Local Authority News Vol 35 No 1

LAN

FRONT COVER LAN Feb. 2016 08/02/2016 16:41 Page 1

LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

• Protecting property and saving lives • EU legislation to tackle air pollution • Clonakilty WWTP Official Opening • EPA Urban Waste Water Treatment Report for 2014 published

FRONT COVER LAN Feb. 2016 08/02/2016 16:41 Page 2

CONTeNTS VOL. 35 No 1

FeatuRes Protecting ProPerty and saving lives 3 Published by:

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ISSN NO. 1393-0394 LAN is available FREE OF CHARGE to all Local and Central Government Bodies throughout Ireland.

Published bi-monthly it is disseminated to Local Authority Managers, Assistant Managers, County Secretaries, Finance Officers, Principal Officers, Department Heads, County Engineers, City Engineers, Chief Quantity Surveyors, Senior Architects, Plant Superintendents, Senior Executive Engineers, Town Clerks, Purchasing Officers, Administrative Officers, Inspectors, Park Superintendents, County Librarians, etc. in all Government Departments, County Councils, Corporations, Office of Public Works, Urban District Councils, StateSponsored and Development Bodies and Agencies.

allocations announced for 2016

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eu legislation to tackle air Pollution 11 Ministers kelly & coffey announce further reforM for social housing delivery 13 Minister alan kelly t.d.

Publishes rePort on the oversight role of local authorities in the Provision of social housing by ahbs 14 clonakilty WWtP official oPening 15 ePa urban Waste Water treatMent rePort for 2014 Published 19

RegulaRs dePartMent breifs classifieds LAN LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

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Ireland

Protecting property and saving lives

How galway County Council used geographic information system technology to respond quickly and effectively to catastrophic flooding

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hen storms Desmond and Frank swept across Ireland in close succession in December 2015, the county of Galway was one of the worst affected. Vast swaths of agricultural and residential land were flooded, leaving 472 properties cut off and 62 homes under water. Major roads and transportation routes across the county became impassable, leading to dangerous travel conditions and creating major concerns for public safety. The priority for Galway County Council was clear: it had to be able to get information about the emerging crisis out to the general public and emergency responders as quickly as possible, to prevent loss of life.

Galway County Council had previously implemented a geographic information system (GIS) from Esri Ireland and this versatile mapping technology enabled it to respond with incredible speed. Within just an hour of receiving the first news of the flooding, the council was able to use the out-of-the-box functionality of Esri’s ArcGIS platform to set up a web service to capture information. It then made this web service available to regional engineers and other council employees via an app on their smart phones and tablet devices, giving them the ability to complete surveys, take pictures and upload reports directly from the field. At the same time, staff in council offices used ArcGIS to add details about road closures, and all this situational information was brought together seamlessly on an interactive online map, visible immediately to staff, partners, the general public and the media.

With accurate information at its fingertips, in an easily understood format, Galway County Council could react quickly and appropriately. It could see precisely which homes and businesses were in danger of flooding and deploy resources promptly to those places where they were most needed.

Rather than wasting time collating data and responding to requests for information, staff could instead focus on making arrangements for drains to be cleared, roads to be raised and culverts to be dug. 63 properties were saved from immediate threat in the wake of the storms, thanks to the timely implementation of such protective measures.

Within hours of the first floods, Galway County Council was able to use Twitter, Facebook, the council web site and local media to direct people to its online flood map. Thousands of people then used this interactive service to help them understand the extent of the flooding, take precautions and plan safer travel routes.

“Thankfully, no lives were lost as a result of the 2015 floods in Galway,” says Mark Conroy, IS project leader

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Flood Prevention - Water Rails Water Rails® is a versatile and flexible flood protection barrier that can be used on water levels of between 30 cm and 2 metres over an unlimited distance.

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LAN LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

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at Galway County Council. “By enabling us to share flood information instantly with everyone, ArcGIS certainly helped us to improve public safety.”

Every day during the height of the crisis, Galway County Council used ArcGIS to help it share situational information with partners including the Office of Public Works, Health Service Executive, the Gardaí and defence forces who were called in to assist. The maps helped the different agencies to better coordinate their activities and make effective decisions. Conroy observes, “Without a doubt, ArcGIS played a key role in helping us to focus on vulnerable households, deliver constructive support and alleviate suffering in the worst affected communities.”

Galway County Council’s emergency GIS, showing areas of flooding, road closures and properties at risk

The flood waters in Galway are now subsiding, but according to even the most conservative forecasts of climate change, such flooding events are likely to become more and more common throughout Ireland. It is therefore with some relief that Galway County Council feels it has a proven emergency response capability.

As Conroy says, “When the next incident arises, we can be confident that we have the ability to handle it quickly and effectively.”

Interested to know more contact: mapsmakesense@esri-ireland.ie LAN LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

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LAN LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

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allocations announced for 2016 M

inister Donohoe welcomes 2016 allocations for national road network. Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, has welcomed the allocation by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) of almost €160 million for the maintenance and improvement of the primary and secondary national road network in 2016. This is made up of €139.7 million for improvement works, while €20.2 million will go towards essential road maintenance.

“The funding being provided by TII for next year will ensure that the necessary land purchase programme for major projects (such as the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin scheme, N5 Westport to Turlough and the N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom scheme) can be advanced. In addition, it will also assist in the planning and development work associated with other projects included in the Capital Plan 2016-2022. The funding, which will be allocated to Local Authorities across the country, will also facilitate pavement and minor works on the existing network and essential works on bridges.”

