COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, April 13, 2026

QUESTION NO. 4

QUESTION: Councillor L. de Courcy

To ask the Chief Executive for an update on the progress of implementing Motion 8, December 2025 (89090) which reads "That this Council agrees publicly funded and/or supported community centres within South Dublin allow elected representatives to hold public meetings when they wish to do so, subject to availability."

REPLY:

Council-owned and council-supported community centres are managed at local level by management committees. These committees are established as independent legal entities, typically companies limited by guarantee, and are responsible for the governance, operation and day-to-day management of each centre in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the management licence issued by the Council.

The management committees are generally comprised of local volunteer residents and, in many cases also include representatives of key statutory and support agencies, including representatives of our Community Department, as provided for within management licences for such facilities.

Decisions relating to the booking and use of facilities, including whether and when a centre can facilitate public meetings, are managed through each centre’s room booking policy and fall within the remit of the management committee. As the body closest to, and most familiar with, local circumstances, each management committee is best placed to determine arrangements having regard to local community needs, existing centre programming, and the availability and suitability of space.

Any room booking policy adopted by a management committee must be fair, transparent and consistently applied to all users. Our Community Department will continue to engage with and advocate to management committees that whatever policies and procedures are in place regarding the facilitation of public meetings apply in an even-handed and non-discriminatory manner to all locally elected members.

When agreeing Motion 8 at the December 2025 Council meeting, it was also agreed that this matter would be referred to the Social, Community, Equality and Integration Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) for further consideration. Accordingly, this item will be on the agenda of the SPC meeting scheduled for next month.