COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Tuesday, March 01, 2022

MOTION NO.78

MOTION: Councillor E. Murphy

Chapter 8 CE Report p.736; SD-C195-11 Insert a new objective ‘To provide for a public library to serve the growing Ballycullen, Knocklyon and Firhouse communities and indoor civic space to meet the inter-generational requirements of local communities including performance and exhibition space, indoor sports and artistic, cultural and recreational use’ 

REASON: To date, local communities have provided their own community facilities - which have long since exhausted the demands on them. Such space to include and cater for community needs, performance and exhibition space, indoor sports and artistic, cultural and recreational use

REPORT:

The motion requests the inclusion of a new Objective in the Plan to read: 

“To provide for a public library to serve the growing Ballycullen, Knocklyon and Firhouse communities and indoor civic space to meet the inter-generational requirements of local communities including performance and exhibition space, indoor sports and artistic, cultural and recreational use” 

The motion is seeking an objective to provide for a number of different types of community facilities within the Ballycullen, Knocklyon and Firhouse area. 

Library provision in the County is supported and delivered through the County’s Library Strategy, and this is supported by COS10 Objective 1 of the draft Plan which states:  

‘To support the development of the County’s library services and the implementation of key objectives, as set out in Open to You - South Dublin Library Development Plan (2018-2022) or any superseding document.’ 

There are five branch libraries in the County located in Tallaght (the County Library), Ballyroan, Lucan, Clondalkin and North Clondalkin (NCL). A new library at Castletymon opened in September 2021.  

In addition, the South Dublin Mobile Libraries operate across the County as follows: 

Ballycullen: Every Tuesday at Hunters Walk from 4-5pm and Parklands Road from 6-6:50pm. Every Wednesday at Woodstown Park from 3-3:50pm. 

Knocklyon: Libraries close by include Ballyroan and Terenure Libraries 

Firhouse: Every Tuesday at Killakee Green from 7-7:55pm 

The Draft Plan contains a significant number of objectives supporting the provision of community infrastructure. These include: 

COS1 Objective 1: 

To provide appropriate and accessible community facilities to meet the needs 

of all citizens of the County, comprising of a fast-growing young population 

and including an ageing population, consistent with NPOs 28 and 30 of the 

NPF. 

COS2 Objective 1: 

To support the provision of a wide range of community facilities and to ensure 

that such facilities are provided in new and existing communities in tandem 

with housing development, with special consideration for period of review to 

adapt to the needs of an increasingly multi-cultured and diverse community, in 

accordance with the phasing requirements of Local Area Plans and Planning 

Schemes. 

COS2 Objective 3: 

To protect and enhance existing community facilities, and to support the 

development and expansion of new and existing facilities and services, in 

proximity to the populations they serve, where their need is identified. 

COS2 Objective 5: 

To promote accessible and inclusive social infrastructure for a range of users by 

adopting a universal design approach where feasible and to provide for an age 

friendly society in which people of all ages can live full, active, valued and 

healthy lives, consistent with RPO 9.12 and RPO 9.13 of the RSES and having 

regard to Building for Everyone: A Universal Design Approach – Planning and 

Policy’ (2012). 

Having regard to the above, it is considered that there are already sufficient existing objectives within the Draft Plan that fully support the provision of any social and community infrastructure in the Ballycullen, Knocklyon and Firhouse area. As such there is no need to specifically include reference to these locations in the plan. The delivery of any such facilities and library is a matter for the Council’s Capital funding programme and should be progressed through the appropriate operational and procedural mechanisms. 

CE Recommendation:  It is recommended that this motion is not adopted.