Fórsa has a brand new team of elected officers since last month’s inaugural national conference. At the end of May the union’s president, vice presidents and treasurer were appointed following ballots of branches. They will hold the positions for two years.

Ann McGee of the Sligo PSO branch was elected president, overcoming two other candidates, while Kevin O’Malley of the Kerry Health and Local Government branch was deemed treasurer.

Maura Cahalan of the Limerick Health and Welfare branch became the union’s new senior vice-president, while the remaining vice-president positions were filled by Eugene Gargan of the Communications Companies branch and Michael Smyth of the School Completion Programme branch.

Under Fórsa rules, the union’s five divisions must all be represented on the five-person officer group, with the Local Government division and Municipal Employees’ divisions counting as one constituency for this purpose. Other national executive members are elected by each of the divisions at their biennial delegate conferences.