'Nothing as bad as a fall over a brick' trip hazard fear for Laois elderly
Paths need repair in Portlaoise retirement village
A footpath in a retirement complex in Portlaoise could cause falls for elderly residents, a local councillor says.
However Laois County Council is saying the job is not theirs to do.
Cllr Willie Aird has requested Laois County Council to carry out repairs at the apartment block in the retirement village in Kilminchy.
He described the problem, while tabling a motion on it to the October meeting of the Portlaoise Municipal District.
"There are bricks rising. This little area is lovely and councillors were trying to get people in there.
"There is nothing as bad as a fall over a brick. You had problems in Main Street until you took them up," he said.
The council says it is not their responsibility.
"Please note that this apartment complex at the Green, Kilminchy is a private development and not in the charge of Laois County Council," engineers Paul McLoughlin and Wes Wilkinson stated in their reply.
Cllr Aird said it should be done anyway.
"It's not a private development, it's a long term lease. There are people in there from the council's waiting lists. Some have mobility issues. It's not right. When we're putting people in, the least we should do is ensure they are looked after.
"It's an awful thing that if we go in we'll be held responsibile. There is no lighting there whatsoever. Can we not just fix them in the interim until we get it taken in charge? It's not fair to them," he said.
There was no further reply made to his request at the meeting.