Calls for a recycling amenity site for Gort have received the support of the Galway County Council.
The motion was proposed by Independent councillor Geraldine Donohue at the local authority’s monthly meeting at GMIT on Monday.
After the meeting Cllr Donohue said she was delighted that her motion passed.
She said; “I attended the June plenary meeting of Galway County Council and I proposed a motion ‘as per the waste management objective of the county development plan 2015-2021 that a recycling centre be provided for Gort Town area / south Galway area of the county’. My motion was seconded by Independent councillor Pat Hynes and was passed unanimously by the members which I am delighted with.
“I spoke in the chamber about this lack of services and that the people of Gort deserve this service. I am committed to this project, however, it is frustrating to see that 2021 is only six months away and what was an objective in the 2015-2021 County Development Plan is still not achieved.
“Rest assured I will continue with this very important service and it is truly soul destroying the dumping that is going on throughout our county, when almost 70 per cent of what is being dumped is recyclable.”
The news was welcomed by Galway East TD Ciaran Cannon who said a site would play a significant role in helping to tackle illegal dumping.
He said; “I’m delighted with the news that a motion has been approved by the county council to provide and maintain a recycling centre for Gort and the south Galway region, an initiative which my colleague Cllr Joe Byrne has consistently spoken in favour of.
“Gort has, unfortunately, been the focus of illegal dumping by a few individuals in recent years and this new amenity site will play a significant role in helping to tackle that problem, thus further enhancing local communities and diminishing an issue that has a very negative impact on our tourism sector.
“It will also be a welcome expansion of services for local residents and save them the time and expense of travelling a distance to properly recycle various items of household waste.
“Furthermore, it will lead to a reduction in costs on Galway County Council for clean-up operations while providing another support for the efforts undertaken by local Tidy Towns groups.”
