The issue of the retention of county council area offices in towns around the county is one that has been brought up on numerous occasions over the past few years as budget cuts have hit the county. The issue was raised again at Monday’s budget meeting of Mayo County Council, and county manager Peter Hynes reiterated that no guarantee can be given for any office, especially with the expected redrawing of the electoral area boundaries to municipal districts. “It’s not a decision of anyone in this chamber as to the map of the division of the municipal districts, there are no guarantees,” he said. “You can’t look for rationalisation and give guarantees on depots and offices. When the map for the planned divisions come in we’ll do a workforce plan like we’ve done before.”
The county manager also reiterated there will be no enforced job losses from the introduction of Irish Water in 2014 which will be taking over the water and sewerage responsibilities of the council. “On Irish Water it’s not that we are withholding information, it’s down to discussions between Bord Gais [which will operate Irish Water] and the Government. As for the dedicated staff they will need, as soon as we know, we’ll let everyone know.” He also told the meeting that the staff under Irish Water would be fewer than the council currently dedicates to these areas which takes up some 20 per cent of the authority’s resources.
