By Conor Sharkey

THE public gallery of Strabane District Council was filled to capacity on Tuesday, as friends and family of Michaela Boyle gathered to see her take her seat for the first time.

Mother of four Mrs Boyle has been a Sinn Fein activist since 1997 and takes her place via co-option within the local Sinn Fein bloc following the death of veteran party councillor Ivan Barr last month.

On top of sitting on the local District Council, Councillor Boyle also takes up position on a range of internal council committees and the local District Policing Partnership (DPP).

Mrs Boyle was welcomed onto the council by her party colleagues and to rapturous applause from the public gallery.

Looking forward to her future in the shark infested waters of local politics, councillor Boyle said issues such as youth provision and fuel poverty will be at the top of her list.

"The party approached me and asked if I would consider taking the seat.

"It was a difficult decision so soon after Ivan's death but the AGM was approaching and it was out of our hands, so I accepted.

"The biggest challenge I am looking forward to is working with young people.

"As a mother of four, I understand the problems facing them, so it is an issue close to my heart and one I am looking forward to working on.

"The issues of drugs and alcohol are also out there and they seem to be accepted as the norm.

"It is something else I will be looking at and I see a new proposal this week which could see fines imposed on parents of young people caught drinking.

"I don't think that is the answer, but certainly it is an issue that needs addressing.

"Another issue is fuel poverty, but not just that alone. The cost of living is increasing all the time.

"Electric, food, oil, the prices are rocketing, yet the wages aren't increasing in line with them and people are finding it tough.

So that is something else I am looking forward to working on with my party colleague Claire McGill," she said.

Commenting on her decision to take a seat on the District Policing Partnership, councillor Boyle follows in the footsteps of her predecessor, Ivan Barr, adding that it has never posed an issue for her.

"It isn't a problem for me and it is a challenge that I am willing to accept. It is something that again I will be working on with the public in a bid to make the PSNI accountable.

"People still have issues with the police but the majority of people want to have a voice.

" I am prepared to give them that voice," added Strabane's second female councillor.