COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE

Monday, March 25, 2024

MOTION NO.5

MOTION: Councillor V. Mulhall

"To ask the manager if there are plans to invest more resources/time/staff into the upkeep of Sean Walsh park; I've been told that parts of the park are very untidy and safety concerns have been raised?"

REPORT:

Supervisory staff from the Council's Public Realm Section have regular contact and meetings with An Garda Siochana in relation to many issues and areas and this includes Sean Walsh Park.  In general, the Gardai are of the view that the park is a safe environment for members of the public to enjoy. The Council was asked by the Gardai and local residents to provide public lighting along the footpath which runs parallel to the N81 from the 'blue bridge' down to the emergency vehicular entrance to the park from the N81.  Public lighting has now been installed at this location and is functional.

The Council's Park Rangers Service provides a monitoring service across all our parks including Sean Walsh Park, with 14 staff employed in this role 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 public lighting to improve safety and security in the park, 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.  

In line with the park management plan several improvements have occurred in the park in recent times including the development of an all-weather pitch, a MUGA, playground refurbishment, sensory planting, additional seating, a 'fairy garden', wooden sculptures, bridge painting, railing upgrades, maintenance of long and short meadows for pollinators/biodiversity, bike parking, public lighting, tree planting, hedge planting, removal of vegetation at the rear of Cill Cais which was facilitating anti-social behaviour, drainage works required due to flooding, replanting of the roundabout at Old Bawn Community School and pollinator bulb planting. Future Park improvements will include the construction of a dog run which has been included in the public realm improvement works programme for the current year, a teen space, more perennial planting as well as bench and bin replacements as needed.  

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 regular maintenance of our parks ensures that there is an ongoing presence of both Council general services staff and supervisory staff in all areas.