COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE/FIRHOUSE/BOHERNABREENA AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

QUESTION NO. 13

QUESTION: Councillor Carly Bailey

To ask the Chief Executive what the plan and rationale is in relation to grass cutting for small greens, large greens and parks. 

REPLY:

In response to the public health emergency which commenced in mid March the Council's Public Realm Section initially implemented a system of staggered start, break and finish times for staff for the first two week period in order to minimise contact between staff members.  On the announcement of tighter restrictions regarding movement and social distancing from March 29th a staff roster was introduced with all staff working a day on/day off system which was intended to achieve a substantial reduction in staff numbers in operational depots which in turn would enable social distancing measures to be implemented.  This has remained in place for many staff however a group of 50 staff who are key to the grass cutting operation have returned to a 5 day roster from Monday April 13th. 

During the period from March 29th to April 13th the Public Realm section responded to cleansing tasks only as a priority, all other tasks were put on hold during that period and this included the cutting of grass.  The return to a 5 day roster for the 50 staff mentioned has enabled the Council's annual grass cutting programme to commence, however the start has been 3 to 4 weeks later than in other years. 

The Council's Public Realm Section implements a grass cutting programme from March to November whereby all parks, open spaces and roadside margins are cut at the same frequency on a fortnightly schedule, with playing pitches cut weekly.  Small open spaces and roadside margins are cut by ride on mower while the larger open spaces are cut by tractor mowers.  There are other tasks which go hand in hand with the gras cutting, for example many areas need to be litter picked ahead of grass cutting.  There is also a need to deal with long grass growing at the base of trees and signage poles, as well as the treatment of weeds around the boundary of open spaces.  The grass cutting programme is now in it's fourth week, having commenced on April 13th, and this means that some open spaces have only received their first cut of the year.  The delayed start to the programme means that we are dealing with longer grass which in turn has the added effect of slowing the work down further.  Good progress has been made in recent weeks however, assisted by good weather, and it is hoped that time lost in late March and early April will be recovered in the coming weeks and that the two week grass cutting schedule which is implemented each year will be achieved in the coming weeks.  The priority of the Council is to work to achieve the two week cutting schedule at the earliest possible date as this should ensure that an acceptable standard can be achieved.  The cutting of playing pitches on a weekly basis will have to be resumed in due course and in accordance with the national plan which was announced on May 1st.