COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE-TERENURE AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

MOTION NO. 7

MOTION: Councillor A-M. Dermody

"That the Chief Executive ensures that a specific budget be ear-marked and a sub-committee established to work collectively to see how Rathfarnham Castle and St. Enda's Park could be ulilised to drive tourism to Rathfarnham. The establishment of a farmers' market is something that has been mooted in the past, with the Chief Executive bringing to this Committee how best this could be established and promoted. I would ask that initiatives similar to the the Puremile be used to encourage locals to improve the overall look of specific walkways, with clear input by this Council as to how it could fund such initiates on a social credit type arrangement employed."

REPORT:

Promotion of tourism in the County is an important economic activity. Rathfarnham Castle and St. Enda's, while in the ownership of the OPW, are prominent elements to promote tourism within the County. In order to provide focus and  future structure for the development of tourism within the County the Council has issued an RFT (request for tender) for the commissioning of a County Tourism Strategy with a deadline of Oct 17th for companies to submit, is currently published on etenders.

The brief for the RFT was developed by the Tourism Interests Working Group of the Economic Enterprise and Tourism Development SPC.

While one cannot anticipate the detail of the final strategy, it is clear that more extensive use and promotion of both St. Endas and Rathfarnham Castle will be central to the Councils plans regarding tourism.

The brief is framed by a clear acknowledgment that effective delivery of quality amenity offerings in the locality can also leverage tourism visits to the County. In this context developments such as Puremile could be considered as such programmes present an attractive and positive image of the County helping to attract visitors through the involvement of local citizen's.

Among many specific requirements in the brief the RFT calls for extensive consultation by the appointed company with stakeholders in framing the strategy and consultation with the principals of the project will be included. .

The Tourism Interests Working Group are currently reviewing specific actions that may be prioritised and funded for 2015, while waiting for the selection and appointment of the consultants to research and develop the strategy. In parallel is the villages initiative. Included as part of this programme are two proposed improvements in the vicinity of Rathfarnham castle. These will brought through the formal 'part VIII' process before Christmas. As part of these initiatives a farmers market will be examined.