COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF LUCAN / PALMERSTOWN / NORTH CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
QUESTION NO. 1
QUESTION: Councillor G. O'Connell
To ask the Chief Executive to report on the extensive leaf clearing that has taken place to date in the Lucan/Palmerstown/Borth Clondalkin LAC and on the fully cleaning schedule currently in operation for the area.
REPLY: The figures for leaf collections are not available on an electoral basis. However, since the requests for the removal of leaves for 2022 began on September 20th, we have received to date, 616 requests for the removal of leaves on a countywide basis. Of the 616 requests, 291 were requests for removal of bags of leaves and 325 were requests for a road sweep to lift the leaves.
The Council’s Street cleaning contract includes leaf sweeping during the autumn period. Leaves are removed from public roads and footpaths throughout the county.
Residents can place leaves in preferably clear bags, and then contact the Public Realm Section with the location. We will arrange for our road sweeping contractor Oxigen to collect the bags. For areas requesting road sweeping for leaves which are not bagged, please also contact the Public Realm Section with the location so that a road sweep can be arranged. The Public Realm Section can be contacted by phoning 01 4149000 or email info@sdublincoco.ie
This year, SDCC through a pilot programme are providing compostable bags for leaves to any group or member of the public who request them.
The Environmental Awareness Office will work with residents’ associations and/or Tidy Towns groups/Community groups who would like to find alternative ways to dispose of leaves. For example, building a composting system such as leaf moulds whereby the leaves can be reused locally as mulch/compost which is a valuable resource and can be used to enrich soils.
The full cleaning contract includes road sweeping, litter picking, gulley cleaning, weed control and leaf removal. Areas included are housing estates, main roads, industrial estates which are in charge, dual carriageways (but not including motorways).
All information regarding road sweeping schedules is available on the Council website under the ‘Your maintenance Schedule’ tab.
Service frequencies are as follows –
- Sweeping of housing estates is done 4 times per year,
- Sweeping of main roads is done monthly,
- Sweeping of dual carriageways is once every 2 months,
- Sweeping of industrial estates is twice per year,
- Gulley cleaning is carried out once per year,
- Weed control takes place 3 times per year,
Leaf removal is carried out on request over the period 1 September to 31 January.