NAAS, 15 August 2002: by Brian Byrne. Despite heartfelt pleas from the residents of Kingsfurze to Naas Town Council for help with getting insurance cover, the playground is now closed.
The residents have had to take down two swings, and fence off a slide, because they were unable to get renewed insurance cover for their playgound, the only one yet in existence in Kildare's county town.
Local authorities in Ireland can provide cover for playgrounds, but Naas Town Council has been unwilling to bring the Kingsfurze facility under its wing, despite a plea from Mayor Timmy Conway at the council's July meeting that it should 'take over' the facility.
At that meeting, the town engineer intimated that some of the facility might not meet the required safety standard, but this has been disputed by the residents committee, who provided all the relevant documentation as the the standards compliance.
A long-promised public playground in Monread Park has still not materialised, though the most recent of many promises said it would be opened 'in August'. Town engineer John McGowan told the last meeting of the council that tenders were being evaluated.
