Donegal County Council is being urged to install a barrier to prevent cars from accessing the ferry slipway in Rathmullan.
The call was made by Cllr Pauric McGarvey this week in a bid following concerns about the risk of accidents on the open slipway.
Cllr McGarvey said that the dangers of open slipways cannot be overlooked, following the tragic accident in Buncrana in March 2016 in which five people lost their lives.
Speaking about the Rathmullan slipway at Tuesday’s meeting of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District,, Cllr McGarvey said: “When it’s open, people have a habit of driving down there to turn, or have a coffee, chat, or eat a takeaway. Drivers don’t know the condition the slipway is in, it could be covered in scum or black ice or any build-up from the sea.”
Cllr McGarvey said that he had positive discussions with the marine department about the issue, and that engineers will carry out a survey and review the slipway.
Cllr McGarvey said there may be a complication of who will control the gate during the summer season when the Lough Swilly car ferry is in operation, but thanked the marine department for their commitment to looking at the motion.
“This cannot be overlooked as an accident can be prevented here,” Cllr McGarvey said.
Cllr Liam Blaney, who seconded the motion, suggested that a permanent gate should be in place from September to May when the Swilly Ferry is not operating, and in summer, the gate could be closed after the last ferry leaves.
