Local Authority News Vol. 38 No. 1

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• Cork University Bridge wins 37th Irish Concrete Society Award • Kerry Central Regional Water Treatment Plant wins Another Engineering Award • PPP Contract award for 534 Social Housing Units

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CORK PLASTICS ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE OPENING OF THEIR NEW DEPOT IN DUBLIN Celebrating 50 years in business this year, Cork Plastics have expanded their market's to the UK and mainland Europe. The opening of the Dublin depot emphasizes the importance and value of the Irish market to Cork Plastics.

The Dublin depot has an extensive range of our products including Underground (Sewer) Systems, Watermain Pressure Pipe, MDPE PE80 Pipe, Roofline and Rainwater Systems.

Cork Plastics building and plumbing products are widely used by major housebuilders and developers, providing them with innovative and cost-effective solutions for both domestic and commercial new build and refurbishment projects."

For enquiries and information for Dublin and the greater Dublin area you can contact Ultan Bannon @ 0867758402/01-6833550 or call to the depot at Unit 643, Jordanstown Road, Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, D24 RX0C. Cork Plastics, Little Island Industrial Estate, Cork. T45 TX05.

Tel: 0214510610. Email: sales@cpm.ie

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CONTENTS Vol 38. No 1.

FEATURES

Published by:

GILTRON LTD RIVERVIEW LODGE, DUBLIN ROAD, NAVAN, CO. MEATH. Tel: 00353 46 9072841 Email: info@localauthoritynews.ie Website: www.localauthoritynews.ie

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, State-Sponsored and Development Bodies and Agencies.

KERRY CENTRAL REGIONAL WATER TREATMENT PLANT WINS ANOTHER ENGINEERING AWARD

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TIPPERARY COMPANY WINS AT INTERNATIONAL PUMP INDUSTRY AWARDS

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FIREBIRD LAUNCH NEW ENVIROAIR HYBRID HEAT PUMP

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PPP CONTRACT AWARD FOR 534 SOCIAL HOUSING UNITS

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COMPREHENSIVE HEATING SOLUTIONS (GRANT)

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REBUILDING IRELAND EXCEEDS TARGETS FOR THE DELIVERY OF NEW SOCIAL HOUSING HOMES IN 2018

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BEATING THE BLOCKAGES AT ROCHFORT MANOR (XYLEM)

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THE MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT, TOURISM AND SPORT, SHANE ROSS TD, HAS ANNOUNCED DETAILS OF A €483 MILLION INVESTMENT PROGRAMME FOR 2019 FOR REGIONAL AND LOCAL ROADS 20 MINISTER BRUTON TACKLES ILLEGAL DUMPING

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CORK UNIVERSITY BRIDGE WINS 37TH IRISH CONCRETE SOCIETY AWARD

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SMALL THINGS MATTER NOW AND FOREVER! (WEEE IRELAND)

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FAIRFIELD DRIVE – COUNCIL’S SOCIAL HOUSING SCHEME IN MACROOM OFFICIALLY OPENED

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REGULARS IRISH WATER UPDATES

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DEPARTMENT BREIFS

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CLASSIFIEDS

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Kerry Central Regional Water Treatment Plant wins another Engineering Award

The recipient of the 2019 Irish Construction Excellence Award in the Civil Engineering Category was Glan Agua Ltd., with the Kerry Central Water Treatment Plant, the award was presented in association with ICE Awards Sponsor, Diatec.

Andrew Driver (Glan Agua), David Harpur (Diatec), Michael Tinsley (Irish Water), Andrew Young (Glan Agua) & John O'Connor (Kerry County Council). Image copyright: ICE Awards/Conor McCabe.

Civil Engineering Project of the Year Award 2019.

Announced at Irish Construction Excellence Awards ceremony which took place on Friday evening, March 29, the Kerry Central Regional Water Treatment Scheme won the Civil Engineering Project of the Year Award 2019.

The prestigious awards ceremony took place in the Round Room of the Mansion House, Dublin. The Irish Construction Excellence Awards provide an opportunity for the industry to showcase and reward best practice across the full range of construction disciplines and project categories.

The project by Irish Water, in association with Kerry County Council, and undertaken by Nicholas O'Dwyer Ltd, TOBIN Consulting Engineers and Glan Agua Ltd, was chosen as the winner by an expert panel of judges from the construction world.

Second national award for the Kerry Central Regional Water Treatment This is the second national award for the Kerry Central Regional Water Treatment Scheme, having won the Engineers Ireland Engineering Project of the Year Award 2018 in November.

The project is also in line for an international award. The Kerry Central Regional Water Supply Scheme has been shortlisted for the global Water Project of the Year. The Kerry project is one of four finalists, along with projects from Saudi Arabia, Russia and America. Previous winners include Perth Groundwater Replenishment Scheme (Australia), Mujib Dam Water Supply Project (Jordan) and Abuja water supply project (Nigeria). The 2019 Global Water Awards will be presented at the Natural History Museum, London on 9 April 2019, as part of the 2019 Global Water Summit.

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Providing a safe and secure water supply for over 62,000 residents The Kerry Central Regional Water Treatment Plant was officially opened on November 5th 2018 by Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin and Cllr Norma Foley, Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council. The €30 million project provides a safe and secure water supply for over 62,000 residents as well as industry and agriculture in the region, and serves the more than 1.2 million tourists who visit the region annually across Tralee, Killarney, Castleisland and Castlemaine.

Water Treatment Plant by Lough Guitane

Plant is amongst the largest in the country The scheme’s new water treatment plant is amongst the largest in the country and provides over 50 million litres of drinking water every day. As a result of the upgrade and investment by Irish Water, the scheme has been removed from EPA’s Remedial Action List - RAL is the list of ‘at risk’ water supplies.

Speaking about the Kerry Central Regional Water Treatment project, Michael Tinsley, Infrastructure Portfolio Delivery Manager, Irish Water said “Until the completion of this project, the local water supply lacked an effective system to treat the raw water abstracted from Lough Guitane. This meant that the areas supplied by the Kerry Central Regional Water Supply Scheme were at risk due to the lack of sufficient water treatment.”

