Cost of keeping playgrounds safe from vandals is €1m, says Cork council

It would cost up to €1m per year to secure playgrounds across Co Cork in order to prevent ongoing nighttime vandalism, according to county council officials.

Vandal attacks after dark are costing the council a small fortune in repairs to playground equipment and it’s not just happening in large urban areas but at playgrounds in rural villages.

However, council officials have costed employing people in different localities to open the fa-cilities in the morning and lock them at night and estimated it would be nearly €1m annually, especially as such work would come with premium payments for working anti-social hours and bank holidays.

The cost came to light at a meeting of the most populous municipal district in the county – Carrigaline – where increasing vandalism in its town park is becoming a major problem.

Fine Gael councillor Una McCarthy, two fixed benches in the local park were pulled from their concrete bases and smashed around the park, “which is nothing short of disgraceful.” The damage was reported to her by locals.

“When I visited the park myself, I saw firsthand the extent of the damage, including the dis-placed benches, broken glass, and rubbish scattered throughout the area. 

"This raises serious concerns about the safety and protection of the playground, which is due to undergo a €300,000 refurbishment this summer thanks to the tremendous work of the voluntary play-ground committee,” Ms McCarthy said.

She said the committee has requested the playground be locked outside operating hours in order to help protect the new equipment from future acts of vandalism.

But she was told the cost of employing caretakers to open and close playgrounds was assessed and the council simply doesn’t have the money to do this as there are 201 playgrounds around the county.

“We need a multi-pronged approach to tackling vandalism, one that includes increased garda presence, the implementation of CCTV, and better education around respect for community facilities and public spaces. 

"Communities invest huge time, effort, and funding into these amenities, and it is important that people understand the impact that vandalism has on local residents and on the volunteers who Fianna Fail councillor Audrey Buckley said she’d spoken to local gardaí and because they’re overstretched, they aren’t able to mount the foot patrols they like. “This is a huge issue, and it is a pity that a few (vandals) are ruining it for the many,” she added.

Ms McCarthy agreed with her that there needs to be more gardaí stationed in Carrigaline.

“This is very disappointing when council is investing huge money (in the playground and park) and it’s being destroyed by a few. Need and we need to stamp it out," Fianna Fail councillor Patrick Donovan said.