Park at Ballinasloe Harbour in a 'terrible state'
Boating visitors to Ballinasloe are greeted by a park which has become overgrown while the picnic benches that are located there are the worse for wear.
And while it has been conceded that the grass on the green areas are being cut, it is claimed that the overall maintenance is extremely poor.
The park in question is Sli na hAbhainn which is located adjacent to Ballinasloe Harbour where a lot of boats on the Shannon pull in for either an overnight stay or to explore the locality.
But Cllr Aidan Donohue has highlighted the fact that there are overgrown weeds on the tarmac walkways while the benches are in a terrible state.
He raised the matter at a meeting of Ballinasloe Municipal Council where he asked officials to provide funding for the upkeep of the park.
Then what annoyed the Fine Gael councillor more was when he was told that the Council horticulturist has now been replaced by “a general operative” to do the same work.
“It just seems as if the Council is scaling back on all of the services it provides and that those in senior positions are not being replaced.
“It is a situation that has to be addressed as it seems to be happening at all levels in the Council. The bottom line is that we want Ballinasloe to look well for boating tourists,” Cllr Donohue added.
The Fine Gael councillor was referring to the fact that the pathways along Sli na hAbhainn have become overgrown with weeds in recent months.
The benches, which are regularly occupied by those drinking outdoor, have also fallen into a state of disrepair and are in need of painting and maintaining.
It is suggested that members of a state-funded scheme like a Community Employment Scheme could be utilised to maintain the park on an occasional basis.
Cllr Donohue said that he was not happy to be continually told by Galway County Council that funding was an issue when there were alternatives available.
He said that there were works being carried out in Ballinasloe to provide additional water and sewerage services as well as a town centre enhancement project.
“The park is the first thing that those visiting Ballinasloe by boat will see and the least we can do is make it look presentable but at the moment this is certainly not the case.
“It wouldn’t take a lot of work to tidy the place up but officials just keep saying that they do not have a maintenance budget which is not acceptable – and particularly as we are trying to attract tourists.
“When people get off their boats, the first thing they see are pathways with weeds and five park benches which are in desperate need of maintenance. They are in a terrible state.
“A couple of lads in a state-funded scheme would have the place cleaned up and made look presentable in two or three days,” Cllr Donohue added.
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