Implementation Board to publish plan in April

THE Cherry Orchard Implementation Board is to publish its plan in April.

It was established following a number of high profile anti-social incidents which attracted national media attention in 2022, including a video of a garda car being rammed by juvenile joyriders, which was widely shared on social media at the time.

The board includes representation between Dublin City Council and stakeholders in the community, including An Garda Síochána, Tusla, the HSE, the Probation Service, St Ultan’s primary school and Ballyfermot Chapelizod Partnership.

Speaking to Newstalk, Chair of the Board, Brendan Foster, says thousands of homes planned for the area will bring employment and much needed facilities.

“A lot of the residents, a lot of the community based organisations will say that over the years they’ve had some false dawns, they’ve had plans, they’ve had lots of launches and some of the funding, or some of the state agencies haven’t followed the funding,” he said.

Foster believes it’s within the government’s “gift” to ensure that promises are followed through.

Cllr Hazel de Nortúin (PBP) has previously called for local representation on the board to inform decision making, but says local reps are not included on the board and are being drip-fed information.

“A lot of hard work has gone in for years to get the community together, having consultation nights, getting their feedback, really getting them on board,” said Cllr de Nortúin.

“And I just don’t think that it’s an option now that if this fails because of the coordination around this board, that we can go back and start again.

This is literally our last try before we lose the community as a whole.”