Anger over delayed pontoon for Mayo tourist resort

Mayo County Council has been criticised for failing to install a pontoon at Dugort in Achill in time for this year’s summer tourist season.

Speaking at the July meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District, Achill-based Cllr Paul McNamara was severely critical of council management for failing to install the pontoon after funding had been secured for it with an assurance given that it would be in place by the May Bank Holiday.

 “I have had no communication whatsoever on this or as to what is the problem, and it is just an absolute disgrace this has happened. 

"It is four weeks now to when the kids go back to school and that determines a lot of our holiday traffic.

“We are on about promoting tours and fixing piers and after we go to a massive effort to fund a pontoon, then you don’t put it out. The idea was for this to be a local amenity to link us with our neighbours across the bay, where the Safari Tours to the Inishkea Islands has really opened up this area. For health and safety purposes, boats could not land at the pier in Dugort if there was an onshore wind. It is just ridiculous we went to the trouble of getting a marvellous facility and we cannot put it out," added the Fianna Fáil councillor. 

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.