What it Says in the Castlebar and Mayo Papers

29th. of November 2000

Connaught Telegraph

The Mayo News

The Western People

Cash award for Castlebar Tidy Towns a front page story in The Connaught Telegraph this week.

The Castlebar Tidy Towns Committee has received a major boost by being selected the regional winners in the Green 2000 Millennium Awards. Committee chairman, Mr. Liam Durkan was presented with a cheque for £10,000 and a bronze plaque at a function in Dublin Castle on Monday for their development and enhancement work at Lough Lannagh. Mr. Durkan said:"We are delighted with the recognition we have received for this project. The cheque will allow us to continue the work of the Tidy Towns Committee".

Staff dispute over new Post Office move The Connaught Telegraph this week.

Clerical staff at Castlebar Post Office are refusing to move to a new premises in the town. Postal services were due to be relocated from the existing headquarters at Mountain View to newly-completed buildings at the Dunnes Stores link road on November 17th last. But the transfer has not proceeded because An Post is refusing to pay compensation to members of the Castlebar Postal Branch of the Communication Workers Union for re-location. Crunch talks are scheduled to take place on Wednesday in an effort to resolve the impasse. A number of other issues are also at the centre of the dispute, including the lack of adequate staff carparking and the timing of the move. Mr. Michael Brophy, secretary of the branch, said the 11 clerical staff were prepared to move to the new Post Office if the compensation issue was settled. He said:"An agreement was signed some time ago, but we have now learned that An Post is not prepared to meet the compensation clause. "There is also annoyance among staff in regard to parking arrangements. They will not be compensated for using the charged carpark at Dunnes Stores and are expected to park at Mountain View and walk to the premises. "The timing of the move is also wrong. We are entering into the busiest time of the year for the postal services and yet staff are not being given sufficient time to get used to their new surroundings. It is a recipe for total mayhem. "Another factor of concern to us is that the public have not been informed of the proposals". An Post's plans involve retaining the existing Post Office as a parcel centre. The company is already renting a premises at the Industrial Estate which is currently used as a sorting office. But this is expected to close down when An Post opens a new Mail Centre in the town next year. Castlebar Urban Council wrote to An Post a number of weeks ago regarding the lack of consultation over the move to a new premises.

Closure warning to rogue publicans The Connaught Telegraph this week.

Gardai in Mayo are preparing to move against publicans who flout the law by selling alcohol to minors. The full brunt of tough new legislation will be directed against offenders, Chief Supt. John Carey, head of the Mayo Garda Division has warned. Under the new laws introduced by the Minister for Justice, John O'Donoghue, licensees convicted of knowingly selling drink to under-age persons face closure of their premises for a six-month period. Chief Supt. Carey has bluntly let it be known that he is not satisfied that all publicans in Mayo are complying with the legislation. He says his biggest priority at the moment is the abuse of alcohol - particularly by underage drinkers - and the resulting public order offences which inevitably arise from such abuse.

No plans to close Dublin-Mayo rail line-O'Rourke The Mayo News this week.

The Minister for Public Enterprise, Mrs. Mary O'Rourke, T.D. has given an assurance that there are no plans to close the Dublin-Westport-Ballina railway line. "Indeed, the section of line between Athlone, Westport and Ballina will be a major beneficiary of Iarnrod Éireann's Rail Safety Programme, which is currently well under way and which involves an investment of some £430 million to modernise the rail network,"she said. She said works under the programme were being carried out over the period 1999-2003 and included the updating of the signalling and control systems, replacement of the existing track with modern continuous welded rail and concrete sleepers and the upgrading of level crossings. There had also been recent upgrades to passenger facilities at both Castlebar and Ballina stations. Minister O'Rourke, who was responding to concerns expressed by Westport Tourism Organisation about transport links to the Mayo region, stressed that the Government was committed to supporting all regional airports, including Knock. The Minister's comments come at a time when there is considerable concern throughout the West and Mayo in particular about the future of the airport. It is feared that the proposal to develop a new airport at Oranmore in Galway would jeopardise Knock's future if it goes ahead.

County Rate increased by 4% The Mayo News.

