Mr Dowling was responding to representations from Deputy Carey in support of the Shannon Tidy Towns committee and their concerns about the maintenance of public grass areas and public space generally in Shannon.
Deputy Carey said there was a need for Clare County Council to engage directly with Shannon Tidy Towns on an on-going basis with a view to agreeing a maintenance programme of public space in the town.
âShannon is a major contributor to Clare County Council in terms of commercial rates yet when it comes to the allocation of resources, such as general operatives on the ground, grass maintenance and up-keep of flower beds etc, the people and organisations in the town feel very much neglected.
âShannon Tidy Towns are more than willing to work with Clare County Council to achieve their objective to make Shannon an attractive place to live, work and do business in. I would be grateful if you could make the necessary arrangements to put plans in place to address the issues raised in Shannon Tidy Townâs correspondence,â Deputy Carey added.
âIn my view the best first step would be to arrange an initial meeting between officials of Clare Council and Shannon Tidy Towns with a view to coming up with a planâ.
Deputy Carey referred to a letter from the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer of the Shannon Tidy Towns Committee who highlighted the amount of work that went in to enhancing the appearance of the town and the lack of support from the local authority.
âShannon Tidy Towns needs a commitment from Clare County Council to properly engage in a programme to bring Shannon Town up to a standard of maintenance that is acceptable,â the letter explained.
âMore attention to grass maintenance, the allocation of resources for plants and flowers, a more visual presence of local authority workers on the ground and more engagement from Clare County Council local management.
âThis issue cannot be ignored or tolerated any longer,â the Tidy Towns officers declared.