Not enough amenity and recreation and amenity venues across County Kildare

More money should be diverted towards providing and improving facilities for recreation in County Kildare.

The population of County Kildare is in the region of 250,000 and many adults are commuting to work, Cllr Suzanne Doyle told a Kildare County Council meeting.

She said space needs to be provided for communities to integrate to a greater extent and for communities to support each other.

For example, she said that up to four playgrounds could be built at the one time.

She said the needs of the eight local electoral areas in the county should be assessed and these should be provided with a “practical delivery schedule” and be properly financed.

The projects should be tracked to ensure “optimum delivery.”

Cllr Seamie Moore said “every town in Kildare is under pressure”  because of the need for this investment.

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Instead, he added, “we depend on community and sporting groups” to try to provide them.

He said money needs to be put aside “to develop amenities for whatever source we can get it.”

Cllr Moore also said it was pointless for KCC to zone land for recreational use if the land is not bought and put to that use.

Cllr Nuala Killeen said that not all of the budgets allocated for this purpose are spent and this is worse in north Kildare.”

“Recreation and community is being sacrificed for housing and roads," added Cllr Killeen.

Cathaoirleach Joe Neville said the public finances are in a healthy state and if this is not done now it won’t be done.

KCC chief executive Sonya Kavanagh said more funding is needed and also said recreation and amenity needs are not being sacrificed for houses and roads.