Poles on paths no joking matter says Cllr Patrick McGowan

Navigating Donegal's footpaths while pushing a wheelchair or a pram was proving dangerous, it was claimed this week.

The concerns were aired at Monday's meeting of Donegal County Council in Lifford where Cllr Patrick McGowan claimed the council was lagging behind when it came to dealing with obstacles in pedestrian areas in a number of towns.

"It's not a joking matter if you are in a wheelchair or a parent trying to push a pram down the street and come across a big lump of a wooden pole stuck in the middle of a footpath. There are quite a few places where this is happening and it's time this council took disability and access seriously.”

He added so many of their main town suffered from this.

"We need to carry out a survey. I know from talking to other councils and disability groups that we are seriously lagging behind when it comes to disability access all over the county. I get correspondence from people that use wheelchairs asking why the council does not fast-track the process.

"Some towns in the county have made great progress on their footpaths but in towns like Ballybofey-Stranorlar, Killygordon and Castlefin you can see poles in the middle of the footpath."

He urged the council to act immediately saying there was an opportunity for them to draw down money to tackle this as these towns in particular were on the national primary road.

The council's director of roads and transportation, Bryan Cannon gave an undertaking that he would look at the issues at the Roads and Transportation Strategic Policy Committee meetings in either February and April.