COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 09, 2024

QUESTION NO. 7

QUESTION: Councillor C Ahern

Please provide a report on how many gardeners are directly employed by the council to maintain trees, flowers and planting in SDCC parks, district centres, verges, etc- report to include any plans to increase this given the very welcome number of new wildflower and green areas being created in the county

REPLY:

The Public Realm Section is engaged in a wide variety of works including tree maintenance, planting and landscaping schemes, maintenance or urban centres and cutting of roadside verges as mentioned.  Also included are maintenance of estate open spaces, park maintenance works, hedge maintenance, maintenance of short and long meadows, landscaping of roundabouts as well as many other items.  Some of this work is seasonal while other items are carried out on a year round basis.  Staff involved in the overall programme of maintenance works range from supervisors to craftworks, drivers and general operatives.  The number of craftworkers engaged by the Council's Public Realm Section is 16 which includes bricklayers, craft gardeners, carpenters, welders and painters.  A there is an increasing volume of work arising from new park developments, new public realm areas, taking in charge of housing estates and the development of new play facilities, our workforce plan numbers are under constant review to keep in line with a growing and developing county.