Search Results for 'Des Mahon'

Scéim Éadan Siopaí Bhéal an Mhuirthead, a joint initiative between Údarás na Gaeltachta and Mayo County Council designed to promote the visibility of the Irish language through traditional and modern shop front design, was officially launched in Belmullet by Pádraig Ó hAoláin, Chief Executive of Údarás na Gaeltachta and Des Mahon, Manager of Mayo County Council.

At a recent meeting of Mayo County Council, Fine Gael Councilor for the Ballina electoral area Jarlath Munnelly questioned County Manager, Des Mahon, on the introduction of a new €200 levy on houses which are not the owner’s principal residence. This levy was introduced as part of Budget 2009 by the Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan.

Next Monday’s Mayo County Council budget meeting is sure to see a vivacious debate on the issue of rate increases for business in 2009. County Manager Des Mahon informed the monthly meeting of the authority that the council would be seeking a two per cent increase in the rate for 2009. The news was not greeted well by the majority of the members present, Ballinrobe-based Fine Gael Cllr Patsy O’Brien had a motion on the agenda calling on the council not to increase either the water charges or the rate for 2009. Cllr O’Brien’s proposal received support from both sides of the house. The councillor said: “In this current climate, there should be no increase, because the fact is that many small business in the county which have been the backbone of the rural economy for many years are only barely surviving at the minute.” He went on to put a proposal to the council as to how the rate should be struck for each business on a case by case basis. “I think it would be much fairer to calculate the rate as a percentage of the overall turnover of a business for a year, rather than the flat rate we have at the minute.”

It would cost Mayo County Council in the region of €1 million a year to cut every hedge on roadsides in the county.

Plans to develop the railway goods store in Swinford were met with approval by the four local councillors this week.

The elected members of Mayo County Council and the executive of the council will sit down today at 2pm, to try and thrash out the budget for the council for 2009. The council met for four hours on Monday and managed to get through only four of the programmes for consideration and no agreement was reached on the budget.

At the adjourned Mayo County Council meeting last Friday a rate of a zero per cent increase was negotiated by elected members and council officials during the four and a half hour meeting — the result of which leaves the current commercial rate at €70.16, making 2009 “a year of standstill”, according to county manager Des Mahon.

A proposal by Fine Gael Councillor Michelle Mulherin for Mayo County Council to award a civic reception to Liam and Noel Gallagher from the band Oasis, kicked off a furious debate at the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council this week.

The board of Ireland West Airport Knock has announced that Joe Kennedy is retiring from his position as chairman of the airport’s board after a period of six and a half years and that Liam Scollan, former group managing director, will succeed Mr Kennedy as the board’s new chairman.

During the first sitting of Mayo County Council on the island of Inishturk for over 18 years, Fianna Fáil Councillor Margaret Adams this week proposed that a special grant of approximately €20,000 per annum be allocated from Mayo County Council to the islands, including Inishturk, as part of a special development fund, on the condition that 20 per cent of the total amount be funded locally.