Mayo councillor criticises council official for 'ignoring' questions on Westport school site

A WESTPORT councillor has criticised a senior council official for not appearing before a local meeting to answer questions on planning issues surrounding the old Scoil Phadraig NS in Westport.

An update on a planning enforcement issue relating to works which took place on the site of the old Scoil Phadraig NS on Altamont Street in Westport was circulated to councillors ahead of their monthly meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District on Friday.

The front of the old Scoil Phadraig National School building on Altamount Street in Westport is currently boarded up with hoardings up to ten feet high and a new vehicular entrance made close to the pedestrian crossing. Complaints were lodged with the planning enforcement office of Mayo County Council after claims the development was unauthorised.

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Westport-based councillor Peter Flynn expressed disappointment with the report which stated that no further action will be taken on the work on the old Scoil Phadraig school.

He added that he has asked Catherine McConnell, Director of Services with responsibility for planning to attend the meeting to discuss the report and said her absence was not acceptable.

“This director refused to come to the meeting that was cancelled a few weeks ago and is now refusing to dial in [online] and give an update although requested by the council. It is simply not acceptable.

“As councillors we deserve the respect we were elected by the people and we are supposed to ask the difficult questions and get the responses. It is really not acceptable. If we pass a motion requesting someone comes to a meeting the least they can do is dial in and take the topic. It is not an unreasonable request. I find it very offensive as an elected representative to try to do our best for the people,” he said.

The Department of Education proposes to renovate the old Scoil Phadraig building in order to temporarily accommodate students of the Scared Heart Secondary School in Westport while work is carried out on their own school. This decision was controversial as the site had been earmarked for the new Holy Trinity NS building.

Head of the Municipal District, Seamus Ó Mongáin explained that Ms McConnell was not in a position to attend the meeting but all information was in the report.

In relation to the development at Altamont Street, Cllr Flynn said the area is an architectural conservation area and felt this is being largely ignored.

The boarded windows of the old Scoil Phadraig school site on Altamont Street in Westport

“You have a situation where windows and doors were pulled out of a building in an architectural conservation area and nobody seems to care in Mayo County Council. It beggars belief.

“Is the Department of Education exempt from planning regulations in relation to a building which is part of a conservation area. Are they exempt from road guidelines where people can build a road out onto a regional road without planning permission.

'No planning permission'

“My view is there has been no planning permission on this site. I cannot in the life of me know why the Department of Education is exempt from planning regulations,” he said.

Cllr Flynn also proposed that a letter be sent to the Minister for Education for her to outline if the department is exempt from planning regulations in relation to this site.

“This has been signed off by the director of enforcement on March 7, 2025 saying there was no issue with planning enforcement and no further action will be taken because the complaint is without substance or foundation.

“I am reading the report in front of me and it is not acceptable. The director of enforcement should be here at this meeting explaining how they came to that conclusion and how the department is exempt from what every Joe Soap has to do when it comes to planning. It is not acceptable,” he added.

His proposal was supported by Cllr John O'Malley, who said that Holy Trinity NS are being 'blaggarded about' and they deserve answers.