Latest news with #Youghal-based
Irish Examiner
13-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Council refuses to install dog fouling bins in East Cork town
Council officials have flatly refused to put designated dog fouling bins in the biggest town in East Cork, despite an abundance in smaller towns in the region. There are 75 litter bins and 15 dog fouling receptacles in Cobh, while there are 46 and 10 respectively in Youghal. However, there are just 23 litter bins and no dog fouling bins in Midleton and council officials are refusing to introduce the latter unless some voluntary organisations like Tidy Towns offer to clean them out. The decision has been described as totally unacceptable by independent councillor John Buckley, who's also a noted volunteer with the local Tidy Towns. Mr Buckley said Midleton is being blighted by dog fouling, especially on popular walkways in Broomfield and on the Northern Relief Road. Mr Buckley said: 'People are dumping dog poo in these areas and it's attracting vermin. We have just 23 litter bins of which most are in the town centre and we don't have any dog poo ones. Midleton has the biggest population in the East Cork region, which is growing all the time. It makes no sense at all. He said he couldn't accept the council offer to put in two dog fouling receptacles only if volunteers came forward to clean them, as council workers provide that service in the other two towns. Labour councillor Cathal Rasmussen, who lives in Cobh, said he couldn't understand the council's stance in Midleton. 'We've even put in an extra couple of these bins in Cobh this year,' he said. Mr Rasmussen pointed out that when his municipal district was in charge of the very popular 'People's Park' at Haulbowline, council officials somewhat unexpectedly refused to put dog fouling bins in there. He said that a huge number of dog walkers visit the park and the lack of such bins is leading to pet owners dumping filled bags into shrubbery and also into the harbour. Youghal-based independent councillor Mary Linehan Foley said that while they have these bins in her town and provide free poo bags to locals, they still have issues. 'People are still flinging the bags onto bushes and trees. I mean what kind of person actually does that? Sometimes you can provide all the bins in the world, and they don't work,' she said. Midleton-based Fine Gael councillor Rory Cocking said that the problem in his town emanates from people walking their dogs for long distances and 'get sick and tired of holding the bag for so long they just fling it away' as they don't have the designated bins in which to dispose of them. Fianna Fáil councillor Ann Marie Ahern suggested that the council put up warning signs about fines for culprits at the areas in Midleton which are being blighted by dog fouling. Council officials said they will consider doing this but remain adamant that their policy as regards to putting in such bins is that people should carry their pet's droppings home and dispose of them in their own bins.
Irish Examiner
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Courts Service goes ahead with plans to move Munster district court sittings
The Courts Service has said it is pushing ahead with plans to move district court sittings from three areas in Munster despite local opposition. The Courts Service is moving ahead with the transfer of sittings from Youghal in Co Cork to Dungarvan, Co Waterford, meaning a 60km round tip for gardaí and court attendees. It also plans to move sittings from Cashel and Carrick-on-Suir to Clonmel. A spokesman for the Courts Service has confirmed that the district judge assigned to the areas wrote to the Head of Circuit & District Court Operations in March indicating that he is transferring the sittings. The transfer comes into effect from November 1. 'Additionally, with effect from June 1 there will be an extra sitting in District 21 on the second Friday of each month where cases from Youghal will be heard in Dungarvan," a spokesperson said. "It's planned that this additional sitting will be for Child and Family Agency matters. Details of these changes among be found on the Courts Service website,' the spokesman said. He added that the Courts Service has now commenced engaging with the various stakeholders such as legal practitioners, gardaí, State solicitors, the Probation Service, the Irish Prison Service, local family law user representative groups, unions representing court staff, and others, to explore any possible impacts and unintended consequences of the proposed transfers. The spokesman added: Upon completion of this work the Courts Service will report on its findings to the relevant District Judge and make operational plans accordingly The spokesman added that it 'has no record of having received communications about this matter from Cork County Council". That came as a surprise to Youghal-based Independent councillor Mary Linehan-Foley who won unanimous support at a council meeting three weeks ago to write to the Courts Service and department of justice urging it to keep court sittings where they are. She and other colleagues, including Fianna Fáil councillor Ann Marie Ahern, said the closure of Youghal courthouse would be a retrograde step. They said it would lead to a reduced garda presence in Youghal because they would be out of the town far longer while attending cases in Dungarvan. In addition, the move would put an extra financial burden on witnesses, especially if they had to pay for bus journeys between the two towns. Independent councillor Ger Curley, who lives in Cobh, claimed that since court sittings transferred from Cobh to Midleton there has been a lower presence of gardaí in the harbour town. Read More Overcrowding will cause 'tragedy', prison officers warn