“Complicated by its scale, nature, and location the project required advanced water treatment processes, including recycling to conserve water and the use of pumping stations and pipelines, culminated in the creation of a new sustainable supply of drinking water for residents, businesses and industry in the region. The project also included an upgraded hydroelectric power turbine and water storage of up to 15 million litres of water, which is the equivalent of six Olympic-sized swimming pools” “We are delighted the project has received this award. I’d like to thank all the project team including staff in Irish Water, Kerry County Council, Nicholas O’Dywer, Tobin Consulting and Glan Agua who met the size and scale of the challenge of this project and developed a solution that would safeguard the supply of safe, clean drinking water for so many people in Kerry. I also want to thank the Irish Construction Excellence Awards judges for this recognition which is hugely appreciated.'

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Tipperary Company Wins at International Pump Industry Awards Campion Pumps and Irish Water receive Pump Industry Award for “Project of the Year”.

Campion Pumps and Irish Water have been awarded Project of the Year in the Pump Industry Awards for specialist engineering works carried out at Inniscarra Dam. Campion Pumps, which demonstrated superior engineering performance, was recognised at an award’s gala dinner in the UK on 21st March 2019.

The awards are regarded as one of the leading industrial events with the “Project of the Year” title awarded for the most innovative pump project, installation or service introduced onto the market.

L to R: PJ Ryan Campion Pumps, Sinéad Carey Campion Pumps, Catherine Campion Campion Pumps, Martin Campion Campion Pumps, Neil Smyth Irish Water, Alan Campion Campion Pumps.

The Pump Industry Awards recognises pump and pump related companies across the UK and Ireland which are operating at the highest levels of engineering performance. As the only Irish finalist Campion Pumps have been recognised for their engineering ingenuity. After a rigorous judging process and public voting, Campion Pumps and Irish Water were announced winner of Project of the Year category and Campions Pumps as one of three finalists for Distributor of the Year.

Commenting on the award, PJ Ryan, Director at Campion Pumps, said: “We have been delighted with the recognition from the UK & Ireland pumping sector in receiving these awards. Having a panel of esteemed Judges accredit us with an award of this calibre and from the UK is a very strong endorsement of our services.”

Campions Pumps celebrated 30 years in business last year. Founded by local man Martin Campion, and with over 50 employees, Campion Pumps are leading providers of water and waste water pumping solutions and bespoke booster sets in Ireland. Providing a full range of pumping and treatment solutions to commercial, industrial, agricultural and domestic customers and they are now preparing to bring Scadacloud monitoring and IoT services to market in UK and across Europe.

The project receiving this outstanding recognition was carried out in the summer of 2018, which will be remembered as one of Ireland’s hottest and driest. The exceptionally dry weather reduced water levels to varying degrees across the country and, in turn, affected the ability for Irish Water to abstract sufficient quantities to meet demand. The impact of severe drought was kicking in. The met station at Cork Airport, for example, recorded the lowest level of rainfall since 1962 for the combined months of June, July and August.

This lack of rainfall during the summer reduced the reservoir at Inniscarra to levels not previously recorded in the history of the Cork Harbour & City water supply scheme. The Inniscarra water treatment plant was constructed in the 1970s and is the third largest such facility in the country, producing approximately 60 million litres per day. This serves about half the needs of Cork City and surrounding areas, with plants at Lee Road and Glashaboy providing a further 40 million and 20 million litres per day respectively.

As the water level in the impoundment dropped below critical levels, it became clear that the water would have to be moved around the dam to keep the river flowing. To tackle the problem, Irish Water engaged Campion Pumps to implement an effective solution.

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Experts and trusted partner in providing innovative water, wastewater and pumping products and services.

• Bespoke water supply booster sets and standard booster sets • Energy efficient pumping solutions • Waste water and submersible pump stations • Full range of circulating pumps • Water quality and control • Water treatment solutions including UV, Chlorine, Iron & manganese removal • Emergency and preventative service and maintenance • Intuitive Scada monitoring solution for water and wastewater system.

“Pipe delivery system of three 12-inch pipes at Inniscarra Dam, Co. Cork.”

Contact a member of our team to discuss your pumping requirements today.

Tipperary 056 8834288 | Dublin 01 6234211 | Email sales@campion.ie

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PIA – Project of the year photo: L to R: Penny Smyth TV & Radio Presenter, Neil Smyth Irish Water, Martin Campion Campion Pumps, Simon Oakes, Wilo UK

Campion Pumps, working for and with Irish Water, designed a floating pump arrangement. Discharging directly into an opening in the centre of the dam, an opening normally used to pass fish. When the concept was developed, a team of specialist engineers was assembled, Campion Pumps, Gleeson Steel & Engineering, also from Gortnahoe, and WH Scott and preparations took place during the last week of July and over a busy August bank holiday weekend.

A 16-tonne steel plate pontoon was sourced, and a team of specialist engineers got to work at Campions headquarters in Gortnahoe, Co. Tipperary. Three pumps to cater for high flow at low head were selected by our in-house pump experts. A steel frame was designed. Fabricated and certified to sit on the pontoon and hold the pumps in position. Within a two-week period, the elements were brought together and lifted into the water at Inniscarra to be floated into position at the centre of the dam with the assistance of Subsea Marine and East Cork Crane Hire. Three 12-inch delivery pipework were passed through the opening and the pontoon was secured using four anchor points that had been drilled into the upstream face of the dam. A 300kVA diesel generator provided the power and with soft starts and control panels in place for remote monitoring, the pumps were commissioned.

The system remained in place for 6 weeks. In providing this contingency arrangement, continued access to raw water at Inniscarra was guaranteed and the downstream river continued to flow. Campion Pumps provided online Scada monitoring and alarm services of the site with full visual representation via the Scada platform.

This allowed the various stakeholders to monitor pump runs, volume of water pump, operational status of system and remote access to engage/disengage pump system.

