Community groups need better access to County Council

NEW ways for community groups to engage with the local authority were considered at a meeting of the West Cork Municipal District.

A discussion on the subject followed comments made by Cllr Deirdre Kelly (FF) who welcomed an update on the plans to develop new toilets at Ballineen.

Cllr Kelly noted that the consultant’s archaeological assessment has been finalised and that the Council is now required to make a few adjustments to the design, but otherwise she said the plan is good to go.

‘This progress is welcome because the situation has been allowed to drag on for far too long,’ she said. ‘Residents need and deserve this most basic facility in their community.’

It was Cllr Noel O’Donovan who made the case for better interaction between the local authority and community groups.

‘Our area offices are at the coalface in dealing with the public and community groups so we need to formalise that a bit more,’ he suggested.

Cllr O’Donovan pointed out that the monthly meetings of the West Cork Municipal District travel around West Cork and he suggested they be opened up to meet more deputations.

‘The more engagement that we can have with voluntary and community groups the better,’ he added.

The councillor recommended that they should put in place a formal method, or structure, for the purpose of listening to these groups.

Senior executive officer, Noreen O’Mahony, told the municipal district members that there are an estimated 250 community groups in their area.

She said the Council is always happy to engage with local groups but she said it would require a bit of balance.

Meanwhile, senior executive engineer, Ruth O’Brien, noted that all of the community groups in Bantry town are represented by Bantry Project Group and that Durrus and Schull are looking to set up a similar system.

‘They have found that they were all applying for the same funding and taking away from each other,’ she said.

According to Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire) the Bantry Project Group demonstrated how the community can come together to support the grant applications. And he said it has worked very well since it was established in 2018.

‘It has been one of the best things set up in Bantry because we are all pulling in the same direction,’ according to Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy (FF).

‘It includes Tidy Towns, disability organisations and sporting groups, and it is inclusive of everyone. It is town-specific. And it co-ordinates all our efforts and ideas and eliminates double-jobbing,’ said Cllr Murphy.