Councillor calls foul on dogs

OFFICIAL responses to concerns about dog fouling dangers around the national school and wheelchair access to a housing estate provoked different levels of satisfaction for Sixmilebridge Councillor PJ Ryan at this week’s meeting of Shannon Electoral Area councillors.

He declared himself “not happy” when told that the county council did not have the resources to erect ‘dog litter’ warning signs adjacent to Sixmilebridge National School.
Clare County Council senior executive engineer, Eugene O’Shea said that the number of engineers had been depleted when there were no replacements for three retirees. “Due to current workload and diminishing resources we are not in a position to erect such signage,” he reported.
When Councillor Ryan persisted and pointed to the “very serious” dangers of disease infection to children from dog fouling of public areas, alternative courses of action were suggested by Councillor Patricia McCarthy. As there were a number of signs prohibiting dog fouling located in other areas of Sixmilebridge, she suggested that some of the signs might be transplanted to the area around the school. “People are making these dangers our responsibility,” she said.
The chairperson suggested that the protection of the school children should be taken up by the Sixmilebridge community. “It is up to people walking dogs to clear up any fouling by pooper scooping. It could usefully be taken up as a school project and members of the school’s board of management could be encouraged to promote the idea,” she added.
Councillor Ryan was reasonably happy when advised that wheelchair access at the Beechwood Grove estate “will be considered for inclusion in the current year’s works programme”.
Senior executive engineer, Eugene O’Shea stated that the job would be tackled “subject to available resources”.
It was suggested to the engineer that priority for wheelchair access could be made at the houses where wheelchairs were in use.