Search Results for 'Cultural'

With Ireland about to enter a decade long period of commemoration of the historic events that shaped the nation, Mayo County Council has put together a committee to come up with a definite plan to commemorate the centenary of these historic events.

Councillor Al McDonnell, the chairperson of the Cultural, Heritage and Corporate Affairs Strategic Policy Committee of Mayo County Council, expressed his disappointment in the response that his committee had received from a letter that was sent in April. At the April meeting off the committee a resolution was passed where the committee wrote to the Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn to complain about the removal of the processing of first time applications for the higher education grants from the local authority. Cllr McDonnell asked for an update on the issue at the July meeting of the SPC this week. He was informed that the letter was send on April 14 from the council and an acknowledgement was received from the Minister’s office dated April 16, but there has been no communication since.

The members of the Cultural, Education, Heritage and Corporate Affairs SPC of Mayo County Council put in motion the first steps to bringing in a new council backed county wide anti-smoking policy. Director of services for Mayo County Council, Joe Loftus, told the members he was looking for them to recommend to Mayo County Council that all buildings over which the council have control, including playgrounds and play areas for children, be declared smoke free zones, to be supported by appropriate signage and notices.

The members of the Cultural, Education, Heritage and Corporate Affairs SPC of Mayo County Council have called for the members of the public to have their say on the new Garda Strategy Statement which is currently being formulated. The strategy statement will run from 2013 to 2015 and submissions from the public are being sought.

An Garda Siochana’s Mayo policing plan 2009 was discussed by some members of Mayo County Council this week who felt that the mixing of certain alcoholic drinks was driving people wild and needed to be studied in depth by the Government.

A self service online system will be expanded on the Mayo County Council website, with one of the new enhancements being an online planning system. This new service will include a validation system, which will reduce the need for further information requests, and will therefore speed up in the time it takes to submit planning applications. The development of this novel system was welcomed by committee members of the Cultural, Education, Heritage and Corporate Affairs SPC meeting in the library last Wednesday.

In a country which has been eroded to its core with financial and political corruption, a tide of change to the current establishment is what many are seeking, and with local elections looming those who want to “challenge the status quo” may personify that symbol of change which encapsulates who the public want representing them. A change to the “same old crew” who have been in the council for years and “have little forward thinking” is something which Fine Gael Councillor Peter Flynn envisions as he begins his battle for a seat in the forthcoming elections.

Swift responses and maintaining astute customer service will be implemented by Mayo County Council with the recent adoption of a new customer care charter at the last monthly council meeting.

Members of the Cultural, Education, Heritage and Corporate Affairs SPC on Thursday morning proposed a vote of sympathy to Councillor Jarlath Munnelly on the recent death of his mother, Mary.