COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM / TEMPLEOGUE / FIRHOUSE / BOHERNABREENA AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, April 09, 2024

QUESTION NO. 6

QUESTION: Councillor A. Edge

Further to my previous motion, to ask if the Council will provide an occasional road sweeping service in Glenasmole for road safety reasons.

REPLY:

Rural Roads are not currently included under the scope of the Road Sweeping & Associated Services Contract which is managed by Environment, Water & Climate Change Department. This service is provided in urban areas and on urban roads which are defined by a kerb edge.  Road grit builds up against the kerb and this requires regular removal otherwise it will interfere with the road drainage system.  This service also includes the cleaning of gullies to remove grit which has been carried and washed into them.  The absence of a kerb edge on rural roads means that grit does not build up there, instead it is driven off the road and onto the roadside verge.   

Adding rural roads to the street cleaning programme would not be feasible at present due to the magnitude/length of roads that this would involve and the additional cost that would arise.  The Public Realm Section will examine the area specifically referred to here at Glenasmole to determine what level of cleansing or litter picking service would be required in the area in terms of frequency and the nature of the service required.  The road sweeping contract which is currently held by Oxigen Environmental Ltd will expire at the end of this year and a tender process will be conducted this year for a new contractual arrangement.  The preparation of the necessary tender documents will provide an opportunity to examine this matter further and possibly provide for some level of cleansing service in this rural area.