Silt build-up a danger to children and pets
URGENT action is needed by Louth County Council to address the build-up of silt at Annagassan Harbour following a serious incident with a child there on Saturday.
Sinn Féin Councillor Pearse McGeough says he has been calling for something to be done for years, and officials should not be waiting for a tragedy to happen in order to act.
‘I was sickened to hear that a young child, who was walking along the sand at the harbour on Saturday, accidently walked onto the silt and got stuck,’ said the local councillor.
‘ The person who was with the child managed to get them free with much difficulty but not before the child had sunk into the silt almost to their shoulders.’
Cllr McGeough says the silt was so bad in 2012 that four berths at the end of the harbour were reduced to three and that remains the case even today.
‘ This is a health and safety issue, because if we are lucky enough to get a decent summer this year, you are going to have children playing or pets being walked,’ he explains.
‘If they go into the water at all there is a chance they could get stuck and not come out. Louth County Council needs to take what happened on Saturday as a warning and address the build-up of silt as a matter of urgency.’
He has requested that additional signage be erected immediately.
‘ That won’t stop young children or dogs going into the silt accidentally or unknowingly but at least adults will be more aware of the danger until such times as the issue is addressed.’
He added we have all had a warning of what could possibly happen if this silt is not dredged. ‘It is not good enough to say there is no money or no funds,’ said Cllr McGeough.
‘ The Chief Executive was able to come up with €300,000 to cover an ‘administrative error’ over the Drogheda parking shambles.
‘I’m sure if she tried hard enough she could come up with the funds needed to address this silt build up as it’s a worse accident waiting to happen.’