COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 11, 2019

HEADED ITEM NO. 10

HEADED ITEM: C. Performance and Change Management Directorate

300K HAVE YOUR SAY SHORTLISTED PROJECTS TO BE APPROVED

REPLY:

The idea submission phase of the €300k Have Your Say – Firhouse Bohernabreena initiative is now complete and a shortlist of projects is recommended by the Steering Group for approval by the Council today following which they will be presented for public vote.

Following the launch event in Firhouse Community Centre on 18 September 2019, three workshops were held throughout the Firhouse Bohernabreena Electoral Area. These took place in The Park Community Centre, Whitechurch Library and Firhouse Community Centre from October 1st to 8th and were attended by approximately 100 people. A fourth workshop was scheduled for Knocklyon Community Centre on 3 October but was cancelled due to the severe weather warning that was issued by Met Eireann on that date. The Council’s community team subsequently directly contacted the local groups in that community and discussed the project criteria and potential ideas with them and encouraged participation.

The communications around the initiative during this period focused first on promoting the workshops and then on obtaining idea submissions from the public through the €300k Have Your Say website. This was done through social media, local press, bus shelters and over 12,000 direct mailouts to households and local businesses in the area. Social media promotion included paid advertising through Facebook and Instagram that targeted people living in the Firhouse - Bohernabreena Electoral Area over the age of 13 (the minimum age allowed on those platforms). Approximately 84,600 people were cumulatively reached across multiple paid adverts. This was in addition to standard social media posts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

The deadline for submissions passed on 14 October with the Council receiving 187 submissions from the public. A series of meetings were then carried out, first between Senior Management and then with the Participatory Budgeting Steering Group, during which each submission was assessed in accordance with the agreed criteria (attached). The resulting 19 projects were identified through these meetings and are now presented as a recommended shortlist for ratification by the Council today before the public voting stage commences. The public voting stage will allow for digital voting and a printed ballot at a number of locations.

Everyone who submitted an idea will be contacted and advised whether their idea was successfully listed for public vote. Those whose ideas had to be eliminated will be provided with an explanation on the reason why their idea did not meet the criteria.