COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

QUESTION NO. 26

QUESTION: Councillor E. Tuffy

To ask the Manager if he will provide information on the number of Parks Department staff, of all grades and types,  assigned to duties in the Parks and other green spaces in the Lucan Electoral Area , including Palmerstown, where, in terms of base and offices,  they are currently located, the area and nature of the lands to which they are responsible, and a summary of the duties and work carried out by these Council staff?

REPLY:

The core activities of the Parks Department revolve around routine work and seasonal programmes and these are outlined as follows:

Grass Cutting at various frequencies occur across the wide spectrum of open space held and priority is given to the cutting of the l50 football pitches on a rota basis to ensure that they remain playable through the playing season (March to October).

The Arboricultural Programme, which operates from October to March involves tree pruning/removal,  hedge cutting, flowerbed renewal and maintenance and planting of bulbs.

An extensive network of footpaths, nature walks, cycle tracks and Sli na Slainte routes are maintained throughout the year.

Routine maintenance and improvement works are carried out on an ongoing basis on barriers, gates, fencing, lakes and water courses.

Roadside verges and roundabouts are addressed, where possible, within the resources available and in recent years substantial costs are now being incurred on Health and Safety issues associated with this work.

A Park Ranger service is operated throughout the year primarily concentrating on the Council's Regional Parks.

Horse round ups, removal of abandoned vehicles, maintenance and upkeep of allotments are among other duties performed by he Parks staff.

Unfortunately in recent years there is an ever increasing cost incurred on clean ups, the removal of litter, removal of bonfire material and post bonfire clean ups which result in the necessity to hire skips for each depot to store those materials prior to disposal.  In this instance disposal costs are also considerable.

Details of  Parks Depots (including sub-depot) and staff assigned thereto in the Lucan Electoral area are set out below.

ESKER

Main Depot - Esker  - 25 Maintenance Staff

Location Esker Lane

Area 3.3l acres

Buildings   Office, Canteen, Workshop, Machinery Building, Store ,Toilets

Summary of duties:  as outlined above.

23 pitches maintained by the Esker Depot staff.

WATERSTOWN PARK (sub depot)  - 5 maintenance staff

Area .2l acres

Buildings:  Office, Canteen, Machinery Buildings, Toilets

Core activities : as outlined above.

 9 pitches  maintained by Waterstown sub-depot.

GRANGE (sub depot) - 11 maintenance staff (maintaining small portion of LEA only)

Area;                             3.55 acres

Building:                        Office, Canteen, Machinery Building, Toilets

Core Activities:             As above

Maintenance Staff:       11

Pitches:                         11

The Esker Depot and sub-depots  at Waterstown Park and The Grange are managed by the Senior Executive Parks Superintendent for the District who is assisted by a team of two Executive Park Superintendents.  Administrative support for the Parks Department (countywide) is provided by a team comprising  7 staff members,  Senior Executive Officer, Administrative Officer,

Assistant Staff Officer, 2 Staff Officers, l A/Staff Officer 4 Clerical Officers who are responsible for the day to day running of the Department  including the effective and efficient  control management and monitoring of the annual revenue budget.