Sinn Féin Councillor Thérèse Ruane has welcomed the drawing up of a plan for developing Raheens Woods near Castlebar which will now be submitted to the Department of Agriculture for consideration under the Neighbourwood Scheme.

Castlebar Sinn Féin Councillor, Thérèse Ruane, has criticised the Government for allowing AIB to pay €1.5bn of taxpayers’ money to unguaranteed unsecured bondholders. The bank, which is in majority state ownership, made the payment to unnamed bondholders this week. Cllr. Ruane says that the payment of this bond "beggars belief" as it's not even covered by the bank guarantee scheme.

Castlebar Sinn Féin Councillor Thérèse Ruane has welcomed the recent works at Glenfort Housing Estate. Describing these developments as "very positive and not before time", she has complimented the council, the residents committee and the developer for working together to bring about these long promised works to make the estate a safer and better environment for residents.

Castlebar Sinn Féin Councillor Therese Ruane has called on Government ministers to stop the scaremongering on the household charge and challenged the Government to say if really intends to bring hundreds of thousands of citizens before the courts on this issue when not a single banker has been jailed for causing this crisis?

Sinn Féin Councillor, Thérèse Ruane, met this week with student teachers who have been forced by the government to take a 14% cut in pay and allowances. The Castlebar public representative has described these cuts in pay as discriminatory, unacceptable and morally wrong.  

Following complaints from a number of Castlebar residents, Sinn Féin Councillor, Thérèse Ruane, has raised concerns about the destruction of habitats and wildlife at Lough Lannagh as a result of the ongoing works at the lake. She welcomes the development of the lake as a public amenity but insists that this can be developed in an environmentally sensitive way which protects wildlife, habitats and its biodiversity. 

Sinn Féin Councillor, Thérèse Ruane, has expressed her disappointment that Castlebar councillors did not back her proposal for a national ban on the process known as fracking, or hydraulic fracturing as a means of gas extraction in the Lough Allen Basin and other parts of the country.

Despite the bad weather conditions, more than 100 people gathered in Castlebar on Wednesday to show their opposition to this government paying out €1.25 billion to yet another unguaranteed, unsecured Anglo bondholder. The lunchtime protest, organised by Mayo Sinn Féin was attended by a broad range of individuals, members  of communtity and voluntary organisations, young people, students, business owners, as well as members of Mayo Sinn Féin.

Sinn Féin Senator, Trevor O Clochartaigh, will speak at a public meeting organised by Mayo Sinn Féin to discuss the implications of the new legislation on septic tanks. This follows two meetings held by Cllr. Rose Conway Walsh in Belmullet and Newport last week, with large numbers of the public in attendance.

A "Stop The Handover Day" of action is being planned for Wednesday, 25th January, in Castlebar, to protest at the payment of €1.25 billion to unguaranteed and unsecured Anglo bondholders. Trade union, community, voluntary and civic organistions in Mayo are being invited to take part in the protest which is being organised by Mayo Sinn Fein.