COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 09, 2019

QUESTION NO. 52

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive for a report into community centres in SDCC? How many are in the SDCC area, how many are planned and in what locations? to ask that SDCC look at how they are funded and run ? also To ask the manager to look at how other local authorities fund these vital community services.

REPLY:

There are 37 facilities located within South Dublin County that are classified as multi-purpose community centres with most but not all on Council owned land. There are a further 9 neighbourhood community facilities as well as a range of other facilities including school halls, parish centres, sports club facilities, scouts' dens etc. that also offer the opportunity for local communities to utilise their facilities at certain times for a wide range of community uses.  In addition to these, work is ongoing by the Council to provide three additional community facilities in Saggart Village; Orchard Road, Clondalkin; and, in the new housing development at Balgaddy.

Council owned facilities are managed by local management companies - these companies limited by guarantee and comprise representation from local communities and along with officials assigned from the Council's local community devlopment teams.  The management companies utilise a wide range of funding opportunities and supports on offer from a broad range of sources including from the Council and some central government departments to supplement locally generated funds in order to meet the running costs of the facilities.   This approach is generally in line with the manner in which community facilities are operated in other local authority areas.  However, if there are alternative funding methods proposed, the Social & Community SPC can explore the appropriateness of the current support and funding model for community centres.