COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, January 12, 2026

QUESTION NO. 8

QUESTION: Councillor Y. Collins

To ask the Chief Executive how it proposes to facilitate and encourage public engagement in the context of local authority led nature restoration projects.

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council’s work in nature enhancement is informed and supported by a number of plans and policies such as the County Development Plan, SDCC's Biodiversity Plan, the Green Infrastructure Strategy, Climate Change Plan, SDCC's Pollinator Plan and the Parks and Open Space Strategy. Through the County Development Plan SDCC have implemented an approach to integrating biodiversity and sustainability into local planning. It creates and / or retains a connected network of ecological corridors across the county, ensuring the delivery of essential development and protecting and enhancing nature. A key strength of the plans and strategies is its integration into daily operations, from influencing every planning application to guiding the management of parks, open spaces, and drainage networks and encouraging the involvement of adjacent communities. Action is also implemented through projects directly delivered by local community groups. Innovative examples include Ireland’s first use of a Green Space Factor to assess green infrastructure in developments, a county-wide Pollinator Action Plan covering over 200 hectares of meadows, and community-led planting of Mini-woodlands.

SDCC's key objectives cross a number of strategies including; enhancing biodiversity, restoring habitat connectivity, promoting nature-based solutions like Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS), implementing a county-wide Pollinator Action Plan, and empowering community engagement in green space management. These objectives are being delivered through the creation of a county-wide network of green corridors using rivers, canals, woodlands, meadows, and parklands—designed not just for wildlife, but also to deliver ecosystem services such as clean air, water management, and access to nature. By embedding sustainability into all aspects of planning and land management, the strategy enables balanced, nature-friendly development and offers a replicable model to foster biodiversity while meeting development needs. 

Local communities play a central role in the implementation of biodiversity protection, enhancement and nature restoration. Residents are encouraged to engage with the Council through a range of activities, including tree planting initiatives, supporting the Pollinator Action Plan, active environmental-supporting events held during the year and participating in Tidy Towns, residents' associations, and environmental groups. Community members work closely with the Council’s Public Realm staff and park rangers, who provide expert guidance and resources to ensure community-led projects align with the protection and enhancement of the environment. Projects like the planting of Mini-Woodlands demonstrate how local volunteers are directly contributing to strengthening biodiversity and ecological connectivity. Community interest in taking climate action is actively supported by the Council, and this energy has assisted greatly with practical, impactful projects such as pollinator-friendly planting, the creation of meadows, wetlands and green space enhancements. Active community involvement has assisted greatly with the development of Integrated Construction Wetlands and these partnerships ensure that actions taken by communities are not only locally meaningful but also strategically aligned to deliver wider environmental benefits. This collaborative approach empowers residents to shape their own neighbourhoods while also supporting regional sustainability objectives. The result is a deeper sense of ownership, increased environmental awareness, and stronger social cohesion, all of which contribute to the long-term success and resilience of the GI Strategy. SDCC look forward to continuing and building on public engagement with nature restoration projects and programmes and the recent advertisement for a Biodiversity Officer for the Council, subject to successful recruitment and appointment processes, will help support and enhance this work going forward.

Browse a selection of these actions on SDCC's Climate Action Storymap https://arcg.is/1G0GPe