COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 12, 2020

QUESTION NO. 8

QUESTION: Councillor Yvonne Collins

To ask the Chief Executive what measures are in place to catch up with grass cutting throughout the area and when it is expected that the Council shall be back on schedule

REPLY:

During the period of Covid 19 restrictions from March to June many of the Council's Public Realm maintenance staff were on reduced working hours in order to ensure that social distancing could be achieved in the work place and in operational depots.  A decision was taken to deploy the majority of available resources at the time to cleansing, grass cutting and burial ground maintenance tasks.  By the end of June/early July grass cutting around the county had achieved a high standard and this was helped by the fine weather through the months of April and May.  From late June staff have been assigned to other tasks which had been on hold during the second quarter, as well as to grass cutting and cleansing.  Unfortunately the slow down in grass growth that is normally experienced in Q3 each year did not materialise this year.  Grass continued to grow strongly in July and August due to a very high level of rainfall (rainfall in July was twice the average of the previous 4 years) combined with high temperatures, this had the effect of slowing the grass cutting operation which in turn presents difficulties in meeting the target frequencies and required standards. 

Grass is continuing to grow in early October with day time temperatures remaining around 13 or 14 degrees.  Temperatures can be expected to drop during the month of October and this will lead to a slow down in grass growth.  All available staff and machinery have been assigned to the grass cutting programme and every effort is being made to achieve the target frequencies as in previous years. It is expected that these continuing efforts combined with the expected slow down in grass growth will result in the restoration of the normal grass cutting schedule.