Councillors prepare for Oireachtas presentation

Councillors prepare for Oireachtas presentation


Áine Ryan

ON WEDNESDAY, October 29 next, councillors are set to rehearse their Joint Oireachtas Committee presentation on the controversial County Development Plan for their colleagues in Áras an Chontae. The following week, a delegation from Mayo County Council will make history, when, on November 4, they become the first local authority to address such a committee.
The presentation will be to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Government’s Oireachtas committee, which is chaired Deputy Sean Fleming. 
Fine Gael Whip, Cllr Paddy McGuinness, categorically told The Mayo News last night (Monday) that, notwithstanding the legality of Minister for the Environment, John Gormley’s direction under Section 31 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 ‘it was still a complete sham’. 
“While our legal advice is that the Minister is within his rights to implement this change, it is still a complete sham. The ridiculous aspect is that the variation has been implemented since last July even though a lengthy process has yet to be initiated. It is unbelievable,” said Cllr McGuinness.
“This process allows the public four weeks to make submissions. Then the County Manager has four weeks to prepare a report and recommendations on these submissions and then the councillors have six weeks to accept, or accept with amendments or reject the Manager’s recommendations,” he explained.
The five councillors charged with ‘the challenging presentation’ are Cathaoirleach, Cllr Joe Mellett (FG), Cllr Pat McHugh (FF), Cllr McGuinness (FG), Cllr Al McDonnell (FF) and either Labour’s Cllr Johnny Mee, Sinn Féin’s Cllr Gerry Murray, or Independents, Cllrs Micahael Holmes or Harry Walsh.
Writing to County Manager, Mr Des Mahon, earlier this summer, Minister Gormley said he was ‘disappointed’ in the plan which promoted ‘unsustainable housing development’ and, moreover, that the authority had failed to devise a proper planning and sustainable strategy for Mayo.