Maintaining flow in the channel downstream of the hydroelectric dam was vital for the health of the river and to sustain fish life. It also ensures adequate supply of raw water to the downstream water treatment plant at Lee Road. Continued access to raw water at the Inniscarra treatment plant was facilitated. This maintained the overall water supplies to Cork city and surrounding areas with a population of 250,000 plus significant industry remaining unaffected.

Speaking of the project, Martin Campion, CEO, Campion Pumps said “This project was only possible due the combined effort of our excellent employees and with the support of other specialist contractors such as Jim Cummins of Cummins Haulage, Gleeson Steel & Engineering and W.H. Scott who all helped us to deliver under tight timelines for high profile stakeholders. We would like to thank all those who assisted us on this project.”

Neil Smyth, Irish Water’s Regional Operations Lead, commenting on the award, “The work carried out at Inniscarra last summer in response to drought conditions was extraordinary. The emergency measures put in place helped to secure water supplies for a population of 250,000 as well as significant industry across the wider Cork area. Efforts like this became priority number one for Irish Water as the dry weather severely impacted our ability to maintain supplies to communities and businesses across the country. While the award recognises the significant work at Inniscarra, I think it’s symbolic of the enormous contribution by all water services staff in response to the extreme weather conditions of 2018.”

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FIREBIRD LAUNCH NEW ENVIROAIR HYBRID HEAT PUMP irebird Heating Solutions has always been a name you can trust and is now a market leader in hybrid heating, with the launch of their new range of Enviroair heat pump/boiler hybrid systems. Combining the Enviroair heat pump with a Firebird Envirogreen boiler, quite literally take heating to another level. The hybrid range not only boasts ultra-quiet operation, but the excellent COP (Coefficient Performance) can produce an incredible 4kW of energy for every kW of energy used to power the heat pump. These high levels of efficiency will reduce fuel bills for the homeowner when compared to other heat pump systems. Available in single phase outputs from 7.5kW to 16kW, the Enviroair hybrid range provides a compact and space saving solution as a single Monobloc unit that is installed outside the property. However, combined with the highly successful Envirogreen boiler range, the hybrid system will ensure that 100% comfort heating is provided throughout the year, regardless of the weather conditions. Environmentally friendly, the Enviroair hybrid system provides the perfect heating solution for the modern new build, combining market leading technologies with over 35 years of experience. The system is easy to install and offers total flexibility, providing Part L Compliance and high BER ratings. The hybrid range has particular functions, including screed drying when integrated into an underfloor heating system. To complete the hybrid, Firebird also offer cylinders specifically designed for heat pump operation. These are pre-plumbed and make installation easy. There are 5 cylinders which range from 180 litres to 400 litres.

F

The outstanding energy efficiency of the Enviroair hybrid range is achieved by utilising cutting-edge DC Inverter Technology that saves on energy consumption and money all year round. This technology keeps temperature fluctuations to a minimum and ensures heat output matches the heating load of the property. Room temperatures are controlled effortlessly and efficiently with an intuitive, top of the range, intelligent heating control.

The system controller automatically runs the entire heating system and balances demand between the heat pump and boiler in colder climates and also has a built in weather compensation control facility.

Firebird Heating Solutions specialise in providing a total heating package solution. The comprehensive product range includes oil fired boilers, solar thermal systems, stoves, range cookers and biomass boilers.

Enviroair Air Source Heat Pump

For further information on the Enviroair hybrid range or other products in the range please visit

www.firebird.ie or contact Firebird Heating Solutions

Tel: 026 45253

Email: info@firebird.ie 11

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PPP contract award for 534 social housing units • • • •

Construction to start immediately in Dublin, Louth, Kildare and Wicklow Ireland’s first-ever PPP contract for social housing Europe’s first-ever European Investment Bank-financed PPP social housing scheme First time five Local Authorities have collaborated on a major social housing project

On behalf of the Department of Housing the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA), part of the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), have announced contract award of the Social Housing Bundle 1 PPP project to the Comhar consortium.

Construction of 534 homes, across five Local Authorities in Dublin City, South Dublin, Louth, Kildare and Wicklow County Council’s, will start immediately.

The NDFA acted as agent for the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (the Sanctioning Authority) and Dublin City Council (the Sponsoring Agency on behalf of all local authorities involved).

Site Ayrfield, Malahide Road Corkagh Grange Scribblestown, Finglas Dunleer, Co. Louth Convent Lands, Wicklow Town Craddockstown, Naas Total

Local Authority Dublin City Council South Dublin County Council Dublin City Council Louth County Council Wicklow County Council Kildare County Council

No. of Units 150 109 70 80 51 74 534

Minister Murphy said: “I am very pleased to confirm that the formal contracts have been signed for the first bundle of sites under the PPP social housing programme, which will deliver 534 new homes across six sites in Dublin City, South Dublin, Kildare, Louth and Wicklow County Council’s areas. This is the first of three bundles of schemes which will deliver around 1,500 new social homes and is an important and innovative delivery mechanism within Rebuilding Ireland.

I remain committed to continuing to deliver under our targets as set out under Rebuilding Ireland. This innovative way of delivering social housing through a Public-Private Partnership structure, which will secure delivery of over 500 homes in a single bundle, represents another important means that my Department are developing in order to increase our social housing stock.”

Cathy Bryce, Director of the NDFA, said: “This is great news for over 500 families who need a home that fits their needs and a landmark development in providing new social housing in Ireland. The project includes accommodation for a wide range of citizens including some assisted living, senior citizen living and one bedroom accommodation.

For the first time ever, we are extending the PPP model, which has successfully delivered high-quality roads, schools, healthcare facilities and other public buildings for the State, to deliver social housing.

This shows PPP works for social housing and opens up an important new avenue for delivering more homes for people who need them.

I am delighted that the hard work of five local authorities, the Department, the EIB and the NDFA has led to the successful closing of this critical project and we look forward to the delivery of these homes as quickly as possible.

