Castlebar Labour councillor Harry Barrett has called on Mayo county councillors to use an insurance windfall to complete the long awaited repairs on the bridge at Turlough, Castlebar. Cllr Barrett made his call after learning that an insurance windfall of €160,000 will be coming to Mayo County Council from a recent announcement by its insurers the Irish Public Bodies, IPB.
The announcement in relation to these monies was made at the recent Annual General Meeting of the Irish Public Bodies, the body that insures most of the Local Authorities and VECs across the State. It announced that for the first time in its history the IPB will be paying a dividend to its members. For example in the case of Castlebar Town Council this will amount to over €33,000.
Cllr Barrett stated: “This is money that is extra to the annual budget and I want it put aside to complete this bridge. I, like many other councillors, have had calls from locals who have been discommoded for over two years and more by the long round trips that have to be made to access their properties. There has been no action on this bridge and something must be done about it. The money is there and should be appointed to this essential project.
“The amount in question, €160,000, would go a long way toward this repair job and if local councillors have any say at all, they should ensure that these monies are delivered to this project. It will benefit the people of Turlough and will give a local construction company a boost coming up to Christmas.
“I will be writing to each councillor in turn to alert him to this development and to press the case at the next meeting of the authority on October 17.”