“The funding announced today represents a base allocation for local authorities that will be supplemented during the year in respect of certain maintenance works, pavement works and safety schemes.”

“In addition to these allocations to local authorities, the PPP programme will be progressed in 2016. In October this year, I had the pleasure of turning the sod on the new M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy PPP scheme. This was the third transport PPP to be signed by the Government since 2012 and follows the 57km Gort/Tuam PPP project, which commenced construction in 2014 and is on target for completion in 2018. In July this year, the final phase of the N7/N11 Arklow to Rathnew PPP scheme opened to traffic.”

Minister Donohoe concluded: “Continuing to invest in our national road network is essential to the further development of our economy and future economic activity. Very importantly over the period of the Capital Plan 2016-2022, capital funding for land transport, including roads, will be built up towards the levels needed to support adequate maintenance and development. The Plan has committed €6bn for transport, including €4.4bn for the main priority, which is the maintenance and renewal of the road network.”

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telephone: +353(0)1 885 9999 email: info@laganasphaltgroup.com Web: www.laganasphaltgroup.com

Carlow County Council

€248,118

Cavan County Council

€8,894,570

Clare County Council

€1,011,657

Cork City

€338,331

Cork County Council

€9,188,076

Donegal County Council

€13,075,668

Dublin City

€100,000

DLR County Council

€369,950

Fingal County Council

€320,889

Galway City

€471,260

Galway County Council

€17,687,444

Kerry County Council

€7,768,963

Kildare County Council

€8,552,819

Kilkenny County Council

€3,784,070

Laois County Council

€1,144,438

Leitrim County Council

€1,393,066

Limerick City & County Council

€6,313,686

Longford County Council

€2,643,188

Louth County Council

€3,125,477

Mayo County Council

€21,752,574

Meath County Council

€1,961,522

Monaghan County Council

€4,166,973

Offaly County Council

€619,761

Roscommon County Council

€10,893,507

Sligo County Council

€11,854,905

South Dublin County Council

€1,272,981

Tipperary County Council

€3,351,875

Waterford County Council

€2,389,018

Westmeath County Council

€5,704,574

Wexford County Council

€6,170,300

Wicklow County Council

€266,229 LAN LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

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LAN LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

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eu legislation to tackle air pollution

a

ir pollution is a major risk to health and the environment, causing more than 400 000 premature deaths in the EU each year. The European Commission's Clean Air Policy Package is aimed at addressing the problem.

Despite existing EU legislation, air pollution limit values have continued to be exceeded, threatening the environment, damaging the economy and above all affecting citizens' health. As a result, in December 2013 the European Commission (EC) adopted the Clean Air Policy Package, aimed at ensuring compliance with EU air quality legislation by 2020 and reducing the number of premature deaths related to air pollution by over half by 2030.

This package's two legislative proposals comprised a revised National Emissions Ceiling (NEC) Directive (2001/81/EC) setting emission reduction commitments for six key pollutants - sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds, ammonia (NH3), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and methane (CH4) - and a new directive to limit emissions of SO2, NOx and dust from medium-sized combustion plants (MCPs) between 1 and 50 MW. The NEC directive is still under negotiation, but the MCP directive has already been agreed by the European Parliament and Council and its formal adoption by those institutions is scheduled for 25 November 2015. This will fill an important gap as until now only small and large combustion plants were covered by EU regulations, yet medium-sized plants are also a major source of certain air pollutants.

Existing MCPs will have to comply with the directive from 2025 (those in the range 5-50 MW) or 2030 (plants of 1-5 MW). New plants will have to comply with the limits three years after the legislation comes into force. the costs of air pollution The importance of the Clean Air Policy Package was underlined by Guido de Wilt, Policy Officer in the Environment Directorate-General's (DG) Air Unit, at the Clean Air for European Cities Conference in

Berlin in July. "There are still many air pollution hotspots in Europe where EU citizens are exposed to concentrations that surpass the agreed EU limits," he explained. This causes problems for citizens' health and the economy.

Air pollution results in over 400 000 premature deaths in the EU each year, 10 times more than are caused by traffic accidents. It also has a direct annual economic cost of some €23 billion: €15 billion in lost working days, €4 billion of healthcare costs, €3 billion in losses of crop yields and €1 billion of damage to buildings. In addition, the indirect costs to the EU economy (i.e. the social and environmental costs) due to air pollution are estimated at €300-900 billion per year. "For all these reasons and more it is urgent to adopt the Clean Air Policy Package," said Mr de Wilt.

However, there are a number of issues hindering implementation of the legislation. These include the need for more coherence and coordination between EU institutions and national, regional and local authorities. This would help avoid conflicting initiatives by different administrations. Lobbying is also a problem. Certain stakeholders in sectors such as the car industry, energy and agriculture are resisting change, according to Mr de Wilt. "The argument most usually utilised is that air quality measures only add to costs, when in reality they are a real opportunity for growth and will benefit society as a whole. Often there is even EU funding available for such innovative developments."

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An update of the EU's trans-boundary air pollution standards, notably for ammonia, is also required. Lastly, the Policy Officer said additional and more recent data on emissions and their sources as well as on air quality from Member States are needed, as well as a better reporting system to facilitate more consistent and coherent air quality plans and programmes.

