COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 10, 2012

QUESTION NO. 9

QUESTION: Councillor J. Hannon

To ask the Manager to report on the role of Park Rangers ie their powers and responsibilities, and to also list the parks in which they operate?

REPLY:

The Parks CARE Service was introduced by South Dublin County Council in 1999 as part of the process of modernising the management of public parks in the county. With an emphasis on a more friendly approach, as compared to the more traditional security and enforcement role, the new service represented a major shift in the management of parks and park users, reflecting the needs and requirements of an increasingly urbanized population. The principle underpinning the new service was to change public interaction with park rangers, as far as possible, from a negative one to a positive one. The Parks CARE service replaced the more traditional park ranger service with an emphasis on Conservation, Amenity, Recreation and Education.

Park Rangers still have a responsibility for protecting our parks and ensuring that the public have convenient and safe access to the facilities, but they also play a role in promoting greater usage of parks in general. They work with local schools, communities and special interest groups by conducting guided tours of parks and by giving lectures at venues outside parks. At other times, they function as guardians of our parks, protecting the facilities from being damaged by vandals and by providing a first point of contact for members of the public seeking assistance. They also provide guidance and information to those members of the public, such as children, in the proper use of park facilities and equipment and encourage people to have a greater respect for parks.

The Park Ranger Service is also responsible for enforcing  SDCC Bye-laws for Parks and Open Spaces 20ll.  In the event that a member or members of the public fails to co-operate with an instruction or direction of a park ranger, the next step, depending on the severity of the breach of the Bye-laws is to seek the assistance of An Garda Siochána to enforce the Bye-law. They are empowered to direct the public to comply with the Bye-laws and their most frequent activity in this regard to to  request people to put dogs on the leash.

South Dublin County Council has a staff of fourteen Park Rangers who are deployed across the three operational disticts of the county as follows:

Corkagh Park - six Rangers, primarily based in Corkagh Park but also covering Ballymount Park, McGee Park, Clondalkin Park, Killinarden Park, Jobstown Park, Rathcoole Park, Sean Walsh Park.

Esker Lane (close to Griffeen Valley Park) - four Rangers covering Griffeen Valley Park, Ballyowen Park, Collinstown Park, Glenaulin Park, Hermitage Park, Liffey Valley Park, St. Cuthbert's Park, Waterstown Park, Willsbrook Park

Tymon Park - four Rangers primarily based in Tymon Park but also covering Ballycullen Park, Ballycragh Park, Bancroft Park, Greenhillls Park, Dodder Valley Park, Rathfarnham Castle Park.

Official park hours are currently as follows: