Councillors want playground equipment to stay

SHANNON councillors have said they don’t want to see playground equipment being removed from Inis Ealga.
County councillors from the Shannon area were recently informed that there is a “real danger” of the area losing its playground, as a group of residents to manage it is not in place.
In a discussion on the matter following a recent Shannon area meeting Councillor Gerry Flynn said that removing the playground equipment would be “an awful bad PR exercise”. The independent councillor said that removing it “would be an awful thing to do to the children and the community.”
The councillors were urged to use their influence to try and bring about the formation of another residents’ group, that would take control of the playground.
Councillor Patricia McCarthy said that it may be possible to make an application for support from the town council’s community fund. She also said that responsibility for the playground should have been more evenly shared.
She suggested calling a meeting in the estate. The independent councillor said that it would be important to keep people informed as to what was involved in its management. She said people had been frightened and led to believe that taking on responsibility for it could lead to disastrous financial consequences.
A letter was sent to the estate’s residents some weeks ago, warning them that the playground equipment may be removed.
It warned that if a reconstituted playground development committee wasn’t put in place the council would have to restore the ground for use as a green area.
In a subsequent statement, the council said that many playgrounds around the county are managed by residents and that 27 playground committees or residents groups in Clare had been awarded grants on acceptance of certain terms, one of which was that a committee composed of residents would be in place.