Disillusioned with progress on Mayo marina project

WESTPORT councillors are disillusioned with the lack of progress on developing a local marina.

District cathaoirleach Councillor Brendan Mulroy described it as being 'dead in the water' after ministerial advice on undertaking a survey, to be ready to roll when funding became available, wasn't followed through.

Instead, it had gone back to Mayo County Council's tourism section, with councillors taken out of the equation, he told the monthly municipal district meeting.

Councillors were told there has been a delay with a Fáilte Ireland funding stream for the stage one business development survey, but it is coming and the authority are aware of the project.

Head of marine Michael O'Boyle said the council has spoken with the two ministers concerned, who have committed to putting forward a formula where these sorts of bigger projects can be looked at. The tourism section are also following it up through Bord Fáilte.

There is a number of projects, including the marina, where they don't have an avenue to fund them through the various stages, and they are looking for an avenue for that, he said.

A lot of work has gone into it and it is nearly beyond the council at this stage, and they have to get a funding stream.

Councillor Mulroy said they had proposed going to the budget meeting to get money for a survey, his recollection being that the ministers made it clear that they had to carry out a survey of the area so that when they came back with a funding stream they'd be ready to roll.

Instead it went another direction, back to the tourism section, and he didn't know how that happened. The councillors were taken out of the equation and here they were now, no further down the line.

The marina group put their faith in the council to help them but were sent in a different direction than the one councillors were sending them, and they were back to square one.

“We have a huge problem here. That marina is dead in the water right now,” he said.

Director of services Joanne Grehan said there is a new capital funding stream being opened by Fáilte Ireland, with the tourism section hoping to achieve the business development survey. It was hoped to advance that at the time of the meeting but there were delays on the Fáilte Ireland side in opening the funding stream. But that stream is coming and they are working to get all the documentation ready for a greater application thereafter.

Councillor Mulroy described this as 'aspirational' and declared himself 'disillusioned', saying the initial ask had been for €30,000, which they were going to look for in the budget last year, and they had gone against the advice of a government minister.

Also disillusioned was Councillor Johnny O'Malley who said they were back at square one.

Mr. O'Boyle said he appreciated the frustration but they have all the reports that they need done. What they need now is the department to sponsor this and tell them what they have to put in the business assessment, which is very specific.

That framework has to be in place before they can move, he said. A council trying to do it on its own from the bottom up without the oversight of a department or agency like Bord Fáilte isn't really going to work.

* Funded under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme