NAAS, 15 June 2002: by Brian Byrne. A Naas man who has campaigned for the provision of playgrounds in the town for many years has asked councillors of the town to again raise the issue of why there is a continuing delay in getting such facilities.
John Kavanagh of Kingsfurze has contacted a number of councillors following his visit this week to the National Play Conference, which had representatives from many councils but not from Naas Town Council.
“I asked all the suppliers at the Conference if they had heard from Naas Town Council about the provision of equipment for a Naas playground, but none of them have,” Mr Kavanagh said this weekend. “Yet at recent council meetings we have been hearing from the town clerk that the tender process for the playground at Monread Park ‘is under way’.”
Mr Kavanagh says he also spoke with ‘reputable consultants’ at the event, with the representatives of other councils attending, and with the National Childeren’s Office which gives guidance on such projects.
Just one person amongst these said they had had a query from officials in Naas, and then only this week, Mr Kavanagh concludes in his communication to Cllrs Mary Glennon, Pat McCarthy and Anthony Egan.
The provision of a public playground in Naas, and more specifically in Monread Park , has been reputedly ‘on the top of the agenda’ for the lifetime of the current council. Repeated public commitments, with dates, from both officials and individual councillors (including at the official opening of the park, above, a year ago), have failed to be implemented.
Mr Kavanagh, who has gained a considerable bank of information on public playground expertise and equipment supply, has repeatedly offered this to the council, but apparently without anyone taking him up on the offers.
