CHAIRS have been appointed to the two recently established Fermanagh and Omagh District Council subcommittees who have met for the first time.

Sinn Fein’s Councillor Sheamus Greene is Chair of the Rural Affairs Subcommittee, while Democratic Unionist Councillor Deborah Erskine is Chair of the Health and Social Services Subcommittee.

The Rural Affairs Subcommittee is completely new, while the Health Subcommittee has been upgraded from a working group and as such met for the first time in public.

The Subcommittees are scheduled to meet on a quarterly basis.

At the inaugural Rural Affairs Subcommittee meeting on June 24, Councillor Thomas O’Reilly proposed party colleague Councillor Sheamus Greene for the position of Chair, saying: “This is something he has shepherded this far and I look forward to him taking it forward for the next 12 months.

“It is my pleasure to nominate him as the first Chair of the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Rural Affairs Subcommittee.”

Councillor Sheamus Greene said: “I’m really glad to accept the Chair, and I’m delighted we’re at this stage of having our first meeting.”

Membership is as follows:

Sinn Fein – Councillors Sheamus Greene (Chair), Anthony Feely, Anne-Marie Donnelly, Siobhan Currie, Padraigin Kelly and Thomas O’Reilly.

Ulster Unionist – Councillors Allen Rainey, John McClaughry, Victor Warrington and Alex Baird.

Democratic Unionist – Councillors Paul Robinson and Mark Buchanan.

SDLP – Councillors John Coyle and Garbhan McPhillips.

Alliance – Councillor Stephen Donnelly.

Independent – Councillor Emmet McAleer and Councillor Eamon Keenan.

The following week, on July 2, Democratic Unionist Councillor Errol Thompson nominated party colleague  Councillor Deborah Erskine as Chair of the Health and Social Care Subcommittee.

She told members: “This is a very, very important group for our constituents in the district … We pay tribute to the various directors of the Western Trust for the work they have done throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.”

She also thanked the previous Chair, Councillor Victor Warrington, when the subcommittee was a working group, pointing out he had done “a tremendous job, particularly in the middle of the pandemic”.

The new Chief Executive of the Western Trust was unable to attend, having just taken up post the day before the meeting.

Chamber opinion was split on upgrading the group to a subcommittee, with both Unionist parties and one Independent opposed.

Despite this, the vote came in 21 – 13 in favour, meaning for the first time, public and Press could access the meetings.

The subcommittee membership is as follows:

Sinn Fein: Councillors Stephen McCann, Barry McElduff, Tommy Maguire, Chris McCaffrey, Glen Campbell and Anne-Marie Fitzgerald.

Ulster Unionists: Councillors Diana Armstrong, Chris Smyth and Victor Warrington.

SDLP: Councillors John Coyle and Adam Gannon.

Democratic Unionists: Councillors Deborah Erskine (Chair) and Errol Thompson.

Independent: Councillor Bernice Swift and Councillor Josephine Deehan.