represents the Ongar Local Electoral Area (LEA), has announced that January’s council meeting will be his last.

The Sinn Féin Councillor said at Monday night’s council meeting that balancing council work with a full-time job was becoming too difficult.

“It has been a huge honour for me to serve on this council and to see all the great work that has been done by Fingal over the last 22 months.

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“I feel like now is the time for me to step aside and allow someone else to come in and continue the great work that is being done by both my party, my community and this council for the Ongar LEA.”

Cllr O’Rourke said he enjoyed all of the discussion and debates with his colleagues, and thanked them for their help.

He thanked the chief executive of Fingal County Council, Ann Marie Farrelly, for her hard work during his time on the council.

Cllr O’Rourke lives in Beechfield between Littlepace and Ongar. A primary school teacher and a Gaeilgeoir, he joined Sinn Féin shortly after the 2016 general election.

He was co-opted onto the council after the 2020 general election, when he was 21 years of age.

The vacancy on the council was created when Paul Donnelly was elected as a TD for Dublin West.

Cllr O’Rourke’s colleagues who attended the meeting spoke highly of him, and said he would be missed.

Deputy Mayor, Cllr Daniel Whooley, thanked Cllr O’Rourke for his service. “It has been a pleasure to work with you... I completely understand the toughness of balancing work and council, and wish you the best.”