Council Lashed by its Chairman over state of Halting Site

Severe criticism has been levelled at Wicklow County Council over the condition of the travellers halting site near Wicklow town for which the local authority promised a caretaker some years ago.

The criticism came from the local authority's own Chairman, Jimmy O'Shaughnessy who said that the site is in a despicable

Where to go?

condition and contractors had to take out up to fifty loads of rubbish from the area.

`When this site was put in place, some councillors in the east, especially Liam Kavanagh and Joe Jacob, almost laid their political future on the line by agreeing to it going ahead. They only agreed after guarantees were given by this council that a caretaker would be put in place to oversee the site. That has not happened so it is really down to the question of running this site efficiently', he told a meeting of the Council.

Councillor O'Shaughnessy said he wants to see the situation put right. `I understand that a lot of the rubbish cleared off the site was brought there initially from other parts of the county and we cannot let this continue', he added.

The Labour Chairman also criticised a situation in Ballinaclash where there are only `the four walls left' on a house that was given to travellers a few years ago. `There is no roof or windows and there is now a mobile home on the site. These people have the same responsibilities as everyone else and they will have to carry them out', he added.