Sinn Fein Councillor Angela Donnelly says she warmly welcomes Fingal County Council’s new capital plan which has allocated €320,000 for a playground in both Hartstown Park and Hazelbury Park.
“The residents of Hartstown have waited a very long time for a playground,” Cllr Donnelly said.
“Since becoming a Councillor in 2022, I have submitted many motions seeking additional facilities in the Ongar LEA, but particularly, Hartstown Park as it is an older area that has had no play facilities for generations of children that have grown up in the area.
“I submitted motions in both 2022 and 2023 seeking a timeline for a playground in Hartstown Park.
“At the November area meeting in 2023, I got a motion passed “That the Chief Executive initiates a process of planning and consultation with residents for a playground in Hartstown Park.”
“Residents in Hartstown and Huntstown have raised families in the area without a playground.
“When I first moved to Clonsilla in 1995, I had to bring my children to the playground in the Phoenix Park, as there were no facilities near me at the time.
“Years later, a fantastic facility was provided by the council in the Millennium Park, however, although this is a regional park, it is not accessible to a lot of residents in the Hartstown/Huntstown area.”
“As a council, we are constantly looking for more active travel, we have many policies on climate action, yet most of the children from Hartstown and Huntstown had to be driven to their local playground.
“Walking the distance from areas of Hartstown and Huntstown was not feasible for parents with young children. We also live in a very busy world, with many calls on parent’s time, it is not reasonable to expect parents to walk 3-4k with small children or try to get a bus to and from the Millennium Park.
“The bus that journeys from the Millennium Park along the Hartstown/Huntstown loop is the 39, the bus comes every 20 to 30 minutes.
“The benefits of children being able to play in their local parks include the strengthening of social skills, stimulation of emotional development, it encourages physical activity, promotes creativity and Imagination, boosts cognitive development, makes education more fun, increases confidence and self-esteem and builds community ties.
“The parents in both the Littlepace and Hartstown/Huntstown areas will be delighted to receive these amenities in their areas and their children deserve accessible playgrounds that they are now finally going to receive.”