Sligo county councillors stood for a moment’s applause for the region’s frontline walkers at the start of today’s historic Council meeting in the main Kocknarea Arena at IT Sligo.
The acknowledgement for frontline workers, which includes healthcare workers. It prompted Fianna Fail Councillor Rosaleen O’Grady, herself a former nurse to make a direct appeal to the Sligo/Leitrim TDs Marian Harkin, Marc McSharry and Frank Feighan, who attending the meeting to urge the health minister Simon Harris to ensure that backpay due to the country’s nurses, is paid immediately.
The Sligo County Council management team gave a detailed presentation on how Sligo is managing the Covid 19 crisis.
Bartley Gavin, Director of Housing at Sligo County Council, outlined some of the key arrangements the Council has put in place to help some of the more vulnerable members of society during the pandemic such as the travelling commentary – 11 housing units have been developed to offer families more spacious, living space, and isolation unites for members of the homeless community.
Tom Kilfeather, Director of Infrastructure, environment and Fire Services at Sligo County gave an update on how the council has adjusted to the new working environment and the key challenges ahead.
The scale of illegal dumping in the county as ‘shocking’ and that a major effort will be needed to tackle this as restrictions are gradually eased.
He confirmed that work by Irish Water on dealing with the Lough Talt water scheme started last Monday.
But what was made clear today was that the cover pandemic is It is costing money and the Council’s head of finance Marie leydon signalled that a potential shortfall of seven million euro is coming down the tracks in 2020. It is, she said likely to result in the Council having to revisit the original budget for 2020 later in the year, as the financially impact of the Covid pandemic becomes clear.
