Fine Gael councillor puts pressure on Mayo minister to advance stalled Ballina IDA estate

Mayo Minister Dara Calleary has come under pressure from a Fine Gael councillor to resolve a planning row which has stymied the development of an industrial park in Ballina.

The development of a proposed IDA Ballina Business and Technology Park on the Sligo Road in Ballina has been indefinitely delayed after Transport Infrastructure Ireland objected in 2022 to the construction of a new access junction from the site onto the N59 at Quignashee, approximately 2.7km from Ballina.

The matter was raised at the monthly meeting of Ballina Municipal District by Fine Gael councillor John O'Hara who asked for an update on the proposed industrial estate. He said that Ballina was being neglected and called on the local TD and Minister Dara Calleary to push it forward.

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“There are a lot of enquiries from people who want to set up business here [in Ballina] and they cannot do it. We are neglected and left out on the hind foot and I would ask our minister Dara Calleary, this is one of the first things he should be looking for. It is work and business and it will stop emigration if there are jobs here. If our young people go away they don't come back,” he said, adding it was very unfair that there were industrial estates in Castlebar and Westport which are 'shovel ready' but nothing in place in Ballina.

While agreeing with Cllr O'Hara that movement is needed on the Sligo Road industrial estate, Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Loftus defended Minister Calleary in his efforts to advance the project.

“In fairness to Dara Calleary to give him credit he has been working on it to try and get the council to work with the TII on it. You are right, the decision one way or another needs to be decided. It's put up or shut up,” he said.

Head of the Municipal District, Declan Turnbull said that there was good news regarding the site in that it got ministerial approval to rezone it from agricultural to industrial which he said was 'half the battle'.

“The discussions are ongoing between the TII and the IDA to get an agreement on it and assuming that is concluded satisfactory a new application will go in then. But we don't have a timescale,” he said.