Emergency services cannot access certain Kildare estates – Cllr
Cllr Tim Durkan (FG) raised the issue at a recent Clane-Maynooth Municipal District meeting
Kildare County Council is to review “problematic locations” in Maynooth housing estates where there are access issues for emergency services.
The move follows a motion tabled by Cllr Tim Durkan (FG) at a recent Clane-Maynooth Municipal District meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Durkan said that while he did not wish to name the particular housing estates concerned, he was at an AGM recently where gardai attended.
During this meeting, he said, it was heard that an ambulance failed to make its way through a Maynooth housing estate to collect someone who became ill, due to the parking of cars and abandoned cars in that estate.
Cllr Durkan said he spoke to gardai at length about the issue at the meeting, which was attended by “30 to 40 people.”
The next day, he said, he travelled through several housing estates in Maynooth where there were “continuous complaints” from residents – not just regarding cars parked in the estates, but also abandoned cars within the estates.
Cllr Durkan said that his concern was that while the fire service would have specialised equipment to remove cars blocking its path, the ambulance service “certainly would not.”
He said he counted a total of 35 cars parked in one Maynooth estate, including several which had deflated tyres, broken windrows, broken windshield wipers, or which were otherwise unroadworthy and hence should not be parked there.
He said he accepted the council's report and that they were “trying to do everything they can”.
Cllr Durkan said he would “love” if the council looked at imposing 90-day notices on abandoned cars.
When Cllr Durkan followed up on several abandoned cars, he said, “nine time out of 10 times the owner of the car comes from the next estate”, and are parking at the location due to getting “flak” from their own neighbours.
A report issued by the council stated: “The Municipal District Engineer will review any problematic locations with Councillor Durkan on site with a view of rectifying issues identified.”