Limerick: Pallaskenry/Kildimo
Residents defy jail threat

---

Orla Drohan

The community of Pallaskenry/ Kildimo in west Limerick, which is fighting to retain its supply of pure spring water from the local Bleach Lough, is currently in negotiations with Limerick County Council.

The residents’ campaigning action against Limerick County Council’s attempts to force polluted water from the River Deel into their pipe network, has pressured the Council to talk to the community – something it had initially refused to do.

Pallaskenry/ Kildimo residents are adamant that they will not accept heavily chemically treated water from the River Deel, which is often polluted, including from sewage overspills from Limerick County Council facilities. They are instead insisting on their right to retain clean water from a local source.

Limerick Country Council took out injunctions against the peaceful protest of residents who blocked contractors digging a trench for the pipeline. Elderly residents and mothers of young children alike were injuncted and threatened with imprisonment if they continued the protest. The Council also has questions to answer about why Cro-bar Construction Ltd., the company contracted to force through the disputed pipeline, is not compliant with the legally binding construction industry Registered Employment Agreement pension assurance and sick pay.

Despite this intimidation by the council, local residents maintained that they would not give up their campaign and would be prepared to go to jail if necessary, rather than have a polluted water supply foisted on them. Realising that the community could not be bullied into submission, Limerick County Council have had to sit down with residents and discuss the issues. The threat of jailings has been temporarily lifted while discussions between the council and the community of Pallaskenry/ Kildimo are ongoing.

This campaign of the residents of Pallaskenry/ Kildimo raises issues of significance to local communities right around the country. Clean water is a basic democratic right. The stand taken by the people of Pallaskenry/ Kildimo in defence of their rights deserves support from communities everywhere.

Cork
€105,000 for Lord Mayor!

---

The Socialist

Socialist Party councillor Mick Barry walked out of Cork City Council's annual meeting recently when his demand for a debate on the salary being paid to Cork's Lord Mayor was refused.

Headlines in the next day’s newspapers told the story of new Labour Lord Mayor Michael Ahern and his wage of over €100,000. Cork's Lord Mayor has an allowance of €105,500 for one year. This compares to €68,000 for the Lord Mayor of Dublin, €60,849 for the Lord Mayor of Limerick and €43,800 for the Lord Mayor of Galway.

Just under €90,000 of this allowance is a de facto salary while the Lord Mayor of Cork continues to draw the Councillors’ representational payment of €16,000. This sum is totally separate to the Lord Mayor’s entertainment and associated expenses budget of €117,500 out of which the salary for his driver is paid.

So confident were the Labour Party in defending their position that the new Lord Mayor hung up on a prime time radio interview when Mick Barry phoned in to debate the issue with him.

When Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte came to town he criticised Mick Barry for "negative comments" and went on to insult 1,390 Northsiders by describing him as "a man elected for making negative statements".

Seventy-seven percent of texters to Red FM's text poll on the issue said that the wage was far too high.