Clare councillors say a large amount of ‘personal responsibility’ is required from this county’s citizens for a successful outdoor summer to take place.
It follows a Clare FM investigation into facilities being made available by the local authority in the Shannon and Ennis electoral areas.
Detailed queries to Clare County Council from Clare FM have established what facilities are – and aren’t – available for people in this county and visiting it this summer to avail of.
Clare County Council say there has been ‘no requirement’ to facilitate additional parking in the Shannon municipal district and don’t appear to have any plans to do so – they point to free car parking available in the GAA/Cloister carpark in Ennis with approximately 100 spaces.
In terms of litter, 150 bins are to be serviced across the Shannon and Ennis electoral areas this summer – 100 of them in Ennis and 50 in Shannon.
Members of the public are also being encouraged to use recycling facilities in Clarecastle and Shannon Town where possible.
Cratloe-based Fianna Fail councillor Pat O Gorman believes takeaway pizzas in particular are a big slice of the overall problem.
Meanwhile, in the area of additional seating, the local authority is installing two benches at the Shannon embankment loop walks.
New seating has been installed at Woodquay in Ennis, along with wheelchair accessible tables at Tim Smythe Park and age friendly seating in O Connell Street.
Public toilets though appear to be less plentiful – with just 2 set to be manned and managed by the Council in the Ennis and Shannon areas as a whole this summer.
No public toilets in the Shannon MD will be available apart from at the Skycourt Shopping Centre, while current plans see Ennis’ Market Street and Abbey Street having so-called ‘superloos’ managed 24/7.
Barefield-based Independent representative Ann Norton is hopeful that more facilities will come on stream in the Ennis region in the next number of months.
Part 2 of Clare Fm’s investigation into outdoor facilities – looking at West, East and North Clare – will be discussed on Clare FM’s Morning Focus tomorrow morning from 9am.
