SPORTS groups on the peninsula are stepping up their campaign to have the all-weather facility in Donabate made operational.

Almost a year and a half after it was due to open, the €1.5m facility lies idle as legal wrangles continue over who should bear the cost of repairing the flood-damaged facility.

Just days after it opened, on the Beaverstown Road, it suffered damage estimated at €350,000 when the area was subject to floods in October 2011.

This was a severe disappointment to Portrane Hockey Club that had campaigned for years for the construction of the facility.

The Olympic-standard facility was to be used by students from Donabate Community College, and around 200 children from a range of local sports clubs.

The facility was designed and its €1.5m construction financed by Fingal County Council. It had been handed over to County Dublin Vocational Educational Committee (VEC) just days before it was damaged.

Now a legal wrangle between the Co Dublin VEC and the contractor who built it has meant that the facility is out of use.

Adrian Henchy of the hockey club has launched a campaign to stress how the closure of the all-weather pitch is affecting local community groups, sport clubs and the schools in the area.

He said clubs and community groups were bitterly disappointed that there had been no movement on repairing and restoring the pitch.

The pitch is not officially in use, but is being played on by local youngsters who are climbing the fence to enter it.

Concerns for the safety of these children has been raised by Donabate Portrane Community Council.

Mr Henchy said: “It is extremely frustrating, A huge amount of work over the course of four or five years went into securing that facility, and now it is turned into an anti-social area with kids continually climbing over the gate to congregate.”

THE increasingly run-down appearance of Donabate village is a major concern.

This issue is exercising the Donabate Portrane Community Council at the moment.
Litter, the loss of the trees on the Portrane Road, the hazardous state of the former Educate Together school site and the general presentation of the village are the main issues.
Donabate Portrane Community Council raised when it met officials from Fingal County Council for a delegation meeting in April.

Local representatives were also be asked to come to the aid of the village to ensure the general appearance and tidiness of the area does not continue to be a contentious issue.

Chairman of the community council Gareth Lee said the loss of the old trees on the Portrane Road, with only stumps remaining, has turned into an eyesore. Litter and weeds now predominate where once there were majestic trees. Fingal County Council removed the trees, citing safety concerns.

Mr Lee said the area around the former site of the prefabs for Educate Together was unkempt and dangerous. Although the site is fenced off, there is open sewerage piping and a large ditch, vast quantities of rubble and much litter.

Donabate Portrane Community Council has already raised concerns about the failure of the local authority to screen the sewerage pumping at the top of the Beaverstown Road, as per the planning permission.

“There is a worry that the village, which is an absolute gem, is beginning to look dowdy. We need to redouble our efforts to ensure the area is well maintained and presentable,” Mr Lee said.

"Volunteers could help by reigniting the Tidy Towns Committee ensuring that the village looks better", he added.