The Commission is also studying some initiatives to raise awareness and promote best practice. For example, it is looking into the current and future use of an Air Quality Index at various geographical levels. "The idea is to provide citizens with straightforward information about their air quality situation," explained Mr de Wilt.

On top of that, the EC is looking to organise a Clean Air Forum, enabling air quality experts and managers from around the EU to meet and exchange data, best practices and other information. The details are still under discussion, with the first meeting expected to take place in 2017. DG Environment is also working to mainstream air quality further into other EU policies.

The Clean Air project was successful in focusing the work of nine NGOs from six Member States. It ensured the problem of emissions from ships on Europe's inland waterways was recognised and established a network of six 'biking cities' across the EU to reduce car traffic and emissions, amongst other achievements. The results have supported the Clean Air Policy Package. The project partner Transport & Environment also gave feedback on a proposed new directive on non-road mobile machinery, which aims to limit emissions of new inland vessels, diesel trains and construction machines.

Importantly, the project showed how NGOs can form an effective counter to industry lobbyists by using the law as an instrument for clean air, according to Mr Balsmeyer. A decision of the German federal administrative court in 2013 means NGOs in Germany can sue if EU environmental law is broken.

The Clean Air project partners have seen a number of notable legal successes.

lIFe project supports legislation Heiko Balsmeyer, manager of the 'Clean Air' project (LIFE11 ENV/DE/000495) which hosted the conference, identified three main barriers to implementation of the new legislation: lack of political will, insufficient support from Member States and lack of public awareness about the health risks of air pollution. For instance, he noted that local authorities are concerned about initiatives affecting car use as "they expect a public outcry". Too many Member States are not actively supporting their cities with programmes for specific sectors or by changing national legislation as needed, according to Mr Balsmeyer. "They should all have air quality programmes with effective measures and a budget," he said.

In April, the UK Supreme Court ordered the government to speed up efforts to meet European pollution standards and submit new air quality plans to Brussels by 31 December. In Germany, the authorities of Munich, Limburg and Offenbach have been instructed to revise their air quality plans and take additional measures against air pollution to ensure that emission limits are met as quickly as possible. Munich is still working on its plan. Limburg will introduce a low emission zone at the beginning of 2016. Offenbach already has such a zone and is now considering introducing a speed limit of 30 km/hour on streets with a high volume of traffic.

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Minister s kell y & cof fey announce fur ther refor m for social housing deliver y

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inister for the Environment, Community & Local Government, Alan Kelly TD and Minister for Housing, Planning and Co-ordination of Construction 2020, Paudie Coffey TD, have announced a new fast tracked process of funding approvals for social housing construction projects.

Under the new process, funding approval can be given by the Department of Environment Community & Local Government in just one approval stage for projects up to €2m in value and up to 15 new housing units. Ordinarily new social housing construction projects go through a more extensive, multi-stage approval process.

Accordingly, the new arrangement for projects up to €2m or 15 units will enable local authorities to progress these projects more quickly to construction stage.

Minister Kelly stated “since the launch of the Social Housing Strategy, we have worked with local authorities to drive the delivery of a new social housing building programme. We have also reinforced the capacity of the authorities by sanctioning almost 400 additional staff for this work. In parallel, I have been keen to identify options to accelerate the time involved in advancing new projects, to ensure the best possible implementation of the half a billion euros of new social housing capital projects that we have so far approved.”

Minister Coffey added: “it’s appropriate that there is rigorous oversight of the public funding spent on new social housing and our Department is responsible for this. This new arrangement strikes the right balance between that oversight and the need for maximum efficiency in project delivery. It puts a stronger responsibility on local authorities to deliver these projects within budget. Given the focus nowadays on mixed tenure in social housing, projects are often designed at a smaller scale and are therefore likely to come under this new arrangement.”

“The delivery of social homes for families is a priority for this Government and this delegated responsibility will assist in the early delivery of such homes. We need to keep administration to a minimum and reduce any red tape that may slow the progress of housing schemes,” ended Minister Kelly.

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Minister alan kell y t.d. publishes repor t on the over sight role of local authorities in the provision of social housingby ahbs

M

r. Alan Kelly, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government has published a report on the oversight role of local authorities in the provision of social housing by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).

The report is the latest in a series of reviews produced by the Value for Money Unit of the Local Government Audit Service, which carries out VFM studies with a view to identifying best practice and recommending ways of improving existing procedures, practices and systems and thereby promoting efficiency and cost effectiveness. The Local Government Audit Service, of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, is responsible for the external audit of all local authorities. As part of its brief the VFM Unit has been working closely with the local authority sector, the interim regulator, and the eight participating local authorities in reviewing the oversight role of the local authorities in the provision of social housing by the Approved Housing Bodies.

(PAA) within the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP).

Eight local authorities (Cork County Council, Donegal County Council, Dublin City Council, Kildare County Council, Kilkenny County Council, Louth County Council, Mayo County Council and South Dublin County Council) were selected to participate in the study following a review of statistics and their geographical spread. These eight local authorities deal with approximately 270 AHBs who provide 13,916 units.

Arising from the findings during the review the report makes recommendations in relation to • Registration of mortgages • Nominations and statements of occupancy • Inspections • Records

Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) have a key role in the delivery of the Social Housing Strategy 2020.

