Parnell Square planters remain untouched by Dublin City Council months on
Scruffy and weed-infested planters near Parnell Square in Dublin remain untouched by Dublin City Council (DCC), months on from the maintenance issue being highlighted by councillors.
Speaking at the monthly meeting on Monday, Green Party councillor Janet Horner said it was “insane” how long the issue has gone on.
“I checked my email. Myself and councillor [Mannix] Flynn raised it on March 3 for the first time and got a response to say it would be dealt with imminently.
“We are now seven months later, all the planters have continued to deteriorate,” she said.
“We have managed to turn the city upside-down to facilitate the likes of NFL events and whatever else and a huge number of tourists in the city.
“[But] we cannot manage the basic tasks of refilling planters, taking out weeds and ensuring they look better.”
Ms Horner said it was such a basic task that the council had repeatedly failed to carry out.
Fine Gael councillor David Coffey agreed with Ms Horner, and said he felt the planters themselves were a failure.
In response, the council’s head of traffic, Brendan O’Brien, said he was aware of the “long-running saga” of the planters.
“It’s taking a long time,” he said. “Part of the reason for that is we did go through a whole procurement process.
“We did reach an agreed preferred bidder, we appointed the bidder and then they’ve turned us down.
“So, they didn’t accept the contract, and it’s left us having to go back around again.”
Mr O’Brien said the council was trying to put temporary measures in place, but when the Irish Independent visited the area yesterday, the planters remained untouched.
When Ms Horner asked Mr O’Brien for a guarantee that the planters would be “dealt with” in the next couple of months, he said he was happy to commit to that.
Planters have become an increasingly common sight throughout the capital in recent years, featuring trees, shrubs and greenery in high-footfall locations such as Capel Street and Grafton Street.
DCC provides many all-season planters throughout the city in the form of bedding plants, hanging baskets, tubs and planter boxes.
Many of the plants within those containers have been cultivated and are maintained by parks services at St Anne’s Nursery on the north side of the city.