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Vandals costing council €60k to fix playgrounds Councillors slam cost of repairing thugs’ damage to Fingal facilities
SYLVIA POWNALL
FINGAL County Council forks out €60,000 every year to repair damage to playgrounds caused by vandals, it has emerged. The local authority has 39 children’s play areas under
its management – and some of them are costing up to €2,000 a year to maintain as a direct result of vandalism. A council spokesman told The Gazette: “The annual spend on repairs is in the region of €60,000. “Apart from the expense,
the biggest nuisance is time spent by staff making the area safe, and the time that the equipment is unavailable for use.” Just last month, Cllr Ken Farrell (Lab) warned that anti-social behaviour and vandalism at the playground
in Moylaragh estate, Balbriggan was getting out of hand. However, the council insisted that taking drastic security measures which would effectively turn the playground “into a fortress” were not the answer. Continued on Page 4