Sinn Féin Senator Pádraig MacLochlainn has today urged Donegal County Council to shut down the derelict Lisfannon traveller site.
Speaking to Donegal Daily, Senator MacLochlainn has said that “nobody wants it” and it is an “eyesore”.
He said that a safer area must be found if required for the travelling community, as currently the Lisfannon site is uninhabitable.
Lisfannon site was set up as an emergency transient site fifteen years ago following a High Court ruling. It was only intended to be in place for a temporary basis.
Senator Pádraig MacLochlainn
It has been closed for over a year now, and MacLochlainn is pushing for it to be scrapped completely.
He believes that it should be given to the golf club so as they can develop it into a carpark.
He also said that it is an unsafe site for families due to its location; “it is a dangerous location alongside one of the busiest roads in Donegal.”
Councillor Paul Canning has asserted that they are following protocols and procedures and that a site for the travelling community is not required in the Inishowen area.
However, Pádraig argues that regardless of whether a site for travelling families is required or not, the site at Lisfannon needs to be scrapped. If a new site is required for travellers, there are better sites in the area. He added that urban areas would be best, as it would be a safer setting for children due to the lower speed limits. If a site were to be established, it should be done in partnership with the local community, with mediators in place.
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