COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 13, 2017

QUESTION NO.5

QUESTION: Councillor S. Holland

To ask the manager if there are any plans to install CCTV at the Hellfire club entrance in order to prevent anti social behaviour including car break ins, vandalism and theft at this popular site.

REPLY:

The DMP advise that anti-social behaviour of the nature described arises from time to time in the other forests in the Dublin Mountains, and indeed other Coillte forests in Ireland, but there has been a reduction in incidence thanks to the presence of the Dublin Mountains Volunteers and as a consequence of the growing numbers of visitors to the mountains, the activity from which has served a supervisory role in making this behaviour more difficult.

Through collaboration with the DMP, the local community Garda also often monitor the car parks occasionally at the busier locations such as Hell Fire, Cruagh and Tiknock.

In general the experience of agencies managing forest recreation sites suggest that it is with more activity and visitors to the forests that anti-social behaviour becomes reduced.

The Dublin Mountains Project has among its many aims, the enhancement of the experience of the visitor to the Mountains, which extends to the safety and security of their experience. It is reported that the most vulnerable vehicles are those parked on the roadside.

In this context enhanced car parking facilities and other safety and security issues, including CCTV, will be reviewed and addressed through the proposed planning application for the development and through future operational arrangements.