Councillors seek to unlock key issue

EMERGENCY services and water-based organisations in Kilkee are to be given a key apiece so that they can unlock the East End car park barrier in the town. Town mayor Paddy Collins also suggested boat owners visiting the town should join Kilkee Boat Club to ensure access to the pier.

The locks were changed recently following the arrival into Kilkee of what has been described as “an illegal encampment” on the June Bank Holiday weekend. The new locks led to difficulties accessing the pier.

“The locks were changed and there were no keys given out. Nobody could get access to the car park. The county engineer and the town engineer were the only ones with keys. It went up on the internet that Kilkee was closed for diving. Following discussions, I got a key for emergency access,” Mayor of Kilkee Paddy Collins said at Monday’s Kilkee Town Council meeting.

A meeting between council engineers, Kilkee Rescue, Kilkee Coastguard, Kilkee Diving Club, Kilkee Boat Club, Gardaí and ambulance services was subsequently held to resolve the access issue.

“The temporary solution was to put in a secure padlock which supposedly has uncopyable [sic] keys. This has been approved and the lock has been fitted. The lock went in last Friday, which was a pity because there were issues last Saturday morning regarding the triathlon but thankfully, the coastguard opened up access.

“What we have to decide tonight now is who gets the keys? What I’m suggesting that the coastguard, Kilkee Sub Aqua Club, Kilkee Boat Club, the Gardaí, ambulance service and the fire services have asked for a key. Clare County Council will also have a key,” Councillor Collins said. 

“I don’t see the need for anybody else needing a key. Anybody from outside town, who has a boat, I would suggest that they become members of the boat club. That way they could phone beforehand and access would be made available to them,” the Kilkee town mayor added.

Town clerk John Corry said the locks had been changed following the “illegal encampment” on the June Bank Holiday Weekend.

“I’m going to be sending out letters to individuals indicating responsibilities as key holders just to ensure that a situation doesn’t arise where barriers are left open and we have the difficulty encountered on the June Bank Holiday weekend,” the town clerk told the meeting.

Councillor Claire Haugh said a full list of key holders and phone numbers should be enclosed with each letter, while she expressed concern emergency services may not always know where the key is.

“Emergencies happen. It’s all go and they haven’t got time to look to see where the keys to the barriers are,” she said, while Councillor Collins said Kilrush Gardaí wanted to keep a key in Kilrush, which is seven miles from Kilkee.

“In theory, it’s lovely but not in an emergency. We need to be covered for emergency situations that could occur. We need to do a little bit of work on that,” Councillor Haugh maintained.
John Corry said that fewer keys should ensure greater security.

“The importance of it going forward is that there will be a greater element of control by the fact that there are fewer keys,” he said.