Cormac Devlin

Cormac Devlin (born 30 August 1980) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is a County Councillor on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council representing the Dún Laoghaire local electoral area.
Early and personal life
Devlin was educated at Harold Boys National School, Dalkey, Presentation Brothers College, Glasthule, and the .
Devlin married Jennifer Allen in 2008. Allen, a graduate of University College Dublin, previously served as Welfare Officer-Vice President of in 2003-2004. The couple live in Dún Laoghaire and have three young children.
Early political activity & public service
Devlin became active in politics aged 16. He campaigned for Mary McAleese during her 1997 Presidential campaign, before joining Ógra Fianna Fáil in 1998. He served as Secretary of Dún Laoghaire Ógra Fianna Fail before becoming elected to the Ógra Fianna Fáil National Youth Committee. In 1999, he was elected to the Board of Dún Laoghaire VEC, he remained a member of the board until 2014.
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Councillor
2004 Local Elections
Devlin, then aged 23, was elected to Dún Rathdown Rathdown County Council in 2004, taking the second seat in the Dún Laoghaire local electoral area with 1,776 first preference votes and becoming the youngest individual ever elected to the council. He came ahead of his Fianna Fáil running mate, Brendan Kiely, who failed to become elected, despite being outspent during the campaign.
2009 Local Elections
Devlin was re-elected to a second term on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County County in 2009, taking the fifth seat in the Dún Laoghaire local electoral area with 1,331 first preference votes. He was the only Fianna Fáil candidate to be elected in the Dún Laoghaire Dáil Constituency.
The election was marked by some controversy. Throughout the campaign it was reported that then Minister Mary Hanafin was attempting to "shaft" Devlin. Her support for his Fianna Fail rival, Peter O'Brien, was reported to include the improper use of Oireachtas facilities in breach of the Public Office Act 2001's Code of Conduct for Office Holders.
2014 Local Elections
Devlin was re-elected to a third term on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County County in 2014, coming second out of twenty-one candidates. Following the election Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party negotiated a joint programme and currently share power on the council. The programme included commitments to reduce local property tax and commercial rates, and also to invest in the provision of social housing. Devlin was subsequently elected Chairperson of the Dún Laoghaire Area Committee, and the Environment Strategic Policy Committee of the county council.
Campaigns and Policies
Sustainable Planning
Devlin has supported residents and community groups in successfully opposing a number of large developments in the Dún Laoghaire and Dalkey areas. In April 2014, he organised a large public meeting in opposition to a proposed development at the Deerhunter site in Sallynoggin. Planning permission for the development was later refused by the county council. In March 2015, he organised a meeting of Dalkey residents in opposition to a proposed five storey development. The proposal received over 60 objections and was later withdrawn by the developer PegasusLife.
Environment
In 2012, Devlin called on the then Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore to ensure there was a public inquiry prior to the granting of any licence to drill for oil off Dalkey Island arguing that the "proximity of the drilling to the shore" causing considerable public disquiet. The licence was later granted to Providence Resources without the inquiry. The company was later forced to surrender the licence back to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government when it emerged certain elements of the EU's Environmental Impact Assessment Directive were not transposed correctly into Irish law.
Policing & Security
Devlin served on the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Joint Policing Committee from 2009-2014. He was critical of then Minister for Justice and Equality, Alan Shatter, repeatedly criticising Shatter for failing to invest resources in an Garda Siochana in Dublin and for the closure of Garda stations at Dalkey, Kill O'the Grange and Stepaside.
In February 2015, Devlin highlighted the issue of the reduction of Garda strength in the capital, in particular how numbers had fallen by 18% in the Dún Laoghaire area. He claimed the reduction in Garda strength had contributed to the spike in burglary rates in the capital and called on the Minister for Justice and Equality, Francis Fitzgerald to take corrective action.
Childcare
In October 2014, highlighting the cost of childcare for parents, Devlin called for the introduction of a dedicated tax credit for children that would assist families where one or both parents were working. A variation of the proposal was adopted as Fianna Fáil policy at their Ard Fheis in April 2015.
Dun Laoghaire Town
Devlin voted in favour of the controversial Lexicon Public Library in Dún Laoghaire Town and was targeted by the pro-business Dún Laoghaire Ratepayers association during 2014 Local Elections. The completed facility has been widely acclaimed by commentators and the public.
Devlin supported the county council's proposal to redevelop the Dún Laoghaire Baths baths site. He voted to oppose the introduction of clamping in the county and campaigned for a reduction in parking charges.
2016 General Election
In March 2015, at an event attended by over "100 party members", Devlin announced that he intended to seek the Fianna Fáil nomination to contest the 2016 General Election in Dún Laoghaire. Since his announcement former Minister Mary Hanafin, Kate Feeney and Jennifer Cuffe have also indicated their intention to seek the nomination. The contest has attracted widespread media attention being dubbed the "Battle of Blackrock II".
In early April, the Irish Independent reported that strategists in Fianna Fáil Head Office were "hatching a plan" to favour Mary Hanafin over Devlin. In a follow up story the paper reported Devlin as saying "the best-placed people to select a candidate are the members on the ground who know their communities and who have also worked with the various potential candidates and know who has the best chance of getting the transfers".
Devlin was interviewed by RTE's The Week in Politics during the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis in April 2015. During the interview he argued that any potential candidate in Dún Laoghaire must be in a position "to articulate the issues that are concern to the wider public".
In May 2015, the Sunday Times reported the "first shots had been fired in Fianna Fáil's 'battle of Blackrock' with Devlin accusing Mary Hanafin of "using 'uncomparative figures' when promoting her previous election successes".The article reported Hanafin as claiming to have gotten "9,000 votes" on her "worst day", and reported Devlin as noting in fact Hanafin had only achieved in the "region of 5,000" first preference votes in 2011.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu