Harbour playground and dog park concerns

This was in a report by a council official who is the liaison person for the harbour.

The dog park is at the newly named 'D'Arcy's Field' in the new public park.

'Are Glenveagh going to complete the dog park to the standard it needs to be used? If not, I'm led to understand that we have some other site,' said Cllr Tom Fortune who asked for clarification.

He added that the playground equipment is not suitable for children who are wheelchair users.

'Have we allowed Glenveagh to do the bare minimum of a playground? When in fact it should be finished to a standard where all people can use it including people who have a disability.

'As a public representative when you write to Glenveagh which I've done on a number of occasions, they don't even acknowledge your mail,' said Cllr Fortune. 'Can they basically do what they like? I would really like to know what's happening with the dog park and the playground.'

Cllr Mags Crean said that €620,000 was a shocking figure. She wondered what portion of their overall spend was on the dog park.

'Is there not an onus on them to finish it? There was a lack of oversight there at some point.' She asked how much is available in funding for dog parks in the district.

Cllr Gerry Walsh said that the sum sounds excessive. 'I hadI had queried this with them still waiting response

'One response I did get was that they would be back on site in March to address some of the issues.'

Cllr said that the dog park is more of a lake. 'They did give an indication that it would be addressed.'

'A contract was made with Glenveagh and they haven't delivered,' said Cllr Lourda Scott. 'How did this fall through the cracks. It's a field with a pond in it not a dog park. Is that a realistic estimate or was it a figure pulled out of the sky?'

Cll Jodie Neary asked if there is a way to future proof designs so that as standards get better and become the norm that things like dog parks and playgrounds are designed in line with that. Cllr Derek Mitchell said that nobody has been able to come up with a definition of whether the dog park was done in accordance with the part 8. 'I simply don't know if it is,' he said. 'I don't remember having a lake in the original plan.' He said his dog likes it, but not all would. The playground, Cllr Mitchell said, is in accordance with the Part 8, he understands.

Cllr Lourda Scott has sought an accessibility audit of the park as a whole, a matter being addressed by the disability officer.