Mayo council chief defends handling of Chinese Ambassador visit

The Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council has defended the council's handling of the visit of the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland in August after criticism that no councillors were invited to meet him.

The Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Ireland, Zhao Xiyuan, made a two-day visit to Mayo in August which was aimed at strengthening economic, cultural and tourism ties between Mayo and China.

The Ambassador was officially welcomed to Áras an Chontae by Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr John Caulfield, and Chief Executive Kevin Kelly, together with representatives from the council.

During his visit to Mayo, the Ambassador visited the Great Western Greenway in Westport as well Keem Bay on Achill Island.

However, Westport councillor Peter Flynn criticised the council's handling of the visit saying that the other councillors were not given an opportunity to meet him.

“He was taken to visit the Greenway and yet as councillors we did not know a single thing about it,” Cllr Flynn told the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council.

“Have we been written out of the council in terms of a representational role? My understanding was that the Cathaoirleach and the 29 councillors are the 30 representatives of the council. If we have someone as significant as the Ambassador of one of the most influential countries in the world, I find it absolutely unbelievable that elected representatives would not be given the opportunity to meet with the individual,” he said.

The Fine Gael councillor told the meeting that he questioned how the executive saw the role of councillors saying that the Cathaoirleach of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District was not invited to the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to Aughagower in June.

“I am really concerned by the way things are going. It is bad enough local government is undermined but our representational role seems to be undermined.

“I believe that all 30 councillors should have had the opportunity to meet the important delegates who come into our county and represent our areas well. To me what has happened over the August period is symbolic of the breakdown in terms of the respect that should be shown to local councillors. You may not like it but we are the representatives of local government and I would ask that we get respect,” he said.

However, Cllr Caulfield hit back at the criticism saying that as the Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council he was invited by the Chinese Ambassador to meet him and nobody else.

“I as Cathaoirleach was the one who got the request from the Chinese ambassador to meet. I did call on officials and people I felt would promote the county in the best light to meet the Ambassador.

“I did not deny any other councillors as that is what the Ambassador wanted,” Cllr Caulfield said.

Chief Executive of Mayo County Council Kevin Kelly also defended the visit and said what happened was the standard protocol for visiting dignitaries to the county.

“Normally ambassadors and dignitaries would seek a meeting with the Cathaoirleach and Chief Executive and that is what they sought. It is not a civic reception and not a matter of going to members. If the members want to formulate a policy I am happy to work with the members on it,” he said.

Cllr Brendan Mulroy told the meeting that as the current Cathaoirleach of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District, he knew nothing of the visit by the ambassador to Westport and this put him in a terrible position.