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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Achill councillor Paul McNamara claims rural area lost €1m in funding due to loss of councillor
AN Achill councillor has accused Mayo County Council of doing nothing to help the Belmullet Electoral Area with a €1 million funding deficit due to the loss of a councillor in the region.
Due to the reshaping of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District for the 2019 local elections, the number of councillors in the Belmullet Electoral Area was reduced by one to three while the Westport Electoral Area gained one councillor.
Speaking at the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District monthly meeting, Achill councillor Paul McNamara said as a result of the loss of a councillor, the Belmullet Electoral Area has lost at least €1 million in funding.
The Fianna Fáil councillor claimed that in the last four years of the council nothing has been done to facilitate the loss of the councillor in the area which was previously represented by former councillor Michael Holmes, and this is being reflected on the ground.
“If you take the five year term of a representative, it is probably up to about €1 million in funding that the councillor would have the discretion to allocate to the area he represented. Nothing was done by Mayo County Council to facilitate any loss in that area. We didn't get any extra allocation in any shape or form to facilitate what was missed out on,” he told the meeting.
Cllr McNamara said that the lack of funding for items such as graveyards in rural areas became a major issue for councillors in this council term and this was as a result of reduced funding.
“That GMA funding which the other councillor got went into those rural communities in the Belmullet district and when that seat was taken out there was nothing put in place to facilitate that loss in funding. It was just tough luck lads and let the three councillors deal with it yourself. I am annoyed that nothing has been done over a five year term to facilitate extra money to the Belmullet Electoral Area to facilitate the money that was lost. It is a big void to fill and the area of money funding needs to be looked at,” he concluded.
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