Councillor and Director clash over plans for pool project

A local councillor has clashed with a Mayo County Council Director of Services over how the latter has pursued the Ballinrobe swimming pool project.

Cllr Patsy O’Brien told Director of Services Tom Gilligan he had a problem with him discussing the project with a local group before discussing it with elected members.

Mr Gilligan discussed the project with members of the Ballinrobe Community Futures group, which had set the development of a pool as one of its main targets in its 2023-2028 Action Plan and then told councillors via email about these discussions.

At last week’s meeting of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District, Cllr O’Brien said Mr Gilligan should have spoken with councillors before engaging with local groups.

“This is happening all the time. The people who are not elected get more say than the people who are elected,” he said. “You sent me an email but you didn’t tell me you were dealing with it. This is the way it is, talk to the people first and then talk to the elected councillors.”

Mr Gilligan said he was not sorry for this.

“I sent you an email to say I’ve had a conversation with this committee, as I have had conversations with loads of committees since I came in to this MD. “I don’t apologise for that,” said Mr Gilligan.

“I found this to be not the way I’d like to see things done,” replied Cllr O’Brien.

At the suggestion of cathaoirleach Cllr Damien Ryan, both Cllr O’Brien and Mr Gilligan agreed to have better consultation in future on these types of projects.