6th September, 2001
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

CITY MANAGER CAUSING CRISIS ...

Dear Editor,
Re: Statement from KRDAG, your issue dated August 2nd, headed City Manager Deliberately Causing Crisis
It is surely no coincidence that the long delayed report from Mr. Gavin, the Cork City manager, appeared just as further extensive powers were awarded to city and county managers under new Local Government legislation. This legislation enables these public Servants' to over-ride the wishes not only of the public whom they are paid to serve, but all others in local government, including elected councillors and the managers' own professionally qualified staff.
With regard to the WRF issue, the present action by city' management is little other than a form of blackmail whereby our councillors are being threatened with having to accept responsibility for costs occurred to date and possible future action for breach of contract by the contractors, who had already been put in place. I suggest that this is in fact, not only a cover-up for bad decisions made in the past, but even worse an attempted copper-fastening for the indefinite future of a disgraceful system through which waste will continue to arrive at the centre of a densely populated area in the city.
Is the '20 / 20 VISION' slogan so boldly painted on all refuse lorries the City Manager's macabre little joke? 20 / 20 hindsight indicates that present and future generations will ask, 'How could the authorities possibly have sanctioned this operation in our city, so blessed with natural advantages in 2001?'
The signboards proclaiming the WRF have been in place: at the site all the while this so-called 'debate' has been continuing. The boards also state 'Partly co-funded by the European Commission'. Are the City Fathers proud of their record in utilising these funds, so short a
distance from the City Hall, or will this site elicit further censure from Europe in time to come?
In any sphere of human activity, mistakes will be made. Efforts to overcome these include learning from them, confronting the situation as it is, cutting losses and abandoning the bad factor, to take a new and better direction.
Our new City Manager should now be courageous and wise enough to seize this opportunity, and cease forthwith to perpetuate an iniquitous system in an area inhabited by thousands of people. These people have for nearly 40 years more than played their part in accepting waste practically on their doorsteps, and in an area I may add which was a unique natural wildlife habitat for which many other countries would give their eye teeth. One of our European partners, Holland, for example, makes a considerable financial contribution to saving the disappearing Irish bogs.
I am sure that none of these residents is against recycling per se, but this city area has already contributed more than its share to the disposal of both county and city waste, Are the Manager / Councillors and people now to become slaves to the might of contractors? Surely it would make logical sense to place the WRF as near as possible to the proposed landfill, under the City/County' partnership 'working together'?
I commend and thank Mrs. O'Brien, the KRDAG; and our Councillors for their efforts on behalf of us all and wish them success.
R.M.Walker

WATER OUTAGE, DONNYBROOK ...

Michael,
Many residents of Donnybrook woke up last Monday morning to find that they had no water supply. The Council was carrying out essential work, which meant the supply had to be cut off from 0900 - 2100hrs.
Everybody accepts that from time to time it is necessary to cut off utilities such as water, electricity, gas and telephone temporarily in order to carry out essential work. The least people are entitled to, is adequate notice of such outages.
To their credit the ESB and Eircom are very good when it comes to such matters. A recent power cut by the ESB, for example, was notified to each household well in advance by leaflet.
However, the Council did not see fit to give such notice. Instead they simply placed an advertisement in the Examiner and played an announcement on 96FM. They were assuming that this would reach everybody. Of course, it did not.
They should, perhaps, have put the notice in the Douglas weekly!
Seriously though, the least householders should get is a leaflet through the door.
Regards, Mick D

ROADS ...

Dear Editor,

Last night Friday August 24th, I travelled on the main Rochestown to Monkstown Road and I can only compare the condition of that road to war-torn Beirut.
It is extremely bad on the Cork side of Passage West, in Passage West itself and beyond the Garda Station. I can only imagine what it must be like in wet weather when the rain fills in the potholes for unsuspecting motorists and cyclists alike.
I've seen bad roads in my day but this road, without doubt is the worst I've ever encountered. Have our "beloved" County Council forgotten about road maintenance in this area. What do we pay our car tax for?
Public Representatives sit up and take notice, this is no longer acceptable or perhaps it is obvious that those who say that they represent the citizens of Passage west really have no clout at all.

Thank you!
(Name and address with Editor)

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