Local Notes: Schools of Sanctuary title for Ballyhaunis
Students from the Schools of Sanctuary Committee at Ballyhaunis Community School are pictured with judges from Schools of Sanctuary Ireland during their recent visit.
Students of Ballyhaunis Community School impressed judges from Schools of Sanctuary Ireland who visited recently for an inspection of efforts to make the school a welcoming place to its diverse population.
“The Schools of Sanctuary Committee had their monitoring day,” explained teacher Catriona Murphy. “They have been on this journey for the last year and a half. Their task was to earn the prestigious title of ‘Champion School of Sanctuary’ and they got it!
"They had their inspection day and wow did they impress. The seven visiting judges met with management, staff and students. They received a warm welcome and had a tour of their beautiful modern school. The students then presented them with personal accounts of attending such a diverse school. They also displayed their talents through dance, sign language display, poetry and song.
"They also presented a PowerPoint to the judges to showcase the work being carried out in BCS to include respect, equality, inclusion, integration and kindness.”
One judge quoted by Ms Murphy said: “The experience in Ballyhaunis Community School was so impressive, inspiring and heartwarming and a true example of a Champion School of Sanctuary.”
Schools of Sanctuary Ireland is an affiliate of Places of Sanctuary Ireland, which is a registered Irish charity that encourages towns to be welcoming to newcomers.
The long-planned primary healthcare centre in Ballyhaunis will be welcoming users early next year, according to Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary.
In a statement sent to this column, Minister Calleary said: "The HSE has confirmed that works on the Ballyhaunis Primary Care Centre are expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2025 with the centre becoming operational in quarter one (January to March) 2026.
"This is a long-anticipated project and much-desired development for Ballyhaunis, particularly after the long delays that have been experienced in delivering it. I am looking forward to it being completed and opened – the people of Ballyhaunis and surrounds have waited patiently for it and deserve it...”
The centre is urgently needed because the population of Ballyhaunis is growing at a rate three times faster than the county average, according to local councillor Alma Gallagher.
The new clinic will employ “approximately 18 staff” and will, she said, deliver “GP services, public health nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, dental, immunisation, child and family psychology, dietetics, podiatry, home support and visiting integrated care services".
The councillor said she welcomed the continued progress on site “and look forward to this much needed facility being fully operational in our town".
A Ballyhaunis-based single mother with a toddler has explained the difficulties of living in emergency accommodation. The woman, who prefers to remain anonymous, told her story, which may be representative of others being housed in emergency accommodation at a former nursing home near Charlestown, paid for by Mayo County Council:
“In August of last year, I got officially evicted with six month’s notice. I informed the council immediately as I qualify for council housing and am on the list for a house.
"For years I've told the council that I need to live in a town that's on the train route as I don't have a car and public transport is an issue in a lot of Mayo towns. I indicated on my application form that my preferred towns are Castlebar and Ballina for the reason that I will not need to buy a car if I lived there as they have all amenities one could hope to ask for. I indicated this a number of times.
“November last year they asked if I wanted to be shortlisted for Charlestown and I told them that due to that town being in the black triangle of Mayo towns for transport it would not suit to live there and could they please place me in a town where I wouldn't be stuck for travel and that Claremorris would suit fine as well. They said they understood and would try."
The woman said had to present to the council as homeless after her eviction date was reached at the end of February. She expressed deep disappointment at her treatment by the council, adding that she "felt really looked down upon".
“When I asked how could it be that there is not one single house in the whole of Mayo suitable for us, I was informed that the council have only sought to place us in the Claremorris/Swinford District and they do not communicate at all with the other districts because they have their own homeless to worry about. The woman there told me that they have 300 people on the list and no houses for anyone.
“I've been living in emergency accommodation in Charlestown for two weeks now. The lodge itself is very well run, it's clean and safe and there are a lot of rules, there are other families here as well with minors who have no home.
“I have yet to meet with a social worker to discuss my case further and I feel that the fact that the district do not communicate with one another about placing homeless families where they need to be is absolutely ridiculous. I've heard there are two-bedroom places in Ballina standing empty.
"The lodge is situated 2.5km out of Charlestown itself and anyone without a car has to walk a dangerous road to get into town."
The woman said the council told her the lodge was a "temporary" arrangement and she should try to source private rented accommodation.
"I can't find anywhere I can afford nor anyone who will accept my HAP payment. So I'm here until I'm housed basically.
I've just had to get a taxi into Swinford to get to the Intreo [social welfare] office. It cost me €20 one way.
"Transport is a struggle. I paid €40 for a day trip to Swinford for a welfare appointment whereas before it was just €10 on the train to Claremorris [from Ballyhaunis].
“I don't work so it hasn't affected that but I imagine it's difficult for those that do. I was meant to enroll my son into playschool for September but now I don't know what's happening with housing, so I don't know where to enroll him or how to get him there each morning if it's in Charlestown.”
A potential government relaxation on planning requirements for back-garden residences will require clarification on wastewater treatment and other utilities as well as tax implications, according to local estate agents.
The Government recently announced that it would examine potential relaxations to planning laws on stand-alone modular homes in back gardens. As it stands, extensions of up to 40 square metres to a home can be built without planning permission. However, approval must be sought if structures of the same size are not attached to the home itself.
“If you are putting up a cabin in your back garden and your own septic tank isn’t working then it shouldn’t be allowed,” said auctioneer and estate agent Gerry Coffey. “It’s not clear who is going to police this.
“It is not so much of an issue in an urban area which is served by a wastewater sewage treatment system but in a rural setting the septic tank would have to be working properly.”
Mr Coffey expects greater clarity around the permitted size of a back garden residential structure that will be exempt from planning permission. He also expects to see a range of cabin-type living structures come onto the market if planning requirements for such structures are eased. Electricity and heating connections will also have to be regulated, he noted.
Another local estate agent, Kevin Kirrane, thinks the Government will need to answer many questions related to the back garden modular housing proposal - including the potential tax implications that arise.
“The devil will be in the detail,” said Mr Kirrane. “Are you going to be required to get an extra property ID for the modular build in the back garden?”
A second property ID would require the owner to pay property tax but will also require separate registration with the Rental Tenancies Board if the property is rented out, noted Kirrane.
Householders may likewise be subjected to extra expense when adding new living space behind the existing home.
“Local authorities will also have to assess if sewerage systems in urban settings will be able to cope with an increase in backyard modular accommodation. Currently, if you seek planning to extend your house in a rural setting, the council will ask you to upgrade your septic tank capacity if you are adding bedrooms. It’s unclear if that requirement will be extended to a modular addition in the back garden.”
Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns' award-winning citizen science team will conduct its first monitoring of the Dalgan River in 2025 on March 22nd, meeting at 10am at the Friary carpark.
Water from three sites along the river will be sampled. The group conducts regular samplings of the river to assess water quality in the river with the assistance of the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO).
Congratulations to Gearoid F Lyons, Woodpark, winner of €1,280 in the Ballyhaunis GAA 50/50 draw on an envelope sold in Paddy's Bar. The second prize of a Kodak Pixcam was won by Helen Healy, Doctors Road while the third prize of a €50 Val’s Restaurant voucher was won by Mary Angela Grogan of Doctors Road.
