CONTROVERSIAL proposals to spend more money on a halting site in Rhebogue have been stopped by city councillor’s who are instead pushing to have it closed.
The site has been at the centre of claims that members the nearby St Patrick’s GAA club are being harassed and intimidated by person associated with the site.
At a meeting to ratify the council’s Traveller Accommodation Programme in City Hall, councillors were told that the local authority is obliged to endorse such a programme and if councillors don’t vote for it, the manager can then implement it anyway. But amendments to the plan could be made, elected members were told.
One item on the Programme suggested spending almost half a million Euro to upgrade the Rhebogue site but Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon (FF) said he would stop that happening “if it’s the last thing I do as a member of this council”.
Cllr O’Hanlon said that St Patrick’s GAA club “is one of the oldest sporting organisations in this city. If we go ahead with this plan, we will bury them. They’re struggling – people are afraid to go to the club – they are being intimidated,” Cllr O’Hanlon said.
The members will now vote on an amendment to the plan that states Rhebogue will close.
For full report, see the next edition of the LImerick Post.
