FINGAL County Council has announced the expansion its free Beach Wheelchair Scheme.
Another Hippocampe Beach Wheelchair will be located at Balcarrick Beach in Donabate.
The Waterside House Hotel, which is located at the beach, have very generously agreed to manage the service on behalf of Fingal County Council and the chair can be booked and accessed through the hotel.
These specialist chairs are designed to make it easier for beach users with a disability or mobility restrictions to access our beaches and enjoy this wonderful amenity.
Beach Wheelchairs are also available to visitors at South Strand, Skerries and Velvet Strand, Portmarnock. They can be accessed at the Lifeguards’ huts in both locations.
A spokeswoman for the council said:
“We have two different types of chairs available
?? the DeBug Chair at Skerries and the Hippocampe Chair at Portmarnock, and now at Donabate.Â
“Both of these chairs are designed for ease of movement on uneven ground and soft sand.
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The service is free of charge but you are strongly advised to book in advance to avoid disappointment. You will be asked to complete a booking form and to present a valid ID as proof of identity.
The spokeswoman added:
“It is important for the wheelchair user to have a helper in attendance as hotel staff or lifeguards are not in a position to help the user either into or out of the wheelchair.
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During August, the chairs are available from 11am to 7pm Monday to Sunday. They can be booked in slots of up to fours hours at a time.Â
Local councillor Paul Mulville (Ind) welcomed news that the scheme is now available in Donabate.Â
“Following representations from local beach users, I had first raised the possibility of the beach wheelchair scheme being extended to Donabate and Portrane at the March local area meeting,
? he said. Â Â
“Although the response in relation to Portrane was not positive, due to the accessibility, council management did respond positively to the proposal for Donabate, and it’s great for beach users with a disability or mobility restrictions to see this now coming to fruition.
“Hopefully in the future we will see accessibility issues at Portrane resolved, and the beach wheelchair rolled out here also.
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