COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, July 11, 2011
QUESTION NO. 8
QUESTION: Councillor G. O'Connell
To ask the Manager for an update on the Social Credit Pilot and to indicate in the reply what type of projects have been submitted, which ones have had to be rejected and why, the types of rewards requested by participants and which, if any, have had to be refused and why?
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 an Evaluation Committee comprised of representatives of SDCC departments who determine rewards, materials and assistance requested by applicants. To date, 31 applications have been received with 5 having been completed, 2 declined, 16 being evaluated and 14 being undertaken by applicants. The applications that were declined did not comply with the guidelines where the application must be made and agreed in advance. The majority of actions relate to community clean-ups, the establishment of community gardens and the removal of cable ties. The rewards include the proviision of material for clean-ups and the removal and disposal of rubbish collected. Some rewards also include access to facilities - Tallaght stadium and Leisure centres and tree planting is also popular.
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 the Community sector and in a schools project in Adamstown and Lucan. This pilot will test the initiative and the learning will lead to this concept developing across the county and the region.