DAY closures of civic amenity sites will only occur as a last resort and if alternative cover cannot be provided, councillors were told last week, after several queried the opening hours and day closures of some sites in West Cork.
Cllr Finbarr Harrington (Ind) raised the issue at a meeting of the cabout the opening hours and day closures at all Council-owned civic amenity sites especially at both Castletownbere and Derryconnell in Schull, pointing out that Castletownbere was closed last week with no notice given to the public.
‘There were people turning up with rubbish overloaded in their cars, while a man turned up in a van full of rubbish and he had to take the van back home because the civic amenity site was closed,’ he said.
‘These sites are brilliant and people really do use them. Castletownbere is open two and a half days a week but if you take one day out then it’s only open one and a half days,’ said Cllr Harrington, who queried the possibility of more staff.
Cllr Daniel Sexton (Ind Ire) said it’s a similar issue with the site in Clonakilty, and asked if the Council could use local radio and social media about these sudden closures.
‘It’s a big hassle for someone to load up their car and then to arrive at the site to find that it’s closed. Can we circulate these closures earlier to make people aware,’ he said.
Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy (FF) said ‘communication is key’ when it comes to this and once people know they can then plan ahead, while Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire) said he got the brunt from one woman who had turned up in Castletownbere with her car loaded up with rubbish.
‘It seems to be happening a lot, and we need to get it out on social media if they have to be closed,’ said Cllr Collins.
Acting director of services Seamus De Faoite said that a vacancy had recently arisen which had impacted the opening hours, as operatives have to be assigned and travel from other areas. The post is currently being recruited internally.
‘A day closure of a site will only occur as a last resort if alternative cover cannot be provided, as health and safety protocols require two persons being on site while open,’ he said.
He added that any changes to opening hours or closures are regretted but are communicated at the earliest opportunity through their social media channels in order to allow customers to make alternative arrangements.
