Burnt-out cars causing havoc to playing pitches
By Aura McMenamin
There has been intensified vandalism to green spaces by burnt-out cars in the county, with the council aiming to have specific funding in place to deal with the issue in next year’s budget.
There have been three incidents of vehicles being burned out on council-owned land in the past week.
Joyriders set a car alight in a green space used as a football pitch in Tallaght last week after destroying the grass and the car by crashing it into make-shift goalposts.
A South Dublin County Council spokesperson said that there have been ‘a number of incidents’ recently at Kiltalown Park and added that a vehicle was burned out at Butler McGee Park in Cheeverstown, while a motorbike was set on fire in the green at Fernwood, Springfield.
The removal of cars is operated by a private company. When asked if the council could give an estimated cost for the service this year, the council said that it was an ‘inter-agency approach’ involving An Garda Síochána and said they could not give an estimate to the overall costs. They also did not give the cost for each car removal.
They added: “It is expected that specific provision will be required for this service for 2018 and will be considered during the forthcoming 2018 budgetary process.”
The Echo reported earlier this month that 86 burnt-out cars and 26 horses were removed from the Clonburris fields, They also confirmed the high-number of incidents of burnt-out cars on private lands at Clonburris where cars going in and out of the area were causing damage to the boundaries of the lands.
Sinn Féin councillor for Tallaght Cathal King said he has raised this issue several times at council meetings and joint-policing committee meetings. He said the issue had gotten significantly worse in the past year.
He theorised that teenagers were buying cars for cash from companies that deal with scrap cars.
He said: “These aren’t robbed cars. My theory is that companies in charge of scrapping end-of-life cars are selling them to groups of youths for €100 or €200.
“The cars in these cases are end-of-life cars. If they crash it, then it’s only a €20 loss for each young fella.”
He said that vandalism on playing pitches in particular was having a detrimental effect on the community.
Cllr King said: “Killinarden Park has been very badly affected. Sacred Heart FC bought grass to cover spots after vandalism to the pitch.”
Cllr King said he wanted to secure funding for securing the perimeters of parks and wanted to see more vigilance from the Gardai as well.
He added: “There’s a huge safety aspect as well – a risk to children and people walking their dogs. Everyone needs to come together to get this solved.”
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