Munster Express Online

Tramore is a Premier League resort with Isthmian League Resources!

Anyone lulled by the figure of twenty-seven outdoor staff quoted for the Tramore area is in for a rude awakening as far as our entry in the anti litter league is concerned. The figure sought for over fifteen years applied to the exact numbers directly involved on a daily basis in removing litter from the grounds I.e. “the brush and shovel brigade”. In 2002 the part-time workers on Social Employment Scheme gave fabulous back-up. In sharp contrast this year we have only three workers regularly in action picking up litter. It doesn’t matter a jot how many are looking after bins, etc. The number will still be three – except when they are individually drafted away to help on traffic control, dig holes, etc. The road sweeper which is supposed to make up for lack of manpower is wastefully parked beside Civic Offices too many days each month. Just two weeks back a red letter day saw, following a townwide search, nobody picking up litter all day long due to workers holiday entitlements, etc. Some months back we highlighted how two thirds of the brush and shovel brigade were on ‘lollipop’ duty at Main Street all day long, leaving their colleague to fly solo. Summer 2009 will feature the most crucial high season in the resort’s long history as all involved cannot afford a third disaster in a row. We can’t afford one iota of bad publicity which could put off potential long or short stay visitors who will read the results of the first survey in all the national newspapers come June. Glowing rhetoric designed to paper over the ever widening cracks will not remove one scrap of unsightly litter from our thoroughfares so it’s time to face facts and accept the inevitable. The resort hasn’t got the resources to compete meaningfully in the mickey mouse marathon and the anger which greeted over slipshod entry in the 2002 anti litter league is back again with a vengeance with trumpeting calls for a strategic withdrawal until the playing field is level with the provision of enough extra hands to cope with the level of litter generated by a nine thousand plus population plus influx of day trippers. Our starting stall should remain firmly closed when the starter drops his flag!

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