At Sligo County Council’s monthly meeting on 7th December, the Cathaoirleach, Councillors and staff paid tribute to outgoing Chief Executive Ciarán Hayes, who is retiring after seven years of service in Sligo, the most recent role in his forty two years service in the Local Authority sector.
Outgoing Chief Executive
Cathaoirleach pays tribute to outgoing Chief Executive
Making a presentation to Ciarán Hayes, outgoing Chief Executive of Sligo County Council were Tom Kilfeather, Acting Chief Executive and Cathaoirleach Sligo County Council
Ciarán previously worked in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Fingal County Council, Kilkenny County Council and Galway City Council.
The Cathaoirleach Councillor Dara Mulvey said
‘On my own behalf and on behalf of the Members I want to thank Ciarán for his exemplary to service to this Authority and this county. A simple measure of his impact is to compare the Sligo he came to with the Sligo he departs, with a range of positive developments either delivered or in train.
Confidence
To take just one example, the significant reduction in the Council’s debt during Ciarán's stewardship is a major achievement which has been acknowledged at national level and has instilled confidence for our future. I said at Ciarán’s last Corporate Policy Group meeting, and repeat now, that I greatly valued his support and counsel over my time as a public representative, but especially during my term as Cathaoirleach.
Energetic
The role of a Chief Executive is a pressurised one, with the main challenge trying to dovetail numerous demands with limited resources. Ciarán was always active and energetic; he was a main of ideas and had the resilience and ambition to see them through. He placed great store by partnership, and that can be seen in the excellent relationships he developed with key local and national agencies.
Ambition
His core ambition was to see this county and region develop, and he has achieved this ambition in a whole raft of area.
For this Council, it is the end of an era , for Ciarán, it is the commencement of another, he departs with our gratitude and best wishes on the next stage of his career, and I have no doubt it will be a successful and productive one.’