COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 08, 2021

QUESTION NO 4.

QUESTION: Councillor K. Mahon

Can the Chief Executive please provide an outline of the Councils grass cutting policy including areas that are designated not to be cut for ecological reasons?

REPLY:

The Council's regular grass cutting programme provides for the cutting of grass on playing pitches weekly and the cutting of all other areas including parks, estate open spaces and roadside grass margins on a fortnightly basis. 

Currently 145 hectares of grassland within the county's main parks are managed for biodiversity, the purpose of which is to provide food and habitat for wildlife and pollinating insects.  These grasslands are managed differently to the areas mentioned above, they require cutting once per year and also require the collection of the grass cuttings. The collection of the grass cuttings removes nutrients from the ground which would otherwise promote the continued growth of grass, the starving of the ground of nutrients allows the natural wildflowers to fourish instead.  The large volume of grass to be cut annually requires that this work is spread across autumn and spring, and this ensures that there are areas of habitat available at all times throughout the year.  The area of managed grassland has grown by approximately 50% in the past 3 years and is expected to grow in the coming years.