Calls to extend Wild Atlantic Way as Mayo councillors visit European Parliament
THE extension of the Wild Atlantic Way to smaller town and villages was among the issues discussed when Mayo councillors visited the European Parliament as guests of MEP Maria Walsh.
Housing, childcare, rural planning, the fisheries, and administrative burdens with volunteering were also on the agenda.
Three Mayo councillors were in Brussels as part of the delegation as guests of local MEP Maria Walsh. Fine Gael’s Michael Burke and Donna Sheridan, together with John O’Malley (Independent, travelled to EU headquarters where they attended a number of meetings and events, including a roundtable discussion with Ms. Walsh and the head of the Irish Regions European Office, Teresa Lennon.
The Mayo representatives were part of a 21-strong contingent of councillors from the Midlands-North-West constituency who were invited to the European Parliament by MEP Walsh. The roundtable discussion was largely focused on funding opportunities, with the councillors noting that the biggest obstacle they face is the lack of resources in each local authority for funding programmes.
Among the issues raised by the Mayo councillors were the mortgage crisis and lack of affordable housing, mounting childcare costs, the administrative burdens placed on volunteers in local organisations, and whether Ireland can negotiate its own terms around fisheries policy.
Speaking with MEP Walsh in Brussels, Councillor Michael Burke highlighted the importance of the Wild Atlantic Way (WAW) and called for support to extend the WAW through smaller towns and villages. This, he said, would help promote and push satellite areas to support rural areas, spreading visitor numbers and tourism.
The less well known locations would benefit from the WAW and it may go some way towards the easing of hotel prices in larger towns and cities, he suggested.
Westport’s John O’Malley, a former FG councillor, now Independent, was also focused on tourism and spoke of the need for the regeneration of piers on some of Clew Bay’s islands.
He also touched on the hold-up with river cleaning, flood relief, and the cutting hedgerows, citing ‘EU directives’ as the cause of the delays.
“When it comes to rivers and lakes, it’s difficult to get all relevant stakeholders together and involved,” he noted.
Addressing the need to maximise on sustainability, Councillor O’Malley said Mayo - and Ireland at large - has the ability to excel in the production of green hydrogen, and we should be capitalising on this and improving infrastructure.
Castlebar’s Donna Sheridan raised the issue of childcare and stressed that more funding is needed, both for those accessing childcare and for the childcare workers.
She also drew Ms. Walsh’s attention to the national and European procurement guidelines, saying there has been far too much centralisation and that local businesses are suffering as a result.
Also, she spoke about the disconnect between civil servants and local authorities and called for more accountability across the board.
Welcoming the opportunity to hear from local representatives who are on the ground in Mayo, Ms. Walsh agreed that funding has been a problem and vowed to bring the concerns of the councillors to the appropriate tables in Europe. “The funding and the change is coming, but just not fast enough in some cases. I am conscious, too, that our community needs to be reflected in our councils and vice versa,” she said.
Continuing, the Mayo MEP said it was a real pleasure to host councillors from across the constituency in Brussels. “After far too long, it’s lovely to be able to welcome guests back to the European Parliament in person. It’s also so important for councillors to be able to voice issues at a European level from across the Midlands-North-West constituency.
“I’m looking forward to being back in Ireland in July and August for summer recess, and being able to hear directly from communities all across the constituency.”