Calls to 'pause' bucket collections in Limerick village to ease traffic delays
The €150m Adare Bypass, which will open next Easter, will see tens of thousands of vehicles being removed from the village, one of Limerick’s worst traffic bottlenecks
GARDAI are being urged to pause the issuing of new permits for ‘bucket collections’ in Adare pending the opening of the Adare Bypass next Easter.
Cllr Bridie Collins, who lives in the village, made the suggestion in a formal motion which came before elected members of the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District at their September meeting.
“We shouldn't be allowing unnecessary blockages,” said Cllr Collins as she proposed the motion.
She claimed charity collections in Adare are causing significant traffic delays and that representatives of a number of bus companies have contacted her complaining.
She told the meeting that one company claimed passengers had missed their flights from Dublin Airport due to traffic congestion, partly caused by a bucket collection in Adare.
“I am not here to belittle or put down fundraising, but bucket collections in Adare are causing huge tailbacks,” she said.
“I am proposing we write to the gardaí and request a pause on issuing permits for bucket collections in the village, pending the opening of the Adare Bypass.”
The €150m road, which will open next April, will see tens of thousands of vehicles being removed from Adare village, one of Limerick’s worst traffic bottlenecks.
Significant works are taking place in Adare ahead of the Ryder Cup and Cllr Collins says the presence of charity collectors is adding to the delays being caused by the works.
“The bridge has already caused a lot of issues and these collections on Fridays are contributing to it. This huge public realm plan needs to take priority.”
This huge public realm plan needs to take priority
Cathaoirleach Adam Teskey said he could not support the motion as there are “far bigger issues” than bucket collections causing traffic delays in Adare.
“Blaming charity collections for traffic when we are tearing up the streets just as everyone is back to school, I can’t support it. The Limerick council are already the demons of the situation.”
Cllr Stephen Keary, who also expressed concern about the motion, described bucket collections as “the lifeblood” of many local community groups.
During a discussion on her motion, Cllr Collins said a number of bucket collectors were acting illegally by standing on traffic islands in the middle of the road. “There’s evidence to say that people don’t put money in because they are so annoyed.”
The motion went unsupported with Cllr Teskey stating: “Gardaí issue the permits, they are over it.”