Mayo councillors seek accountability from OPW

Members of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District were highly critical of the Office of Public Works (OPW) during a meeting last week when it was confirmed that no representative or direct contact to the public body had been established, despite councillors previously asking that it account for itself in relation to a number of local issues. 

Complaints were also expressed in relation to Bus Éireann for not making a manager available after a Ballinrobe-based councillor called the company several times about a matter.

Cllr Patsy O’Brien asked Mayo County Council's Director of Services Tom Gilligan whether a contact had been established for the OPW following the previous meeting, to which Mr Gilligan replied that he was still working on it and trying to get a name and a number but had not been given a specific contact to date.

Cllr Michael Burke said it was almost impossible to make contact with the body.

Cllr Damien Ryan, who chaired the meeting, declared: “If we are going to function right we are entitled to those contacts as public bodies must be available to us and if we have to go through their respective government departments to achieve that we will.” 

Cllr Ryan also criticised the “attitude in the written response we got from the OPW” and said it must make somebody available to come before the municipal district meeting when requested, adding: “Nothing less is acceptable and if they feel they are above that then the Government needs to step in.” 

The Fianna Fáil councillor proposed the municipal district write to the junior minister with responsibility for the OPW Kevin Boxer Moran to direct officials from the western office of the OPW and all those paid for by the public purse to be compelled to attend each municipal district quarterly or at least biannually, and make clear they are not beyond democratic approach, adding: “We are trying to be progressive in terms of opportunities and local knowledge we have. The water flow in Cong was so low when we contacted the OPW and was an ideal opportunity to carry out work that will be an absolute impossibility if we get flooding.” 

Cllr O’Brien said there was nothing sinister in the request for a representative to come before the forum and it was not a case of ambushing anyone. 

“We just want to ask a few questions and there would be no problem giving them the agenda in advance to prepare for this. There are just things pertaining in the area that need to be discussed.” 

Cllr Burke supported the call and said he also wanted to “call out Bus Éireann on their service".

"How they reply to telephone calls is just horrendous," Cllr Burke remarked, before recalling an incident where a young woman was left stranded in Cong after a bus broke down and said after several phone calls, he overheard a staff member speaking in derogatory terms about him to a manager saying “this councillor is on from Ballinrobe again, do you want to speak to him?” 

Cllr Burke stated: “What kind of an attitude is that for an employee to have in relation to a call to speak to a public representative? When I eventually got through to the manager I told him I had just heard his assistant and asked is that how they operate. I have also had several complaints from parents trying to make contact with the service to get school passes for their children. They are operating a broken system.” 

Cllr Adrian Forkan said he agreed on both counts, adding: “I was in touch with the OPW over an ash tree bush that had fallen crossways over a bridge that was holding back a lot of debris. The OPW did bring out a machine to remove the tree but then [Inland Fisheries Ireland] would not allow it to be removed.. you cannot clean a river or stream now because the Fisheries won’t allow it.” 

Cllr Gerry Murray said a similar situation occurred in Charlestown along the N17 after Storm Éowyn when a tree fell into a river and a man’s house was flooded. When council staff came to remove the damaged wall, Inland Fisheries Ireland would not allow the residual vegetation there be removed, meaning the man’s house could flood again in the next storm and he didn’t know what the insurance companies would say in such circumstances. Cllr Murray declared: “So when these people are summoned to a meeting they should come in and respect our democratic mandate and explain themselves in the presence of the press.”

Cllr Ryan said every person paid by the public purse should be answerable to the local authority.

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.