Mayo County Council has struck a rate of £51.10 in the £, an increase of four per cent on last year's rate of £49.13 in the £. They cut back on the figure sought by County Manager Mr. Des Mahon by one per cent. Increases in the water and refuse services were granted as sought by the Manager with the exception of the bin traditionally used by old age pensioners. The charge for the 140-litre bin will be maintained at a flat rate of £100 for pensioners and people on disability. Other service users will pay £140, a £20 increase on last year. On the controversial issue of tiphead charges to private operators which were set at £55 per tonne in the estimates, the council has directed the Manager and his Deputy to enter into negotiations with the private operators to work out an acceptable level of charges. The savings brought about by the amendments will be met by a reduction of £62,752 in the Special Grants Allocation and a cutback of £16,248 under the heading Miscellaneous Services. The amended estimates were proposed by Cllr. Pat McHugh and seconded by Cllr. Pat Kilbane and agreed without a vote following twelve hours of discussion on the various programmes. Cllr McHugh said the council had to maintain its reputation as a go-ahead yet prudent local authority and it was important that the Manager and staff were provided with the resources to implement the improvements that the public demanded.

Campaign to oppose SAC designation of Clew Bay gathers momentum The Mayo News this week.

The Clew Bay Protection Group is stepping up its campaign to have the proposal to designate Clew Bay as a Special Area of Conservation dropped. The group was set up at a public meeting held in Westport a year ago to consider the implications of the proposed designation. The group represents several hundred people whose livelihood depends in some way upon activities currently being undertaken in and around the Clew Bay area. The group is currently seeking a meeting with Oireachtas members and other public representatives in order to brief them on the issues and implications surrounding the proposed designation.

Cash to flow when Caravan Club rolls into Ballinrobe The Western People this week.

A timely intervention by Lake District Enterprise Ltd. has clinched a major tourism event for the area in 2001 and a spin-off of more than £100,000 for the region. The Motorcaravan Club of Ireland have made an eleventh hour decision to bring their annual International Motorcaravan Festival and Leisure Fair to the Lake District. The five-day event, which will bring 600 people into the region over the Whit Weekend, will be staged at the Ballinrobe Race Course. "Motorcaravan holiday-makers come from all over Ireland, United Kingdom and parts of Europe to our annual festival, and we are delighted to be going to the Lake District with it next year,"said Bill Lupton, President. Motorcaravan Club of Ireland, who will lead the event from May 29th to June 4th. "Ballinrobe Race Course was not one of the selected venues for the year 2001, and I can honestly say when it was put to quite a number of members on the October weekend get-together in Wexford, the majority didn't know where Ballinrobe was. "But it's amazing what persistence will achieve. Lake District Enterprise Ltd approached us and as a result of their persistence, and the enthusiasm and co-operation of the Ballinrobe Race Course, we have decided to go to the Lake District. "It's a great opportunity for the region. My calculations from previous events show that over £100,000 will be spent in the area over five days. We'll bring the people in, and they love to poke around towns and villages, in and out of craft shops, restaurants and pubs". Liam Horan, Managing Director, Lake District Enterprise Ltd, said they were delighted with the decision of the Motorcaravan Club to come to the area.

Knock's £7m plan may go elsewhere The Western People this Tuesday.

A warning that a £7 million development may go elsewhere was issued on Monday by the people behind the proposed venture. The directors of the Meridore Company, Adrian O'Connor from Hollybrook, Claremorris and Tom Considine from Galway, say they are now having serious reservations about their plans because of ongoing hold-ups over a new sewerage scheme in Knock. Their company is based in Galway and specialises in commercial and residential developments around the country. An application was originally lodged with Mayo County Council last year seeking planning permission for the erection of a 60-bedroomed Hotel and Leisure Centre at Carramore, Knock and also 14 houses, a filling station, and a restaurant. Adrian O'Connor said their plans have been stalled because of the ongoing delays in relation to the start-up of the new sewerage scheme in Knock. Other developments have also been delayed because Mayo County Council cannot grant planning permission until such time as the scheme is in place. "We are not going to hang around waiting for the Council to make up their minds on the scheme. We will move our resources somewhere else in the country. We understand now that the tenders for the sewerage may not be signed and may not go ahead for a considerable length of time. We want to know if there is a plan for Knock or if we are wasting our time pushing this proposed development".

Westport couple buys house in Castlebar £12,000 cheaper The Western People this week.

Westport Urban District Council must acquire further land if the housing needs in the town are to be met, councillors agreed at the estimates meeting when it was revealed that one couple from Westport has just bought a house in Castlebar because it was an astonishing £12,000 cheaper. Cllr. Margaret Adams told last week's estimates meeting that the Respond scheme was to be welcomed but it would not come anywhere near satisfying the demand that existed. "It's a great scheme but unfortunately it will not be enough. "We need extra land for housing and I think it's important that when we decide schemes in the future that we consider the single person. "The single person wants to have his or her own place also and I think we must consider that in the future"said Cllr. Adams.

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