Cllr Shane Talty (right). Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
FIANNA FÁIL representatives have defied the recommendations of senior engineers in Clare County Council to proceed with declaring a local road in Inagh as a public road.
Last November, Cllr Shane Talty (FF) had requested the local road in Drumlish, Inagh be declared as a public road, a proposal which was seconded by Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG).
In a written response at the time, senior executive engineer, Enda MacNamara had outlined that the roads and transportation section of the Council would proceed with the process of taking in charge the road in accordance with Section 11 of the Roads Act 1993.
Taking in charge is a request to have certain services taken in charge when a development is completed to the satisfaction of the local authority.
Presenting a report at the July meeting of the West Clare Municipal District in a follow-up to Cllr Talty’s request, MacNamara detailed that the document had been compiled in accordance with the taking in charge policy.
He explained, “there are a number of minimum requirements on the taking in charge policy and a number of them have not been met”.
Subsequently, he said, “the recommendation is that Clare County Council do not take this road in charge”. The item had been a late addition to the agenda of the West Clare MD sitting which took place in Kilrush.
Despite the advice from the senior engineer, Cllr Talty stated, “I am proposing that having considered the report that the road in question be declared a public road”.
“I am seconding that, we have considered, that is the optimum word,” remarked Cllr PJ Kelly (FF).
