Search Results for 'Swinford councillor'

FIANNA FÁIL:

Garda Robert McCallion, a 29-year-old native of Swinford who lost his battle for life at Beaumont Hospital Dublin on Tuesday, has been described as a “hero”.

“Law and order is on the verge of breaking down in the county,” according to Swinford councillor Joe Mellett, while Belmullet councillor Gerry Coyle said that “thugs should be put behind bars”. These were just some of the indignant comments made by councillors at Monday afternoon’s county council meeting after a motion was put forward by Fine Gael councillor Michael Burke for the council to call on the Minister for Justice to provide more gardaí in Mayo, to fight the ongoing crime and anti social behaviour.

There were eight knife crimes in Mayo over the months of July and August and one serious crime where an axe was brandished. Two people died, a garda was seriously injured in the line of duty, others narrowly defied death, and many families have been severely traumatised as a result of the thuggery. The incidents have left gardaí in Mayo ‘dumbfounded’. Superintendent Willie Keavney said “such a serious litany of incidents” was unprecedented, and was frightening not only for the gardaí but for the general public. He said the practice of young people going out at night with knives had to be looked at. “We are dumbfounded as to what to do,” Supt Keaveney told Monday’s meeting of the joint policing committee. “We don’t want to turn every fellow upside down looking for knives,” he added.

In a discussion surrounding Mayo County Council’s corporate plan, which spans a five year period from 2010 to 2014, Fine Gael councillor Peter Flynn suggested that the council should increase its range of services, due to the scaling back of other government agencies, with Mayo County Council taking on these additional services so everything is dealt with “under one umbrella”.

A former Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council has called on the Minister for the Environment to fill the position of county manager from within the ranks of the council. According to Councillor Joe Mellett this will save the council €100,000 annually.

Figures released by Mayo County Council under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed that Mayo county councillors were paid out €836,212 from January to the end of June 2009, all relating to the six months pre-election. Independent Castlebar Councillor Frank Durcan who sought this information said that these figures are “immoral in the times that are in it”.