Mayo town 'neglected' in battle to attract new industrial jobs

A Mayo elected representative is looking for an update in relation to the proposed IDA industrial estate on the Sligo Road in Ballina.

By way of a notice of motion at the April monthly meeting of Ballina Municipal District, Councillor John O'Hara said the town is being neglected and it's unfair in light of Castlebar and Westport having shovel-ready ground.

“If we can't get this site developed, we should look at another one,” he said.

“It's one of the first things Minister Calleary should be looking at.”

Agreeing with his colleague, Councillor Michael Loftus, cathaoirleach of Ballina MD, said to give Minister Calleary credit, he had been working with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) on the issues.

Declan Turnbull, head of Ballina MD, said some progress has been made in that the location is now zoned and accepted as an industrial site. “That is half the battle.”

He added, however, that a previous planning application by the IDA for an advance factory on the site ran into difficulty with the road itself.

Discussions are now taking place with TII to get agreement on it.

“When agreement is reached, a new application will go in. I don't have a timeline on that though. But's it's moving in the right direction,” Mr. Turnbull concluded.