Income from parking charges at Mayo's holy mountain queried

A SUSPENSION of parking charges at Croagh Patrick has again been suggested unless the local community get a share of the income they generate.

When the charges were first implemented, it was agreed that Murrisk Development Association would get a percentage to support their work in areas like the famine memorial park.

They were receiving up to €8,000 a year, Councillor Peter Flynn told a local municipal district meeting, but that has dropped by 80-90% over the last number of years.

While Covid explained some of that, he was asking for a full explanation.

This was the only municipal district where parking charges applied in a location like this.

If they didn't get that information by the end of the month he would be proposing they suspend the parking charges, he said.

Councillor Flynn said he wants a full overview of why they are not getting the same kind of allocation as in the past when the agreement was set up so they can get on with their work.