COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, June 13, 2011
QUESTION NO.14
QUESTION: Councillor P. Kearns
To ask the Manager how many of the applications made through the Social Credit System were granted and what were the rewards?
REPLY:
The Social Credits System is a strand of the Councils programme of activities to promote social capital in the county. It rewards Community groups, Youth groups, Resident associations and Schools who improve their environment by cleaning up, planting and maintaining areas and encourages them to continue taking positive sustainable actions within their community. The programme aspires to motivate, assist and reward groups, who may not be involved in the enhancement of local area, to get involved and to take ownership of the County.
After a study in 2010 by the Environmental Awareness Officer, a 12 month pilot Social Credit’s Scheme to reward community groups with access to Council services and facilities in exchange for the execution of sustainable environmental actions was established. The Council and the Dublin Regional Authority (DRA) held a workshop on February 18th 2011 to promote the scheme and inform potential participants by inviting community groups, residents associations and primary and post primary schools to participate in the workshop. Information on the Social Credit System has been circulated to all community groups in the County. Information and application forms are available online and hard copies are available in local Libraries, Community Centres and at the Civic Offices in Clondalkin and County Hall in Tallaght.
Application forms are assessed by the Evaluation Committee comprised of representatives of SDCC departments who determine rewards, materials and assistance requested by applicants. To date, 30 applications have been received with 2 having been completed, 1 declined, 13 being evaluated and 14 being undertaken by applicants.
The Social Credit’s Scheme’s remit is to promote citizens and community groups to take positive, sustainable environmental actions in their communities and SDCC believes that schools particularly at national school level would have an important part to play in this as it would involve both the staff and students of the school and the student’s parents as they bring the message home to their families.
The Social Credit’s Scheme is developing into a wider Carbon and Social Credit Scheme (2CS) in partnership with the DRA. A report has been commissioned on the implementation of Social Credits, Time Banking and Carbon Credits in South Dublin. Time Banking is a tool which enables a community group to facilitate and co-ordinate citizens volunteering their time from which they earn a Time Credit. Every hour volunteered results in the applicant receiving a one hour Time Credit. These Time Credits will be redeemable through other Time Bank members, community centres, community groups, local schools as well as Council facilities. The Council is piloting two Time Bank hubs in: Fettercairn Community Centre and Adamstown Educate Together National School to test the initiative and hopes that the learning will lead to it rolling out across the county and the region.