THERE WAS  AT YESTERDAY’S MONTHLY MEETING OF MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL, WHEN SINN FEIN COUNCILLOR GERRY MURRAY ATTEMPTED TO RAISE HIS CONCERNS OVER THE FINE GAEL APPPONTMENT OF A MALE REPLACEMENT COUNCILLOR ON TO MAYO VEC, LAST MONTH.

THE PARTY SELECTED NEW COUNCILLOR JOHN O’HARA TO REPLACE NOW FINE GAEL TD MICHELLE MULHERRIN ON THE COMMITTEE OF MAYO VEC.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE GENDER BALANCE OF COUNCILLORS ON MAYO VEC IS OUT OF SYNCH BECAUSE OF THIS APPOINTMENT AND THE MIX OF MALE TO FEMALE COUNCILLORS ON THE VEC IS GOVERNED BY LEGISLATION - THE EDUCATION ACT.

WHEN THE CATHAOIRLEACH OF MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL MICHAEL BURKE REFUSED TO ALLOW COUNCILLOR MURRAY TO READ THREE SENTENCES FROM THE EDUCATION ACT INTO PROCEEDINGS, THE MEETING WAS FIRST ADJOURNED FOR FIVE MINUTES AND THEN ON RESUMPTION, WHEN COUNCILLOR MURRAY AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO DO THE SAME AND WAS NOT ALLOWED, HE LEFT THE PROCEEDINGS IN PROTEST.

HE WILL NOW ATTEMPT TO HAVE THE MATTER RAISED IN THE OIREACHTAS BY HIS PARTY’S EDUCATION SPOKESPERSON.