BY AILEEN MURPHY
The keeping of townlands has raised the shackles of Councillors at a meeting of Fermanagh District Council on Monday night.
After much debate, and despite claims that this is not a party political issue, a recorded vote saw Councillors vote along Party lines, with nationalist representatives supporting a motion to write to the Minister of the Environment calling for a change in the legislation, while unionist councillors voted against this.
They called for the proposal to be referred back to the Council for further discussion.
However, the call for the matter to be referred back was defeated 13-10. Therefore the Council will write to the Environment Minister Sammy Wilson asking for a change to the legislation to allow Councils to number individual properties within a townland; and they will also write to the 25 other Councils in Northern Ireland asking for their support in pursuing a change in legislation.
Fermanagh is the only Council in Northern Ireland which still uses townlands without a road name or number, but it is causing a wide range of problems for people living in the County. They are finding that they have difficulty using internet and telephone services as their townland address is not recognised by databases.
The matter was raised by Ulster Unionist Councillor Alex Baird. He urged the Council not to proceed with writing to the Minister, but to refer the matter back.
He said: "We have the opportunity to resolve this once and for all, to use the 'Pointer System', that is the road name along with the townland name.
"If we don't do it now, after the Councils amalgamate, we will have the influence of another Council telling us what to do. I am not opposed to progress, I firmly believe the 'Pointer System' is progress, while allowing us to retain our townlands."
Mr Baird also called on people in Fermanagh who are having difficulty with their address to write about their problems to Councillors who did not support the introduction of the 'Pointer System'.
The DUP's Arlene Foster supported the call to refer the matter back to the Council.
She said: "We are asking the Minister to change legislation which all the other Councils here have used. This isn't about taking away anything, it's about additionality and moving into a new era."
Mrs Foster said the need for the introduction of the 'Pointer System' was three-fold: for the ease of residents in Fermanagh trying to do business on-line etc.; for the Land and Property Services who claim they are losing out on collecting rates as they cannot identity properties - a problem Mrs Foster explained was costing Fermanagh Council in revenue; and, finally in terms of ensuring the Emergency Services are able to reach all parts of the County.
Sinn Féin's Brian McCaffrey answered back. He stated: "I am disappointed by what appears to be the unionist party's understanding of the 'Pointer System'. It has been quite clearly explained to us that a number on an individual property fits into the 'Pointer System' and gives it a unique reference point. This recommendation, to write to the Minister, is all about putting power in our hands, power that we don't have."
Mr McCaffrey pointed to large parts of Wales and Scotland which had retained their townlands and, he suggested, 'they do not seem to be having the same problems': "Is this some form of Anglicisation?" he asked.
The Sinn Féin councillor also said that the Ambulance Service were on record as having said they have no difficulty with the townland system. And he added: "I fail to see how retaining townlands is penalising constituents. It is the people who want to retain their townland who are being failed."
Domhnall Ó Cobhthaigh, Sinn Féin said with the advancement in technology, it was possible to find any particular location, that there was no longer a requirement for a linear system, such as the 'Pointer System',
"What we are suggesting is not a linear system, but in this era it doesn't need to be. If we introduce a road name, townlands will become superfluous and will disappear."
And, he urged Fermanagh to retain, and market their 'unique' townlands to attracts tourists to the area.
Bert Johnston, DUP added: "There is no one in this Chamber opposed to townlands, but I would urge people to move forward."
Frank Britton, SDLP, said this was an important issue about whether people are able to get access to the services they need.
"Townlands can remain and can be used by everybody. But what is required is an additional number to allow people to get their address on databases".
Mr Britton explained he was born in the townland of Fincashel in Donegal, however, he pointed out that this townland, like many others, are anglicised versions of the original name, and he called for a townlands names here to also be translated into their original Gaelic name.
John O'Kane, SDLP added: "I am appalled by the claim that the Land and Property Services can't do their job because of townlands. It is down to their own incompetence."
He suggested that if the 'Pointer System' is so successful, 'why has there been a review of it ongoing for some time?'
Gerry McHugh, Independent, emphasised the need for townlands to be used to survive: "It is a learning thing as well: if young people are not using them, they will disappear."
He suggested that, ' in this era of modern technology' it should be simple to walk to any spot: "The minute we go down the road of the 'Pointer System' it will destroy the townlands, they will be gone."
Robert Irvine, UUP, reminded the members that 'Pointer' had agreed that the townland name could be made the 'trigger' in finding an address in a database, which would make it 'essential' in the address.
He urged the Council to bear in mind: "A lot of other Councils are keen to come in behind us, but they have already lost the initiative. We need to take the first step, get in with our townlands, and then pull everybody back to using them."
