COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, July 08, 2019

QUESTION NO 22

QUESTION: Councillor Alan Edge

To ask the Chief Executive detail whether and how Coillte's initiative, co-funded by the Dublin local authorities, to convert commercial forests to recreational areas in order to focus on carbon sequestration, protecting species and biodiversity will affect the planned Dublin Mountain Visitor Centre following concerns expressed by An Bord Pleanala about the potential impact on biodiversity.

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council Climate Change Action Plan 2019 - 2024 was recently agreed by the council, Nature Based Solutions forms one of the 6 main themes of the Action Plan.

Nature-based solutions are essential to climate change adaptation and mitigation as they address climate change risks in a number of ways:

• Vegetation sequesters carbon as it grows. It can also reduce air pollution through filtration

• During storm events with high winds, trees act as a natural barrier reducing wind speed, and provide shelter

• Plants in wetland areas filtrate and purify water

• Trees and plants reduce water run-off in extreme rain events, taking pressure off the urban drainage system

There are 33 Nature Based Solutions actions in the Climate Change Action Plan for implementation.

In relation to the Dublin Mountains Visitor Centre the Councils consultants’  are carrying out the appropriate surveys and investigations to inform the additional information reports requested by An Bord Pleanala. Subject to planning the project provides for the conversion of up to 20HA of commercial forestry to recreational use in accordance with the strategy identified by Coillte.