Councillor slams railway operator's response to 'dangerous falling debris' in Kilkenny

A local councillor has slammed the national railway operator for having a 'lack of regard' for the residents of Lacken Drive at a recent meeting of Kilkenny Municipal District.

Cllr Andrew McGuinness told elected members that Irish Rail 'has turned its back on health and safety and left residents disappointed and concerned over their lack of communication'.

The city councillor stated that falling debris from the railway line onto a public slipway in the area has been an ongoing issue for a number of years.

He told The Kilkenny People that he has since sought intervention from Minister Jack Chambers who is Minister of State, attending Cabinet, in the Department of Transport.

"Along with the residents of Lacken Drive and Deputy John McGuinness, I have engaged with Irish Rail in a bid to get the issue of dangerous debris falling from a height onto the public steps at Lacken Drive resolved," he said.

“At first communication was reasonable and Irish Rail agreed to erect temporary fencing to prevent debris hitting a passing pedestrian. They were to make the area safe and remove the fencing once that was done. However, the fencing was simply left there for so long that it had fallen down in sections and became a danger to pedestrians also. A small amount of work was done to clear debris, but no safety measures put in place despite the constant requests from myself and residents.

“At this stage I called on Kilkenny County Council to intervene. They removed the fencing that Irish Rail failed to make safe, and our engineers began to contact Irish Rail for a solution. This still has not happened and it's going on years which is totally unacceptable from a health and safety point of view.

“The residents of Lacken Drive do fantastic work maintaining their area and this treatment is just unfair. There is a lack of consultation from Irish Rail when they do any work that affects those residents and when they really need something done it takes years. Its only a matter of time before someone gets hurt from falling rocks and bolts from the railway line.

“Last Thursday I brought Minister Jack Chambers to see the steps for himself and meet with residents of Lacken Drive. I have requested that he would intervene in order to put pressure on Irish Rail to make the steps safe as a matter of urgency. I’m determined to get this issue resolved and will continue to fight the case until it is.

“On a positive note, I have also proposed that Kilkenny County Council would resurface and improve the steps for pedestrians. Engineers are now due to come back to elected members with a costing for this so we can then make a final decision.”

When contacted by The Kilkenny People, a spokesperson for Irish Rail acknowledged the issue, stating that mitigation measures are in place with further mitigation measures planned.

These measures are set to include alterations to the capping stones that run alongside the steps to enhance safety in the area.