OPW Engagement with the Community

May 2023

OPW engagement at public meetings to date.

  • Attended by OPW staff, members of the living and working community and local representatives.

  • There have been 3 public meeting to date on:

    • 1st December 2022,

    • 5th May 2023 and

    • Dec 2023

  • In December 2022 the OPW committed to to local representatives and the community to hold quarterly meetings.

    Question for the OPW?

  • Why has the commitment to hold quarterly meeting with the the community not been fulfilled?

To improve public meetings the OPW should consider the following measures:

  • Holding Scheduled Quarterly Meetings: Commit to scheduling and holding quarterly meetings with the community. This will align with other communities and uphold the OPW's commitment made in December 2022.

  • Maintaining a Community Register: Establish and maintain a community register comprising email addresses and other contact details. Use this register to notify members of the public about upcoming meetings and events via email and other communication channels.

  • Providing Adequate Notice: Ensure that meetings are announced with sufficient notice. Post notices on the OPW Iveagh Gardens website and prominently on all entrance pillars to maximize visibility. Notices should be displayed well in advance, more than just two weeks prior, and should remain visible and accessible.

  • Establishing Meeting Agendas: Prepare meeting agendas that incorporate community input. Share these agendas with attendees in advance to encourage participation and set clear expectations for discussion topics.

  • Inviting Local Representation: Extend invitations to local representatives, residents, and business workers to participate in meetings. Foster collaboration and engagement by ensuring diverse perspectives are included in the dialogue.

    By implementing these measures, the OPW can enhance transparency, community engagement, and accountability in public consultation processes.

OPW Closing Times Of Iveagh Gardens

  • The official closing times of the Iveagh gardens are circa 60-150 minutes before DCC parks locally in mid summer when the need & demand is highest.

  • There is an OPW staff shortage / availability issue. The OPW staff - scheduled to close both Iveagh Gardens and St. Stephens Green - are not available to close the Iveagh Gardens later in the day.

  • These staff shortages also result in the gardens closing frequently 1.0 to 1.5 hours - before the official closing times.

  • The opening and closing times per the OPW website and notice boards in the gardens are out of synch. Complete.

  • Notice boards with opening and closing times needs to be at ALL the gates outside the gardens. Complete.

If the OPW staff shortages can be fixed

  • can opening times be earlier and

  • can closing times be extended especially in the summer months ?

Staff shortages are not a new problem and the OPW needs to ask

  • what can they do to solve the staff shortages and thereby prevent the gardens closing early?

  • can the official closing times be clearer and adhered to so the community can rely on them and not be disappointed to find the gardens have closed early?

    Questions

    • the gardens close up to 180 minutes before DCC parks. Why?

    • the opening and closing times are not displayed outside the gates? Why?

    • the times are out of synch between websites and noticeboards. Can that be fixed?

Improved Infrastructure

  • Fountains - Over the last 3 years the two fountains have worked very infrequently. Multiple repair attempts have not succeeded. Why?

  • Bins and waste segretation

    • There are no segregated bins. Why?

    • The events segregate waste for customers but co-mingle them in trucks when collected. Why?

    • The gardens bins are left uncovered attracting foxes at night and seagulls during the day resulting in litter strewn all over the place.

  • Demolition/ Construction

    • Any attempts to interfere with the integrity of the garden or an plans to demolish structures within the garden need to be very carefully considered in conjunction with its biggest stakeholders the community.

Are there potential infrastructure solutions?

  • The OPW could prioritise and provide resources and budget to:

    • fix the two fountains in a defined timescale. Repairs have been ongoing for circa 2-3 years. Can they be fixed within say 3 months?

    • the OPW and our community should be leading by example and should endeavour to provide segregated bins for every day public use.

    • ensure event waste collections are segregated. OPW policies state “only events that demonstrate a deliberate integration of all aspects of sustainability (economic, cultural, social, environmental), as applicable to a major outdoor events in a historic landscape setting will be considered”.

    • provide bins with covers and/or reduced apertures.

    • proactively include - before submission - the community in consultations to demolish or add structures to the gardens if planning permission is needed.

Improving overall communication

  • Event and meeting notices are put up by the OPW 2 weeks in advance which is insufficient time.

  • the notices are undersized and put on open gates obscuring them rather than on facing pillars. Putting notices on open gates is bad practice.

  • the event closures are not put on the OPW Iveagh Gardens website and are contradicted by maps and opening times which are not informative /correct.

  • the gates needs to be staffed by OPW with informed staff members or a 3rd party during events to advise visitors of the closure and their alternatives. Historically, during events the gates are only attended by security staff who keep non ticket holders out and ticket holders in an are not sufficiently informative for visitors, tourists, etc.

  • there needs to be meaningful tri-party engagement between the OPW, the event organisers and the community for large events.

  • community meetings should have notices, an agenda and minutes.

Suggested Fixes

  • put notices up say minimum 5 weeks before meetings and events.

  • put up properly sized notices and place them where they can be easily seen by the community and visitors. Do not put them on open gates. Maybe follow standards of planning notices.

  • put notices for meetings and events on the website so national and international visitors are informed.

  • staff the gates with OPW staff who are informed of the access rules and alternatives during events.

  • meet the community more frequently pre, during and post events and take community input. The OPW event policies state “Our neighbours and stakeholders are a priority for the OPW. The promotor must engage with all relevant stakeholders and the local community in a meaningful way and demonstrate a high level of commitment to addressing their reasonable needs.” There was little evidence of this engagement in 2023 and no facilitation by the OPW to organise this engagement when requested.

  • supply a meeting agenda and minutes and invite the participation of local representatives and anyone on a community register.