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I would particularly like to thank the Minister Eoghan Murphy, Department of Housing and the Chief Executive of Dublin City Council, Owen Keegan, for their sponsorship and support in developing this new channel for social housing delivery.”

The Comhar consortium is 100% owned by Macquarie Capital Group Ltd. and supported by John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd. as works contractor, Choice Housing as facilities management provider and Oaklee Housing as tenancy management provider. The project is being funded by the EIB, Bank of Ireland and Korea Development Bank.

Brendan Kenny, A/Chief Executive, Dublin City Council, said: Given the scale of the social housing need facing the country and local authorities in particular, it is important that new and innovative approaches to increasing social housing supply are developed. Dublin City Council were excited to participate in this pilot Public Private Partnership programme which will see some 1500 social housing units delivered nationally.

Dublin City Council were delighted to be selected to act as Lead Local Authority for Bundle 1 of the programme which will deliver 534 homes on local authority lands within Dublin City, Kildare, Louth, South Dublin and Wicklow. I would like acknowledge the support of the Chief Executives from each of the participating local authorities and to thank their teams for their diligence and hard work which led to the successful procurement and award of contract to Comhar consortium.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Minister Eoghan Murphy, Cathy Bryce and their respective teams for their support, dedication and commitment to this programme since its inception. Dublin City Council look forward to continuing this positive working relationship in the future.

Mark Bradshaw, Head of Infrastructure Projects for Macquarie Capital in Europe and the Americas said: “As the need for greater social and affordable housing provision continues to grow globally, awarding agencies are increasingly looking to PPP frameworks. We invest in the early development stages of projects globally, applying both balance sheet capital, development capital and infrastructure expertise to make critical projects such as this happen. We have a longstanding relationship of over 10 years with Sisk Group, including currently being on-site together on the €250 million Grangegorman Campus and look forward to working with them, the NDFA and Choice to deliver this vital social infrastructure development for Ireland.”

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Rebuilding Ireland exceeds targets for the delivery of new social housing homes in 2018 •

27,103 – the number of new households that had their housing need met under Rebuilding Ireland in 2018.

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8,422 new homes were brought into the active social housing stock through build, acquisitions, voids and leasing programmes in 2018. (4,251 build; 560 renovated voids; 2,610 acquisitions & 1,001 long-term leased).

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There was an 85% increase in new build social homes in 2018 when compared to 2017 (excluding voids).

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The number of new social housing homes built in 2018 was eight times greater than the number built in 2015, the year before Rebuilding Ireland (excluding voids).

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Construction figures from December 2018 show almost 5,000 new social housing homes currently being built across 291 sites and this is being added to on a weekly basis.

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38% delivered by AHB’s in partnership with Local Authorities.

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New build and long term leasing is helping us move away from HAP solutions as demonstrated by the fact that new HAP solutions did not increase significantly in 2018, but all other delivery streams did.

Announcing the delivery output for 2018, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy said: “Roughly one in four new homes built last year was a Social Housing Home. The new build figure is 85% up on last year and eight times higher than 2015 – the year before Rebuilding Ireland began. This is not a coincidence.”

“Our plan to dramatically increase supply is working. A real improvement was made for thousands of families last year. But still there is a lot more work to do for those who are depending on us, not least those in emergency accommodation. I will continue to drive the delivery of new houses and housing solutions, working with the local authorities and housing bodies.”

“While there is no quick fix, our housing plan is now showing real progress in the delivery of new homes and new social housing homes. We’ve also recently seen moderation in rents and property prices.”

“This is about more than delivering blocks and roofs; it’s about delivering sustainable and affordable homes and communities.”

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Beating the blockages at Rochfort Manor Looking for an effective solution to regular breakdowns and subsequent resident complaints, Irish Water turned to Xylem distributor Campion Pumps for a remedy.

The challenge Rochfort Manor is a well-maintained and highly-desirable residential development on the outskirts of Carlow town in Ireland. With demanding flows and fibrous content, the pumps installed at Rochfort Manor Pumping Station had been frequently plagued by blockages and breakdowns. This caused not only a surge in unplanned maintenance costs, but also major disruption, with breakdowns occurring every seven to ten days. As a live pumping station in a residential area, there was the added challenge of ensuring any work carried out did not disturb the residents and remained in operation throughout. Irish Water consulted experts, Campion Pumps who worked in partnership with Xylem to resolve the issues.

The solution The two companies based their proposal on three core elements: blockage prevention, reduced maintenance costs and improved efficiency. Campion Pumps carried out a detailed site survey and using the Flygt ATU401 SCADA system collected data such as current power usage and flows from the existing pump station over a two week period. Following their analysis of this data and in consultation with Xylem Ireland the deployment of two 7.3kW Flygt Concertors was recommended as the best option. In order to keep the station in action, this meant only one pump could be changed at a time.

Despite being a fully-integrated, technologically advanced system, Flygt Concertor is simple and quick to install. For example: correct rotation of the impeller is guaranteed, which means there is no need to spend time physically checking. For Rochfort Manor, this meant that Concertor could be installed quickly, while the other pump continued operating. Its compact footprint also made it easy to navigate the restricted spaces. In addition, thanks to the ATU401, Irish Water was able to access real time views of the pump station, it’s flows and power consumption figures, via a live website link.

With blockages proving to be particularly problematic for Rochfort Manor, Concertor’s anti-blockage capabilities were another strong selling-point. Concertor’s intelligent XPC functionality is capable of sensing the operating conditions of its environment and adapting its performance in real time to suit the changing demands of the station. Should the pump detect a potential blockage, the adaptive N-hydraulics and anti-blockage protocols will run the N-type impeller back and forth repeatedly until the debris is cleared. The pump will carry out this operation 22 times before alerting an engineer, thus reducing unnecessary and expensive callout charges for reactive maintenance.

The XPC also delivers real time performance data, including: hours run, number of starts, kW consumed, current power, and number of anti-clogging cycles. This gives engineers total visibility and remote access to the pumps’ operations at all times.

