Bins are back at beaches in Council u-turn

ADDITIONAL outdoor bins are being provided at five beaches in the Cork South area in what appears to be an apparent U-turn by Cork County Council.

Councillors had been pleading for extra bins at some of the busy public amenities as the summer season gets into full swing.

However, at a meeting of the local authority in April, chief executive Tim Lucey said that if he had his way he would ‘bin Cork’s bins’ and said the Council was encouraging people to bring their rubbish home.

As well as extra bins, 16 portaloos have been installed at several beaches and amenities in the Carrigaline area, while four portaloos have put in at beaches in the Kinsale area.

Cllr Ben Dalton O’Sullivan (Ind) confirmed that additional outdoor 1,100 litre bins are to be placed at Fountainstown, Myrtleville, Robert’s Cove, Church Bay and Rocky Bay.

The bins are being supplied by Country Clean Recycling and there will be weekly collections of the bin contents.

‘This is very positive and huge credit is due to municipal district officer Carol Conway  and her team in the District office.

Over the summer months, people will be holidaying more at home and with this increase many locals near the beaches have been raising the need for more bins and I’m delighted to welcome this news,’ said Cllr O’Sullivan.

While welcoming the news, Cllr O’Sullivan said there are other areas in the district which also require additional bins and he said he will be lobbying for these locations to be included in a future rollout.

Cllr Audrey Buckley (FF), who has been calling for ‘compactor bins’ to be put in places – just like Cork City Council has done – has been regularly picking up bags of rubbish in her local area in Church Bay, has  welcomed this move but feels compactor bins are the way forward.

‘The amount of litter this year has been an exceptional task for the Council staff and the many volunteers out litter picking. Now that the Council are putting bins in place, I would ask the public to please use them respectfully. If these bins are abused, I am afraid they will be removed,’ Cllr Buckley posted on her Facebook page.

However, there does not seem to be any plan to install these bins at beaches further west.

‘While the Council put facilities in place – and will continue to monitor the servicing of same – the key message to beach users remains the same – ‘Leave No Trace’- our West Cork beaches are special places,’ said a Council spokesperson.

Meanwhile, 16 portaloos will be in place in several locations across the Carrigaline Municipal District until August.

Locations include Crosshaven, Myrtleville, Church Bay, Fountainstown, Robert’s Cove, Rocky Bay, Robert’s Bridge car park, Kilnagleary car park and the People’s Park in Carrigaline.

Cllr Kevin Murphy (FG) has also welcomed the news that beaches in the Kinsale area are to get extra portaloos, with both Garrettstown and Garylucas each getting an extra toilet, while one toilet will be installed at Sandycove and at The Dock beach.

Cork County Council confirmed that additional toilets have been provided at Inchydoney, Owenahincha, Dursey and Long Strand, and the possibility of extra facilities for Schull is currently being progressed.