Selling Laois cattle from mart not 'export related'

Public money available to local enterprises cannot be used to help reopen the livestock mart in Mountrath, councillors have been told.

The update was given by the head of the Laois Local Enterprise Office at a Laois County Council meeting where grants and other supports were sought to help reopen the business which shut in early 2019.

Cllr James Kelly, Independent, tabled a motion calling on the local authority through its Business Support Unit Local Enterprise Office and Laois Leader Partnership offices to provide all their support, grant aids and professional expertise to engage with Mountrath Co-Op Livestock Mart committee to help them with costs associated with reopening the business.

He received a written reply from  Evelyn Reddin, Head of Laois LEO.

“To date we have been in contact with Mountrath Co-op Livestock Mart Committee advising them on the various supports that might be available through the LEO Office to help them with the re-opening of the businesses,” she said.

However, she said the situation on grants has been explained to the committee.

“Our capital funds are directed towards manufacturing and export-orientated businesses which means unfortunately that LEO would not be able to provide funding support for the reopening of the mart. There may be some options at a later stage if they were looking to diversify into something else but at the moment they are only looking at a return to business as per previous operations. 

“We will continue to engage with the committee in terms of soft supports i.e., mentoring /training etc that they might wish to avail of at a later stage,” she said.

Cllr Kelly said that the mart attracted farmers from all over Ireland. The lost business to the town is now going to outside the county except Ballinakill. Apart from being good for business in the town, he believed it had also served as a social outlet for the locals.

He said business opportunities did arise that did not materialise. He also praised the mart for selling land to the local GAA club to allow it to expand.

“We have as a council to give as much help to this committee as we can because there are other opportunities because it is a huge site,” he said.

Cllr Ollie Clooney, Independent, also backed the motion. He said he met recently with the committee and said their plans to reopen must be supported. He said they are financially sound.

“Mountrath needs an injection. It is a large town and it would be great to see the mart opening,” he said.

Cllr Seamus McDonald, Fianna Fáil, also encouraged the council to do ‘whatever it can financially’ to support the mart.

Cllr John King, Fine Gael, also backed the reopening. “To lose the mart you are losing the heart of your town,” he said.

Cllr Conor Bergin, Fine Gael, was also in favour and said the committee had a very good plan to reopen the business. He proposed that rates could be looked at and he said a rates waver reduction scheme could be extended to the mart to help it to reopen. Cllr Paddy Bracken, Fianna Fáil, is also in favour of supporting the reopening. He backed the rates exemption. 

Donal Brennan, Director of Services, said the rates exemption could be expanded countywide.

First students of paid hairdressing apprenticeship in Laois set for work

The issue was highlighted at a recent meeting of the Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick Municipal District.