Blocked disabled berth at Greencastle Harbour
Scottish tourists say they won’t be back
Donegal County Council says it remains fully committed to the maintenance and operation of leisure facilities for the disabled at piers and ports across the county, and has appealed to harbour users to respect the needs of the disabled.
The council made the statement after a Scottish couple complained to the Inishowen Independent that access to the wheelchair hoist at Greencastle Harbour was obstructed on each of the three occasions they visited Inishowen this summer.
The couple, W&J Dougherty whose daughter uses a wheelchair, said they had been impressed with the disabled facilities when they visited Greencastle and Culdaff in the summer of 2015.
But on their return this year were dismayed to find that the Culdaff pontoons had been damaged by winter storms and put and beyond use for wheelchair users, and found a vessel moored at the disabled landing berth on each of the three occasions they visited Greencastle.
They said that attempts to contact the harbour authorities on each occasion proved fruitless with no response from the relevant phone number.
“There is little point in the council spending millions of euro on disability infrastructure if it is going to be improperly occupied by thoughtless boat owners who think of no one but themselves,” Mr and Mrs Dougherty complained.
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