State agencies accused of showing disrespect to Council

Anton McNulty

THE Office of Public Works and other public bodies have been accused of disrespecting Mayo County Council in failing to appear before the chamber on the issue of flooding.
A motion for representatives of the Office of Public Works, National Parks and Wildlife Service and Inland Fisheries Ireland to appear before Mayo County Council was made at last November’s council meeting. However, the council’s Chief Executive, Peter Hynes, has not heard back from the various state bodies.
The council will now reissue the invitation, requesting the State bodies appear at either the June or July meeting.

‘Disgraceful’
Sinn Féin councillor Rose Conway Walsh tabled the original motion on November 19. Speaking at last week’s meeting, she described the state bodies’ attitudes towards councillors – who are ‘on the ground’ in flood-stricken areas like Crossmolina and Carrowholly – as ‘disrespectful’ and ‘disgraceful’. “Elected members are being treated with contempt by bodies who are not elected,” she said.
Crossmolina councillor Michael Loftus pointed out that the time estimated for implementing proposed anti-flood measures is causing concern. “There are people in Crossmolina with no insurance, that is the issue, and we are looking at a three or four year delay,” he said, adding that businesses can not wait that long.
Cllr Loftus was supported by Ballina councillor Gerry Ginty, who asserted that the works would take five years, even without delays. He said he can not understand how the OPW could not do something to clean the river and remove ‘artificial islands’ made up of trees and other debris caught in the river.
Westport councillor Brendan Mulroy also criticised the delay in solving the Carrowholly flooding issue, asking whether they were waiting for the Mall to flood in Westport before anything was done there. The council needs answers, he said, not more reports.