Businesses in County Mayo have, to date, received just short of 5 million euro from the Government’s COVID-19 Restart Grant to help them get back on their feet.

Mayo County Council is responsible for administering the Government’s Restart Grant. 

Mayo Fine Gael deputy Michael Ring says the total funding to Mayo businesses to date from the scheme is €4,800,000 and he claims the funding is crucial to help businesses to make a come-back after what has been such a difficult few months.

“The funding is designed to help businesses with the costs associated with reopening and re-employing workers following COVID-19 closures. Businesses can avail of between €2,000 and €10,000 for this purpose”, he explained.

Applications for the Restart Grant are available from Mayo County Council and the deputy is urging all small business owners in Mayo to apply for the grant to help them get up and running again after COVID-19.

Almost 80 million euro has been allocated to Mayo County Council for national roads in the county in 2021.

Mayo deputy Michael Ring says €78,313,699 has been granted for improvement works and €1.3 million has been allocated for maintenance works on the county’s national roads.

He says the monies will allow for maintenance and improvement works and will significantly improve the condition of the roads.

“It’s good to have friends in high places, and Joe Biden is a friend to Mayo and Ireland", according to Mayo Fine Gael deputy Michael Ring.

Deputy Ring says the Democrats have been good friends to this country in the past, and he hopes that with Joe Biden as US President, we have a welcome ally in our future dealings with the UK before and after Brexit.

Michael Ring met Joe Biden in Westport during his Vice Presidential visit to county Mayo in 2016.

Deputy Ring told  Midwest News this lunchtime that the county and the country needs friends anywhere in these turbulent, pandemic days.

This government and its Cabinet members need to stop giving mixed messages to the general public about the way forward in the present pandemic. That was the clear view expressed by former Minister, Mayo Fine Gael deputy Michael Ring at last night’s Fine Gael Parliamentary meeting.

He said the general public are fed up with the failure of the present government to provide a clear message about the way forward out of this present Covid 19 Lockdown.

The electorate, he argued are fed up. They have generally complied with the regulations and yet over the past two weeks, all they got from this government is conflicting messages on the way forward.

The message, he claimed, is changing over any given 24 hour period depending on what Minister is speaking, and from which of the three coalition parties in government he/ she represents.

Deputy Ring again completely condemned the 5km travel restriction in place at present. He says it’s simply not realistic in rural Ireland and needs to be lifted now.

Michael Ring has been speaking to Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley today about why he expressed his anger with the government’s mixed messaging at last night’s parliamentary party meeting.

Mayo FG Deputy Michael Ring has admitted that he's very disappointed not to have been appointed either a senior or junior Minister in the new Government.

The Government has confirmed the full list of Ministers of State, with eight from Fianna Fail, seven Fine Gael and three Green Party TDs.

With no Ministerial job for former Minister Michael Ring, the Westport-based TD says he's very disappointed, and is also angered at the fact that neither his own party or Fianna Fail appointed a senior Cabinet Minister in Connacht, Donegal or Clare.

However, he has vowed to continue to be a strong voice for Mayo from the Fine Gael backbenches.

Deputy Ring says he's proud of the fact that he got over 15,000 votes in the February general election and was elected on the first count- whereas his party Leo Varadker was elected on the 5th count.

Deputy Ring says he is steeped in Fine Gael tradition and would not consider leaving the party, despite being disappointed at being dropped from Cabinet, but will continue to be a voice for Mayo and for rural Ireland in Dáil Eireann.

Hear the full interview on our lunchtime news at 1pm...

A public consultation process has now opened into the River Deel drainage scheme in Crossmolina.

Following devastating flooding in the town in 2015 and 2016, plans were developed for a bypass channel for the River Deel, and the OPW has recently submitted the scheme to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

Before the Minister can give formal confirmation for the scheme to proceed, an Environmental Impact Assessment Report requires a public consultation process, which has now opened.

Mayo FG Deputy Michael Ring says people can make submissions until 11th January.

Three Mayo groups are to receive a total of 67,000 euro in Covid 19 Stability Funding

Mayo Fine Gael deputy Michael Ring says the  funding is being awarded to qualifying organisations that provide critical services to those most vulnerable in society to help with short term cash flow issues being suffered due to the COVID crisis.