COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE-TERENURE AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

MOTION NO. 2

MOTION: Councillor S. Holland

"That the Chief Executive build on the great work of last year when planning this years grass cutting schedule and to ask that verges and around trees/rocks are cut at the same time as the grass."

REPORT:

"As reported to the June meeting of the County Council grass cutting has been greatly hampered by weather conditions which pertained through the course of the winter and early spring. In normal conditions the Council’s grass cutting programme commences in mid March and has reached full pace by mid April with a two weekly cutting schedule established by that date. Following on from the weather conditions experienced in winter and spring the grass cutting programme could not commence until mid April, a month behind schedule, and the programme continues to be behind schedule. Efforts are continuing to establish the two weekly roster and to make up the time lost in March and April. Ordinarily by June 1st grass areas would be getting cut for the fourth time however the programme is now only moving into the third cycle on the schedule. In addition to the impact of the long and wet winter, conditions during the months of May and June to date with high soil moisture levels coupled with rising soil temperature levels have been such to encourage strong grass growth over the past month or more.

The impact of this has been that all available resources have been assigned to grass cutting in an effort to establish the regular cutting schedule. In addition 10 seasonal staff have been recruited, trained and assigned to grass cutting and the associated litter picking and cleaning work on grass areas. The weed spraying programme has also commenced in May focusing on weeds and grass around lighting columns, sign poles and trees and this will continue over the coming weeks however this programme is also behind schedule.  It is hoped that the fortnightly cutting roster in parks, estates open spaces and main roads will be established before the end of June."