Laois Co Council to complete safety audit of all playgrounds in county 

WITH many playgrounds throughout Co Laois entering several years of use, Cllr Vivienne Phelan made a case to the Graiguecullen-Portarlington municipal district for a comprehensive audit of facilities, following recent incidents of child safety.

In the first case, at the playground in Stradbally, there arose a situation where a young child ran out onto the road because there was a time-worn gap between the gate and the fence that a child could squeeze through, one which was too small for an adult to notice. The child in question ran out onto the road but was, thankfully, unharmed.

At the playground in Timahoe, a child managed to lift the latch on a playground gate and run out, though, thankfully, nothing transpired beyond another startled parent.

The councillor also highlighted the fact that some of the bushes and briars near the playground were overgrown and that some of the adjoining toilet facilities were in desperate need of a deep clean.

In response to the councillor’s request, a representative of the area office said: “All play facilities are managed by Laois Co Council and are inspected on a weekly basis. Detailed safety inspections are also conducted by externally registered safety inspectors every six months. Those inspections form the basis for maintenance works year-round and are identified and prioritised according to the risk identified in the risk assessments and, of course, the availability of parts. If there are any particular concerns about individual playgrounds, the sports department is more than happy to assist.” The councillor appreciated the response and also highlighted a strong likelihood that playgrounds in Ballylinan and The Swan are also in need of remedial works due to their age.

Cllr Aisling Moran seconded the motion and highlighted what she perceived as the issue of all playground facilities having legs constructed of timber; naturally, she explained during adverse conditions the timber struts would rot, resulting in them needing to be replaced every few years. The cost of replacing the timber could amount to €20,000 per playground, the councillor underscored, advocating that they instead replace the current designs with a material less perishable.

Cllr Moran also advocated for the installation of additional exercise bikes in the vicinity of playgrounds and parks throughout the municipal district, as she had been recently approached by quite a number of people looking for facilities.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.