*Photograph: Joseph Butler
KILLALOE is among the towns and villages in the county facing challenges “in the current environment” when it comes to the removal of weeds.
An appeal for increased efforts to be made in cleaning the entrance roads and footpaths of Killaloe of weeds and the addition of “preventative measures” so that “they remain weed free” was made by Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF).
In response to his motion before the Killaloe Municipal District, acting senior executive engineer, Derek Troy outlined that the removal of weeds from road edges and footpaths “is challenging in the current environment”. He explained that the spraying weeds using fertiliser is “no longer an option” for local authorities to ensure compliance with the sustainable use of pesticides directive.
Troy stated that the Killaloe MD has an operative assigned to the maintenance of entrance roads and footpaths in conjunction with street cleaning. An additional operative was set to be appointed to the MD in May to further assist in this area.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr O’Brien commented, “I take your point we’re precluded from spraying certain weed killers, local groups do their best and they are to be commended for doing it. The walkway from Two Mile Gate to Ballycuggeran, I noted it was really overgrown with weeds and it was beyond the capabilities for a community group to get the job done and do the job required on it”.
He received support from Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) who remarked the motion was applicable for every town and village in East Clare. The policy against particular sprays has been adopted but few alternative processes have been implemented, he flagged. Tidy Towns groups are facing challenges in securing personnel, Hayes said.
Ten further seasonal operatives wouldn’t go astray in East Clare, Cllr Pat Burke (FG) believed. He acknowledged that every town and village was dealing with a reduction in volunteers. “Mountshannon was a previous national winner of the Tidy Towns, it once had 25 men working so volunteerism went out the window because there was so many people on a CE scheme,” he recalled. One extra operative is not enough, he insisted.
Burke added, “We’re facing a situation in the next couple of years in numbers where people are retiring and are not being replaced. It’s a Government decision maybe at the end of the day with extra resources needed or the places will be left wild which we don’t want in Killaloe, Whitegate or anywhere. I fear for the future of our villages and towns and keeping them tidy”.
Fantastic community groups are the backbone of the Killaloe MD, Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) maintained. “When I was walking through villages, I wasn’t canvassing so don’t be worrying but it was embarrassing to see the amount of weeds,” he told councillors. Outside the box thinking can aid volunteers to keep their areas under control, Cooney felt.
