Mayo councillor prepared to 'go to war' over staffing levels

A councillor has warned he will ‘go to war’ with Mayo County Council if staffing levels don’t improve in certain departments in Castlebar Municipal District.

“I will go to war in this chamber and against this council on staffing levels in terms of the housing department and the engineering department,” stated Independent councillor Harry Barrett at the monthly meeting of Castlebar Municipal District.

Cllr Barrett said the council is failing people in dire need as well as its overworked and overstretched personnel.

“We have a housing department downstairs that is stretched to the limit, no dedicated staff for housing positions, and we have a situation now where an application for housing can go on weeks and weeks. It’s not acceptable,” said Cllr Barrett.

He said Castlebar is lacking in staff compared to other municipal districts in the county.

“When you look at the housing section here and the housing section in Westport and Ballina there is no comparison.

I am putting the Chief Executive (of Mayo County Council) on notice, I will go to war with him on this," he added.

Cllr Barett said housing should be a priority and pointed to the Castlebar area’s growing population.

“We are not getting the responses that we need back in time and we are dealing with people facing harrowing circumstances on a daily basis. I would like to see the same urgency given to them that we give to big projects here in this town and county.

"We are not getting the work done because of the lack of staff. It has to improve in the context of a growing population in this area.” 

Cllr Barrett also raised the issue of a new bus station for Castlebar. He said the situation at the bus stop at Stephen Garvey Way has become dangerous and untenable.

“It’s getting worse and we will have an accident there very shortly. We have to push the operators to come in here and make representations as to where a site for a bus station should happen in this town."