Community Wardens Must Be Preserved- O'Leary

Community Wardens Must Be Preserved-O'Leary

Sinn Fein’s general election candidate for Cork South Central, councillor Chris O’Leary, has welcomed the City Manager’s commitment to maintain the community warden service in the city, despite a 50% cut in funding from the Department of the Environment.

Cllr O’Leary said:

“Community wardens provide a vital service which we cannot afford to lose. This is particularly so as Cork was recently named as the dirtiest city in the country in the Irish Business Against Litter Survey.

“In response to a question from myself last night, the City Manager confirmed that funding from the Department of the Environment for the Community Warden scheme had been reduced by 50%. However he also gave a commitment to try to find alternative money within the council’s budget to maintain the service.”

“It is important that this commitment is fulfilled. Since the closure of local housing offices in areas like Togher, Community Wardens have become important contact points for the community in addition to their primary function of preventing illegal dumping and litter. The 50% cut to funding for the programme is one more example of how government policies are hitting ordinary people.”

For further information or comment contact Cllr Chris O’Leary @ 087-2794307