The results Brendan Garry (Laois County Council) commented: “This new solution has already brought fantastic benefits and savings. Rochfort Manor, which previously caused us regular headaches through on-going maintenance callouts and charges, is now far more reliable.

“We haven’t had a single breakdown since the Concertor pumps were installed in May 2018. What’s more, performance figures have shown energy reductions of more than 70 per cent. On an average day, the Concertor pumps use 13.57kW less than the previous pumps.”

Energy savings like these are largely due to Flygt Concertor’s patented auto-learning algorithm, which varies the speed of the pump to match and memorise the pumping stations flow requirements.

Kevin Devine, Business Development Manager at Xylem Ireland, concluded: “This is a great working example of how Flygt Concertor can revolutionise operations under even the toughest of conditions. Given the location, this pumping station is extremely busy and is continuously faced with high-rag content. For the existing pumps, this was too much, but it’s the exact environment that Concertor was designed in mind for.”

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ELVES, the compliance scheme for End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) has been busy since setting up over two years ago. From working on growing the Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) Network, implementing the Electric ELVES programme and increasing producer membership, ELVES has been making an active contribution to improving reuse, recycling and recovery rates for ELVs in Ireland.

There are now over 60 ATFs in the ELVES ATF Network, all across the country. The ATF Network offers free take back of ELVs for recycling and has been steadily growing since ELVES was approved at the start of 2017. In the first quarter of 2018, ELVES met the network coverage requirements, having one ATF for every 100,000 people and an ATF within 45km of population centres of 15,000 people or more. By reaching and exceeding this target, ELVES provides more options for people who wish to scrap their cars responsibly.

Electric ELVES, the battery programme for hybrid and electric vehicles in Ireland, was first set up and implemented by ELVES in early 2018. This programme offers free collection and recycling of NiMH and Li-ion batteries found in electric, hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles from all ATFs in Ireland. Electric ELVES already offers ATF staff access to a free online training course on the technology and will be further developing its training resources to support ATFs this year.

A key aspect of what ELVES does is advertising and awareness raising, which is about informing people about the correct way to scrap their vehicle. Without the funding from its members, this would not be possible. ELVES advertises over a range of different platforms, including radio, print, online and through social media, and feedback from ATFs suggest it is working. ELVES also attends a variety of events every year with the purpose of promoting the ELVES Network and vehicle recycling. You may have seen them out and about!

Since approval, more and more motor dealers that supply used imports have got on board and joined ELVES, ensuring they are compliant and by supporting ELVES, contributing to the environmental targets ELVES is working towards. Starting with just over 20 members in 2017, ELVES now has 126 well known members registered as producers and expect many more to join this year.

For motor dealers that place new or used cars (M1) or light commercials (N1) on the market for the first time in Ireland, they need to do their bit to help meet the targets and have a legal obligation to be compliant with the ELV Regulations. It is easy for them to become compliant; they just need to register with ELVES and ELVES will take care of the rest. The alternative for them is to register with each of the 31 local authorities and establish their own network of ATFs. The ELVES compliance solution is the most cost effective and efficient method of compliance for anyone to consider.

With the funding obtained from its members, ELVES supports ATFs and re-processors reporting their reuse, recycling and recovery activities, provides training, and undertakes advertising and awareness campaigns to promote how to scrap a vehicle correctly. Funding provided by its members, makes a direct contribution to the achievement of the reuse, recycling and recovery targets for ELVs recycled through the ELVES Network and Ireland as whole.

ELVES is looking forward to growing the Network and awareness further in the future, as well as finding new ways it can provide support to its Network of ATFs and the work they do in recycling cars and small vans.

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The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD, has announced details of a €483 million investment programme for 2019 for regional and local roads.

Minister Ross said: “This announcement will see a further significant increase in grant funding for regional and local roads. Overall funding will increase by about 16% this year.” This increase in funding should allow approximately 2,400kms of regional and local roads to be maintained and 2,150kms to be strengthened this year.”

The Minister continued; “Building better roads can change lives, but investing in safer roads will save lives.

The campaign to change attitudes to drink driving, speeding, phone use and seatbelt wearing must be accompanied by Government delivering major funding for quality road investment if our roads are to be safer for all, and I am glad to say we are doing that.”

The Minister indicated that his main priority remains investment in the maintenance and renewal of the regional and local road network. The Minister said: “Last year specific funding was ring-fenced for drainage works to help promote increased network resilience. This grant has been very well received by local authorities and the amount available for drainage works will double this year to €20 million. In addition funds are being set aside to assist with the purchase of velocity patching machines to further support local authorities’ road repair programmes.”

There will also be significant expenditure of €65 million on road improvements projects. As in previous years a significant number of these projects have a safety focus, including the R194 Dunancorry Bridge widening in County Cavan, Derrartha Road in County Galway, the R556 Dale Road in County Kerry, Robeen Cross junction improvement in County Mayo, the R155 Curragha, and the R284 Gleann in County Sligo.

The Minister also confirmed that €15 million is being allocated to Community Involvement Schemes as part of the two year programme started in 2018.

The Minister commissioned a regional road condition survey in 2018 and in light of the survey findings has decided to initiate a pilot scheme to provide maintenance funding targeted on sections of former national roads which have been identified in the survey as being in poor condition. The total amount being allocated is €5 million.

