Areas of Tullamore 'feel unsafe to walk as a woman' claims councillor

AREAS of Tullamore 'feel unsafe to walk as a woman'. That's according to local Sinn Fein councillor Aoife Masterson who made her comments in a debate on pubic lighting at last Friday's meeting of Tullamore Municipal District.

"I feel we need to assess the quantity and quality of lighting to see if people feel safe," she pointed out.

She said the issue of CCTV needed to be investigated in relation to violence against women, in particular the murder of Ashling Murphy.

Raising the issue, Cllr Tony McCormack said with the longer evenings councillors would be receiving calls about public lighting.

"There are issues out there like at Collins Lane and Arden Vale which I reported a while back," he pointed out.

Director of Services, Tom Shanahan, said there was less than one per cent of public lights, out of a total of almost 4,000, out in Tullamore.

"As of last Monday there were 51 lights out," he told members.

Mr Shanahan conceded this time last year there was a serious issue with lights but the contractor had upped his performance and is now meeting his targets.

Cllr Masterson, speaking as a woman who goes out for regular walks, said there were large parts of Tullamore, including Spollenstown, Charleville Road and the Fingerboard, which felt unsafe at night time.

"They do not feel lit up . . . maybe there are not enough lights or there are the trees."