03/11/2016
Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.
Council first in participatory budgeting
South Dublin County Council has adopted its 2017 budget with a strong emphasis on Housing, Enhanced Service Delivery, Economic Development and Citizen Engagement. In a first of its kind pilot initiative the Council has set aside €300,000 discretionary funding, the precise spending of which will be determined in direct consultation with local citizens. In early 2017 one of the Council’s five electoral areas will be selected to undertake an open dialogue regarding its spending priorities. Consultation will involve traditional town hall style meetings together with social media platforms, the results of which will be analysed by an assessment panel, comprising of elected councillors and the council executive. If considered successful the Council is minded to extend the initiative to all electoral areas in 2018.
The budget which includes a 15% Local Property Tax reduction, also maintains commercial rates at 2016 levels. The Council has over the past eighteen months employed an additional one hundred and forty staff to restore and improve levels of service delivery. Further recruitment and pay commitments under Lansdowne Road, will see the total pay bill increase by €5m over a three year period. Housing is the foremost priority of the Council which will deliver over two hundred homes as part of the government’s Rapid Delivery Programme in 2017. An additional €1m is added to front line service delivery in areas like grass cutting, tree pruning and footpath maintenance. The business community is to benefit from a €1.2m Business Support Fund aimed at supporting business innovation, delivering micro enterprise space and improving the infrastructure of business parks. Tourism development has been prioritised as a key component of the economic development of the area, with significant plans underway to develop visitor attractions on the edge of the city. The Clondalkin Round Tower Visitor Centre will open in early summer next year, while detailed studies are underway for a Dublin Mountains visitor attraction, expanded facilities at Corkagh Park and the development of dilapidated outbuildings adjacent to Rathfarnham Castle. The budget provides €1m to support these initiatives. Full details of the Council’s 2017 budget can be found at www.sdcc.ie
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