Mayo councillor launches tirade over ‘vendetta’ claims

A MAYO councillor has launched a scathing attack on the Head of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District, claiming that his housing office had a vendetta against a constituent receiving social housing.

Independent councillor John O’Malley delivered a tirade against Seamus Ó Mongáin, Head of the Westport/Belmullet District, over allegations that he and his team in the municipal district were making it difficult for a father of two young children currently living in a mobile home to receive housing.

Speaking at yesterday’s monthly meeting of the municipal district, the Carrowholly-based councillor accused Mr Ó Mongáin of making an assertion that he had lied to the council executive when making a representation on behalf of the man.

He also accused Mr Ó Mongáin of ‘thinking he knew everything’ but warned him that this was a dangerous thing to think.

“I tell you one thing, you thought I was telling lies when I came in here but I can guarantee you one thing I do not do is tell lies. I tell the truth like it is and I don’t make up anything. I can tell you I am not going to take this anymore from you or anyone else.

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“You think you know everything because no matter what is said to you, you have an answer for it. But I’ll tell you, it is a dangerous thing to think you know everything because you don’t know everything. I am not taking it anymore because as far I am concerned you have no respect for councillors and just do what you have to do.

“I am sick of this and I won’t be taking this anymore or going to be put down or take auld soft talk for answers anymore.

“You can take it or leave it anyway you like but I tell you something you think you know a lot but when you harrowed as much as I have ploughed you will know you are alive. It is time you used common sense and started respecting councillors,” he said.

Claims

Cllr O’Malley brought up the claims at the beginning of the monthly meeting saying he has not been able to sleep thinking about the man’s situation as he has health issues due to a stroke he suffered when he was young. He told the meeting that the man’s marriage has broken down and all he owes is a car worth €650 which he has to sleep in if there is a storm.

“The housing officer seems to have a vendetta against this man and it is not right. I cannot sleep or work without thinking about this man. That man is below in an auld mobile home and if anything happens to him over the Christmas I’ll be coming back to Mayo County Council,” he said.

Cllr O’Malley claimed the council made a false accusation that the man owned an apartment and that Mr Ó Mongáin was happy when he relayed this information to him.

“After I made representations to you manager, you rang me and there was a tone in your voice that you were happy to tell me that I know this man owns an apartment. I told you he does not own an apartment but I said let me check it out.

“Unlike you I check out everything before I come in here to make representations for anyone but you did not check. A housing officer told you that this man has an apartment because this housing officer has a vendetta against this man it seems to me.

“You took that person’s word for it and you rang me and you were delighted to ring me to tell me the news that he had an apartment. I checked it out to be sure and that man never had an apartment.

“He works every day the best he can and is genuine and he supports his children and yet you could not see to accomodate that man and instead you tried to find something wrong with his application,” he said.

The meeting also heard claims from Cllr O’Malley that people who recently moved into new social housing on the Golf Course Road in Westport were now looking to buy their house and questioned if they were scrutinised the way this man was.

“Three months ago they did not have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out and yet three months later they can buy a house. Where did their money come from and were they checked out to see how they qualified for those houses? That is not right.

“This man is born, bred and reared in this area and he cannot get a bloody house. Maybe if he was born outside the country he would get a better chance, I don’t know.”

Serious accusations

Cathaoirleach of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District, Cllr Peter Flynn commented that Cllr O’Malley had made some serious accusations and asked Mr Ó Mongáin if he would like to respond to them.

Mr Ó Mongáin said he could not comment on any individual case but reassured the councillors there was ‘no vendetta against anybody’.

Cllr Flynn said he could understand the frustration regarding housing but praised the work of the housing officers in the Westport office.

“In fairness to the people in housing I could not fault them and I have not experienced anything negative and we are dealing with a dire shortfall of housing,” he said.

Erris-based councillor Gerry Coyle also praised the work of the staff when dealing with difficult housing issues but Cllr O’Malley was adamant he was speaking the truth.

“The thing that annoyed me was to get a phone call to tell me that a man made a false application and told lies and I was backing up his lies. That is what it sounded like to me and that is what it was,” Cllr O’Malley said.

Westport-based councillor Brendan Mulroy said he believes he knows the person Cllr O’Malley was referring to and asked for the executive to meet with Cllr O’Malley to try to resolve the situation.

Director of Services, Joanne Grehan said they would be happy to discuss the case but reminded councillors to be grounded in what they say in meetings and she would not like anything said which will be a ‘slight on all the staff here’.