Community worker funding
EFFORTS are ongoing to secure more funding for a community worker in Ballytivnan after the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) pulled the plug on such projects.
Sinn Féin Cllr Chris MacManus had asked the council if they found any funding to continue to resource the community worker with Ballytivnan Community Partnership.
He was told that IFI will only fund current projects that have a “strong Cross Border/Cross Community emphasis” from 2020 on. However the council is lobbying other financial sources to support both Ballytivnan and Caltragh com- munities and are in talks with Sligo Leader Partnership to “explore options.”
“If the IFI are no longer going to be financing it, it’s disappointing.
“Probably an outcome of Brexit. I’m glad to hear that we are engaging with different stakeholders, people who are well aware of the importance of this,” said Cllr MacManus.
The community worker’s position was due to end on the 19 th April, but the holder of the post has secured another position in the Northside Centre and will now be resigning on the 22nd February. STORM water filters are to be trialled by the council in a bid to reduce the amount of plastic entering the Atlantic Ocean off Sligo. The news was heard after Fine Gael Councillor Sinead Maguire urged the council to consider installing ‘ Take 3 for the Sea’ signs on our beaches. This encourages beach goers to remove three items of plastic from the beach.
“This is a simple measure to create awareness and get people to realise the dangers of plastic going back into the ocean and affecting wildlife,” she said. AAA Cllr Gino O’Boyle supported the motion and said a recent clean-up of Rosses Point beach saw 140kgs of rubbish removed, while at Mullaghmore, a clean-up organised by Shane McCrann removed 44 tyres and 190 kgs of rubbish. Cllr Michael Clarke said beach goers should follow the slogan ‘Only leave your footprints on this beach’. Director of Services Tom Kilfeather said the Environment Section would consider the ‘ Take 3 for the Sea’ campaign but said the most effective way to deal with plastic pollution was to continue to promote the Clean Coasts Ireland campaign. He also said the council were planning to carry out trials of installing filters at storm water discharge points to reduce the amount of plastic pollution entering the ocean.