Calleary backs Mahon

Mahon on top of Ballina issues – TD

Anton McNulty

FIANNA Fáil TD, Dara Calleary is confident that Mayo County Council Manager, Mr Des Mahon is ‘on top of all the issues’ regarding the proposed IDA business park in Ballina, despite discontent among some Ballina town councillors over the County Manager’s role in initiating job creation in the town.
At a meeting of Ballina Town Council last week, Fianna Fáil councillor Willie Nolan called on the County Manager to explain what was happening with the proposed IDA park. He said that there were a number of issues regarding the lack of jobs in Ballina which had to be explained by Mr Mahon.
“As a town councillor, I formally ask the Council to give an opportunity for Des Mahon to explain what is being done about the IDA park because I was led to believe it was ready to be taken over. My way of looking at it is that the Manager is the top civil servant in the county and I would like my colleagues to back me up in inviting Des Mahon and asking him what is being done regarding job creation in Ballina,” he said.
Deputy Calleary had a meeting with Mr Mahon on Friday morning and explained to The Mayo News afterwards that the Manager understands the urgency of resolving the situation regarding the IDA park. He also met with Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin TD, last week and explained that he will be raising questions in the Dáil regarding the business park.
“I met with him [Des Mahon] and I’m very happy that he is on top of all the issues in relation to the industrial park and he understands the urgency of having it resolved without any further delay. I sat down across the table from him and I am happy that he is doing everything in his power to resolve it. I am going to sit on this one until it is resolved and put into shape.
“I met the Minister on Tuesday, and I told him there is available industrial land in Ballina and there is no reason why they [IDA] shouldn’t be investigating the possibility of that land being used. If industries want to come in we will make the land available. I made it clear to him that every time I see him in Leinster House between now and Christmas I will ask him about the park,” he said.
At the monthly meeting of Ballina Town Council, Cllr Michelle Mulherin said that, with an unemployment rate of 15.8 per cent, Ballina is on par with Ballymun, and compares very negatively with the national average of 4.6 per cent. She called on Minister Martin to set up a task force to prioritise Ballina for job creation and explain why it is an unemployment blackspot.
“The IDA have let us down and forgotten about us and we as a Council have to fight for the case of job creation. We are in the BMW region, we are a hub town and I know of no other town like us who has such poor communications and road structure. I am calling for the Minister to meet us and set up a task force to call a halt to job losses,” she said.
Her motion was carried but it was also pointed out that a task force was set up after the Asahi plant closure in Kilalla and, according to the Town Méara, Cllr Padraig Moore, was a ’waste of time’.