Working group studying Mullingar twin town proposal

"The town twinning working group have met and research is ongoing," Cllr Hazel Smyth was informed at the monthly meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad when she requested an update on the proposals to twin Mullingar with another town.

The response went on to add that a report from the working group will be drafted and brought before the members.

Cllr Smyth criticised the response as being "extremely vague", and asked if more information could be provided on what research is ongoing.

"There’s a great opportunity for Mullingar going to waste," she said, stating that two different cities have shown an interest in twinning with Mullingar.

"I’d love to see some progress actually being made on it," she said, adding that it had been as far back as March that she had first raised the subject.

Director of services, Deirdre Reilly, responded that since the town twinning group met in July, conversations have taken place with other local authorities, including the Athlone Municipal District, that have twinning arrangements in place.

Ms Reilly said that now that September has arrived, she anticipates that there will be a report from the working group and she undertook to contact Cllr Smyth over the issue again the next couple of weeks.

Lyme Disease

At the same meeting, Cllr Smyth asked when and where signs promoting Lyme Disease awareness will be erected locally. To that, the response was that such signs have already been erected at Belvedere, Tullaghan, Tudenham, Ladestown and Lough Lene.