Tipperary Co. Council stops street sweeping in Carrick-on-Suir on Saturdays to save money

Tipperary Co. Council has stopped street sweeping in Carrick-on-Suir town centre on Saturdays since the New Year in a bid to save money. 

The Council's cost cutting measure was criticised by Carrick-on-Suir's two county councillors at Carrrick-on-Suir Municipal District's latest monthly meeting. 

 FF Cllr Kieran Bourke said he understood the economic pressures the Council was under but he was disappointed  about the cancellation of street cleaning on Saturdays.  

He asked Council management to release details on what savings the cutback would deliver and called for the decision to be reversed if it was found that the streets need to be cleaned on Saturdays. 

SF Cllr David Dunne said he was not happy at all with the reduced street cleaning service. He predicted the savings would be a "pittance". 

Carrick Municipal District Engineer Willie Corby told The Nationalist the Council was trying to see if it can manage with street sweeping in Carrick-on-Suir only on Sundays between 8am and 11am to save money. 

He said  it was extra costly to carry out street sweeping at the weekends as the Council had to pay staff overtime. Other cost pressure  include  increased fuel costs and hiring skips for street waste, which  were expensive.  Mr Corby said he was operating under a very tight budget for street cleaning at the moment but he plans  to lobby for the budget to be increased.