Scathing report into Spring Lane is not the first

Children in Spring Lane could reach for the stars if plans to provide solid foundations are followed through – this time, writes Eoin English

Spring Lane halting site in Blackpool is home to about 38 families, including 66 children, with 140 people sharing toilets and washing facilities designed for just 40. Picture: Larry Cummins

It was a scathing report on the appalling living conditions facing children on what is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s worst Traveller halting sites.

While the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) didn’t identify the local authority halting site in its 72-page report published last week, it was prepared following a full statutory investigation into the living conditions of children on the overcrowded Spring Lane site near Blackpool in Cork City.