Grangegorman Bring Centre

Keeping you updated – September 2023

I write to share with you information about the status of the Grangegorman Bring Centre and to clarify its future, given some of the confusing statements circulated by other representatives over the summer.

So, as YOUR LOCAL COUNCILLOR, I want to clarify for you what the actual position is and what I am doing to keep the existing level of service in place.

MAY 2023 UPDATE

At the end of May, in my locally circulated Stoneybatter Matters leaflet , I advised you that Dublin City Council had adopted the position that it would “not vacate the existing Bring Centre until a replacement site within the boundaries of the Grangegorman campus has been identified and developed”. This was as a result of many motions I submitted to the Council and direct meetings I had with senior officials in order to secure that commitment.

JULY 2023 DUBLIN CENTRAL AREA COMMITTEE – EMERGENCY MOTION

However, by early July, rumours around the area spread a different story. One particular rumour told of the Grangegorman service being downgraded and reduced in capacity. I, therefore, sought the support of all other Councillors for the following Emergency Debate at the July meeting of the Council which read:

“That the Area Committee reiterates our position that all existing services in the Grangegorman Bring Centre continue to be provided in the Dublin 7 area. Given the fact there are rumours that an unmanned facility without full recycling services nor any provision for garden waste are spreading across the area, this Area Committee calls upon the Waste Management Department to immediately clarify the situation with regards the future provision of Recycling Services in the Dublin 7 area. Any move away from the position outlined to Councillors in May would represent a duplicitous act on behalf of the Executive and therefore, this Area Committee is left no choice but notify the Manager of our intention to utilise our powers under Section 140 of the Local Government Act 2014 with regards the provision of full recycling services in the Dublin 7 area.”

SO, WHAT HAS CHANGED?

While that was unanimously agreed by Councillors, unfortunately the outgoing Chief Executive of Dublin City Council decided to blatantly disregard the expressed will of Councillors. Instead, by way of daft decision, in my opinion, he reached an agreement with the Grangegorman Development Agency that would ultimately leave Stoneybatter and the wider Dublin 7 community with a downgraded ‘recycling’ facility that would “have a much smaller footprint than the existing bring centre” and would “be an unmanned facility on GDA owned land.”

WHAT AM I DOING TO MAINTAIN & RETAIN THE EXISTING BRING CENTRE?

Let me be very clear! This is unacceptable. I have started the process of initiating Section 140 of the Local Government Act to compel the new Chief Executive and council officials not to vacate the site of the existing Bring Centre until an alternative location within Dublin 7 is sourced and that the existing level of service provided currently is delivered.

The use of a Section 140 motion is extremely rare and in my almost 15 years as your local Councillor, I have never had to resort to using it but the misguided actions of the outgoing Chief Executive in regard to the Grangegorman Bring Centre has left me with no other option. Therefore, I have written to his successor, Richard Shakespeare, advising him, in line with the Local Government Act of my intention to move such a motion at the October City Council meeting. In doing so, I have given him until later this week to consider the issue and, if possible, put forward a solution which would be acceptable to me as YOUR LOCAL COUNCILLOR and you as a resident who uses the facility.

FURTHER INFORMATION

I hope this information provides you with a clearer picture of where things currently stand regarding the future of the Grangegorman Bring Centre. I hope it also details how hard I am working to maintain and retain our essential community facility and amenity.

If you have any questions or queries arising from the details I have outlined above, please get in touch with me and I will do my best to help any enquiries that you may have.

Best Wishes,

Ray