Cllr Paul Canning has been a member of Donegal County Council since his co-option in 2011. A long standing member of the Fianna Fáil party, he currently represents the Inishowen Municipal District and served as Municipal District Chair from 2022 to 2023.

An experienced architect, he has a keen interest in all aspects of planning and economic development with a dedicated background in community service.

He was elected Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council in June 2025 and cited the delivery of planned projects for Donegal as one of the key priorities for his term in office.

Cllr Canning sits on the following Council Committees:
Inishowen Municipal District Committee
Defective Concrete Blocks Committee
Donegal Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee
Working Group on Local Government & Constitutional Change
Donegal PEACEPLUS Partnership

He also represents Donegal County Council on the following bodies:Northwest Regional Development Group
Board of Donegal 2040 Strategic Development Company
A5/N2 Cross Border Committee

As Chair of the Donegal PEACEPLUS Partnership, he has been involved in the design and implementation of a co-designed process in Donegal which is being used to inform the development of an overarching PEACEPLUS Action Plan dedicated to empowering local community partnerships and delivering projects on a cross-border basis.

He has also identified the whole aspect of tourism development as a key priority going forward.