Offaly County Council Chief Executive to depart her role next month

The elected members of Offaly County Council are due to meet on January 5 next to ratify a successor to Anna Marie Delaney, who is due to retire from her role as Chief Executive of the local authority after a decade at the helm.

The December meeting of the council was told earlier today (Monday) that the process to appoint a successor to Ms. Delaney is “already underway” and the name of the person to succeed the current Chief Executive has been “recommended” to the local authority.

Outlining the procedure that will be followed, cathaoirleach and Independent councillor John Leahy said the Corporate Policy Group (CPG) will meet on Monday next to consider the matter and within ten days of that meeting, the full council must meet 'in committee' (ie. behind closed doors) to ratify the new appointment. Director of Services, Ann Dillon, is to serve as the Interim Chief Executive.

Meanwhile, Anna Marie Delaney was the subject of glowing tributes when the issue of her impending retirement was raised under Any Other Business at today's council meeting with elected members variously describing her as 'kind' 'patient' 'helpful' 'amenable' and 'extremely generous with her time and her talents'.

There was laughter in the council chamber when Clara Fianna Fáil councillor Frank Moran referred to a trip to America he had “the privilege” of being on with the Chief Executive while he was serving a term as cathaoirleach of the council. “Jesus, you minded me like a babby,” he said, “you even managed to get me up at 7am to go to Mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral.”

His party colleague from Tullamore, Cllr Declan Harvey, also admitted to being Stateside on a trip with Ms Delaney “all those years ago” when he was accompanied by his wife, Sandra, while he was council cathaoirleach. “It was a real learning curve for me,” he said.

The meeting heard that Ms Delaney came from Laois and had opted to remain at the helm of Offaly County Council for an extra three years after she had served her seven-year term. She thanked the members for their “very kind wishes” and said she had “enjoyed every minute” of her time in Offaly.

She was presented with a bouquet of flowers by the longest-serving elected member on the council, Cllr Peter Ormond, while cathaoirleach Cllr John Leahy presented her with a bog oak sculpture of a podium on behalf of the the members as a reminder of the number of times she had stood at a podium “to represent the interests of Offaly and its people”.