There are over 520 AHBs in Ireland with a housing stock of approximately 30,000 units, and this represents approximately 19% of housing units funded by the State within the local authorities. This study on the oversight role of local authorities in the provision of social housing by AHBs concentrated on the main funding schemes i.e. Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), Capital Loan Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) and the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) and Payment and Availability Agreement

• Financial matters • Leasing arrangements • Capital projects The Minister commented that “I am confident that this VFM Study will be of significant assistance to the local authorities in strengthening their oversight of AHBs in the years ahead and in contributing to the development of statutory regulation of the AHB sector

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clonakilty WWtP official opening On Dec 3rd 2015 the upgraded Clonakilty Wastewater Treatment Plant was officially opened following a €7 million investment.

Cork County Council (CCC) is one member of the Project Team which also includes:Irish Water – now the Project Client (originally CCC) EPS Ltd – Design Build Operate & Maintain (DBOM) Contractor Royal Haskoning DHV - Nereda® Process Innovators and Consultants Ryan Hanley Consulting Engineers – Client’s Representative

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The Deputy Mayor of County Cork, Cllr. Joe Carroll, officiated at the ceremony supported by representatives from the Client Irish Water, Cork County Council and the Contractor EPS Ltd.

The unveiling of the plaque (L to R) Mr. John Lynch - EPS Ltd., Mr. Michael Tinsley - Irish Water, Cllr Joe Carroll - Deputy County Mayor of Cork County and Mr. David Keane - County Engineer and Director of Services Cork County Council.

The wastewater treatment plant now has four times its previous capacity and uses the brand new and innovative Nereda速 Wastewater Technology.

The project also included an upgrade to the main pumping station at Long Quay, providing additional capacity for storm water storage that will significantly reduce the frequency of overflow to Clonakilty Bay at Croppy Park.

Group at Clonakilty WWTP Opening

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One of the primary drivers for this project was the protection of Clonakilty Harbour, classified as a National Heritage Area, Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area. The protection of water quality in the bay to maintain Inchydoney as a Blue Flag Beach is a key benefit of this project for County Cork.

By increasing capacity fourfold to 20,500 person equivalent the newly upgraded plant will support ongoing economic development and job creation in Clonakilty, as well as Inchydoney, Ring and Shannonvale. The work carried out means the area will continue to grow and its growth will be sustained by a modern and reliable wastewater treatment infrastructure.

Nereda® Wastewater Technology facilitates the treatment of wastewater within a third of the footprint of conventional wastewater treatment processes. It also reduces the volume of sludge produced and chemicals used during the operational phase of a plant, thus achieving a more environmentally and

Official Inspection of the new Plant (L to R) Mr. John Lynch - EPS Ltd., Mr. Michael Tinsley - Irish Water, Cllr Joe Carroll - Deputy County Mayor of Cork County and Mr. David Keane - County Engineer and Director of Services Cork County Council.

economically sustainable wastewater treatment solution. The wastewater treatment plant in Clonakilty is the first plant constructed in Ireland and the UK using Nereda® technology. Appreciation of the roles of EPS Ltd. Main Contractor, Royal Haskoning DHV - Nereda® Process Innovators and Ryan Hanley Consulting Engineers was noted at the opening event.

In choosing the technology Cork County Council in partnership with Irish Water have become early adopters of this revolutionary process.

On November 6th 2015 Cork County Council were awarded the 2015 “Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award” by Engineers Ireland for this innovative and ground breaking Wastewater Treatment project.

Cllr Joe Carroll - Deputy County Mayor of Cork County

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AQS Environmental Solutions introduces INFONET to the Irish market AQS Environmental Solutions, one of Ireland’s leading drainage infrastructure, cleaning and surveying companies, have recently secured and commenced utilisation of one of Europe’s leading data management software tools.

InfoNet is a purpose-built Infrastructure Management System (IMS) for water distribution, wastewater collection and storm water networks ensuring informed, swift and cost-effective decision making both for day-to-day operational management and for long-term network planning. Designed for operations managers, engineers and planners in the water industry, InfoNet enables users to manage, integrate, validate, analyse, report on their network data to provide accurate, auditable and up-to-date information. It also allows users to report on network infrastructure and performance, presented in easy to use format. AQS are utilising InfoNet as a platform to manage data generated in the area of CCTV surveying, GPS surveys, impermeable area surveys and drainage area planning ( DAP).

surveys, manhole surveys and impermeable area survey data. Customers can generate colour coded plan views highlighting information e.g. pipe sizes or which sections have maintenance scheduled in the next year. Commenting on InfoNet, Stanley O’Reilly, Commercial Director of AQS said: “InfoNet has enabled us to provide our customers with an easy to use network modelling system and has significantly reduced the amount of time required by our customers to interpret and process information. We see data management as a significant area of development within our industry in the future and we are trying to offer our customers a cost effective, efficient solution to data management “.

AQS Environmental Services now part of the Lanes Group of companies.

In December 2015, AQS was acquired by Lanes Group in the UK. Lanes Group are one of the UK’s largest drain and sewer services companies, with multi million pound annual contracts with Thames Water, Severn Trent, Scottish Water and others.

They are considered to be market leaders in terms of innovation and use of best available technology in the area of drainage cleaning, surveying, mapping and repair. With the addition of AQS to the Lanes Group, it creates a group of companies with 1,703 staff, 27 operating centres and five utility hubs.

Lanes Group has unrivalled expertise and experience across all key commercial and industrial sectors, including water utilities, transportation, energy, local government, construction, insurance and domestic.

