Fine Gael TD for Mayo, Michelle Mulherin TD, has welcomed the decision to give the green light to the proposal by Ballina Chamber to open a year-round tourist office in Ballina and the awarding of funding of €5,000 to help in its operation.

Fine Gael TD for Mayo, Deputy Michelle Mulherin, has confirmed that Glenmore National School, Crossmolina, gets a second teacher following a successful appeal to the Department. It is currently a one teacher school. Deputy Mulherin said Glenmore NS will retain its second teacher during the school year, starting in September 2012.

Mayo Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin is calling on the Board of An Post to publish its plan for the provision of postal services to rural areas, including the number of post offices it plans to take out of the network in the short to medium term.  Deputy Mulherin’s comments come after An Post CEO Donal Connell attended a joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications Energy and Natural Resources and gave no hope that he would re-consider his decision to close Knockmore PO.

Knockmore Post Office, earmarked for closure on May 1st, by An Post, looks like it may get a reprieve followng a meeting between Mayo public representatives, Save Knockmore Post Office Campaign and and regional management from the postal company.  An Post has agreed to review the Save Knockmore Campaign submissions and will meet again with community representatives on April 16th in Knockmore Resource Centre.  

Mayo Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin has welcomed the news that the Arts Council has allocated a total of €470,900 in grants to arts organisations and venues in Mayo following her representations to Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs, to secure proper funding for the arts in Mayo.

Fine Gael TD for Mayo, Michelle Mulherin, voiced her objection to the proposed closure of Knockmore Post Office in the Dail on Wednesday night. Deputy Mulherin has already requested the Minister for Communications, Pat Rabbitte TD, to do whatever is necessary to keep the post office that serves a thriving rural community of 2,000 open.

Mayo Fine Gal TD Michelle Mulherin has condemned the practice of some local authority area offices, including Ballina Civic Offices, refusing to take cash from people requesting to pay the Household Charge - and she is to raise the issue with Mayo County Manager, Peter Hynes. 
Deputy Mulherin said people who do not have a cheque book or credit card, including old age pensioners, have been turned away from Ballina Council offices and told to get a postal order to pay the charge.

Mayo Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin has welcomed the announcement that a second Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Psychiatrist and Team is to be appointed in Mayo and based in the HSE Primary Care Centre in Ballina.The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Psychiatrist and Team will comprise one consultant, one clerical and five healthcare professionals.

Mayo Fine Gael TD, Michelle Mulherin, says plans to develop wind farms in Mayo - creating jobs and generating hundreds of millions of euro for the local economy - are now in jeopardy following a decision by the Single Electricity Market (SEM) Committee to curtail the output from wind producers in areas with poor access to the national electricity grid.

Mayo Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn TD that 10 primary schools in Mayo, currently renting prefabs, will be offered grants to build permanent accommodation this year. The scheme is also expected to give a much-needed boost to the construction industry in Mayo.