COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, July 12, 2021

QUESTION NO. 4

QUESTION: Councillor T. Costello

To ask the Chief Executive how many complaints / requests have been recieved in 2020 v 2021 to date re: grasscutting

REPLY:

A total of 442 complaints including requests for service in relation to grass cutting have been received in the period 1 January to 1 July 2021.  A total of 358 complaints and requests for service were received during the same period in 2020.

Closer examination of the figures shows that in the period 1 January to 1 June 2021 the number of complaints/requests for service received was 185, while the figure for the same period in 2020 was 271.  The figure decreased by 86 from 2020 to 2021 over the 5 month period concerned.

The number of contacts received in the month of June 2021 was 257 while it was just 87 in 2020, an increase of 170 in that month alone.

A study of rainfall data for the year to date shows that May of this year was a very wet month with twice the rainfall of 2020 and 50% more than the average for the month of May.  The weather conditions themselves impacted grass cutting during that month however more importantly it appears to have contributed to heavy grass growth through the early part of June.  Growth has now slowed during the recent dry period and it is felt that the target frequencies for grass cutting are now being achieved and this in turn will lead to a reduction in complaints received.  One other point to note is that it appears that the number of contacts received in relation to grass cutting has increased due to an increasing level of interest in biodiversity across the community in general, with many queries now being received regarding this issue and how the Council is responding to it in the management of the grass cutting programme.