COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE

Monday, April 25, 2022

QUESTION NO.

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

"To ask the CEO to confirm further contacts he has had since our last meeting regarding the whole issue of Crime and Anti Social behavior in Sean Walsh Park; will he detail actions being taken and also respond to requests that appropriate sinage be provided advising the public of how to contact the Council in respect of issues arising in the Park and will he furnish a general statement?"

REPLY:

A meeting took place on site in Sean Walsh park on Wednesday April 20th between Public Realm management and Tallaght Community Gardai to discuss recent issues of anti-social behaviour in the park.  As stated previously a good working relationship has been built up between Council staff and the community policing division in Tallaght over the years and this will continue to be case.  Meetings take place regularly and issues are responded to and dealt with speedily as the need arises.  The overall view of the Gardai is that the park is in general used by law-abiding citizens for legitimate purposes and that it is a safe place to go for members of the public.  They made reference to the fact that they are dealing with similar issues of anti-social behaviour and illegal use of scramblers in many other locations and mentioned Killinarden Park as an example.  On the day of the meeting the park was full of people, some using the park for recreation and others passing through between the Old Bawn Estates and the Square shopping centre.  A number of specific incidents were discussed with the Gardai and a number of locations were examined and discussed, and the views of the Gardai were sought as to what could be done in relation to these issues.   In general they are of the view that more lighting and more cctv would assist them in their work however they accept that providing lighting in a park location is not always possible.  They are also aware of the GDPR requirements in relation to community cctv systems. 

An assault of a serious nature took place on March 18th in the park and the location of this incident was examined and discussed.  The Gardai are of the view that improved visibility and lighting in this particular area, on the hill close to the 'blue bridge', might help to avert an attack at this location in the future.   The footpath from the blue bridge down to the roundabout and entrance to Old Bawn Community School is the one route through the park that is currently lit, an undertaking was given to examine this area to establish if the existing lighting on the pathway could be augmented to provide some degree of lighting on the hill as this might act as a deterrent to someone taking cover in the trees and bushes at the top of the hill.  There is cctv coverage in this area and the Council also gave an undertaking to examine the quality of footage that this system provides as well as the extent of coverage of the cameras.

The incident which occurred on Good Friday April 15th was also discussed, where a small child was run down and seriously injured by a motorbike in the park.  The Gardai advised that this had been reported as a scrambler incident but that it was in fact an electric bike which had the appearance of a scrambler that was involved in the incident.  They advised that cctv footage was being examined in relation to the incident but that the people who were responsible had their faces covered at the time and had not yet been identified, the investigation into the matter is continuing however.   A discussion took place regarding this incident and the general issue of scramblers accessing public parks.  The new road traffic/criminal justice legislation which is awaited is expected to strengthen the hand of the Gardai in dealing with the illegal use of scramblers in a public place, however it is also expected to regularise and legalise the operation of e-bikes and e-scooters in public places.    The Gardai are in favour of controls such as kissing gates on accesses to public parks but are aware of the different views that exist on this matter, where many believe that parks should have universal access for all.  The majority of accesses to Sean Walsh Park are controlled however this is not the case at the blue bridge or at the entrance to the park at the Old Bawn Road/N81 junction.   

The suggestion regarding signage which would provide advice to the public in the event of an incident occuring will be examined in due course.