Mayo councillors accuse Taoiseach of 'bully boy tactics'

Mayo councillors have hit back at the Taoiseach and accused him of ‘bully-boy’ tactics after he criticised a motion on refugees passed by elected representatives last week.

On Monday, January 15, a motion was passed at Mayo County Council calling on local authority staff to immediately cease co-operation with the Department of Integration in relation to housing refugees and asylum seekers.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar castigated Mayo councillors for their stance.

“It’s not the case that you [the council] can have an à-la-carte relationship with Government departments, refuse to co-operate with some when you’re asked to do something and then apply for funding from five others,” Mr Varadkar said. “That’s not a tenable position."

However, Mayo councillors - including some from the Taoiseach's own party - remain forthright and accused Mr Varadkar of ‘bully boy’ tactics.

“I wasn’t a bit impressed," said Fine Gael Cllr Peter Flynn. "Talk about trying to polarise an already bad situation. No comment was made by any councillor last Monday about stopping migrants coming into Mayo or being anti-migrant. Threatening us now to cut off other sources of funding into the county is just highly irresponsible and nothing but bully-boy tactics.

“What we are asking the Government to do is put in place a coherent strategy. That’s all we are asking. 

"Instead of coming out and admitting that there is a problem and that the Government haven’t dealt with it well he (Varadkar) comes out and threatens us."

Cllr Flynn said the Government is ignoring the whole issue of tourism accommodation propping up the crisis and its impact on local economies.

“That’s the elephant in the room that nobody in Government seems to realise and what is happening in counties like Mayo, Kerry, Donegal and Clare.” 

Independent Cllr Michael Kilcoyne also railed against the Taoiseach’s remarks and accused him of being out of touch.

“He can talk about funding but we don’t get any money that’s the problem. No affordable houses, the lowest rate of social housing, the Taoiseach is clearly totally removed from Mayo."