COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, January 12, 2009

MOTION NO.1

MOTION: Councillor M. Corr

That the Manager undertakes to develop a section of www.sdcc.ie for children, to have links to this section of the site featured prominently on the homepage of www.sdcc.ie and to create as much interactivity as possible within it in order to engage, educate and encourage as much participation by children as possible as well as promoting active citizenship from an early age.  This is to be created in addition to the development of the "Skids" section of the Libraries website.

REPORT:

The South Dublin Children’s Services Committee has begun the process of building a Childrens Services Website which can be accessed at www.southdublinchildren.ie

The website has been developed to serve 3 distinct user groups, Children, Young People and Adults.  While still at a very basic level of design the website contains a lot of information which is designed to engage children in physical activity and also give them information on a range of topics.  These topics include; South Dublin County Council, the Mayor and the Councillors.  Other areas include an issues zone which contains sections on Getting Healthy, Getting Active, Getting Creative, Being Green, Comhairle na nóg, Internet Safety and links to other Childrens’ websites.

The Teen Zone, as yet underdeveloped also contains information under similar headings.

The Adult Zone provides information on the Children Services Committee, its membership, Workplan and lists a number of publications on Children.  Its Service Directory contains a directory on Health Service providers, Education, Family Support Services, Housing and National Helplines. 

The Interagency working sub-group of the CSC is currently carrying out a survey of service providers (Health, Education, Housing, Advice and Counselling, etc) in the County. The data gathered from this survey will form a Directory for Front line Workers in the South Dublin Area and will be hosted on this website.

While acknowledging the current site is still very much under development, work is ongoing.  A design brief has been put together which requires appropriate specialisation to complete the project.  In the meantime work continues to collect and collate the data required to populate this website.

Other web-sites which have been developed for children include the Libraries website at www.southdublinlibraries.ie

The very recently developed Sports Partnership at www.sdcsp.ie

And the Noise website at www.noisesouthdublin.com