The acquisition of AQS by Lanes Group will deliver new business opportunities that are an excellent strategic fit, both with our current services, and our plans for growth.

Richard Leigh, Group Development Director, Lanes Group states “AQS Environmental Solutions has sound finances, a strong brand and a good reputation with their customers. AQS becoming part of Lanes Group helps to achieve a strategic ambition to invest in equipment and extend our geographical reach and service offering, where it is financially and operationally prudent to do so”.

InfoNet enables us to provide our customers with a network model incorporating all of the data generated as a result of the various activities on site.

By providing our customers with information in a network model format, with a click of a mouse, the customer can view any specific data segments required such as individual line segment CCTV

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aQs environmental solutions, archerstown Industrial estate, thurles, Co.tipperary. tel. 0504-57800 info@aqssolutions.ie www.aqssolutions.ie

ePa urban Waste Water treatment repor t for 2014 published 82% (143 out of 174) of large urban areas achieve the mandatory EU quality standards – this figure is up 8% in two years.

Untreated sewage is discharged at 45 urban areas – over half of these are in three counties (Cork, Donegal and Galway) The EPA Urban Waste Water Treatment Report for 2014, highlights the need for investment in waste water infrastructure to eliminate the discharge of raw sewage from urban areas and to meet European Union standards intended to prevent the adverse environmental and public health effects associated with sewage.

Commenting on the report Mr Gerard O’Leary, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement said, “Sewage discharges continue to impact on our environment with counties Cork, Donegal and Galway the worst affected areas. A reversal of the decline in capital expenditure seen in recent years is needed to eliminate the discharge of raw sewage from our environment and allow Ireland to meet EU standards."

Some key findings of the report on infrastructure and effluent quality: 143 out of the 174 large urban areas (82%) achieve the mandatory EU quality standards. This figure is up 8% in two years. 45 areas had no waste water treatment and discharged raw sewage.

Twelve large urban areas did not meet the Directive’s requirement to provide secondary treatment.

Seven large urban areas did not meet the Directive’s requirement to provide infrastructure to reduce nutrients and did not meet nutrient quality standards. some key findings on the management and operation of plants: Operational improvements are required at 57 urban areas, which have sufficient treatment capacity but failed to meet the effluent quality standards. 21% of incidents at waste water plants were attributed to issues surrounding operation and maintenance. and some key findings in relation to the receiving environment: Waste water discharges contributed to poor bathing water quality at seven designated bathing waters in 2014, including Youghal and Rush.

There is just one seriously polluted river site (Bredagh, Moville) where pollution is caused by urban waste water discharges. This is down from six in 2013.

Mr David Flynn, Programme Manager of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement commented that, “As well as investing in capital works, the operation and management of existing waste water plants needs to improve. Audits of sewage plants undertaken by the EPA had found in some cases inadequate maintenance and operation of plant and equipment.”

Concluding Mr Flynn said that, “One fifth of all pollution incidents at sewage plants could be prevented by better management and operation of treatment plants.”

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tenants & landlords Can Have their Disputes solved For Free

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inister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly and Minister with Responsibility for Housing, Planning and Coordination of the Construction 2020 Strategy, Paudie Coffey, have welcomed the commencement of provisions in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 which will provide for free mediation services by the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB).

already introduced by me in December, by giving tenants free access to a key dispute resolution process.

It will encourage parties to refer their case to mediation

The PRTB was established as an independent body under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. A party referring a dispute to the PRTB may choose to have their dispute resolved by either mediation or adjudication. The PRTB received a total of 3,910 applications for dispute resolution in 2015.

Currently a fee of €25 is charged to applicants when applying to have their dispute resolved by the PRTB and the fee is €15 where the application is made online.

The new provisions introduced in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 provide that the PRTB may not charge a fee where a party chooses to have their dispute resolved by mediation. The PRTB may continue to charge a fee for resolving disputes by adjudication but the resolution of a dispute by mediation will be free of charge.

“Mediation saves time and money for landlords and tenants alike. It is respectful, non-adversarial and highly successful in achieving mutually agreeable resolutions to disputes” said Minister Kelly. “The introduction of these provisions builds on the rent stability measures

rather than the more adversarial option of adjudication.”

The mediation process provides parties in dispute the opportunity to avail of the assistance of a trained mediator who assists both parties in reaching an agreement without the need for the parties to attend a hearing or engage directly with each other. Mediation is fast, convenient and the terms of the agreements are legally binding and enforceable. The PRTB also offers a telephone mediation service as a convenient way to address disputes quickly and effectively.

Minister Coffey added “The telephone mediation service introduced by the PRTB in late 2013 has been a major success. Processing times for telephone mediation cases were typically 10 to 12 weeks during 2014 and improved further to 6 to 9 weeks in 2015.”

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PRODUCT PRODUCTinfo info

How better glass can help save the planet low-e glass has role to play in curbing CO2 emissions Policy responses to the need to save energy in domestic housing often overlook the role of glass. Internal and external insulation, more efficient boilers and solar heating are all supported with grant aid from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Glass is excluded.

Yet the energy savings from replacing old, single-glazed windows with modern, Low-E (low emissivity) glass are considerable. A study by Dutch research institute TNO, commissioned by Glass for Europe, shows that, across the EU, over 90 million tonnes of CO2 emissions could be saved by the widespread use of low-e glass.

What is Low-E glass? Low-E glass is specially treated with a microscopically thin, virtuallyinvisible transparent coating on one surface. The coating reflects heat back into the building, thereby reducing the heat loss through the window.

