COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, January 13, 2020

MOTION NO. 7

MOTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

That this Council calls on the Chief Executive to ensure that adequate resources are made available to deal with damage to our Open Spaces following the recent Bonfire season and in reporting will he give his initial reaction to how the Council responded to that recent challenge and will he make a statement.

REPORT:

All available resources have been deployed to remove bonfire materials prior to this Halloween, crews have been assigned to this task as necessary during normal working hours but also at weekends and on the run up to October 31st itself. Early contact was made with the Gardai to ensure that information was exchanged between SDCC and AGS and that assistance was provided as necessary in the effort to locate and remove the threat associated with bonfires and the storage of bonfire materials.

The number of bonfires recorded in 2019 is 226, which is down from the number recorded in 2018.  A total of 585 tonnes of waste has been collected this year and 237 tonnes of that was captured pre Halloween and before it was set on fire. The total cost to date stands at €102,566 and this is expected to rise to around €150,000 when all costs have been included.  Reinstatement of bonfire sites will not take place until the Spring, when ground conditions will have improved.