Cllr angry that Skibb ‘bring' site still not upgraded and calls it a ‘disgrace'

THE lack of any movement on an upgrade of the Skibbereen bring site, promised back in 2016, was criticised by Cllr Joe Carroll (FF) at a recent meeting of the Western Committee in Clonakilty.

Cllr Carroll sought a suspension of standing orders in order for the matter to be discussed at the meeting, as he said €250,000 was set aside two years ago for an upgrade, which would also allow people to bring ‘a bag of rubbish’ to the site.

Cllr Carroll said he was shocked to hear that despite two tenders going in for the development of the site that the Council is going to do the work themselves.

‘This is a simple job and loads of people could have done it. This is a disgrace and what’s more I’m more a joke in Skibbereen, as I’ve been saying it loads of times that it would be opening,’ said Cllr Carroll.

Cllr Christopher O’Sullivan (FF) supported his colleague and said that Cllr Carroll brought the topic up at the very first Western Committee meeting.

‘We were told funding was available and Cllr Carroll was not jumping the gun. We have sympathy with the people of Skibbereen and he is right, it’s not good enough. There are plenty of contractors throughout West Cork who could have done it,’ said Cllr O’Sullivan.

Cllr Carroll said that it was decided that the bring site would be upgraded, and pointed out that Skibbereen is a big tourist town and there was nowhere for tourists to drop off bags of rubbish.

Clodagh Henehan, the divisional manager said that they had gone through a tender process and had received two tenders for the upgrade.

She said: ‘One of the tenders was invalid and the other had technical issues and was not value for money, so we decided that the swiftest way would be to work
within our own resources.’

She pointed out that the works to be carried out would include improving the access to the site as well as putting down some fencing and maybe drainage works and a general re-arranging of the site.

Following the meeting, Cllr Carroll told The Southern Star that he wants an upgraded facility as agreed at a meeting in 2016, when the figure of €250,000 was set aside for this.

‘It’s down in black and white as I have checked the minutes of that meeting in 2016 and people would be able to bring a bag of rubbish to the site at a charge of €3,’ said Cllr Carroll.

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