Play facilities for youth and children in Oliver Bond House, Dublin 8, Ireland

To Mr Michael Conaghan T.D. Dail Eireann, Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 11th June 2011, We, the undersigned, are seriously concerned by the lack of play facilities for babies, children and teenagers in Oliver Bond House, Dublin 8. We are particularly concerned, with the state of the children’s playground next to the lower block. We would like the following issues to be considered and actioned urgently. 1. Repair of the swing seats in the lower block playground. 2. Additional baby swings to be added for babies and small children. 3. Expansion of the playground into the area next to swings. 4. New equipment to be purchased for the development of the children’s gross motor skills including a new slide and a new climbing frame - possibly a large integrated unit. 5. Prevention of child access to/contact with the dirty and dangerous bins next to the children’s playground through the fence. 6. At least 2 metal benches to be put in the playground, so that carers can sit down in the playground while they are watching children. 7. Existing equipment to be mended and thoroughly cleaned of graffiti. 8. Dangerous metal railings surrounding tree stumps to be removed by a welder. 9. Tree stumps to be removed. 10. Existing trees to be maintained and aesthetically shaped by a tree surgeon - or all the tall trees to be replaced with much shorter trees. 11. Railings around the playground to be re-painted black. 12. Broken bricks on playground steps and nearby low wall to be replaced 13. Safety fence to be build around playground to prevent a child having an accident with a passing car. 14. Robust metal outdoor gym equipment to be erected for the teenagers in the area where they already hang out in between the low and high block. These are minimum requests for the improvement of the currently depressing environment in Oliver Bond House. We realise that CCTV has been the priority for the council, but now we would like the needs of the teenagers and children to be considered. Many residents have teenagers/children, care for children or have grandchildren visiting them at the weekends so there are many children in the complex every day whose needs, we ask, be urgently met.