Mayor Eamonn Maloney on behalf of the Members of South Dublin County Council and in Association with SWAN Family Support Network will officially switch on the Christmas Tree Lights in the Civic Plaza at County Hall Tallaght on Wednesday 13^th December at 1.30pm. Local school choirs from St. Marks Senior School, Springfield and St. Thomas Junior School Jobstown will also attend.

The purpose of the tree ceremony is to commemorate those who have died as a result of their addiction. It is an opportunity to publicly acknowledge the human element of addiction within our communities. It is now widely known that whole generations of families have been wiped out as a result of the curse of substance use and misuse.

It is also our way of showing solidarity with the parents and partners in their grief at this time of year. Families are invited to decorate the tree with their own decorations which represent their loved ones. The white doves represent those who have passed away. The gold stars are to celebrate and acknowledge those who have made the brave journey to recovery. The silver stars are the traditional representation of the spiritual aspect of the nativity.