COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 10, 2025

QUESTION NO. 15

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive for a detailed report into Have Your Say funding that went unspent on various projects by LEA over the length of the Fund and where that money went?

REPLY:

A total of 62 projects were voted on by 42,342 citizens across the county through the participatory budgeting initiative that ran from 2017 to 2023. 45 projects of those projects have been delivered, and the full list of those projects is presented below.

Of the remaining 17 projects, 12 are still ongoing and delivery is planned and 4 were not possible to deliver. 3 projects were not delivered because of failure to secure agreement of the hosting facility or local community and one project proved to not be feasible.

The total value of those 4 projects, based on the estimates given at the time, comes to €105,000. 3 of the undelivered projects were in the Clondalkin LEA with a total estimated value of €45,000, and one project was in Tallaght Central with an estimated value of €60,000.

As evidenced by several evaluations carried out on the initiative, the value of the participatory budgeting initiative was threefold - 1] the extent of the citizen engagement achieved, 2] delivery of projects on the ground, and 3] greater awareness of SDCC and its role in community development. While there is disappointment in the projects that were not delivered, and frustration at the delays in the delivery of the remaining 12 projects that the Council is still working to deliver, the list below of the 45 projects that have been delivered shows the variety and significant impact that the initiative had in local communities across every LEA and demonstrates the overwhelming success and value of the initiative overall. 

More detail on all projects is given below.

45 Completed Projects:

  1. Playground in Waterstown Park, Palmerstown
  2. Feasibility Study for the Restoration of Silver Bridge, Palmerstown
  3. Christmas Lights in Lucan Village
  4. Planting Native Apple Trees, Lucan Electoral Area
  5. Free Library Book Banks in Public Places - Lucan Electoral Area
  6. Multi-Games Wall in Lucan
  7. Restoration of King John’s Bridge Griffeen Park – Lucan
  8. Renovate Portocabin for the Clondalkin Men Shed
  9. Restoration of Old Nangor Road Water Pump
  10. Christmas Lights for Clondalkin Village
  11. A Community Orchard, Clondalkin Electoral Area
  12. Irish Signs for Clondalkin
  13. Planting Flowers across the Bawnogue Area
  14. Safety and Inclusivity Study of Clondalkin's Public Spaces
  15. On-Street Bicycle Pump, Clondalkin Villlage
  16. WiFi Activated Self-Guided Historical Trail of Clondalkin
  17. Gym Equipment and Activities for Rathcoole Community Centre
  18. Health and Wellbeing Garden in Firhouse Community Centre
  19. Nature Trail along the river Dodder
  20. Playground Facilities at Ballycragh Park
  21. Native Tree Trail in Woodlawn Park
  22. Sensory garden / accessible playground Tymon Park
  23. Improve the Kingswood playground
  24. Native tree trail in Sean Walsh Park
  25. Upgrade the playground at Sean Walsh Park
  26. Upgrade the playground at Aylesbury Field
  27. Fruit Trees along Bolbrook Stream and Avonmore Road
  28. Toddler specific playground for Old Bawn
  29. A book of short stories and poetry
  30. A nature trail in Rathfarnham Castle Park
  31. Planting fruit trees throughout the Rathfarnham Templeogue electoral area
  32. Christmas lights for Templeogue Village and Rathfarnham Village
  33. Outdoor nature classrooms on local greens in Rathfarnham – Templeogue
  34. A bicycle pump for Templeogue Village
  35. Run a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) Project for children from the Traveller Community
  36. Drinking water stations for Rathfarnham
  37. Place QR code stands near Templeogue Cemetery and the nearby Old Church
  38. Run a poetry competition in Rathfarnham
  39. Solar Panels on Killinarden Community Centre and CARP Killinarden
  40. Foraging and land-based skills workshops in parks
  41. Bicycle Repair Station Next to the Saggart Luas Stop
  42. Christmas Lights for Saggart Village
  43. New Park Benches in Carrigmore Park
  44. A Public Drinking Water Pump in Saggart Village
  45. Native Tree Trail in Carrigmore Park, Citywest

12 Ongoing Projects still in delivery:

  1. Access to Church and Graveyard at Mill Lane, Palmerstown
  2. Pedestrian Link between the Round Tower and Corkagh Park
  3. New Play Ground, Forest Hill Estate
  4. Intergenerational Outdoor Activity Spaces in Glenasmole
  5. Signage for viewing points of the Dublin Mountains
  6. Outdoor event space in Sean Walsh Park
  7. Signage for Tallaght waterway
  8. Green laneways for Rathfarnham
  9. Playground and seating for the College Drive/Fortfield Road
  10. Community Wellbeing Garden at Killinarden Community Centre
  11. Heritage Trail App for Saggart Village
  12. Men's Shed upgrade at the Fettercairn Youth and Community Centre

4 Projects that are not progressing:

  1. Bottle banks and recycling facilities for Cherrywood (€20,000) - not wanted by centre
  2. Acoustic Piano for the Rathcoole Community Centre (€5,000) - not wanted by centre
  3. Welcome to Clondalkin Hedge Signage (€20,000) - The project to create a ‘Welcome to Clondalkin’ hedge sign couldn’t proceed because there was no suitable location to situate the hedge signage with the required space.
  4. Basketball and tennis court in Kilnamanagh (€60,000) - Local Community Groups have rejected the winning project. Submission was not made by a community group. Funding remains unused and project cannot progress. Funds remain available to be used on this project