Workers’ Party representative David Gardiner has welcomed the pruning of overgrown trees in Palmerstown Manor, following consistent campaigning on the issue from the Workers’ Party in conjunction with local residents.
Gardiner said: “I am delighted to see that the council has finally started cutting back overgrown trees in Palmerstown Manor after countless emails, calls and a petition organised by the Workers’ Party and local residents which gathered over 300 signatures in the estate.” Though appreciative of the works, he was not without criticisms of the slow response from South Dublin County Council.
“The overgrown trees have been a problem for residents going back many years. Despite this, the issue has only recently been given the necessary attention by South Dublin County Council. The Workers’ Party have been campaigning with local residents on this consistently for the past year or more, some of whom have been fighting for it for even longer and all of whom have had to deal with our estate being ignored by the council, and yet we are only being seen to now.”
“It has taken more time and effort than we believe was probably warranted for such a relatively simple task, to be honest. The council were told that people had concerns over health and safety, accessibility and burglars using overgrown trees as cover, and yet it has still taken them years just to cut back a few trees.” Concluding, Gardiner said: “At the end of the day, I’m glad that the job is finally getting done, but it goes to show that working people and our communities will be given very little without coming together and fighting for it.”
