Lack of bin facilities at Mayo beaches

MAYO County Council has run into difficulties in sourcing bins for beaches.

The problem was revealed in response to criticism from councillors about the lack of facilities at beaches from Achill to Louisburgh.

Achill-based Councillor Paul McNamara branded what happened on the island at the weekend as 'a disgrace' to the council when crowds flocked there, yet there was 'only one bin in the parish'.

He personally visited the island's five Blue Flag beaches over the weekend. At Keel, at 8.30 p.m. on Friday, the bin was overflowing. He counted 55 campervans and 30 tents, all of which he welcomed.

The following night at Keem, 37 tents were pitched, camping, with no bin facility available there.

If it carried on for the next 10 or 12 weeks there would be some tale to be told if the council don't put an action plan in place quickly with the numbers visiting the area, he said.

Additional funding was made available for toilet and refuse facilities, but an issue has arisen with bin supply, which is taking up to four months, he was told. Efforts are being made to source them elsewhere.

But Councillor McNamara was not satisfied with the response, claiming it was 'a load of codswallop'.

The bins at the beaches were concrete pipes with bin bags inside, which are then collected. If they were waiting four months for a concrete pipe they had a serious problem.

The extreme difficulty in sourcing bins was reiterated by the director of services, Catherine McConnell, who said she didn't think any member wanted to see concrete pipes turned on their sides with bags in them.

They were also now dealing with a different type of waste other than your crisp wrappers, with campervans and wild camping.

A special meeting was suggested to discuss management of all the county's beaches in what Councillor Peter Flynn described as 'probably the most critical domestic season in our history'.