‘DESIGN OUT’ ALLEYWAYS
ALLEYWAYS and open spaces in Muirhevnamór should be ‘designed out’, it has been suggested.
Cllr Kevin Meenan said dumping and ‘nuisance’ fires in these areas are making life intolerable for residents of the estate.
He spoke of three particular incidents which required ‘massive clean-ups’ at a cost of €30,000 each time.
The Sinn Féin representative added the fire service is continually being called out because of fires being set in the alleyways.
‘Even people who own their own houses want to move out. It’s an intolerable situation. Something should have been done before.’
Cllr Meenan said designing out the alleyways and open spaces would save a fortune.
He said those responsible for lighting nuisance fires and dumping rubbish should be caught and fined.
‘We should at least make it harder for them, and give the other people a better quality of life.’
Director of services Paddy Donnelly replied the local authority is trying to address the design faults of the past; and that it is unfair to say that they are not doing anything.
He spoke of an in-fill which had taken place in Cox’s Demesne and a proposal for similar work in Rathmullen in Drogheda.
‘We are dealing with them within the expenditure capacity we have.’
Mr Donnelly also responded to a claim by Cllr Meenan that repairs on council houses are ‘abysmal’. The councillor had cited an example of ‘ heat going straight out the windows’.
The director of services said there are challenges in this area.
‘ The budget is in line with last year. We don’t have the proactive schedule (of repair work) that we would like to have because the budget is not there.’
The meeting heard that 180 out of 254 maintenance requests have been carried out.
In answer to Cllr Seán Kelly, Mr Donnelly explained the 180 were completed within the budget available and the capacity of the outdoor teams.
Some of the repairs requested were of such minor nature they were not deemed urgent.
He added the maintenance crews are not fully back until Phase 4 of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Teams did work during the lockdown.
The director of services reiterated that maintenance is not provided for tenants who are in rent arrears.