THE WORRYING trend of Dublin’s councils seemingly being intent on removing everything good from the city is continuing, with South Dublin County Council destroying a park in Tallaght which was supposed to be a protected nature site.
Sean Walsh Park in Tallaght, South Dublin was 'completely destroyed' without warning over the weekend, with a video by the Herpetological Society of Ireland (HSI) showing the widespread destruction done by the council.
Heartbroken to find tallaghts wetlands completely destroyed today. This was a vibrant multilayered ecosystem, home to protected Newts, Frogs, Bats & critically endangered European eels. @sdublincoco assured us this area & inhabitants would be protected. Environmental vandalism. https://t.co/3r90hQE6oq pic.twitter.com/pQUzlmXv7S
— The HSI (@HerpSocIreland) September 21, 2019
The HSI had been in talks with South Dublin County Council for months about preserving the park, which had once been used as a waste ground but had ‘re-wilded’ naturally and had since become a ‘vibrant, multilayered ecosystem’ home to hundreds of species of animals, including protected species such as newts, frogs and bats and even critically endangered species of eels.
A Tweet from the HSI back in April showed the park ‘bursting with wildlife’ and confirmed the society were in talks with the council to have the site protected.
Just five months later, however, the council had the area destroyed.
The HSI illustrated their disappointment, calling the actions of the council ‘environmental vandalism’, and say they cannot understand why the council would destroy the park knowing the importance of the site and being aware of the presence of several protected species.
We have been actively survey the site for the last year and working with @sdublincoco throughout the process. They are completely aware of the importance of this site for local wildlife and as a carbon sink. We can not understand why they would undertake such destructive action. pic.twitter.com/GjFxTjfiad
— The HSI (@HerpSocIreland) September 21, 2019
The Society lamented the loss of thousands of creatures wiped out at once, and demanded that someone be held accountable.
After outrage from the Herpetological Society, local communities, and environmental activists, South Dublin County Council released a statement regarding the destruction of Sean Walsh Park, saying it was ‘part of a planned process’ for de-silting works in the area.
The excess silt was dropped in Sean Walsh Park and the mounds were flattened, resulting in the images seen in the HSI’s video.
The Council went on to say that they ‘will immediately review the practice of the disposal of silt drained from lakes’, and will ‘continue to work to enhance the wetlands in Sean Walsh Park’.
They ended the statement by saying ‘the Council will also continue to deliver on the commitments given through our Climate Change Action Plan’.
The Society have called the statement 'a cop-out of the highest order' and said it answers nothing.
