Mayo county councillors are frustrated and angered that they can no longer discuss planning issues at their Municipal District Meetings. This has been the situation for a number of years now, and councillors argue that they cannot “as effectively” make representation for people and communities because of the change.

At this week’s monthly meeting of Mayo County Council, councillors unanimously backed a motion jointly proposed by a number of councillors from a variety of political parties and none.

After venting their upset with the ban on discussing planning issues at their Municipal meetings, they unanimously agreed to write to Ministers Peter Burke and Darragh O’Brien requesting that planning be allowed to be put back on Municipal Council agendas so that planning issues can be discussed, particularly as some of them effect communities who cannot voice their views.

Fine Gael Councillor Cyril Burke has been telling Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley about the strength of the desire by elected councillors to get planning matters back on the agenda…