Glass smashing on Cork beach 'a danger to coastal visitors'

Teenagers with ‘no regard for anyone,’ are still smashing glass at beaches in Crosshaven , just weeks after two children were injured after stepping on sharp pieces of glass on the beach.

Local Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley has said it is soul destroying to clean the beaches regularly only to find more broken glass discarded on the rocks and in the sand.

“I don’t know what to do, I don’t know how to get through to them. I don’t know how to deal with it.” 

Mrs Buckley said she saw teenage girls drinking on the beach on Wednesday and locals rang her to say they saw the same group deliberately smashing glass bottles on Churchbay Beach.

“People were shouting at them, asking them to stop and they just laughed.” 

The Fianna Fáil councillor is calling for full-time community policing in the area for the summer months.

“It is needed. Gardaí need to be seen walking around the place.” 

Mrs Buckley said she wanted glass bottles to be included in the deposit refund scheme that sees individuals reimbursed by 10 cent for recycling plastic bottles and aluminium cans.

“I think glass should be included, I think it would be an incentive for groups to recycle the glass instead of leaving it on the beach.” 

Cork County Council has handed over a book of fines to the Gardaí to hand out to anyone, of any age, caught drinking in public.

“The fines are 30 euro and they can be given to anyone, of any age.” 

A previous statement from Gardaí on the issue of anti-social behaviour and public drinking in the Crosshaven area, said: “Community Engagement Gardaí for Cork South have and will continue to commit additional resources to the policing of the lower harbour area of the district, in particular at weekends when there is an increase in members of the public visiting the area.

“This is a commitment that will be met for the remainder of the summer months. These members are comprised of the district community policing team as well as members from the regular unit who are deployed to the area.”

The Gardaí also said they were aware of local concerns and were working to address them.

“This District is committed to maintaining a high visibility Garda presence in the area. The concerns of local representatives have been acknowledged and addressed by the District Officer in the form of weekend operations which will be maintained for the duration of the summer period.”