This article is from page 19 of the 2010-02-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 19 JPG
AS IT strives for overall excellence in the national Tidy Towns competi- tion, Kilrush must do so without the litter being cleared from the streets at the weekend.
Street Sweeping is just another service that has become a victim of cuts to local authority funding and staffing levels.
Town manager Nora Kaye has promised, however, to have a clean- up service back on the streets of the west Clare capital for the summer eau lOlee
The issue was highlighted in a motion by Cllr Paul Moroney (Ind) at the February meeting of Kilrush Town Council, in which he asked that the county council would reverse its decision that did not allow the street cleaners to work at the weekends in OT tatt ee
As the independent councillor was unable to attend the meeting due to other council business, a statement from him relating to the motion was read into the meeting by Cllr Maire- ad O’Brien (Ind).
In the statement the councillor said, “Over the Christmas period, the
Clare County Council staff who look after our streets so diligently and professionally, were not allowed to work over the weekend periods. This is from 4pm on Friday evenings to 8am on Monday mornings.
“This is to do with a block on over- time.
“This, however, was sorted be- tween the Clare County Council and the staff by working the weekend for time in lieu.
“This, however, was not good enough for Clare County Council. This is a pity for Kilrush and our chances of winning the overall gold
medal in the Tidy Towns awards. This decision needs to be reversed,” the statement said.
“Also we must remember that the tidy up after a horse fair, which is es- sential, is also overtime.
“We owe it to the people of Kilrush to have clean streets at all times.”
The town manager informed the meeting that while the staff and un- ions agreed to work time in lieu, it was becoming impossible for people to take their time back.
‘Then it was agreed at the coastal towns to cut back the street cleaning at the weekend during the winter,’
she said.
Ms Kaye added that the council would be re-introducing the weekend clean for the summer, “possibly from May on”.
“We are endeavouring to review street cleaning in Kilrush and other towns during the winter months and will revert to the council in due course,” she said. ;
In the interim, neither FAS nor the Tidy Towns committee can clean the streets at the weekend on a voluntary basis, as this could cause further 1s- sues with the unions representing the staff, the meeting was told.