COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

MOTION NO. 19

MOTION: Councillor E. Ó Broin

"This committee agrees that the Council should put a number of park benches in Ballyowen Park, Clondalkin."

REPORT:

The provision of seating in public parks is desirable and would usually be considered an enhancement. However, this is not always the case and in many public parks, the provision of seating has resulted in unintended consequences. In many cases, this has proven to be so difficult to resolve that, regrettably, the only effective solution has been to remove the seating.

While seating serves a worthwhile function in a park, the antisocial element associated with park furniture is often completely counterproductive. While there are generally few problems with park seating during normal park opening hours, after hours the seats become focal points for gatherings. These gatherings engage in a range of anti-social behaviour including drinking, littering, graffiti, lighting of fires, burning of wheelies bins and often result in vandalism and damage to the seat itself. 

Seating had been provided in Ballyowen Park in the past but had to be removed as a result of anti-social problems as outlined above. Nevertheless, the park will be re-examined to see if any locations can be identified where new seating might have a chance of success.