It also reduces the heat transfer from the warm (inner) pane of glass to the cooler (outer) pane, thus further lowering the amount of heat that escapes from the window.

The coating allows large amounts of solar energy to enter the building, thereby heating it.

This coating is used on glass in both double and tripleglazed units. The properties of Low-E insulating glazing mean that your windows can actually contribute to the heating of your home by (i) reflecting the house’s heat back into the room, and (ii) trapping heat from the sun inside the house (called “solar gain”).

Older double-glazed windows do not contain lowemissivity glass, and are therefore not energy efficient.

Manufacturers of Low-E glass, such as Pilkington’s, recommend Low-E glass for rooms with a high proportion of windows and doors, for sun rooms and conservatories and for north or eastfacing windows.

In the Dutch study mentioned above, researchers measured the

number of Terajoules (TJs) that could be saved by installing Low-E glass. Terajoules are measurements of energy required for heat. For instances, one joule is the amount of energy required to heat one gram of cool air by one degree Celsius. A Terajoule is 1012 joules. A city the size of Dublin uses about 50,000TJ of energy a year.

If Low-E glass was (i) installed in all new builds in Ireland, and (ii) retrofitted to all existing buildings, it would save just over 6,000TJ of energy (equivalent to nearly 650 tonnes of CO2).

Read our Energlaze post on how Low-E glass works: http://www.energlaze.ie/double-glazing/heat-retainingglass Information about types of glazing from the European glass manufacturers’ trade association, Glass for Europe: http://www.glassforeurope.com/en/issues/faq.php Have a look at this video from the Corning Museum of Glass on how Low-E glass works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEtMGItzLHE

You can also call them on (01) 901 1635 or (021) 601 0095.

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PRODUCT PRODUCTinfo info

for David Pearl and his business partner, Tom Fennessy from Croom, is to get their Roadmender accepted by local authorities here in Ireland.

dr eaming up a new way to end potholes

a

n innovative machine, conceived, designed and created here in Limerick, could revolutionise Ireland’s roads and consign potholes to the realms of bad memory, according to Ballingarry businessman David Pearl.

It provides top-quality hot-mix on site in small quantities,” David explains. This makes it ideal for fixing potholes or for re-instating roads that have been dug up for services or to repair pipes. But the beauty of Roadmender, he says, is that it saves the time that might otherwise be used in going to a hot-mix plant. It can also re-use the “break-out” or plainings from a pothole or road-break and recycle them, on site, to be used as a base course.

“You take the break-out, chuck it into the machine, you heat it and mix it and it can be used for underlay,” David explains. The second phase in the process involves heating a special mix and applying that as a top course.

The finished result, David says, is far superior to a repair job where chips are thrown into a pothole and topped up with hot tar. And he is convinced that Roadmender would also be hugely cost efficient for local councils.

Already, nine machines have been bought by companies in Britain, several more are on order and one has been sent to Ontario, Canada where it is being used to repair potholes at very low temperatures. But now, the challenge

It took 18 months to achieve a CE rating for Roadmender and a further 18 months for Roadmix to be approved. But, given the proliferation of potholes in the country, he is optimistic that this is one business idea that will prove to be very successful.

For more information or a demonstration please contact +353 (0) 86 2604748 Or visit www.roadmender.ie Roadmender limited Ballyneale Farm, Ballingarry, Co. limerick

The new enhanced Permanent Pothole Repair is available in 25kg tubs and is recommended for the repair of potholes in roads, driveways and car parks. Instant Road repair 6mm grade is supplied in 25kg plastic bags and tubs and is ideal for permanent repairs in footpaths and cycle tracks.

THE MARKET’S FAVOURITE POTHOLE REPAIR MATERIAL, NOW EVEN EASIER TO APPLY Contact us for further information T: 0141 3143584 E: ultracrete@instarmac.co.uk

The Market's Favourite Pothole Repair Material, Now Even Easier to Apply!

At Instarmac, home of the Ultracrete brand of proven and tested highway maintenance solutions, innovation, research and development is stimulated by the relationship they have with their customers.

The company pride themselves on listening to customers’ needs and providing real solutions. As part of this programme of continual improvement and investment they have recently made enhancements to their HAPAS approved Permanent Pothole Repair and 6mm Instant Road Repair cold lay asphalt material to facilitate even easier application.

The easy work formulas eliminate the need for kneading before installation. Permanent Pothole Repair and 6mm Instant Road Repair can be applied direct from the tub filling patches with ease and enabling effortless compaction once in-situ. The straightforward application provides a more efficient repair method, saving the contractor both time on site and the overall cost of installation.

Ultracrete's cold lay asphalts are formulated to give a performance equivalent to hot-lay materials, yet remain workable and effective for 6 months without degrading in storage or transit. Cleaner, more efficient and user friendly, they can be used in all weathers at any time, day or night and are particularly suitable for small works such as patch repairs, street ironwork, access covers and repairs to footways. Furthermore, the resealable tubs eliminate any wastage, helping your money go further.

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get it right first time with ultracrete's cold lay patching materials!

Call tel: 0141 3143584 or email ultracrete@instarmac.co.uk to try it for yourself and start saving today.

PRODUCT PRODUCTinfo info

leaders in road recycling in Ireland for more than 20 years.

