logo
Extra beach clean-ups planned over ‘mini-heatwave' weekend in Dublin

Extra beach clean-ups planned over ‘mini-heatwave' weekend in Dublin

A spokesperson for Dublin City Council (DCC) said it was 'standard practice' for the authority to provide extra waste crews when increased footfall is expected on beaches and parks, or in good weather.
'With regard to Dollymount Beach, staff are in attendance from 6am to have the beach litter free and presentable for the day's visitors,' they said.
'A small number of staff remain until early evening to remove litter and service bins once the majority of visitors have returned home.'
Beaches are frequently left heavily littered after bouts of good weather, with drink containers, food packaging and disposable barbecues often left behind.
DCC added that Bull Island is a national nature reserve that should be respected by all members of the public.
'All of the litter on the beach is brought there by visitors and it is greatly appreciated if visitors bring their litter off the beach to the banks of bins located at the ends of the two access roads, or ideally home to be properly segregated and disposed of responsibly,' it added.
Fingal County Council said its cleaning crew would be on site at Velvet Strand in Portmarnock, a Blue Flag beach, at 6am on Saturday and Sunday.
'With the sunny weather and a large number of people expected at our beaches, Fingal County Council is providing additional large bins and cleansing crews to manage litter and beach cleaning,' said a spokesperson.
The council has requested beachgoers to follow their rules around pollution during the weekend, especially when visiting smaller beaches in the Fingal area that tend to get overcrowded in summer.
'We appeal to all beach goers to take all litter home with you and leave the beach clean, safe and free from pollution for everyone,' they said.
Outlining some rules for the weekend, they added: 'Take all the necessary safety precautions when in the water, follow directions and instructions from lifeguards at all times, take your litter home, and clean up after your dogs.'
This month, councillors in Fingal agreed on a Draft Litter Management Plan that will see more litter wardens and bins installed in public areas like beaches.
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown (DLR) County Council has already upgraded their waste management measures and staffing to meet the bin demand for summer.
Beaches like Seapoint and Killiney Beach will be cleaned at 7am and 6.30pm between Monday to Sunday, and on evenings during the weekend.
'The council has deployed a number of temporary 1,100L and barrel bins in strategic high-traffic locations from Easter through to the end of the summer period,' said a spokesperson.
'Staffing operations have also been adjusted to meet the pressures of the season.
'DLR has also increased its focus on beach cleanliness, with a dedicated Beach Patrol Operative on duty during the day and additional staff assigned to evening bins.'
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

131 derelict buildings recorded in Dublin city
131 derelict buildings recorded in Dublin city

RTÉ News​

time3 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

131 derelict buildings recorded in Dublin city

The number of derelict buildings in Dublin city has increased by almost 80% in the last four years. Dublin City Council's Derelict Sites Register, which tracks properties in the capital that have fallen into a dilapidated state, shows a jump from 74 at the end of January 2021, to 131 in July of this year. However, the local authority has now taken ownership of Neary's Bar and Hotel on Parnell Street, a building that has been derelict for so long one elderly inner-city resident says he barely remembers it as a functioning business. "I only vaguely remember it to be honest, I couldn't tell you much about," he said. "I'm in my 70s, and from the inner city, and I would remember it more the way it is now, than when it was a workplace. I notice dereliction a lot in the city. I walk around a lot, and I see it everywhere." Asked what he would like to see the property repurposed as, he said: "We need to turn it into flats for people to live in. Not another hotel, Ireland has enough of those. Accommodation is what we need most for sure." Dublin City Council has said that there are currently 131 properties on its derelict sites register and it currently has no plans to acquire any more. However, co-founder of the Derelict Ireland movement, Dr Frank O'Connor, has said that the number does not reflect the reality of dereliction in the capital. "You'll find there's a huge inconsistency across the country in terms of how local authorities tackle dereliction," he said. "From our work across the country, we generally find that the recorded numbers of derelict properties are far lower than the actual number, and from the data we have collected, Dublin is no different. "We see so much dereliction in Dublin, and it has a huge impact on the community. They lose out on the potential that property could offer to the area. I don' think there has been the cultural or political will to tackle the issue for the last number of decades, but that is starting to change. If you chat to people on the street now, they want change." Change may be made possible through a new statutory instrument called a Special Purpose Vehicle. Green Party Councillor for Dublin' North Inner City, Janet Horner, explains how it can be employed to combat dereliction in Dublin. "The Special Purpose Vehicle is proposed as part of the Taoiseach's Task Force recommendations, but it really comes from Dublin City Council as an idea. "Essentially, it provides for the creation of a development company, wholly owned by the city council," she said. "Because it's a development company, it's allowed to do things a little bit differently than the city council would be empowered to do. For example, it would to be able to acquire properties outside of the Compulsory Purchase Order process. "It enables the council to take risks in relation to derelict properties in a way that it otherwise wouldn't." "If you look around the wider O'Connell Street area, along Abbey Street, Parnell Street and Marlborough Street, there are significant derelict and vacant sites there and that is a prime place where the city council needs to be intervening and actually acquiring those properties." Dublin City Council has said that almost €9.9 million in fines for dereliction are outstanding in 2025, and Cllr Hornet said that is something that needs immediate attention. "It isn't easy to chase these things and pursue them to the courts, but it is really necessary," she said. "We have to be using that power to the maximum the potential of the city. Dublin needs to be alive and derelict sites are antisocial to the city."

