Urgent call for work on footpaths after falls reported in Donegal towns

Councillors want urgent work to be carried out as soon as possible on footpaths in Ballybofey and Stranorlar due to the high number of falls being suffered by pedestrians.

Every footpath in the two towns is a hazard to pedestrians and an urgent audit is needed, local councillor Patrick McGowan has said.

Speaking at the October meeting of the Lifford-Stranorlar Municipal District, he said a local wheelchair user has carried out an audit which raised concerns about the state of the footpaths.

“It is hard to find a footpath that does not have a trip hazard,” he said.

An audit on “every inch of the footpaths” in the two towns is needed “and we need to highlight where the hazards are,” he said.

Cllr Martin Harley backed the calls for an audit saying a woman suffered a fall in recent weeks which caused her two broken wrists.

“This is hopefully a busy shopping period in the year and something needs to be done urgently because otherwise there will be insurance claims coming in and they will cost more,” he said.

Area roads engineer Claire McGeever said an audit was last carried out in 2008 and funding would be needed for another survey.