Finally, Irish children are getting a chance to say how they feel about the abysmally poor provision of playgrounds in this country. The comments below the photograph were published by the National Children's Strategy last year. The lack of public play-grounds and play areas in housing estates was one of the strongest messages coming from children.
So, what are we waiting for? If you are not a buggy-wheeling Irish citizen, perhaps you haven't thought about the need for public space for children's play. But think about it now. Do the children in your neighbourhood have a well-equipped, safe play-ground within walking distance of their homes? In countries such as France and Germany, a play-ground is rarely further than a few blocks from the homes of urban children. But in this country, almost half of all local authorities surveyed in 1999 said they did not provide play facilities for children. Is it any wonder then, that more children are spending time indoors, "glued" to television sets, computer screens or gameboys.
In his report, "Public Policy on Children's Play in Ireland", environmental consultant, Richard Webb points out that the ratio of play-grounds to people is one to 19,098, compared with the ratio of one golf course to 16,000 people. So we are giving a higher priority to one adult leisure pursuit than to facilities which can be enjoyed by every child in the country.
Even where there are play-grounds, they are often in a terrible state, with rusty swings and broken slides. In disadvantaged areas, play-grounds can, in fact, become no-go areas where drugs are sold and syringes left lying about. How can our local authorities continue to ignore the needs of children in a booming economy? How can they justify the scant funds allocated to such amenities when they were explicitly given powers to provide amenities in the Local Government Act 1994. There are, of course, notable exceptions - such as the wonderful play-ground in Schull, Co Cork (pictured) and some very well-maintained playgrounds in Dublin city and county - but these are remarkable precisely because they are exceptions.
Webb explains that the main reasons cited by local authorities for the lack of play-grounds are fears of being liable for large personal injury claims through playground accidents and the need for constant maintenance to deal with vandalism damage.
Yet this excuse carries little weight when you consider that, as Webb points out, more than 46 per cent of local authorities have not experienced a rise in insurance premiums, as a result of litigation. "I think this was used as an excuse by some local authorities to hide the lack of finance. The number of claims made for tripping over kerbs or broken pavements far outweighs those claimed for accidents in play-grounds," he notes. Webb contends that local authorities will not have problems with either insurance claims or vandalism if the playground is installed to international standards of design, surfacing and maintenance and is situated within an enclosed, supervised park. A look at what other countries provide makes the provision of play-grounds in Ireland embarrassing, to say the least. In Sweden, for instance, all family housing developments must include space for children's play - compare this with the sterile green spaces which exist on most Irish housing estates. The Department of Environment does not provide specific funding for playgrounds and neither does the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation. The Planning and Development Act 2000 specifies "the preservation, improvement and extension of amenities and recreational amenities", as an objective of development plans. It is difficult to understand why play equipment is not integrated into a section of the green space left on the edges of many new housing estates. The provision of children's play-space is specified in the design guidelines for social housing: "Play-spaces for small children should be provided close to the dwellings, for example within one minute's walk of each front door, and should be overlooked from the dwellings. Where play-grounds appropriate for older children are not already available in reasonable proximity to the scheme, consideration should be given to providing such facilities". Such guidelines would need to become statutory regulations before they are applied on a countrywide basis. Dismayed at the absence of playgrounds provided in their locality, some community groups have fundraised to build their own play-grounds or renovated seriously dilapidated public play-grounds. The residents of Ross Carbery, Co Cork, for example refurbished their play-ground, and then Cork County Council took back responsibility for its maintenance. The Moyross Community Enterprise Centre in Limerick also developed a multi-purpose play-ground and park next to the community centre. Admirable as such community initiatives are, it seems appalling that these groups had to fundraise to rebuild or build what should already have been provided. The voluntary umbrella organisation, Sugradh, was formed in 1997 to promote and protect children's right to play as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Its interest in play extends far beyond the play-ground, to the lack of opportunities for safe play in our streets.
Margaret Webb, co-founder of Sugradh says, "Children play wherever they are. It is very easy to think, if I provide a playground, that's where the children will play. Children really don't spend huge lengths of time in the play-ground, although it is a focus for them."
Keenly aware of the declining safety zone for children in their communities, Webb reminisces on the mile-and-a-half radius from her home in which she felt safe to play as a child. This has been reduced to about half a mile at most for children nowadays, she says. Hilary Kenny, director of services at the Irish Pre-school Playgroups Association, also believes that we need to look at children's opportunities for play beyond the play-ground. "We need to look at the whole environment which children operate within. Are gardens big enough? Are public spaces around housing estates safe for children to play in?" asks Kenny.
She believes developers should be obliged to incorporate traffic-calming measures into the initial planning of housing estates. She says children rarely play on the streets nowadays, missing out on opportunities for independent play, away from adult intervention. The Netherlands is one country which has developed an excellent model of safeplay zones for children within their own neighbourhoods. The Woonerf system ensures that both new developments and older neighbourhoods can become safe environments for children. A Woonerf is a residential area where cyclists and pedestrians take priority; cars have restricted access; speed is restricted to walking pace and parking is controlled. Studies have shown that children's play is enriched in such areas and there is greater interaction by children with their environment and with others, including adults. The Woonerf idea has been developed by councils in England. Called Homezones, these are residential areas specifically designed to be safe for children and older people. Galway City Corporation is currently drawing some inspiration from both the Dutch and English models in its attempts to make Galway a more child-friendly place.
What we need are measures which will prioritise children's play. Young children need play-grounds with good-quality play equipment within walking distance of their homes. Those pervasive empty green spaces in housing estates could easily be transformed into natural play-spaces with trees, slopes, long grass, rocks, sand and water. Setting aside an area with natural play materials such as willow tunnelling, wooden climbing frames and other eco-friendly play equipment would enhance the whole area.
Organisations such as Sugradh believe the National Children's Strategy provides the key to ensuring that the need for play-spaces for children are adequately met. The provision of recreation and play officers in each county in the Republic is one of its recommendations. Parents will be watching closely to see when and how these ambitious plans are put into practice.
`Please make it a law that builders must provide more space for a park and children's facilities . . .'
`Every single bit of green area in Galway is being built on and housing estates, hotels, apartments and car parks are being built there and we don't need buildings. We need children's play-areas and activities.'
`Please ask the Government to stop knocking down our bases and treehouses. The Corporation are knocking down a tree because we made a swing in it but the only reason it is there are that there are no play-grounds.' Jane