Kind pedestrians and cyclists given 'I'm sound' badges by Dublin City Council
Kind pedestrians and cyclists given 'I'm sound' badges by Dublin City Council

Irish Daily Mirror

time5 days ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Kind pedestrians and cyclists given 'I'm sound' badges by Dublin City Council

A bunch of kind pedestrians and cyclists were awarded badges by Dublin City Council's 'soundness detectors' on Wednesday. As part of its public awareness campaign 'Be Sound This Summer', the council renewed its appeal for all road and path users to be more respectful of others. And pedestrians, cyclists and drivers that looked out for others and prioritised safety in the city centre on Wednesday were awarded with an 'I'm Sound' badge. Through social media videos, the council is encouraging people to stop hogging lanes, breaking lights or dangerously dashing. Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam, said: "As a city, we're working to make travel safer, cleaner and more connected — not just through infrastructure, but through how we treat one another. ''Be Sound This Summer' is about recognising and celebrating those small, everyday actions that make our streets safer and more respectful for everyone. By adding a bit of fun and positivity to the message, we're encouraging all road users to look out for each other. Whatever way you travel, being sound goes a long way.' Active travel, such as walking and cycling, plays a central role in how Dubliners get around the city. On average, people split their weekly transport time almost evenly between walking or wheeling (41 per cent) and driving (40 per cent), with a further 19 per cent spent cycling, according to the Your Dublin Your Voice survey. In Dublin, 71 per cent of adults walk five or more days a week, while 47 per cent use a car five or more days a week. One in four adults say they cycle at least once a week. According to the Walking and Cycling Index, 530,000 cars are taken off the road every day in the Dublin Metropolitan Area because of those who decide to walk and cycle. If these cars were all in a traffic jam, it would tail back 2,500 kilometres, equivalent to over nine times the distance from Dublin City to Cork City. Over half a million fewer cars on the road generates an annual benefit of €2.39 billion for individuals and the wider city. It also prevents 3,655 serious long-term health conditions each year and saves the health service approximately €64.5 million - equivalent to over 1.17 million GP appointments. Those walking and cycling instead of driving also save greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.69 million flights from Dublin Airport to London Heathrow Airport. A bicycle traffic light in Dublin There has been a large increase in older residents engaging in active travel in recent years. Some 74 per cent of Dublin residents aged over 66 now walk or wheel at least five days a week, up from 54 per cent in 2021, and 12 per cent of residents aged over 66 cycle at least once a week, up from 10 per cent in 2021. Dublin City Council said it will continue to roll out dedicated infrastructure across the city to keep this momentum up and encourage people to walk and cycle. Within the next four weeks, three active travel schemes will be completed across the city, including the Ranelagh Village interim scheme, Beatty's Avenue to Herbert Park (part of the Dodder Greenway) scheme and the Royal Canal Phase 3 scheme. Director of Dublin City Council's active travel programme office, Christopher K Manzira, said: 'With more people choosing to travel actively across the city, we all have a shared responsibility to look out for one another. 'Be Sound' is a reminder that safety and respect are essential on our streets. "Whether you're walking to the shop, wheeling to work, or driving through town, a little soundness can make a big difference. The data shows that active travel benefits us all, from reducing emissions to easing congestion as well as the additional health benefits. We want everyone to feel confident and safe doing so.' Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week

