COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 14, 2022

QUESTION NO. 1

QUESTION: Councillor Yvonne Collins 

To ask the Chief Executive what measures are in place to protect and ensure public safety in our public parks and open spaces in terms of security measures and otherwise

REPLY:

The safe use of planned parks and open spaces is considered from the early stages of planning and design and integrated into the construction of same. SDCC seek the provision of active frontage to increase the safety of parks and open spaces wherever possible. This ensures that there over-looking and passive surveillance are built into the new provision of parks and open spaces. In addition; the provision of a pleasant environment and a variety of recreational amenities ensures our parks and open spaces are as active as possible. The protection of areas with ecological sensitives and allowing space for nature has also to be considered at the design stage and these areas are usually not compatible with the use of lights or a lot of public activity. At these locations, during the design stage, we try to locate footpaths and active uses away from these areas and this also has the added benefit of directing people away from the more remote areas of the parks or open spaces.

The public parks in the county are for the most part safe places for the public to use for recreation, exercise, sports, as through routes and as places to enjoy for family activities.  The use of these parks for positive purposes has the effect of drawing people into the parks and gives rise to passive supervision of these areas by all park users.  This is the best means by which the facilities and facility users can be protected.

The Council has 14 park rangers who are based in the county's regional parks and whose main responsibility is to monitor the parks in relation to their usage and to respond to any issues that come to their attention.  In addition to park rangers there are 25 staff in supervisory positions who oversee the maintenance of parks and open spaces and are required to deal with issues in the parks and open spaces when they arise.  Issues of a serious nature are reported to the Gardai, Council staff are not expected to take action in a situation which might place them in danger.  A close relationship between Council supervisory staff and the Community Garda Service has been developed over recent years in this regard.

A major programme of investment has taken place in improving park boundaries for the purpose of keeping scrambler motorbikes and stolen cars out of public parks.  Boundary treatment works have taken place at Dodder Valley Park, Tymon Park, Butler McGee Park, Bancroft Park, Jobstown Park, St Cuthbert's Park and Killenarden Park to a total value of approximately €900,000 over the past 4 years or so.  There are also cctv systems in place in a number of specific locations where serious incidents have occured in the past.  These systems are monitored by An Garda Siochana in relation to potential serious anti-social behaviour.