Minister rejects new Mayo request for meeting over lost funding

The Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has turned down a new request to meet elected members of Mayo County Council over funding lost to the county.

Councillors wrote to the minister's office seeking the meeting in the aftermath of the department's latest round of local improvement scheme (LIS) funding allocated to all other counties apart from Mayo.

The department has taken a stand with Mayo County Council as efforts are ongoing to address issues discovered by a local government auditor in respect of funding for the Clew Bay cycle route which was claimed by the authority despite works not having taken place.

It is estimated the funding fiasco has cost communities in the county in the region of €5 million in lost funding.

A spokesperson for the minister's office explained the current situation to councillors in an emailed response.

He stated: "The department has been engaging intensively with Mayo County Council in relation to the actions which the local authority is advancing in order to address the serious issues arising from the audit and inspection findings.

"The minister knows that you will appreciate that the control and governance of public monies, along with the delivery of quality projects for the citizens and communities in Co. Mayo, has always been and remains her main priority.

"Against this background, the minister requested her new Secretary General, Ms. Mary Hurley, to meet with the Chief Executive of Mayo County Council, Mr. Kevin Kelly, in relation to the roadmap and processes required to address the governance and funding issues which have arisen.

"On foot of this meeting, the chief executive wrote to the secretary general outlining the reviews that are ongoing in relation to a range of schemes and projects administered by Mayo County Council and funded by the department.

"In his letter, the chief executive confirmed that Mayo County Council intends to submit these reviews to the Department by the end of May.

"Once the department receives this material, it will be reviewed as a matter of priority.

"The minister can assure you that once her department is satisfied with the level of assurance provided through the enhanced procedures and reviews that it receives from Mayo County Council, it is intended that access to the relevant funding, including the local improvement scheme will again be available to communities in Mayo in 2022.

"The minister does not have any plans at present to meet with elected representatives on the matter."