COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

QUESTION NO. 9

QUESTION: Councillor E. Tuffy

To ask the Manager for a Report on the work of the Community Department, including Community Development staff, with community based and other groups in the Lucan Electoral Area, and if he will consider putting in place practices which ensure that councillors are fully informed, on an ongoing basis, on this work, including meetings, projects, grants, and that it is Council protocol and procedure, that information and reports of the type referred to in this question, are always circulated to councillors before, and certainly not later, than they are circulated to Oireachtas members? 

REPLY: The Community Services Department provides a very wide range of activities to the people of South Dublin County. These services include the organisation, facilitation, funding and sponsorship of sports and arts activities, a wide range of functions, events and activities by the Social Inclusion Unit, services provided to the community by the Sports Partnership Office, aided by the Sports Council, and of course, community development work undertaken by a trained and dedicated team of community workers.

The Community workers are extremely active at grassroots level and are involved in the identification of community needs, in the location staffing and construction of facilities such as community centres, enterprise centres, neighbourhood centres, playgrounds, youth cafes and other facilities. The community workers sit on the boards of many of these facilities and make their experience knowledge and expertise available to the community at large. They help to identify and source funding streams, give advice on governance issues, and in the case of community centres, arrange for each one to be set up as a stand alone company run by the community.

They also engage with new residents and assist them in building a community, and to form associations, clubs and special interest groups. They have a very important role in acting as the liaison between the community and bodies such as the Council and ensure that the community aspect is taken into consideration whenever appropriate.

Much of the work carried out by the community workers is done at nighttime, to accommodate people who work during the day..

However, while every effort is made to keep elected members informed, it is neither practical nor logistically possible to be able to inform every member of every meeting, debate or decision in advance. The Community Services Department is happy to answer any query put to it , within reason.