Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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73. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will work with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to ensure the continuation of the supervised playground on Library Road, Dún Laoghaire, including a replacement for an organisation (details supplied) to manage the service and or alternative sources of funding if necessary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43279/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy for his question.  The Deputy may remember my response to a previous question on this issue on 10 July this year.

Funding provided by my Department for playgrounds is limited to capital spend - namely the Capital Grant Funding Scheme for Play and Recreation, applications for which are made through the Local Authority Play and Recreation Network.  My Department has never funded the supervision of the playground in question. The funding of supervisory posts such as those referred to in the Deputy’s question would not meet the criteria for this funding scheme, or indeed any other funding scheme operated by my Department. In this regard it is not currently proposed to engage with DLR County Council on the matter.

I understand that the supervision currently in place is being delivered by Crosscare until the end of the year and that the supervision is supervision of play equipment, rather than direct supervision of children or young people.  I further understand that the playground is currently open and will remain open.

I can assure the Deputy however that I place a very high priority on ensuring that our children and young people have access to the best possible play and recreation facilities - to ensure the optimal development of their physical and social development. 

I am pleased that this particular facility in Dun Laoghaire will remain open to the public to this end.