Search Results for 'Cllr Jarlath Munnelly'

While those in the United States will be celebrating Independence Day tomorrow, it was 'Independents Day' in the chamber of Mayo County Council last Monday, when Independent councillor Michael Holmes was elected as the Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council for the next 12 months. Cllr Holmes' election to the role of first citizen of the county came about through a post election pact by the 10 Fianna Fáil councillors in the council and five of the independent councillors who were elected last June.

The chief executive of Mayo County Council, Peter Hynes, has confirmed that he will give a full report on the council's involvement in the recent Mayo Day event and TV broadcast in the coming weeks to the elected members.

The elected members of Mayo County Council approved the raising of a €7.3 million loan to fund the purchase of a 17.5 per cent stake in Ireland West Airport Knock by seven local authorities (Mayo County Council, Sligo County Council, Roscommon County Council, Donegal County Council, Leitrim County Council, Galway County Council, and Galway City Council) in the region at their meeting on Monday. The funding will be used to try to secure the future of the airport which saw more than 700,000 passengers use the airport last year.

The 2015 budget for Mayo County Council was passed at Monday’s reconvened budget meeting of the council after it was put to a vote twice.

Mayo County Council this week agreed in principle to make a financial contribution to Ireland West Airport Knock, following a presentation by the airport’s managing director Joe Gilmore to the July meeting of the council.

Mayo people have been offered an opportunity to earn thousands of euros simply by making a couple of phone calls. Connect Ireland, an initiative designed to tap the Irish diaspora abroad for investments and the creation of work opportunities back home, has already awarded a €45,000 payout to one Castlebar man for passing on a personal business contact. This contact, who was looking to expand outside his base abroad, has since committed to creating 30 new jobs in Carlow.

Ballina based Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin this week said that the chance of seeing an upgrade of the N26 is coming back on track. Dep Mulherin said: “I am absolutely delighted to be informed today by Leo Varadkar, Minister for Transport, that a Strategic Transport Study for the N26 Phase II will now be conducted to identify an alternative national road connection to Ballina. I am relieved and very pleased that the N26 is back on track again after the many meetings I have had with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Transport to progress the project. I have left no stone unturned in that regard.”

A war of words erupted at the November meeting of Mayo County Council over the decision by the Government to close the Vatican embassy. Independent councillor Frank Durcan said: “I’m ashamed to be from Castlebar and that a Castlebar man had the final say in closing it. It’s a shame.”

The welcome to Mayo sign on the Charlestown bypass is the “most miserable sign” and is “disgraceful’ commented Councillor Blackie Gavin at the Roads and Transportation SPC on Monday.

The never ending issue of pot holes in the roads around the county raised its head again this week at the September meeting of Ballina Electoral Area. Fine Gael councillor Eddie Staunton told the meeting this week, “potholes are my major problem, it’s getting worse and worse by the week. Is there anything that we can do, because we get some filled and then they are back again. It’s getting close to winter now and if we have one like the last two we’ll have serious problems.” Cllr Staunton’s issue was backed by his party colleague Cllr Jarlath Munnelly who said, “we need to have this sorted by now, because come November or December we won’t be able to get it sorted if the cold weather comes like we’ve seen before.”