COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 10, 2012

HEADED ITEM NO. 9

HALLOWEEN 2012

REPLY:

Halloween is a traditionally significant time of celebration.

Unfortunately over the years, the wrong kinds of celebrations have resulted in considerable damage being done to property, the environment and indeed injury to the person.

The effect of these kinds of celebrations has impacted greatly on communities and the ability and resources of the Council and Emergency Services as they attempt to respond and prevent the damage. The figures below show the scale and cost of the problem since 2005. This clearly shows the impact on the resources available to the Council in providing facilities and services to the residents of the County.

	Bonfires	Waste(t)	Cost
Since 2005	3463	3244	1.7mEuro

The Council’s approach has been three pronged -

Communication – attempting to communicate a message promoting education of the positive and negative aspects of Halloween in the hope that this can help reduce the negative impacts

Prevention and Reduction of bonfire material - actively preventing illegal bonfires by trying to reduce the availability of material for such fires

Celebration – providing and promoting organized events around which communities can focus their celebrations

For 2012, the approach will take the following lines -

Communications

•  A postcard outlining both the positive and negative aspects of Halloween will be delivered to every household in the County. This card will allow each household free access to the Civic Amenity, Ballymount on Saturday 27^th October
•  A Halloween activity pack will be sent to all schools and will include a reading list, activity sheets highlighting the contribution of all the agencies and how Halloween affects them and also a list of games to play at Halloween. This resource will also be available online.
• An interagency approach will include the Gardai, Fire Brigade and Dublin Bus visiting schools and promoting a Safe Halloween.

Prevention and Reduction of Bonfire material

•  In 2012 an enforcement campaign will take place to reduce the amount of material available for bonfires. This will include the litter warden service and the waste enforcement officers.
• Free access to Civic Amenity Ballymount will be available to residents of South Dublin County on production of the Halloween postcard which will be distributed to all households in early October.
• The Social Credits System will incorporate the Bulbs not Bonfires campaign. Daffodils will be used as a reward for encouraging alternatives to bonfires at Halloween. The bulbs will be planted at Halloween.
• Clondalkin Community Recycling Initiative will conduct household WEEE collections throughout the County from now until Halloween.
• A special WEEE to Work Week will be arranged for the staff of South Dublin County Council taking place from 29^th October to 2^nd November.

Halloween Celebration

Community Bonfires have taken place in Tallaght & Clondalkin since 2005. Whilst the events were supported by the community, they did not serve their intended purpose of reducing the number of bonfires in these areas. In addition to that, the organization of the bonfires sends a mixed message to the public being inconsistent with the Council’s position on bonfires, their negative effect on the environment and on community safety.

For 2012 it has been decided adopt a new approach that will promote a new message in celebrating Halloween. Events will be organized that promote community participation, building community capacity and providing a fun filled spectacle for families through the direct involvement of those families. The events will move away from the mixed message of the community bonfire while maintaining a focus for families and communities around which the Halloween celebrations can take place.

The Council has developed a programme with community arts groups that will involve approximately 200 children from Tallaght and Clondalkin in arts and performance workshops. In these workshops the children will learn the art of costume making and street performance over the course of the next two months. The workshops will aim to culminate in two events featuring pageant type music and dance displays, one in Tallaght and one in Clondalkin, which will showcase the new skills learned by the children.

The events, to be known as THE HAUNTED, will take place in Tallaght and Clondalkin on Wednesday 31^st October and will provide a focus around which the children, their families, friends, neighbours and communities can enjoy their Halloween celebration.

In trying to define the best event for future years, different versions of the events will be tried out in 2012 -

• In Tallaght, the event will feature a parade through the streets of Tallaght finishing in a central location where a pageant will take place.
• In Clondalkin, the event will be organized around a fixed location where a pageant will take place.

The initiative is supported by An Garda Siochana, IT Tallaght, Tallaght Hospital, Youth Services, VEC and Community organisations.

With Youth Leaders being trained in the leadership of such events, it is hoped that these two events can lead to future festival and celebration opportunities within the county.

Further information on routes, programme content etc. will be circulated to Councillors in late September and a promotional campaign will be launched through the media in the run up to Halloween.

Council Members or any other person or group who wishes to become involved should contact the Council’s Social Credits Section at www.socialcredits.ie