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SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN / PALMERSTOWN / NORTH CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

MOTION NO. 23

MOTION: Councillor P. Gogarty

That the Chief Executive agrees to provide a workable solution to ensure that AGP FC is facilitated in safely providing a container and portaloo for its young members at the side of Pitch Number 4 on AGP 0, given that the need clearly exists and SDCC has been unable to provide such facilities; and ensures that the club should not be prevented from booking slots at Airlie Park pending a resolution of this matter.

REPORT: SDCC provide 173 grass pitches around the county. These are allocated to local clubs on an annual basis. SDCC recognises the important services that these clubs provide, ensuring that active recreational needs are met in the community. They are also an important part of local community social interaction, health, and wellbeing.

Griffeen Valley Park (Esker Park) already contains a number of facilities that SDCC provide to a number of clubs as well as the general public. This includes 2 soccer pitches that are currently allocated to Arthur Griffith Park FC, (AGP FC). In addition, this park contains changing facilities, toilet facilities alongside an adjacent carpark. These facilities are in use by this club. They are located here: 53°20'46.8"N 6°27'02.6"W, which is within the park.

SDCC have provided AGP FC with a storage compound for the purposes of safely storing temporary goalposts. The facilities that the club have put into this storage area are unauthorised. Permission from SDCC was not sought for the installation of these facilities and no risk assessment or insurances were received from the people who carried out this work. This poses a high risk that is unacceptable in a SDCC park which has other facilities used by the public within the park.

SDCC have informed the club that they are in breach of their terms and conditions and have been asked to remove the unauthorised structures.

AGP FC will be contacted again in writing, with a request from SDCC to remove the unauthorised facilities. If they are not removed by the club, SDCC will make arrangements to remove them ourselves.

AGP FC were notified that access to our new facility at Airlie Park would be withheld until the issues with their grass pitches had been resolved. Similar emails were sent out to several clubs who had issues with their grass pitches, all of whom have either resolved their issues to date or are working with us to resolve their pitch issues.