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Minister Ross added: “Construction of a number of Project Ireland 2040 schemes is expected to be completed in 2019: • The Adamstown and Nangor Road Upgrades in County Dublin • The Dingle Relief Road in County Kerry • The Sallins By-Pass in County Kildare • The Portlaoise Southern Relief Road in County Laois” The 2019 investment programme also allows for other Project Ireland 2040 schemes to continue, including: • Bettystown to Laytown Link Road in County Meath • Shannon Crossing/Limerick Northern Distributor Road, County Clare • Athy Southern Distributor Road in County Kildare • Eastern Garavogue Bridge in Sligo • Coonagh/Knockalisheen Distributor Road in Limerick • Sligo Western Distributor Road • R498 Latteragh Road Upgrade in County Tipperary • Tralee Northern Relief Road in County Kerry Other improvement projects that have received an allocation in 2019 include: • Laghey to Pettigo Road, County Donegal • Culvert Remedial work in Thomastown, County Kilkenny • Tralee to Fenit road upgrade, County Kerry • Killala Road upgrade, County Mayo • Project to address flooding at Junction of R665 with R671 in Waterford The rehabilitation of a number of critically deficient bridges on regional roads around the country including: • Daly Bridge, and St Vincent’s Bridge in Cork City • Tirconnell Bridge in County Donegal • Ardfinnan Bridge and Clionbeg Bridge in County Tipperary • Hartley Bridge in County Leitrim • Obelisk Bridge and St Dominic’s Bridge in County Louth

“There is also provision for 270 bridge rehabilitation schemes and 240 safety improvement projects to be carried out. The main focus of the safety improvements scheme is to improve safety at locations where collisions have taken place or where the potential for collisions is high.”

The main features of the investment programme include: • €215m for road pavement strengthening works; • €53m for surface dressing; • €82m for maintenance and strengthening works for which Local Authorities have discretion in the selection of roads; • €65m for Specific and Strategic Regional and Local Roads Projects; • €11m for Bridge rehabilitation works; • €9m for Safety Improvement Works; • €20m for Drainage works; • €15m for Community Involvement Schemes • €13m approx. of miscellaneous grants including, training, speed limit funding, severe weather repairs, salt purchase, velocity patching machines

“I would also like to emphasise again that I consider that local authorities are best placed to assess priorities within their areas and considerable autonomy is therefore given to local authorities under the maintenance and renewal grant headings to decide their work programme. I would also explain that these grants supplement local authorities own resources expenditure on regional and local road projects and do not represent the total investment in regional and local roads for this year.”

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Minister Bruton Tackles Illegal Dumping 50% increase in funding for measures to prevent & respond to illegal dumping Applications now open to €3million Fund The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton T.D. has announced funding of €3million to the Anti-Dumping Initiative to support communities around the country to tackle illegal dumping.

Making the announcement at Darndale Community Centre, North Dublin the Minister said, "Illegal dumpers are poking their finger in the eye of communities all over the country. We can only stamp it out if we work together. This money will step up the chances of catching the offenders and will provide help to those who want to do the right thing.

"Innovation, surveillance using drones, special collections for awkward items like mattresses, spreading awareness among young people and recognizing the work of volunteers can all pay a role.

"We will be putting a special emphasis on targeting blackspots. Since 2017, the ADI programme has removed some 5,000 tonnes of illegal waste from some of the country's most notorious fly tipping black-spots. In the vast majority of cases, once a community takes action in a particular area, re-offending becomes highly unlikely. Nearly half of the funding being announced today will go towards tackling black-spots."

Funding to the programme is increasing to €3million this year, a 50% increase on last year. This is in addition to the €7.4m annual enforcement grant, which supports the recruitment and retention of 150 local authority waste enforcement personnel across the country.

Funding is available for: 1. Prevention •

• 1. Education & Awareness •

• Physical infrastructure - signage, fencing, lighting and barriers at identified black-spots and sites at risk Up to 90 Community Preservation Projects – funding to beautification projects that do not have existing funding sources.

Up to 50 Bulky Waste (e.g. mattresses) Collection events • Awareness Campaigns Education Programme expanded to all primary schools in the country

1. Abatement

• Black Spot Clean ups & surveillance • Roll out of Eircodes Household Waste Compliance Project to all 31 Local Authorities

1. Enforcement

• Roll out of Test Purchases Project to all 31 Local Authorities • Monitoring and surveillance equipment including drones • Development of Dumping Data Base

Applications are open today and will close on the 30th of April 2019.

Interested applicants can find more information herehttps://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/environment/topics/waste/enforcement/anti-dumping-initiative

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LANDSCAPE SUPPLEMENT

• Calling On All Local Authorities To Sign up as All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Partners • Protecting Article 31; The Child’s Right to Play, DCC • It’s That Knotweed Time Again

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CONTENTS Landscape Supplement Vol 38. No 1.

FEATURES CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN ON BALBRIGGAN SKATE PARK ..........................................................3 Published by:

GILTRON LTD RIVERVIEW LODGE, DUBLIN ROAD, NAVAN, CO. MEATH. Tel: 00353 46 9072841 Email: info@localauthoritynews.ie Website: www.localauthoritynews.ie

Designed & produced by Donnelly Design & Print Ltd. Tel: 046 - 9091891

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, State-Sponsored and Development Bodies and Agencies.

CALLING ON ALL LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO SIGN UP AS ALL-IRELAND POLLINATOR PLAN PARTNERS ..........................................................4 IT’S THAT KNOTWEED TIME AGAIN ..........................................................5 PROTECTING ARTICLE 31; THE CHILD’S RIGHT TO PLAY, DCC ..........................................................6 ST. CATHERINE’S PARK AND ELECTRIC CHARGING POINTS WINNERS FOR FINGAL AT LAMA AWARDS ........................................................12

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Construction to begin on Balbriggan Skate Park Fingal County Council is delighted to announce that construction of a destination style skate park will commence in Millpond Park, Balbriggan.

Freestyle Skateparks have designed and built over 600 skateparks in the last 30 years and have been contracted by Fingal County Council to build the skate park in Balbriggan. It is expected that the skate park will be completed and available for use within the first half of 2019.

Balbriggan Skate park concept

The classic plaza style facility is designed for families and spectators to appreciate as well as users and will cater for a wide age-range and level of experience. Community engagement has been essential in this process. Before tendering for the project, Fingal County Council’s Parks & Green Infrastructure Division undertook a design workshop with the Balbriggan skate park Committee and local users to determine their requirements. A key element of the project was that the design of the skatepark be informed by the stakeholder feedback and complemented the character of Millpond Park.

