COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 13, 2017

QUESTION NO.10

QUESTION: Councillor D. Looney

To ask the Chief Executive to provide a report on the costs associated with dealing with bonfires and other Halloween activities this year, and to make a statement on the matter. 

REPLY:

The exercise to survey and map bonfire sites commenced on 1st November. An exact figure of the number of Bonfires is still being collated, this will determine the ultimate cost of the clean up phase of Halloween 2017.  The information that is to hand currently is for the pre-Halloween period and is as set out below.   

• South Dublin County Council brought all available staff into work on Saturday October 28th and Monday October 30th and over this period and including Tuesday October 31st a total of 55 tonnes of bonfire materials was collected by the staff and prevented from being placed on bonfires. 
• In the two week period prior to Halloween a further quantity of waste materials totalling 156 tonnes was collected by SDCC staff and it is estimated that the vast majority of this was material intended for bonfires. 
• The estimated cost to dispose of bonfire materials collected pre Halloween night alone is €20,000 approximately.  Note this is the cost of disposal only, it does not include the labour cost to collect the materials nor does it include any element of the cost to clean up bonfire sites after the fires have stopped burning.

A number of locally organised Community Celebration Events were also supported by the Community Services Department with a range of grants awarded.  The total amount of grant aid approved for Halloween 2017 was €12,463.92.