The Mayo County Council will speak to the members of the Clarke family about the appointment of members to the steering committee for the library after the council failed to appoint a member to the committee at its monthly meeting this week.
Originally Sinn Féin’s Rose Conway Walsh was appointed to the steering committee, but her resignation from the position saw a vacancy that needed to be filled. Independent councillor Frank Durcan proposed fellow Independent councillor Gerry Ginty from Ballina, which was seconded by Fine Gael councillor Michelle Mulherin, while Conway-Walsh proposed her fellow Sinn Féin colleague Cllr Gerry Murray.
Cllr Murray told the meeting: “When the Clarke family set up the committee they requested that there be cross party representation and that led to myself and former councillor Johnny Mee being put on to the committee in the last term, therefore I think my nomination is valid to the committee.”
Fianna Fáil councillor Al McDonnell agreed with Cllr Murray that there was an agreement between the Clarke family and the council. He said he was not aware of the exact nature of that agreement, and how it would affect the independents in the council. Cllr McDonnell asked that the agreement be examined and be put on the agenda for the next council meeting so the issue can be clarified.
