Fine Gael Councillor Paddy McGuinness took some time at the monthly meeting of the Castlebar Electoral Area meeting to clarify his position in relation to Traveller accommodation in private camp sites. Cllr McGuinness told the meeting, “At a meeting here previously, I spoke about the transient sites for Travellers. I put forward a number of ideas on this issue, one of these I suggest to be looked into is that private camp sites may be opened up to the Travelling community who stay for short periods of time during the summer in and around the Knock festival and Reek Sunday. I wasn’t calling on these camp sites to be opened up, it was only one suggestion of a number that I made that day, which was synopsised in the press and some people took up as me calling for these sites to be opened up.”
Vote of sympathy
The members of the committee also passed a vote of sympathy to Jude Walsh, senior staff officer of the council, on the passing of his mother Mary recently. The proposal was put forward by Cllr Al McDonnell and seconded by Cllr Sean Burke, with all the other councillors indicating they would like to be associated with the remarks.
