A shaft built for a lift at McDonagh Junction Train Station in Kilkenny 18 years ago remains empty, much to the frustration of City Councillors.
It’s an issue that’s been raised many times by a number of concerned residents, including Donie Butler the former manager of nearby MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre.
At the municipal district’s March meeting Councillor Maria Dollard tabled a motion in which she called on the local authority to review the access certificate to Irish Rail given the concerns raised by constituents, including wheelchair users and people with impaired mobility.
Cllr Dollard’s motion was seconded by an equally frustrated Cllr Eugene McGuinness who told KCLR News’ Dermot Keyes; “Contact has been made on a number of occasions with regard to the lift shaft and nothing has been done, and they have no intention of doing anything, with regard to accessibility obviously the lift is needed, the lift is required, the gradient is way to steep up at the station but this needs to be investigated and if indeed, as I said at the meeting, if this was part of planning, if this formed part of the planning permission, Kilkenny County Council should enforce it immediately”.
