COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, December 13, 2021
QUESTION NO.15
QUESTION: Councillor Derren Ó Brádaigh
To ask the Chief Executive to produce an update report on previously agreed motion (Item ID 71772) to pilot project mapping nitrous oxide / drug paraphernalia - Over what period of time did the trial take place, what results did this yield and any proposals to act upon any learned data.
REPLY:
The motion relating to this matter on the July Council meeting agenda requested that we map finds of nitrous oxide cannisters. This exercise has been undertaken by the Public Realm Section since August and in the period since then finds have been reported at a total of 18 locations and repeat finds and reports have been made about some of these locations. The locations include -
- Council parks (Sean Walsh Park, Corkagh Park, Bancroft Park, Killenarden Park, Dodder Valley Park, St Cuthberts Park)
- Housing Estates (Boden Park, Monalea, Aylesbury, Woodford, Quarryvale, Adamstown, Balgaddy)
- Other locations (N7 pedestrian bridge at the Red Cow, Hellfire Club, Cruagh Wood, Grand Canal, Kilakee viewing point).
The exercise to gather this information has been ongoing for 3 to 4 months and it is intended to continue the exercise for a 12 month period to cover spring/summmer months as well as autumn/winter. It is also intended that other departments such as Housing will be asked to provide any relevant information that they have on the matter and this will be collated with public realm information.
The finds indicate use of these cannisters at some of the locations while in other cases they appear to have been used at another location with the used cannisters dumped in large quantities at the location of the find. Finds of larger cannisters of the substance have also been reported in some locations. It has not been possible to quantify the number of cannisters found, the data gathered to date shows that nitrous oxide use is occuring across the county however it cannot be used to determine how widespread this use is. It should be noted that use of this substance is currently not illegal and anecdotal evidence suggests that the cannisters can be easily purchased on-line.