COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 10, 2022

QUESTION NO. 13

QUESTION: Councillor Derren Ó Brádaigh

To ask the Chief Executive to provide this Council with a report on the 12 month pilot mapping project agreed and conducted by SDCC between July 2021 - July 2022 into the locations at which nitrous oxide cannisters were reported and removed. Report to include actions/recommendations in addressing this ongoing issue.

REPLY:

The most recent report on this matter which was given to the April meeting of the County Council is provided below, the situation has largely remained unchanged since then.  The use of nitrous oxide is occuring for the most part in public parks, but also in public open spaces and on public roads and streets.  The finds of dumped/used cannisters continue to be recorded however these appear to be random in nature, with finds being recorded in parks where the substance is being used but also being recorded in locations on public roads where it would appear that they are being dumped after use. The small 'silver bullet' cannisters are being found in large numbers, and finds of larger cannisters would now appear to be more prevalent.  As previously reported the sale, purchase, possession and use of this substance is not currently illegal so it would appear that there is little by way of enforcement action open to the authorities in this regard.   The Council will continue to play any role it can in combatting this problem however it is for other agencies to promote the message that the use of this substance for recreational purposes is potentially damaging to a persons health and in some instances has proven to be fatal. 

Further reports have been received of finds of cannisters at the locations previously reported and listed below.  Finds have now been reported at the following locations where there had been no previous reports -  Deansrath, Liffey Valley, Alpine, Ashwood, Collinstown Park, Sundale, Neilstown Road, Knocklyon Heights, Adamstown, Delaford, Liscarne, Wheatfield, Johnsbridge, Griffeen Valley, Cushlawn, Canal Way, Oakdale and Ballycragh Park.  

Reply to Q14 on Council meeting agenda of 9 May 2022   

'The motion relating to this matter which was on the July 2021 County Council meeting agenda requested that we map finds of nitrous oxide cannisters.  This exercise has been undertaken by the Public Realm Section since August '21 and in the first report in November '21 finds had been reported at a total of 18 locations and repeat finds and reports had been made about some of these locations.  Those locations included -

The exercise to gather this information is continuing, it has been ongoing for 9 months and will continue to August '22 to cover a full 12 month period.  Only larger scale finds are being reported by Public Realm staff, finds of one or two 'silver bullets' are occurring daily across the county through daily cleaning activities and these are not being reported. Since the last report finds continue to be reported in the locations previously listed, large scale finds have since been reported in the following additional locations -

The finds indicate use of these cannisters at some of the locations, while in other cases they appear to have been dumped in large quantities at the location of the find.  The finds of larger cannisters of the substance appear to be more frequent now with each of these estimated to be equivalent to approximately 50 'silver bullets'.  It has not been possible to quantify the number of small cannisters found as on occasions they have been found to number in the hundreds at a location.  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.'