The news has been welcomed by the Balbriggan Skatepark Committee. A spokesperson for the Committee said: “It is heart-warming to know that the local Balbriggan Community and Fingal County Council can work so constructively together towards the completion of such well-sought-after recreational projects. We know that the Skaters and wider Balbriggan community alike will be very grateful for the support given to secure this well-needed sport facility.”

Welcoming the news, Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Anthony Lavin said: “The construction of the skatepark in Balbriggan will be a wonderful resource for the community. Recreational spaces are important for residents to make connections in their communities and pursue their interests. I’m delighted that the Council were able to contribute this project and look forward to its completion.”

Fingal County Council’s Director of Planning and Strategic Infrastructure, AnnMarie Farrelly, said: “The skate park in Millpond Park will be a valuable addition for Balbriggan. The provision of services and amenities that allow residents access to public and recreational spaces is vital in developing healthy and happy communities.”

The construction of the skate park follows the announcement of the Balbriggan socio-economic strategy in 2018. The strategy will deliver a multi-million euro transformation of Balbriggan’s infrastructure, amenities and public spaces, including the construction of the skate park.

Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, Paul Reid said: “Fingal has the youngest population in Ireland so it is vital that we invest in services to improve their standard of living. The construction of the skate park in Balbriggan will contribute to this as it allows young people to enjoy the amenities in their local area.

“The development of the skate park is an example of how the Balbriggan Strategy can positively affect Balbriggan residents. Community engagement has allowed Fingal County Council to work with Balbriggan residents to shape and influence the order of priorities and I am delighted to see progress being made with the commencement of the skate park development.”

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Calling on all Local Authorities to sign up as All-Ireland Pollinator Plan partners www.pollinators.ie Most people appreciate the beauty wildflowers bring to our landscape, they want the option to grow their own fruits and vegetables, and they want to buy affordable Irish apples or strawberries in our shops.

This can only happen in a landscape that supports pollinators and provides them with nesting areas and a diverse diet from spring to autumn. We know that one third of our 98 wild bee species are threatened with extinction from Ireland. We also know that the abundance of our common bumblebees has declined by an alarming 14% since 2012. The problem is urgent, but together we can change their fate. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is a call to action to everyone from councils to farmers, local communities, faith communities, gardeners, businesses and transport authorities.

Chief Executive Colette Byrne and Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr. Eamon Aylward signing a framework agreement with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan to formalise Kilkenny County Council’s long-term commitment to support pollinators in County Kilkenny. Pictured with Dearbhala Ledwidge, Heritage Officer, Kilkenny County Council.

In 2017, we released a guideline document with a range of 30 evidence-based actions for Councils to consider.

Since then, many Local Authorities have been taking practical actions to support pollinators on public land.

Many are also working with local community groups, residents’ associations and schools to help raise awareness of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. To better support these efforts and to better promote the work being undertaken, a new partnership framework was launched in February 2019. This aims to formally recognise Councils as partners of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and to give them recognition for their work.

In becoming an All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Partner, Local Authorities agree to support the ethos of the AllIreland Pollinator Plan; to consider the Plan in their policies, plans, and management decisions where possible; to carry out one pollinator-friendly action in the first year of signing up and plan to carry out at least three more within the following five years. Local authority partners will also provide updates on the pollinator actions they have planned, implemented or maintained at the end of each year. With current challenges to the natural world, including Climate Change, the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan offers local authorities a way of conserving the free ecosystem services provided by pollinating insects.

A larger number are in train, but as of the 21st March the following Local Authorities have already formally signed up as partners of the Plan: DĂşn Laoghaoire Rathdown County Council; Fingal County Council; Kilkenny County Council; Limerick County Council; Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council.

We would ask all Local Authorities to consider signing up as AIPP partners so that together we make positive changes for biodiversity and change the plight of our pollinators. For more information see:

www.pollinators.ie/councils 4

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It’s That Knotweed Time Again t’s that time of year again when Ireland’s most dreaded invasive species is about to make its presence felt in our gardens and along our roadsides and river banks. Japanese knotweed is a foreign invader that causes structural damage to walls, roads, buildings and foundations, and can bring property value down significantly if discovered on your land.

I

Did you know that Envirico are piloting Ireland's first herbicide notification system to help protect our honey bees?

For more info visit www.envirico.ie

Unfortunately, building a house on top of Japanese knotweed is as likely to destroy the building as the plant.

Japanese knotweed is so destructive because it evolved on the slopes of Japanese volcanoes - it had to be able to survive the occasional destruction of those parts growing above ground and still push through hardened lava to get back to the light. It achieves this by growing a massive central root ball (crown) with roots (rhizomes) that can reach out 7m across and 3m down. In fact, there may be more of the plant below the surface than above. This gives it the power it needs to push back up through our tarmacadam, paving and other surfaces extremely quickly.

It is a waste of time to only kill the above ground parts of Japanese knotweed, you have to target the root system so please don’t listen to some of the homespun remedies that we have heard over the years including diesel, kerosene and Barry’s tea!

Also cutting or digging up will cause the plant to spread.

For the average home-owner who may find Japanese knotweed in their garden and want to get rid of it, don’t despair. Envirico can arrange a herbicide treatment programme that will eliminate the species within 3-5 years. We also guarantee our work, so that you know we will stick with you until the problem is resolved.

If you are planning to build in an area with Japanese knotweed, Envirico can manage that too. There are many different options available for construction sites, and a properly drafted Knotweed Management Plan will consider all of these to give you the most costeffective and efficient solution possible.

Give our team of Ecologists and Project Managers a call today on 056-7801277 (Kilkenny office) or 066-9130116 (Kerry office). We are happy to give advice and answer any queries you may have.

Contact. Call us on 00 353 56 7801277 or 00 353 86 1423247. Email us on info@envirico.com.

Envirico Bonnettstown, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland R95 V2T4 Dr. Amanda Greer, Envirico

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Protecting Article 31; the child’s right to play Social media, stranger danger, traffic and our changing urban landscape are all impacting on children’s and young people’s access to everyday play experiences.

Ensuring that children and young people can have access to varied and challenging play environments is the role of Debby Clarke, Dublin City Council’s (DCC) Play Development Officer.

