Inishowen councillors demand next fire tender be based in the peninsula

Inishowen councillors have warned Donegal County Council that the next fire tender it orders must be based in their area.

The call came during yesterday's electoral area meeting in Carndonagh. Councillors left officialdom in no doubt how they felt about the matter.

Cllr Martin McDermot said he understood the council had ordered another fire tender

"I want to make it very clear that we here in this peninsula certainly will not allow another fire tender to go to any other part of the county. The last one went to Letterkenny even though the nine councillors here brought it forward. I want it to go back to the director of fire services, the chief fire officer and the chief executive that the tender must come here," he said.

Cllr Jack Murray also supported this call while Cllr Nicholas Crossan said it would be an "absolute disgrace" if the tender did not come to Inishowen.

He also raised concerns about a poor water supply in an area in Buncrana near thousands of acres of wooded land near Ned's Point. There were up to 30 houses in the same area. He said if an accident happened these lives could be lost.

"This has been raised before but I never got any answers. It's a fire hazard waiting to happen," he said.

Cllr Johnny McGuinness said he fully supported the call for the tender.

"It can't go anywhere else this time and I hope to God it's not even discussed as an option.

Cllr Rena Donaghey support call too.

The meeting was told their request would be passed on to the appropriate section within the council and the director of economic development, emergency services and information systems, Garry Martin.