No to ‘prison’ playground, says Dollard

ENNIS’ town manager Ger Dollard has opposed calls to enclose the newly opened Tim Smythe Park playground behind a 6ft tall fence, saying he does not want to create a “prison-type environment”.

Anti-social behaviour at the new playground, which cost around €450,000, has prompted residents and some members of Ennis Town Council to call for the fence, along with other security measures.
However, Mr Dollard insisted this would be “premature” as the entire project has yet to be completed.
“We don’t want to create a prison-type environment, it’s a playground for young children. When the project is done, we will be in a better position to see what additional measures are needed,” he stated.
At this week’s meeting of Ennis Town Council, Councillor Johnny Flynn urged controls such as the fence, floodlighting and gates be put in place along with a management plan to include closing the playground at night.
He said the “abuse” of the facility is being carried out by a small minority and he detailed how his own nephew had seen a mugging in the area. “This has been very disturbing for the residents. This playground is for the enjoyment of children and there is no need for it to be open at night. It would be dreadful for such a fine facility to be undermined by a small sector,” he commented.
Councillor Brian Meaney stated that “unruly” teenagers are causing the problems saying, “If they think they will get away with it, they will do it”. He urged an open mind to be kept on the provision of the fence.
Councillor Mary Howard described how teenagers are “roaring and shouting”. “It’s heart breaking to hear what they are doing there,” she added.
She asked what these teenagers’ parents are doing about this, commenting that it shouldn’t be just down to the council and gardaí to deal with.
Councillor Michael Guilfoyle spoke about car parking issues in the area. He also asked if there are provisions to protect children in the playground from footballs that may be kicked in during nearby matches.
Councillor Peter Considine urged that the entire project is not complete and the local authority should wait until it is finished before considering further security measures. “Initially, there will be teething problems but it will take time to settle down,” he said.
Councillor Frankie Neylon added, “The responsibility has to go back to the parents”. Councillor Mary Coote-Ryan described the facility as “wonderful” and said the anti-social behaviour is “very sad”. Councillor Tommy Brennan agreed that the council should wait until the entire scheme is up and running.
Town clerk Eddie Power told the meeting, “It has been the council’s experience that the provision of fencing and the restrictions of opening times does not result in a solution to activity in the playground after dark”.
The provision of recreational facilities at Tim Smythe Park involves the children’s play area, teenage play area and an adult exercise area.
He commented that the facilities in the playground are specifically designed for under 12s and that the “novelty factor” attracting older children will lapse over time.
He added, when the playground was being constructed, there was a forced entry.
“Putting in place measures like gates and fences there, unfortunately, only adds to the challenge for certain people. I don’t believe it would solve the problem, what good is CCTV and garda patrols? We want to see the facility used properly not abused. It’s a modern playground and it adds to the quality of life and attractiveness of Ennis,” he said.
The meeting was told it is intended to provide CCTV as a crime prevention/detection measure and public lighting will be enhanced to maximise the potential benefit of the CCTV system. Ennis Town Council continuously liaise with the gardaí and consequently there is a regular presence of gardaí at this location, stated Mr Power.
He also outlined that the council has assigned a dedicated employee whose role includes the maintenance of Tim Smythe Park. The equipment in the playgrounds and play areas is inspected regularly to ensure requisite safety standards are achieved.
“The provision of these facilities and ancillary works such as paths, public lighting and CCTV, represents an investment of €450,000. Such facilities are provided for public use and it is disappointing to see any misuse of the equipment or inappropriate behaviour or any disturbance to the enjoyment of the area,” he added.
In relation to issues of car parking, Mr Power outlined discussions are underway between the court services and Ennis Town Council with hopes that parking may be provided at the courthouse grounds. He also outlined part of the development includes providing a net around the nearby pitch.
Councillor Flynn agreed to withdraw the motion and raise the matter again next month to see how the situation progresses.