COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 14, 2026

QUESTION NO.41

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive for a report into SDCC twinning arrangements and how they are maintained in terms of contact?

REPLY:

SDCC entered into twinning arrangements with the London Borough of Brent and Kreis Segeberg in Germany in 1997. There have been no activities under these arrangements since 2008 and there are limited records in relation to contact prior to that. There has been recent contact from the London Borough of Brent to discuss the future of the twinning arrangement.

The Council supported a community twinning arrangement between Rathcoole and Ecole Valentine in France and a visit took place in 2016.

The Council also has a 'Sister Cities Agreement' with Tampa, Florida and the last contact was in June 2016.

Section 75 of the Local Government Act 2001 sets out the criteria for Twinning:

(1) A local authority may enter into arrangements for the twinning of its administrative area or a part of it or establish other similar links with any other area, whether within or outside the State.

(2) The decision to enter into an arrangement under subsection (1) is a reserved function.

(3) A local authority shall not enter into an arrangement under subsection (1) unless, having had regard to the following matters, it is satisfied that the arrangement is justified:

           (a) the benefits likely to accrue to its administrative area and the local community,

           (b) the social, cultural and general interests of its administrative area and the local community, and

           (c) the total cost involved.

(4) The Minister may issue directions to local authorities or specified classes of local authorities for the purposes of this section.

(5) There shall be recorded in the annual report of a local authority for every year expenditure and other particulars in relation to the performance of its functions under this section.