Calls for safety signage to be installed at Cork's Atlantic Pond 

LABOUR Local Area Rep Peter Horgan has written to Cork City Council to request temporary safety signage be installed at the Atlantic Pond until the pumping issue is resolved.

A tidal gate, which is supposed to prevent salt water entering the pond, has been broken for more than three weeks and has caused some flooding at the popular city amenity.  

"The walkways are treacherous and covered in algae at the Marina side,” said Mr Horgan.

"It’s very dangerous for anyone walking but especially those with young children or limited mobility who may not realise the walkway is in such a way until too late."

Cork City Council has applied to central government for such emergency funding to carry out repair works on the broken tidal gate and is awaiting the Government’s response.

"I have written to the Council to install temporary warning signs and I will be following up with my colleagues nationally in the Labour Party to seek an update on the emergency funding request that has been submitted to central Government," Mr Horgan said. 

Earlier this week, Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy said he had been speaking to the City Council engineer on site.

"The drainage team present, as well as the contracted marine scuba diving engineer team, have only just found the much corroded and collapsed large iron flap/ gate, which leaves water in and out under the Marina Walk.

"The large broken iron flap/ gate section with its enormous pipe is 1970s in date and it is this pipe the scuba diver went down into safely last Friday morning.

"The pipe connects into the much larger 1840’s engineering section which can be seen through tree and old stone arches in the eastern section of the Atlantic Pond.

"As it is a specialised engineering job, the City Council have estimated that the cost of repair is anywhere between €30,000 and €50,000."