Councillors offer to foot bill for Letterkenny wall copings

Two Councillors in Letterkenny offered to fit a €100 bill for the replacement of wall copings at the Circular Road.

Councillors Gerry McMonagle hit out after being told at the June meeting of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District that there was no funding available to carry out the works.

The Sinn Féin representative had proposed that the Council work with residents associations and Tidy Towns committee to replace the copings on the wall at Circular Road next to Oatfield Terrace and Muckish Avenue.

“There is currently no funding available to carry out these works.” a response from the Council said. “Following a recent assessment of this issue it was established that repairs to the walls referred to would qualify for funding under the Members Infrastructure fund.”

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Councillor McMonagle said there were still 'legacy issues' to be addressed regarding grass cutting, maintenance and upkeep of estates from the former days of the Letterkenny Town Council.

“If this was Town Council, it wouldn't even have necessitated a motion,” Councillor McMonagle said.

“If we pull out of the partnerships with the residents' associations, who have served us well, what happens? I would ask the Council to reconsider. We need to get back to working in partnership with residents' groups. They look after these developments when we don't.”

Councillor McMonagle said he would use €100 out of his own funding allocation to ensure the works are completed.

Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh, who seconded the motion, told the meeting that the Letterkenny Tidy Towns committee had raised the issue with him previously and he was advised that the wall in question was in private ownership.

Outgoing Mayor Donal 'Mandy' Kelly said: “They're not asking for much, a couple of copings. Without these residents' groups, where would we be? If they stopped doing what they're doing, we'd need some funding. It's very minimal what they're asking for.”

Councillor Kavanagh said he would go 'fifty-fifty' with Councillor McMonagle, but Donegal County Council Area Manager Seamus Canning said the local authority would 'review' the situation.