COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN, NEWCASTLE, RATHCOOLE, SAGGART AND BRITTAS AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

MOTION NO. 15

MOTION: Councillor W. Carey

That this Area Committee agrees that the manager should take action to ensure that noise levels from heavy machinery at Deansrath maintenance yard should be reduced and such works can only be carried out during a normal and acceptable timeframe and that materials such as sand, gravel and other aggregates shall be moved to alternative locations furthest from houses adjacent to the yard.

REPORT:

A reorganisation project for Deansrath Depot has commenced and will include examination and review of operations across a number of sections in the Depot.  Drinking Water and Wastewater operations have until now been the anchor tenant in the depot coupled with part of the Council's mechanical services section.  Water and Wastewater operations are now directly managed by Uisce Éireann who are based in Deansrath Depot as part of an SLA agreement.  All staff in Deansrath Depot have been instructed to make every effort to minimize disturbance to residents who live in the vicinity of the Depot.  Signs are in place to remind staff to keep noise to a minimum and keep the yard areas as clean as possible.  Operations in Deansrath usually take place within normal day working hours. However, Water & Waste Water Operations are a 24/7 service and they have to attend to emergencies after hours from time to time, usually to repair burst water mains which can occur at any time.  

In November 2024 the Public Realm Operations depot at Grange closed and approximately 35 staff were relocated from there to Deansrath depot.  These staff are involved in cleansing, grass cutting, park maintenance, hedge cutting and tree maintenance works for the most part.  Public Realm staff cut the grass on the R136 and R148 on a fortnightly basis and this involves mobilising early at Deansrath depot on those mornings.  Staff are instructed to leave machinery ready to go first thing on those Saturdays mornings and that the movement of vehicles and machinery in a manner that causes noise such as reversing should be avoided.  The supervisors on duty have been instructed to monitor this to ensure staff compliance.

The transition to Irish Water has also led to the creation of the Natural Water Section which also operates from Deansrath depot however this section does not envisage the need to carry out late night or early morning operations in the depot.  

The issue raised with regard to the storage of materials will be examined in detail when the design process for the depot upgrade commences later this year.  This process will require public consultation and Part 8 approval before upgrade works commence.  While it is not possible to remove materials storage areas until such time as those upgrade works are underway an examination of how these areas are currently being used will be carried out now to identify any measures that could be implemented to minimise disturbance to the neighbouring houses.