Flynn refuses to back down in enterprise row

Flynn refuses to back down in enterprise row


Áine Ryan

COUNTY Manager Peter Hynes has rejected claims made by a councillor about the work efficiency of the Chief Executive of Mayo County Enterprise Board. A war-of-words broke out at yesterday’s monthly meeting of Mayo County Council between Fine Gael Cllr Peter Flynn and Mr Hynes after the councillor claimed the Chief Executive of the Enterprise Board had time to attend lots of social functions but had not responded to a request for a meeting a number of weeks ago by a young man who wished to start a business in Westport.
However, as the meeting closed later, Mr Hynes confirmed he had checked the situation: “The client has been contacted by the County Enterprise Board but the details haven’t been worked out yet,” he said.
The Chief Executive of the County Enterprise Board is Joanne Grehan, who is also Head of the Council’s Enterprise and Investment Unit, which was established by Mr Hynes last year to help create sustainable jobs in the county.
Their mandate is to promote Mayo and create employment in the county, and they have been involved in a number of successful initiatives to date.
Cllr Flynn said: “I know of a young man who a few weeks ago tried to get a meeting with the CEO of the Enterprise Board to try and create ten jobs in Westport. Then I opened the local papers and she is pictured at dinners and festival launches.”
Mr Hynes objected to Cllr Flynn’s comments, arguing that it was not the proper forum for such remarks and that ‘he was attacking people on how they do their job’.
However, Cllr Flynn argued that: “Since we have increased the budget six-fold from €150,000 to €800,000 it was proper procedure to bring it up.”
When Mr Hynes said he needed to check the accuracy of these figures, Cllr Flynn asked, since he was so busy, would he have ‘time to check them’.
This led to an intervention by Fianna FΡil Cllr Margaret Adams, who said she understood the matter of a meeting with the young entrepreneur had already been resolved, and asked Cllr Flynn to ‘withdraw’ his remarks. Councillor Flynn refused to do so.