By Cara McHugh
Concern has been expressed over the ‘deadly dangerous’ slipway at Rosses Point, where steel rods can be seen protruding from the ground. It is being said that this slipway could result in the loss of a blue flag if the issue is not rectified in the coming weeks.
Independent councillor Declan Bree asked Sligo County council that a report be provided outlining the proposals the Council has to repair/restore the concrete path leading to the first beach in Rosses Point.
The Council detailed in their response that they will undertake a survey of the path in the coming weeks, to determine the remedial measures to be applied in both the short and medium term to ensure safe access is maintained.
They said that once the survey is complete a report will be provided to Members at the September Plenary.
Councillor Bree spoke to the council as he said, “I am extremely disappointed with this report.”
“I brought this matter to the attention of the Council back in March and submitted photographs highlighting the dangerous condition of part of the slipway leading to the first beach.
I pointed out then that it is particularly dangerous when it is covered by the tide, especially if a swimmer was not aware of its poor condition.”
He continued, “The exposed rusty steel rods are particularly hazardous.
Wheelchair users and parents with prams find it particularly difficult to access the beach when the tide recedes.”
He added, “I note from the report we have received today that the Council will now undertake a survey of the path in the coming weeks, to determine the remedial measures to be applied in both the short and medium term to ensure safe access.
We are told that once the survey is complete a report will be provided to the September meeting of the Council.
This would indicate that the path to the beach will be left in its current dangerous condition over the busy Summer months”
He also pointed out that should someone be injured due to the current condition of the path, the Council, or its insurers, could find itself liable.
“I also fear that the issue could affect the Blue Flag status of Rosses Point beach.
I therefore would ask that the survey be carried out without further delay and that necessary remedial works be carried out as a matter of urgency.”
People Before Profit councillor Gino O’Boyle supported his calls as he said, “when you’re looking at the summer months coming in, it is in dire need of work to be done.”
Fine Gael Councillor Thomas Walsh then said, “I too sent this [motion] in and I don’t know why this is taking so long to do. Strandhill is going to tender on exactly the same issues on their strandhill slipway. I was down at both of them, I met people at both of them, they’re the exact same issues.”
“I’m not clear on why this is taking so long, this is simple stuff. It’s in a shocking condition – children could put their feet into those iron rods and their ankles would be gone – it’s cat.”
Director of services for Sligo county council Jim Molloy responded to this as he said, “there has been a delay there and we’re trying to sort out what the issue has been, in particular at Rosses point. We are progressing with the slipway at Strandhill, and it’s in a similar condition.”
“There is more substantive work required on both, to ensure that they don’t deteriorate again over the next few months once the work is complete.”
“We are trying to fast track that and get it done in the next few weeks.”
Councillor Bree looked for definite confirmation that the Rosses Point slipway will be fastracked to make it safe in the next few weeks, to which Mr Molloy nodded his head.
Councillor Edel McSharry chimed in at this point, as she said “there’s no excuse for leaving something that’s unsafe and I’ve experienced this myself and I’ve experienced people who said they’ve had all the difficulties that councillor Bree has cited.”
She added that she understands the long term measures that need to be enforced on the ground but that an immediate action should also take place to adhere to the summer increase of swimmers.
Cathaoirleach Dónal Gilroy then said, “I think if it was a privately owned thing that was being used for tourists and something was unsafe, they would be shut down by the regulator. So we have to regulate ourselves – if it was closed down then you’d definitely lose your blue flag – so we really have to be careful not to get to that stage and I don’t know if a report has been done to say if it is safe at the moment, because it certainly doesn’t look it. I’m not qualified to say that but it doesn’t look it.”
Councillor Bree responded to this as he said, “any of us, we don’t need to be engineers, just look at it through the photos or physically go down and look at it yourself – it is deadly dangerous.”
He welcomed the commitment from the director of services to develop this in the next few weeks, stressing the urgency of the matter.
The motion was then agreed.
