COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE/FIRHOUSE/BOHERNABREENA AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, October 08, 2019

QUESTION NO. 7

QUESTION: Councillor D. O'Donovan

To ask the Chief Executive what plans are in place for the development of Kiltipper Park and Knocklyon Park.

And in the case of Kiltipper Park, specifically in relation to ongoing issues with scrambers in the area.

 

REPLY:

Kiltipper Park consists of a large area of public open space in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains. The lands were transferred to the council a number of years ago and are still laid out in the original agricultural field format. Works are currently underway at Kiltipper Park to upgrade footpaths, access points and provide some car parking. Hedgerows will be reinstated and restored on a phased basis. As this park is at the periphery of the city; it acts as an important conduit for flora and fauna travelling along the river valleys between the urban areas and the protected upland areas.

Knocklyon Park is a medium sized area of open space, adjacent to residential estaes and bounded by the M50 to the north. This open space faciliates both active and passive recreation with extensive grasslands, a well developed network of footpaths and other recreational facilities such as sports pitches. It also retains some hedgerows and trees which are important to protect biodiversity and mitigate for climate change.

On-going problems associated with scramblers and quads in some parts of the county is causing distress to residents, sporting clubs and the Council as their quality of life is being impacted negatively through extreme damage to community open spaces and playing facilities. 

A High Level Task Force with representation from the Dublin local authorities, the Gardai, Dept of Justice & Equality and Motorcross has been put in place to address this issue.

The Council is actively working with An Garda Síochána, community representatives and residents of various housing estates in relation to this issue as well as with other relevant agencies towards a resolution of the misuse of scramblers/quads which is being experienced across the Dublin region.  One of the main issues which has arisen at meetings of the task force is that the Gardai do not currently have the power to pursue these vehicles, to stop them, to impound them, to pursue them to other locations and to question the owners and drivers about their movements.  These are some of the issues that need to be addressed by new legislation.  Equally the Council has been unable to date to identify the drivers of these vehicles and to hold them responsible for their actions and therefore the Council is not in a position to demand payment from anyone for the reinstatement of parks and open spaces where the culprit cannot be identified.  

The Council is also examining other ways of preventing scramblers access open space. This includes reducing access points to open spaces, fencing areas and erecting barriers. In relation to Kiltipper Park the works currently underway to upgrade the park will introduce some measure of increased legitimate activity into this area; this should result in increased passive surveillance in this park, which in some cases displaces anti-social activity.