COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, January 15, 2024

QUESTION NO.13

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the CEO what ongoing actions he is taking to ensure that our parks across the County are safe for all park users; will he give details and make a statement? 

REPLY:

The Council's Public Realm Sections provides and maintains many parks which vary in terms of size and facilities ranging from large regional parks such as Corkagh, Tymon and Griffeen Valley which cover around 300 acres each, to local and neighbourhood parks some of which are 5 to 10 acres in size. SDCC’s County Development Plan contains policies regarding the requirement for active frontages facing onto parks and ensuring open spaces are designed to be safe places. During the development stage of parks, designing for safety is one of the criteria that is included, this ensures measures such as active frontages and active usages are utilised as much as possible and views along footpaths are maintained where required. Where appropriate, An Garda Siochana are consulted to provide valuable feedback on park design and upgrade proposals. The regular maintenance of these parks ensures that there is an ongoing presence of both Council general services staff and supervisory staff in all areas. The provision of facilities for active park users such as walking paths, play facilities, playing pitches, seating areas and other amenities helps to ensure that there is passive supervision taking place during park opening hours.  Further facilities and infrastructure are being developed on an ongoing basis to ensure that our parks continue to develop and improve and continue to attract those who use our parks for positive purposes and who assist in the passive supervision as already mentioned. 

The Council's Park Rangers Service provides a monitoring service across all our parks with 14 staff employed in this roll on a full time basis.  Park Ranger rosters are arranged to cover park opening hours as they change through the months of the year with rangers on duty 7 days per week throughout the year.  One of their roles is to liaise with An Garda Siochana in relation to any anti-social behaviour or criminal activity which they become aware of taking place in our parks and a good working relationship has developed between our park rangers, supervisory staff and the Gardai in relation to such matters.  There is regular contact in this regard and regular meetings take place with the Gardai as the need arises and as issues come to the attention of the rangers and Council staff that require the involvement of the Gardai.  Where issues arise that require physical works, such as the installation of fencing to prevent access by stolen vehicles onto park land for example, then these works are arranged and carried out at the earliest possible date.  Many such works have been carried out in recent years and this will continue to be the case as the need arises in the future.