‘I won’t let you down’ Baby tells colleagues

NEW Mayor of South Dublin County, Cllr Baby Pereppadan, told his council colleagues, “I won’t let you down”, after he was elected mayor by a majority of councillors on Friday.

Speaking on his hopes for the coming year, Mayor Pereppadan said: “Thank you to my colleagues who have entrusted me with this responsibility.

I won’t let you down.

“This position is not just a title.

“It’s a commitment to the residents of South Dublin, to listen, to advocate and to work tirelessly for the betterment of our community.

“I am looking forward to working across party lines and with staff here at the council to make South Dublin a more inclusive place to live, work and build a family.”

Mayor Pereppadan was joined by his friends and family for the Annual Meeting on Friday, including his son, Cllr Britto Pereppadan, who was recently elected to the Tallaght Central area.

Independent councillor for Palmerstown-Fonthill, Alan Hayes, was elected deputy mayor at the meeting.

Mayor Pereppadan was first elected to the council in 2019, when he made headlines as the first Indian-born councillor in South Dublin County Council.

He retained his seat in the local elections this month, while his son, Britto Pereppadan, who works as a doctor in Tallaght University Hospital, was elected as first-time candidate.

Hailing from Kerala in India, Mayor Pereppadan followed his wife Jincy Mathews to Ireland with their son over 20 years ago.

He contested the 2009 local elections as an Independent, before joining Fine Gael in 2019 and going on to see success at the polls.