Mayo councillors want Government to buy Westport House from Nama

Mayo County Council should urge the Government to buy Westport House if an agreement cannot be reached to ensure the historic estate is not broken up, councillors said yesterday.

Nama is currently selling off the loan on Westport House, one of a large number making up Project Arrow, which has attracted interest from Cerberus – currently embroiled in a controversy in Northern Ireland over its purchase of Nama loans there.

If a deal is not reached, the 30 members of Mayo County Council will be asked next week to formally invoke section 4.1.1 of the Nama Act, which lets the State purchase loans directly “for legitimate reasons in the public interest”.

An economic study published by the local authority has found that Westport House is one of the county’s most significant tourist attractions, bringing in more than 150,000 visitors a year and contributing €50 million to the economy.

Chairman of the council's strategic policy committee, Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne said that while Westport House is very important to the whole region, the council simply does not have the money to buy it.

The local authority should be urging the Government to intervene, he said, while his Independent colleague Christy Hyland said the authority should borrow money if necessary, as "we have done so for less".

The issue was discussed by councillors along with Westport Chamber of Commerce's Neil O'Neill and Mayo County Council official Joanne Grehan.