COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM / TEMPLEOGUE / FIRHOUSE / BOHERNABREENA AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

QUESTION NO.11

QUESTION: Councillor Y. Collins

To ask for an update on the feedback received from the public in the recent public consultation, in particular in the consultative forums, in relation to the proposed redevelopment of Rathfarnham Castle Park and Stables in advance of the Part 8 process. How many forums were held and how many people participated in each?

REPLY:

A three stage non statutory public engagement process was undertaken during the months of April, May, and June, 2024. The process comprised three phases: Inform; Consult; Interrogate. The engagement process entailed historical tours of the courtyards to give a historical context to the buildings. (Inform); an online and paper questionnaire (Consult); and a series of focus groups, where issues were teased out (Interrogate).

120 people availed of historical tours of the courtyards – for many, this was the very first time they had been behind the walls of the space. Over 1,000 people completed the questionnaire, and over 60 people were invited to a series of focus groups including a youth session consisting of children between the ages of 8 – 19.

Given the largely positive engagement, the consultant engaged to conduct the process felt that, overall, there was a willingness to see the development in a more productive way.

The Council is currently working through the feedback received with the Architect led multi-disciplinary design team as part of the master planning process, and a fuller report on the findings of the non statutory public engagement piece, once worked through, will be shared with elected members in advance of the next steps of this project and any Part 8 process taking place.