Cllr Keith Martin's Blog

Posted: 28 Jan 2014 02:58 AM PST

Financial clout of Mayo's three town councils far outweighs county council

TUESDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2013 10:42

THE three town councils in Mayo which are scheduled to be axed next May have a total of €16.17 million on deposit, according to the latest local government audited information available.

Yet Mayo County Council, which is being retained in Environment Minister Phil Hogan's shake-up, has just €172,643 in reserve.

Minister Hogan presented the figures in Dáil Éireann on foot of a parliamentary question. But it clearly undermines his decision to scrap town councils as a cash-saving measure.

While the €16.17 million is expected to be transferred to the coffers of Mayo County Council following the 2014 local elections, there is no guarantee the money will be retained for provision of local services.

The deposits held by the four local authorities in Mayo comprising of cash balances and short-term bank investments are as follows: Castlebar Town Council (€7,566,048), Westport Town Council (€4,970,930), Ballina Town Council (€3,646,517) and Mayo County Council (€172,643).

It is clear there was no justification for abolishing town councils in the county for financial reasons.

The figures are a cause for concern for Mayo County Council at a time when it is deep in debt.