The newly elected Lord Mayor, Sinn FÃ©in's Chris O'Leary, has said he will accept the contentious petition calling for the non-payment of water charges, which was collected by the People's Convention (CCPC).

The CPPC said last week that they would try and reach 20,000 signatures before presenting it to the new Lord Mayor.

The first Sinn FÃ©in mayor elected in Cork for more than 90 years has said that the housing crisis will be the major focus of his year in office. Among his ideas for tackling the crisis in Cork, is a forum with a number of different stakeholders involved, the Cork City Housing Stakeholders Forum.

"As Ard-MhÃ©ara, I pledge that I will be non-partisan and inclusive in all my duties, whether inside or outside the council chamber and to highlight the injustices that make our society unequal."

Cllr Chris O'Leary won the vote 25-4 on Friday night, with Anti Austerity Alliance Marion O'Sullivan, the only other candidate. Cllr O'Leary won the vote after an agreement reached last year under the D'Hondt agreement, which meant that Fine Gael, Fianna FÃ¡il and a number of Independents supported to them.

The new Lord Mayor also said he would fight to see the retention of Cork City Council, as a local government review continues, which could see the amalgamation of the city council. He also wishes to see the tricolour and the Cork flag flown over City Hall throughout 2016, 100 years after the Easter Rising. Cllr O'Leary also lead the tributes to outgoing Lord Mayor Cllr Mary Shields.On Friday night in his speech, he said: "We are in the midst of the worst housing crisis in modern history. Almost 26,000 people across the city are on the waiting list. We now have families that are sleeping tonight in local hotels because they cannot afford the rent in private accommodation and the council is unable to house them.

"Since 2008, Government funding for social housing has been cut by 90 per cent. The solution to the housing crisis is very simple - we need to build more social houses. As Ard-MhÃ©ara, I pledge to use my office to highlight this crisis, to put a human face on the suffering of thousands of families who do not have a home of their own."

Fellow Sinn FÃ©in Cllr Mick Nugent was voted in as Deputy Lord Mayor, defeating long-serving Worker's Party Cllr Ted Tynan.