Ireland: Call for stronger protections for allotments and community gardens
Eight Irish local authorities currently do not provide any community growing spaces at all.
By Jennie O’Sullivan
RTE
March 5, 2023
Excerpt:
Mr McCormack said that in Denmark, which has a similar population to Ireland, there are 40,000 allotments, while in Scotland, local authorities are obliged to keep a waiting list for allotments and to provide land for them if there are more than 15 people on a waiting list.
Maria Young is a member of the Cork Food Policy Council and Green Spaces for Health and co-ordinates the Togher Community Garden – one of 29 community growing spaces in Cork city.
It opened 14 months ago on Cork City Council land and has been going from strength to strength becoming increasingly embedded in the life of the local community.
She said it was a revelation to her that there was no reference at all to community gardens in the 2010 legislation.
“Yes, it is a shock and the fact then that it was removed – any reference at all to allotments – was also quite shocking,” Ms Young said.
“We have been told it is an omission, it needs to be fixed, we need to establish protection for community gardens and allotments, it is extremely important.”
This concern is shared by allotment holders at Ballincollig’s Regional Park, home to 81 allotments since 2013.
