Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

A crucial part of developing our town centres is making sure that people feel safe to use them. On Saturday, over 50 people gathered in Tallaght for a street meeting called by community activists in Watergate Park after a series of attacks took place there. People were united in the idea that our parks cannot be a place where people are scared to go. They have to be a safe space, a space for public enjoyment.

We were also united in a clear demand on the local authority for action and on the Government to provide funding for that action - some simple asks to make our parks safer. We need proper lighting in the park so that people feel comfortable to be in there when it is dark. We need investment in facilities to encourage people to use the park - park benches, exercise machines, etc. We need the local authority to help to organise pro-social activities in the park - yoga, exercises, etc. - and we need park rangers to give people a much greater sense of security. We also need to work with teenagers to develop a space for them to hang out and for them to have a stake in the park. The campaign is absolutely determined to keep going to put pressure on the local authority to achieve these asks.

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