Halloween 2020 – City Council preparing

There has been a marked increase in the use of fireworks this year, as we can all testify. In addition, the stockpiling of materials for bonfires has also begun earlier and in greater volumes too.

As you know I have been working with the Gardai to increase community patrols and provide a reassurance to local residents as detailed in my recent update, which you can read here – https://bit.ly/3jNZz9R.

Separately, Dublin City Council has along with the Gardai locally started their joint operations in the build up to Halloween. This approach started more than six weeks earlier than usual this year. Officials from the Area Office have been calling to premises (factories, garages, derelict sites, etc) and have been using additional drone coverage this year.

A contractor has also been engaged with the appropriate truck and lifting equipment to take away stockpiles as they are found. If you have any information about specific locations where materials are stockpiled, let me know so that I can arrange for their removal.

In addition to this work, Dublin City Council is once again promoting a safe and enjoyable Halloween for everyone. Bonfires are illegal and Dublin City Council is asking the public to report any stockpiled materials that they become aware of by:

• Calling Dublin City Council’s Customer Services Centre (01) 222 2222 or after hours at 1800 293 949.
• Reporting ‘bonfire materials’ online at http://www.dublincity247.ie/.
• Central area reports of bonfire materials litter.central@dublincity.ie detailing the exact location of the materials.
• Type of materials and a rough estimate of the quantity, e.g. 10 pallets and 4 truck tyres.
• If possible a photograph of the location and materials.

Dublin City Council needs your help to do this and we are calling on people to report stockpiling of bonfire material to us as soon as possible so we can remove it safely. We have received great assistance from the public in recent years and we are calling on people to assist us again in 2020.

I acknowledge the excellent cooperation in place between An Garda Síochána and Dublin City Council in this work, which is essential to the success of these operations to keep everyone safe this Halloween.

Community Halloween Events
Planning for The Big Scream and The Cauldron of Smithfield are progressing insofar as possible within Covid 19 public health guidelines.

Finalised plans for events will be distributed closer to the date.

Citywide Preparations

The Halloween response group has begun to coordinate the resources available from the various departments involved tackling the issues of bonfire stockpiling. Waste Management Services will provide normal day-to-day removal of materials in cooperation with the Area Depts. Additional resources including an on call response service will be provided in the 10-day period leading up to Halloween night with the availability of removal services provided up to 9pm each night.

The group comprises of the Waste Management Division, Waste Enforcement Unit, Area Departments, Parks and Landscape Services and the Housing Department who will all contribute a variety of resources dedicated to addressing stockpiling in their respective areas in the lead up to the Halloween period. Further support and input into the group will be provided by the customer services centre, media relations team and Dublin Fire Brigade.

The funding for the Waste Management element of the resources dedicated to tackling the issues including the provision of staff, vehicles and waste disposal costs are contained within normal annual budgeting provisions for the delivery of service and the costs directly attributed to the activity are expected to be in the region of 30-40K.

In addition to Waste Management, the Central Area Office will be bringing in crews on weekends to remove stock piling and illegal dumping. An additional grab truck and operator will be available to respond to reports of tyres and combustible materials being stored in the weeks before Halloween and to assist with the clean up afterwards. The estimated cost of the extra resources is approximately 10K.