B

ased in the Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland Callington Ltd has over 40 years proven experience in the Road-Recycling/Stabilisation, Asphalt and Macadam works and Surface Dressing/traditional tar spraying industries. We also do road planing and tarmacadam works.

• No increase in finished road levels and consequently no concerns regarding kerb height or drainage at entrances; in fact if either of the foregoing are presently an issue, the road level can be reduced.

• Reduces issues associated with high soft edges along the road side resulting from conventional overlays.

• Ideal for roads where trenchwork has been carried out; rather than reinstating just the trench area, the full width of the road can be restored at a reasonable cost.

• Environmentally friendly, sustainable and conserves natural resources (aggregates) and reduces CO2 emissions.

• Quicker turnaround in project completion, up to 5000m2 can be completed in one day.

Callington Ltd Road-Recycling offers a complete range of road-recycling services to Local Authorities and to commercial, industrial and domestic customers.

• Saves on future maintenance costs by constructing a strong, low-maintenance road.

In these economically challenging times where value for money is now more important than ever, roadrecycling has proven to be an extremely cost effective method for upgrading and maintenance of existing roads, the benefits being: • Savings of up to 40% compared to conventional bituminous overlays.

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Ballykilmurray, tullamore, Co. Offaly Contracts Manager Martin Conneally Mobile:087 8125154 tel: +353 57 93 25273 Fax: +353 57 93 25273 email: info@callington.ie www.callington.ie

PRODUCT PRODUCTinfo info

QPR® is available in easy to use bags throughout Ireland from Lagan Bitumen Ltd.

QPR® america’s No. 1 Pothole Repair Material is available in the uK and Ireland.

WHY use QPR®?

Our product is used all year round by the nation’s largest utilities and public works organisations, as well as local and county highway agencies. Relied upon for over a decade by professionals who demand the best, QPR® is available in both large and small bags nationwide.

QPR® advantages: • Storability • Workability • Non-toxic with a Low level of VOCs • No wastage – ever • Convenience • Ease of use and application • Can be used in the wet and at sub-zero temperature • No need of trimming the edges of pothole • No need to apply sealer or primer to repair • Open to traffic immediately • Will adhere to edges even in water filled holes • Will adhere to concrete, metal, glass and asphalt • 2 years shelf life in bags • A minimum expected repair lifetime of 12 months with a list of 2 year+ old repaired sites available upon request

telephone: +353(0)1 885 9999 email: info@laganasphaltgroup.com Web: www.laganasphaltgroup.com

No training or special skill required when using QPR®, It is an ideal solution for the DIY enthusiast, car park maintenance company or school caretaker.

Draft LAN News Oct. 2_Layout 1 20/11/2012 17:09 Page 21

BRYKO LTD.

B

ryko Ltd. Is Irelands leading supplier of filled flood bags for emergency flood defence. A family run company, we at Bryko have gained the trust and respect of city and town councils over the years to deliver on our promise of quality and service when its

required. Working together with local authorities we have helped to save hundreds of thousands of euro in damages to properties and households alike. Over the years we have identified the two main priorities required by public authorities during flooding emergencies which is why we offer a 24 hour 364 days per year service to local authorities attached to emergency flood response.

1. Speed and punctuality of delivery.

2. Volume of Flood bags to be produced within a short period.

Bryko supply filled and stitched 25kg flood bags from the most up to date robotic bagging plant in the country designed to turn out high volumes of bags shrink wrapped and stacked on pallets. Bryko also deliver and place bulk bag defences and our new patented Mini Dam flood defence system to Locations around the 32 counties . Our exciting newly patented Mini Dam product is a single easily handled sand bag 12 feet long and 15 inches high which can be deployed in seconds to create a long seamless barrier.

With our fleet of 16 delivery vehicles ranging from articulated trucks, rigid trucks fitted with cranes, and trucks with mounted forklifts we can

rapidly deliver large volumes of filled flood bags anywhere in the country. City councils, Town councils, Army and Civil Defence branches have all called upon and relied on Bryko to supply them with emergency supplies of flood bags. Bryko have a variety of flood defence methods which have been deployed rapidly in towns and cities over the last 16 years, which have saved hundreds of thousands of euros in damages to property and households in recent years.

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For further information on Bryko Ltd pleaae contact: Tel: 045 865101

Mobile: 087 9971484 Email: order@bryko.net

PRODUCT PRODUCTinfo info Flood Prevention - Water Rails

With the recent flooding in Many areas around Ireland, flood defence systems has become very topical again. SSI Environmental supply versatile flexible protection barriers that are very easy to use and were used successfully during the recent flooding.

The beauty of the Water Rails is that they are very easy to handle, they can be deployed very quickly and their flexibility means they can be utilised wherever they are actually needed.

There was speculation that the Flooding in 2009 was a ‘one in one hundred year event’ and unfortunately this does not appear the be the case. It looks like the flooding issue is not going to go away and we need to ensure that due diligence is exercised in selecting products.

Water rails are proven to be effective and because we are not sure when or where the next flood will take place, an adaptable flood protection product is essential.

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unit 243, Block a, Blanchardstown Corprate Park 2, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. tel: 01 8855555 / 01 8855559 Web: www.ssienvironmental.ie

PRODUCT PRODUCTinfo info

Week on week you see or read in the news how air quality around the world deteriorates; coupled with the positive progression from the Paris Protocol as countries agree to look for solutions and set legally binding targets for 2050.

