This article is from page 31 of the 2008-05-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 31 JPG
EAST Clare councillors have made impassioned calls to have measures put in place to stop Traveller groups setting up camp on the bog road be- tween Kilkishen and Tulla.
Cllr Joe Carey (FG) told a meeting of the Scariff Area Committee of the council last week that tempers were flaring since a large group of Trav- ellers parked up on the side of the road for the second time in less than cimeecennisey
‘This happens twice or three times
every year and we have to do some- thing to stop it. Local people are in- timidated and afraid to drive down that road because of the sheer number of caravans and there are children and vans out on the road every day. There will be a serious accident if we don’t do something.”
The councillor said that recently a local landowner “took the law into his own hands and went down and confronted them. He shouldn’t have done it but that’s the level of frustra- tion that people feel.”
Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) said there was
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a serious public health issue here with so many people parked up there with no toilets and no running water. When previous groups left, they left the place in an awful state behind them. We have to fine them for lit- tering – that’s what would happen anyone else.”
ClUlr Colm Wiley (FF) said that it is “hard to do anything while they are there but when they move off we should make sure no new groups can park up”.
Senior engineer Sean Lenihan told the meeting that he had been in con-
tact with the gardai.
“They have the power to move them on but that just sends them up the road. It’s not council policy to bank up ditches or put in boulders because if you do that in one place, then peo- ple want you to do it wherever there are encampments,” he said.
Mr Lenihan said that the council is “actively pursuing” litter offences on the bog road.
Councilors agree that if the group had not moved off by this week, they would seek an emergency meeting with the gardai.