‘A sad day for Enniscrone’ – councillors fume at perceived downgrading of local office

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

Councillors have expressed disappointment at the perceived downgrading of the Area Office in Enniscrone at the recent Ballymote-Tubbercurry Municipal District meeting.

In his motion Cllr Joe Queenan asked Sligo County Council to “confirm that Enniscrone Area Office will have its own Budget in 2026 and who will oversee it.”

Addressing the meeting Cllr Queenan said, “There has been an administrator in Enniscrone for 70 years, nobody informed the elected members this change was taking place.”

Welcoming the update that the office is not being closed, Cllr Queenan said, “I welcome that confirmation but it is a limited service.”

Cllr Queenan expressed his concern that funds that were in previous years allocated to the Enniscrone area office will no longer be made available.

"I’m concerned some of the money will leak out into other areas. It is a downgrade. It leaves us with one engineer to deal with all of this. I am very disappointed with the way it was done. At the least we were entitled to courtesy,” added Cllr Queenan who took issue with “A Director of Services saying it near the end of a meeting with a smirk on his face. I will be watching this like a hawk. We need every penny that we got last year.”

Cllr Queenan continued, “It’s not satisfactory, it’s sad to see. A door that was opened five days a week for 70 years is closed now, it is not a positive step.”

In reply Emer Concannon, Sligo County Council Director of Services said, “The administrator does not have any decision making powers in relation to the budget. My understanding is that there were very little in-person meetings taking place in Enniscrone in terms of walk-ins. The service will not change, the same person is available over the phone and email.”

Cllr Paul Taylor reiterated the concerns expressed by Cllr Queenan when he said, “It’s the message it sends out. Enniscrone is one of the most important towns from a tourist point of view. This is a place we need to progress and build on. I would have thought opening it for two or three days a week would be better than closing it all together. I don’t think it was a good decision. We should have been consulted and I don’t think it was good enough that we weren’t."

Cllr Dara Mulvey echoed those sentiments when he said, “It does send out the wrong signal. Discussion is always the easiest way and the first people you discuss it with is the people on the ground.”

Cllr Gerard Mullaney was also critical of the decision saying, “It’s a sad day for Enniscrone and Ballymote that it is all going to be focused on Tubbercurry.”

Cllr Barry Gallagher also expressed his dismay when he said, “It is Enniscrone today, who is to say it won’t be Ballymote next and then Tubbercurry. Communication is key.”

Cllr Michael Clarke was also left frustrated by the decision saying, “I am very surprised to hear there was no footfall. It is a terrible message to send out. For Cllr Queenan to be informed like that was desperate. It’s a wrong decision in our view.”

The debate concluded with Ms Concannon saying, “I’m listening to everybody, we’ll keep it under review,” adding, “It was three days a week for the last number of years.”

Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.