ECO Systems International welcomes EU legislation to tackle air pollution in conjunction with the offer of a simple solution; our ECO Unit can reduce toxic emissions by up to 95%. Any piece of equipment that burns diesel, petrol, kerosene, heating oil, methane (natural gas), butane or LPG can have its toxic emissions reduced within one hour of it being fitted. See our chart below for the various toxic gases, see our advert on page 10 or visit us on www.ecosystemsint.com.

In 2012 the WHO declared that diesel exhaust fumes do cause cancer. Three years earlier New York introduced a law to cut pollution by allowing vehicles just 60 seconds to idle in a school zone, enforcement of this law was an issue; in contrast the State of Texas installed the ECO Unit on all school buses, a positive solution to protecting the health of their children and reducing pollution. The EPA in the US provide an idle free schools tool kit - http://www.epa.gov/region8/idle-free-schools

The US Department of Homeland Security, US Customs and Border Protection, approved the use of the ECO Unit on their vehicles in 2009, while closer to home London alone plans to spend ÂŁ40 billion on solutions to reducing its emissions by 60% of 1990 levels by 2025.

Legislation is critical to ensure everyone breathes cleaner air now, but it must be considered in conjunction with cost effective solutions that work for everyone.

Ask yourself about our schools that have cars and buses idling while waiting for children, schools and hospitals that burn heating oil, people waiting for a diesel train or working in train stations, mechanics in garages; are these people at risk – yes, and there is a solution to reduce this risk element. eCO systems international are now the exclusive world wide distributiors for the eCO Unit and are focused on educating the public as to the dangers of fuel emissions; coordinating our simple solution with government bodies to take a positive step and encourage all departments to install the ECO Unit on government equipment that burn the fuels listed above.

If you would like to know more call alan long sales Director on 087 255 4868 or our website www.ecosystemsint.com LAN LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

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PRODUCT PRODUCTinfo info eliminate the on- going road maintenance issues from your day.

P

oor performing manhole covers and bad installations are costing Local Authorities hundreds of thousands of euro every year in unplanned budgetary spending.

EJ and Tarstone are combining their product offering of high quality, certified ductile iron castings with accredited ironwork reinstatement services, giving you a complete solution to address your road maintenance needs.

Whole-life costs are a significant consideration for local authorities and service providers when specifying municipal castings. Selecting the EJ Tarstone Roadmastic Ironwork Reinstatement system offers you product features that help improve operator safety, allow for ease of operation and are designed to last, which will deliver you cost savings over the life time of an installation.

For more information on our seminars which aim to inform Local Authorities and Consultant Engineering firms on Product Standards related to road furniture, correct product selection, specification and installation methods please call our Business Development team on 057 91 23100 or email ireland.sales@ejco.com

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PRODUCT PRODUCTinfo info

Choose Firebird and it won’t cost you the earth

I

n these ever changing times, with renewed focus on a greener planet everyone is after the edge when it comes to energy efficiency and limiting carbon emissions but Firebird Heating Solutions have been at the forefront of innovation in heating products for almost four decades. Since 1979, when Firebird first started manufacturing in the west Cork Gaeltacht we have consistently improved our boiler efficiency and reduced our carbon emissions, so much so that now Firebird stand on top of the pile when it comes to energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions. The innovative Enviromax Blue Supreme is the first boiler of its’ kind to embrace Blue Flame burner technology which simultaneously saves you money whilst also helping safeguard our planet. With a record breaking 97.4% efficiency and greatly reduced CO2 emissions combined with levels of NOx which already surpass EU 2022 obligations, the Blue Supreme is ideal for anyone looking to build a new house or upgrade to the most efficient boiler money can buy.

And speaking of money we could all do with a little bit extra at the end of each month. By switching to a high efficiency condensing boiler you can realise savings of up to 30% on your heating bills while also reducing your carbon footprint. In fact Liam Maddock Technical Manager Firebird estimates that for an average 140 sq. metre house the savings could be in the region of €150-€200 per annum simply by upgrading your boiler, and by taking additional steps and SEAI guidelines such as zoning your house you can save an additional 10-14% on top of this. Schemes such as the SEAI Better Energy and Warmer Homes scheme and the newly announced London Mayor scheme for boiler scrappage shows that there is a huge appetite out there for replacing older inefficient units.

Liam Maddock Firebird further states “Our analysis shows that our top rated condensing boilers have cut CO2 emissions by 30% which is saving the planet the equivalent of two return air trips from Dublin to New York annually. In addition to this because we have the only true Blue Flame burner on the market our NOx emissions have been decreased by over 33% on standard efficiency boilers which is the equivalent of taking a diesel car off the road for 4 months”.

So we are focussed on giving our customers the best savings out there in efficiencies while also developing the most eco friendly products along with installation advice and guidelines to help our customers save even more money.

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Sales, installation and maintenance of top quality outdoor fitness equipment, to local authorities, hospitals, sports clubs, schools etc. Ireland's longest established dedicated outdoor gym supply company.

Tel: 094-9381088 / Mob: 086-2147236

Email: info@outfit.ie / Web: www.outfit.ie

BICYCLE SHELTERS

··

Ph: 1850 202 303 www.arba.ie Bicycle Shelters & Stands Bus Shelters Kiosks

·

CHEMICAL STORAGE

·· ··

SPILL PALLETS CHEMICAL STORES CHEMICAL CABINETS SALES & HIRE

Ph: 061 225005 www.safetystorage.ie

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