County secretary John CondonTHE county secretary of Mayo County Council has revealed next month’s statutory meeting of the authority will proceed despite a motion being adopted to adjourn meetings on an indefinite basis.

The decision to abandon the last session of the authority on February 13 when Independent Councillor Frank Durcan refused with withdraw unsubstantiated allegations he made of planning corruption, collision and perjury.

However, when contacted by The Connaught Telegraph, John Condon said elected members will be notified about the next meeting in the coming days.

A decision has yet to be made in regard to whether to hold it a week earlier than normal, on March 5, due to the cathaoirleach, Councillor Austin Francis O’Malley, departing the following week for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America.

 

Councillor O’Malley said it is his intention to convene the meeting and deal with the agenda as normal.

Councillor Durcan has also informed this newspaper he will not be withdrawing the allegations he made at the last meeting and wants to elaborate on them further at the March meeting.

“The level of support I have received since taking my stand has been remarkable,” he added.

Mr. Condon explained why the council will not be reporting to Councillor Durcan to the Standard in Public Office’s ethic committee due to his action.

“His allegation are totally without foundation and cannot be taken seriously. If Councillor Durcan feels strongly enough about them himself, he has a duty and a responsibility to take them to the Garda Síochána.”

Councillor Durcan’s allegations are understood to relate to a decision by Mayo County Council on December 15, 2004, to grant planning permission for a commercial development at Sheeaune, Westport, despite it being refused on foot of an objection by the National Roads Authority (NRA) six months earlier.

The matter had been raised in Dáil Éireann on June 15 and July 4, 2006, by Deputy Michael Ring because of his annoyance that a Westport couple had been refused permission for a dwelling on the same stretch of road.

The NRA told Deputy Ring by letter at the time the reason they did not appeal the council’s decision to An Bord Pleanála at the time was due to ‘staffing issues’ over the Christmas period.

A dispute has now arisen between Councillor Durcan and the council in regard to the Deputy Ring’s ‘corruption’ references at that time.

Mr. Condon has told Councillor Durcan categorically that a TD never referred on the Dáil record to Mayo County Council being corrupt.