Amenity site anger
By Laura Glenn
An irate Inishowen councillor has accused Donegal County Council of “dragging their heels” over a proposed civic-amenity site.
Councillor Pádraig MacLochlainn recently posed a question to the council asking what plans they had to ensure the delivery of a site to Buncrana.
He was informed by Chris Lyons of the Water, Environment and Emergency Services that, due to a lack of funding, it will not happen this year.
He said: “The council’s waste-management plan 2006 – 2010 made reference to the possibility of a civic amenity site being provided in Buncrana.
“The council remains committed to this, pending grant funding being obtained towards construction costs.
“As no funding has been identified, this project will not proceed in 2008.
“The council remains committed to commissioning the new civic amenity sites currently being developed in Milford, Dungloe and Letterkenny by the end of 2008.”
However, Councillor MacLochlainn hit out at the “frustrating” response and said it was “nothing new”.
He said: “The response from the council management that they are committed to delivering a civic amenity site to Buncrana in the future is nothing new.
“Indeed, they have no choice than to give this commitment because it is down in black and white in the Donegal Waste Management Plan 2006-2012 – at my insistence in the workshops leading up to its completion.
“This has been a frustrating battle against bureaucracy for me and the people of Buncrana. “The last waste management plan [2000- 2006] remarkably failed to deliver a civic amenity site to Buncrana, the second largest town in the county.
“I was not a councillor when that plan was drawn up.
“I was elected in 2004 and every time I raised the matter, I was advised that there were other locations ahead of Buncrana and they had to stick to what was agreed in the existing plan.
“I then ensured that the 2006- 2012 plan had a commitment to Buncrana – in the face of resistance from some officials – and two years on, the council are still dragging their heels.
“The problem is that, incredibly, the original plan committed to one civic amenity site per county council electoral area.
“Inishowen is twice the size of two of these – Stranorlar and Milford – yet we were given the same service. It’s crazy.
“Then, because the roll out of these Civic Amenity Sites has been so slow, Buncrana has had to wait.”
Councillor MacLochalinnn said he is determined to fight for a site in the town.
He said: “I am determined to pursue this matter vigorously as I believe that Buncrana, and indeed Inishowen, were failed by the last plan.
“I am not going to stand by and see us failed again.”
