Confusion over casual trading enforcement in Mayo town

COMMUNITY NOTES: BALLYHAUNIS - WESTERN PEOPLE (APRIL 15 EDITION)

Mayo Co Council is not planning to actively enforce casual trading laws in Ballyhaunis, a council official told this column.

Under the Casual Trading Act, a local authority must put Casual Trading Bye-Laws in place for a specific town with licences to trade then issued by the council. There are no Casual Trading Bye Laws in place for Ballyhaunis, meaning casual trading or stalls on the street are not allowed.

“We are not patrolling for casual trading,” said the official, adding that the Act can be enforced by either the Gardaí or Council wardens. “We just haven’t the manpower to actively enforce it.”

A trader with a weekly stall in Ballyhaunis selling clothes told this column recently that he was approached by Gardaí asking him if he had sought permission from the council for his sale. But on approaching Mayo County Council he was told they were not in a position to give him a permit as no Casual Trading Bye-Law is in place for Ballyhaunis.