Ballina urged to vote for town based candidates at local elections

Fri, Jan 10, 2014

Vote local was the call from a number of members of Ballina Town Council this week as the council prepared its final budget before the dissolution of town councils in the summer.

Investigation under way into potential irregularity in council contract

Fri, Jan 10, 2014

At Monday’s annual budget meeting of Mayo County Council, county manager, Peter Hynes responded to an allegation from Independent councillor Frank Durcan in relation to a potential irregularity in payments on contract awarded by Mayo County Council. Speaking at the end of the meeting, Mr Hynes told the meeting that, following an internal check a number of years ago a possible contract payment irregularity was uncovered and reported to the councils auditors and to Gardai immediately. He went on to say that “There were comments made to a specific incident and I’m not referring to that specific incident, and I’m specifically not identifying that incident.”

Belleek Castle wins development levy appeal

Fri, Jan 10, 2014

Developers at Belleek Castle have successfully appealed development contribution charges of more than €17,000 levied by Mayo County Council in relation to a proposed new car park, museum, shop, and restaurant at the historic north Mayo hotel.

O’Mahony welcomes drop in numbers waiting on trolleys

Fri, Jan 10, 2014

The reduction in patients waiting on trolleys at Mayo General Hospital by one third since 2010 has been welcomed by Mayo, Fine Gael TD, John O’Mahony. In 2010 the number of people waiting on trolleys at Mayo General Hospital was 1,742, while figures just released for 2013 show that number had been reduced to 1,145.

Council would need €1.5 million to keep up with vacant housing repairs

Fri, Jan 10, 2014

Mayo County Council has budgeted this year €500,000 for the repair and upkeep of its vacant housing stock, but they would need three times that figure to keep on top of the number of houses that become vacant throughout the year. That is according to director of services for Mayo County Council, Paul Benson, responding to a query about how many vacant houses in Mayo belonged to the council. Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne raised the issue at the annual budget meeting of the council, and he was told that some 1,590 houses are in the ownership of the council at the moment, and between 50 and 60 of those are currently vacant.

Mayo to have its own transport co-ordination unit for rural transport programme

Fri, Jan 10, 2014

Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring has stated that County Mayo will see the creation of a new transport co-ordination unit (TCU) for the provision of rural transport services in the county. The news comes as part of the continued overhaul of the Rural Transport Programme.

Railway ambitions out of steam, say greenway campaigners

Fri, Jan 10, 2014

The campaign to reopen the railway track linking Claremorris to Sligo in the north and Galway and Limerick in the south has run out of steam and should give way to proposals for a greenway route along the track instead.

Groups invited to get involved in Get Mayo active campaign

Fri, Jan 10, 2014

Groups, clubs, and communities across Mayo are being encouraged to take part in the latest series of Operation Transformation.

Flood damage costs expected to be in the millons

Fri, Jan 10, 2014

Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council Cllr Johnny O’Malley has said he expects the cost of cleaning up and repairing storm and flood damage across the county to be many millions of euro.

One in four babies born by C-section at Mayo General

Fri, Jan 10, 2014

More than one-in-four babies are born by Caesarean section at Mayo General Hospital, according to new figures released this week.

A report by maternity organisation AIMS Ireland, Association of Improvements in Maternity Services, showed 26.8 per cent of all deliveries at the hospital are performed by C-section.

Whale uncovered in Achill

Fri, Jan 10, 2014

Stormy weather and high tides have uncovered the 20-metre fin whale, buried by Mayo County Council, on an Achill beach last week.

Chambers claims delay on decision of pylon routes is purely political

Fri, Jan 10, 2014

Fianna Fáil Castlebar area representative Lisa Chambers has hit out at the decision to delay the route selection for the Eirgrid project until after the local and European elections as a political decision, rather than a practical one. The local elections hopeful said this week: "It’s clear that Fine Gael and Labour realise how politically sensitive the pylon issue is for people all over the country, and candidates for next May's elections are obviously worried about the impact the Eirgrid project will have on their campaigns."

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