Mayo Co Council makes some key personnel changes

Mayo County Council is to see a reshuffle of Director of Services across a number of municipal districts, writes Keith Bourke.

The council's chief executive Kevin Kelly has written to county councillors to inform them of the moves. The changes will come into effect from September.

John Condon, Director of Services with responsibility for the Castlebar area, remains in place but there are changes in Ballina, Claremorris, and Westport-Belmullet Municipal Districts.

Catherine McConnell moves from Westport-Belmullet to Ballina while Tom Gilligan makes the switch from Ballina to Claremorris and Joanne Grehan will move from Claremorris to Westport-Belmullet.

There had been some tensions between Westport and Ballina councillors and their respective Directors of Services in recent times with clashes over the housing of refugees and the condition of car parks in Westport. Mr Kelly has decided to make several switches following the election of the new council last month.

The council boss previously indicated he would like to alter the way the council’s Strategic Policy Committees operate. He proposed excluding the press from these meetings but his proposal received pushback from several councillors at the council meeting earlier this month.