Wexford principal is at wits' end as he fights for SNA support for child with complex needs
Wexford principal is at wits' end as he fights for SNA support for child with complex needs

Irish Independent

time23-07-2025

  • Irish Independent

Wexford principal is at wits' end as he fights for SNA support for child with complex needs

A Wexford primary school principal says he's 'at his wits' end' while trying to resolve an anomaly that has resulted in a pupil with very complex needs being refused the continuation of their special needs assistant support as they transition from second class in their junior school to third class in the senior school next door. The student will make the move from the Catherine McAuley Junior School to Bunscoil Rís in September this year, which is the standard process in the schools once the students reach third class, and both schools are run by a joint Board of Management. However, the principal of Bunscoil Rís, Gerry Moran, is publicly calling on the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to re-allocate an SNA to the school that one of the pupil's had access to in second class, which he claims he has been fighting for since Easter, 2025. "As a primary school principal, I am at my wits' end trying to get some SNA support for a very complex child who will enrol in our school in September,' Mr Moran said. 'This is because of a simple anomaly, that the NCSE refuses to address, and his SNA will not transfer with him to the new school,' he said. Mr Moran explained that the case 'is so complex' that Middletown Centre of Autism in Monaghan will advise and support the school. 'They only support between five and seven pupils per year, yet the NCSE in Ireland will not allocate an SNA to our school that the pupil had in second class,' he said. 'The Middletown Centre for Autism understands the complexity of this pupil, yet the NCSE 'stands behind processes and procedures,' said Mr Moran. 'My understanding is that the Special Educational Needs Officer on the ground, who is excellent, and the team manager, who has promoted our case, both understand the issue, but line managers are stuck behind parameters. Our pupil does not fit into any parameters,' Mr Moran said. He said the NSCE is failing to recognise that the child will rely on their SNA, given their complex needs. In adding to the frustration of those involved in trying to provide adequate resources, a new application for SNA supports can only be made after the child has enrolled in the school. This is a process that could take months to be finalised and receive the new allocation of the supports. 'Despite numerous email communications with the local NCSE team manager for Wexford/Waterford, there seems to be no allocation forthcoming,' he said. 'The team manager stated that 'NCSE will continue to prioritise schools with no SNA access, schools with medically compromised or vulnerable children and highly complex cases'. I have explained that we are in this category of being a highly complex case, as the pupil in question had access to an SNA. I have been chasing this extra SNA support since Easter, and we are now at the middle of July and NCSE are refusing to make an allocation,' he said. Mr Moran commended the 'excellent' Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO), Selina Lynge, who he said has a 'clear understanding of the needs' in the school, however, he's struggling to comprehend the disconnect between the SENOs and their higher powers. The principal also claims that the allocation system is 'failing pupils'. In Budget 2023, the NCSE was allocated €13 million to support its Vision 26 transformation program, which involves organisational changes and recruitment, which was an additional €13 million, however, it's the view of the principal that 'the system seems to be as chaotic as ever.' 'It is extremely frustrating as a school principal that we must go to such lengths to beg the NCSE for resources. 'If this pupil was in a single stream school with classes from junior to sixth class, there would be no issue with his SNA in third class and as resources are not transferred, both the school and the child are penalised,' he said, adding that he has also contacted the leading members of other support services 'to see if they can help'. Bunscoil Rís currently has five classes for pupils with autism, and the NCSE has provided the required staffing including teachers and SNAs for the classes, which Mr Moran said the school is 'thankful' for, however, he noted that the allocation of the fifth class 'only came about after an incredibly difficult fight for resources'. 'I know from speaking with other local principals that many are frustrated by how the NCSE operates and dealing with them is like pulling teeth, just painful,' he said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store