Search Results for 'Environment and Local Government'

The Loughrea Arts, Recreation, and Culture group (LARC) is pushing ahead with its mission of seeing the Town Hall reopened as a multifunctional space for the Loughrea Community.

Galway city and county councils may cease to exist as separate entities and instead be merged into one local authority for the entire county under a major new review of local government arrangements.

The Rental Accommodation Scheme is a waste of time, that is according to a number of city councillors who called for major change to properly address the housing crisis which has gripped the city and left many families with young children homeless.

“This is a clash of ideals, people who want to see rural Ireland closed down and those who want to see it prosper,” was how Fianna Fáil councillor Al McDonnell described the challenge to the recently adopted Mayo County Council Development Plan (2014-2020) by the Department of Environment and Local Government. The Development Plan sets out a number of guidelines for planning and development in the county for the next six years, including the contentious issue of rural housing. It is the second time that the Department of Environment and Local Government has challenged the plan adopted by the members of Mayo County Council. In late 2008 a delegation from Mayo County Council travelled to Dublin and met the Oireachtas Committee on Environment when a similar issue arose, they put their case forward and were ultimately successful in getting the development plan they wanted passed. “We were right the last time and they were wrong,” was how Fine Gael councillor Gerry Coyle responded to a letter received by the councillors telling them to change the adopted plan.

A Government-led initiative encouraging local autorities to buy land to build social housing and create construction jobs collapsed along with the economy, leaving the Galway City Council with banks of land and loans of more than €26 million.

With just a day to go until the closure of nominations, the confirmation of Cllr Denis Leonard (Lab) from Kinnegad as a candidate will now see a total of eight names on the ballot sheet for the Longford-Westmeath by-election this day fortnight.

The Department of Environment and Local Government announced recently that €6.39 million has been allocated to Mayo so far to cover the cost of repairs to public infrastructure in the county after the early new year storm damage.

There was plenty of outrage this week from the elected members of the three town councils in the county to the news that they were to be disbanded following the end of their current term. The news was announced by Minister for Environment and Local Government, Phil Hogan TD flanked by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny and An Táiniste, Eamon Gilmore in Dublin Castle at the launch of Putting People First, Action Programme for Effective Local Government.

Ballina town councillor Johnny O’Malley has asked for the town council to look into putting an amendment on the new social housing allocation scheme to stop people with antisocial behaviour orders being eligible for housing supplied by the council in the future.