COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 12, 2011

MOTION NO. 12

MOTION: Councillor G. O'Connell

That this Council, in managing reduced budgets, should make every effort to maintain public areas of the County to an acceptable standard. Elected members are very concerned at the way in which the Median on the N4, Tallaght Bye Pass, to name but a few areas, have been left unattended and allowed to deteriorate.  Given the national commitment to promote Tourism, neglect of the public domain is counter-productive.

REPORT:

The responsibility for maintenance of public areas in the County has recently been consolidated into the Environment Department where the Public Realm Maintenance Division now consists of Cleansing, Parks, Operations and Burial Grounds Maintenance Sections.  In a time of reducing Budgets, this consolidation will ensure that the various budgets allocated to maintenance of the public areas of the County can be optimised through increased co-ordination of work programmes and standards of supervision between these Sections.

Maintenance and Management of the National Road Network is the responsibility of the NRA and maintenance works are carried out on an agency basis by the Council. The schedule of works is set out in accordance with funding provided by the NRA through its annual maintenance grant.  The  grass cutting on these roads is then agreed, on an annual basis, by Roads and Environment Departments.  In 2011 the NRA grant for all National Primary maintenance was €76,765.  The Grant monies are allocated primarily to issues related to safety such as road repair and safety barrier repairs. The remaining monies are applied to the maintenance of median and roadside verges and usually provide for a single cut on an annual basis.  The Grant monies must also cover the cost of Traffic Management and Health & Safety requirements which can be a substantial component of the works.