Debby steers Dublin City Council’s (DCC) commitment to supporting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 31; the child’s right to play. In adopting the recommendations of the general comment 17 on Article 31, the City Council was the first local authority in Ireland to develop a multi-agency city play plan.

The Dublin City Play Plan (DCPP) and upcoming implementation strategy is overseen by Les Moore, Head of Parks and Landscape Services.

One of the key aims of the plan and subsequent strategy is to provide a wide variety of high quality public play facilities throughout Dublin City.

St Anne’s Park Playground(DCC Parks & Landscape Services

Parks, Playgrounds and Green Spaces Dublin City Council Parks Strategy prioritises actions that will form best practice in providing sufficient play opportunities that address the diverse play needs of children and young people living in Dublin. This will be achieved through the ongoing development and monitoring of play facilities that includes parks, playgrounds, open spaces, and also includes the public realm. The newly developed Dublin City Play Strategy will present the wide range of play resources and services under the Parks Services portfolio. It sets out the current policy and intended actions in line with the City Council’s overall strategic vision of a greener and more liveable Dublin. The issue of play and recreation is also addressed in detail within the City council’s Parks Strategy.

Currently, Dublin city has around 1, 5000 hectares of parks, open spaces and parkland which incorporate approximately 57 playgrounds managed mainly by Dublin City Council. These playgrounds vary in size and type of location from large playgrounds with multiple pieces of equipment to smaller playgrounds with fewer pieces set closer to home. DCC Housing and Community Department also provide more localised play facilities where there are approximately 64 playgrounds located across the city in City Council housing and flat complexes.

The overall hierarchy of DCC Playgrounds are made up of the following: • Destination playgrounds

• • •

Local Playgrounds/Playlots Neighbourhood Playgrounds Doorstep play spaces

Playgrounds are one of the main tools used to facilitate play. DCC Parks and Landscape Services actively use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping alongside census figures regarding the numbers of children and young people under the age of 14 to identify deficits. This allows the City Council to invest in additional playgrounds in parts of the city with the greatest density of children.

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The rationale for distribution is also determined by identifying accessibility zones of 400m for standard playgrounds and 800m for destination playgrounds. DCC have adopted accessibility guidelines provided by National Fields and Trust (England) ‘Guidance for Outdoor Sports & Play - Beyond the Six Acre Standard’.

These guidelines provide examples of best practice as they are based on walking distance from dwellings.

Indicative walking distances can be determined from the accessibility guidelines as set out below: • 400m = 5 minutes’ walk

•

800m = 10 minutes’ walk

It should be recognised that when applying these benchmarks, local features and obstacles to pedestrian and cycle movement should be taken into account. In doing so, accessible and sustainable play and sport facilities will be maximised.

All DCC local and public playgrounds located throughout the city are installed and maintained in compliance with international best practice as adopted by the play industry.

Providers of children’s outdoor play equipment are expected to comply with EN1176 (play equipment) and EN1177 (safety surfacing).

Lord Mayor Nial Ring joining in the fun at the official opening of Hertzog Park

The City Council has key responsibility for identifying appropriate locations and adequate budgets in order to carry out the development of new playgrounds and upgrading of existing play facilities. Some additional but limited financial support is also provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) through the provision of a capital grant scheme for play facilities.

More recently DCC Parks and Landscape services and DCYA have worked collaboratively on innovative play projects. As part of the 2016 consultation process within the DCYA, children and young people from across Ireland took part in consultations on the theme ‘Imagining our Future’.

Suggestions were made by children and young people for commemorating the children who died in 1916. The project was then included as part of the redesign and refurbishment of St Audeon’s Park as a new look open Ross Road Play Area – more than swings and roundabouts public space. Subsequently, these children and young people took part in design and planning workshops in order to develop a concept for the design of the ‘1916 commemorative play garden’ which is now fully operational. It is due to be officially opened in June 2019. There are also new playgrounds for 2019 planned for Kilbarrack and Sandymount. Local children and young people as well as the wider community have been involved in the planning and design of these facilities. It is important to consult locally in so far as developing a variety of play spaces that are unique to their individual site and location.

More than Swings and Roundabouts Adopting a play-led approach enables close liaison with community groups, schools, after-school, summer projects and youth groups to develop and improve play opportunities within their local areas and services. This also involves an intra and interdepartmental collaboration within the organisation and with relevant outside agencies in order to keep the concept and importance of play to the forefront. This type of approach encourages and supports local consultation with a key focus on children and young people, giving them a voice and supporting them to actively participate in the planning and development of a citywide play infrastructure.

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Some of the more recent play facilities developed through consultation with children and young people includes Hertzog Park in Rathmines which utilises a woodland setting to promote playing in natural landscapes. Similarly Mount Bernard Park’s natural play area has been developed with local children who were actively involved in the design process in addition to creating willow weave structures as part of the design. The design and planning of new and upgrades of existing local play areas within DCC flat complexes is also developed to the same principles of consultation and participation with local children and young people. The York St Play Area ‘street play opportunities refurbished playgrounds at York Street, Bishop Street and Ross Road have engaged with communities to think beyond swings and slides and develop more open ended play elements. This involved developing the concept of time and space for street play and games to support children to engage in everyday play near their homes and on local streets.

Promoting Play - National Playday 2019 Dublin City Council’s key initiative used to promote play as a rights based issue for children and young people is National Play Day. In 2005 DCC was the first Council in Ireland to host a Playday which has now become a national event.

“Playday is about engaging children and young people in a wide variety of play opportunities that are low cost, imaginative, creative, messy and fun. It’s about stimulating back to basics play by making the ordinary extraordinary by affording children and young people the freedom to choose what, how and where they play and who they play with. Playday activities includes giant games, den building, penalty shoot outs, dress up, giant bubbles gloop, the list is endless”, explains Debby. The idea is that these activities can be replicated easily at home.

The event takes place every summer in Merrion Square and this year National Playday will once again take place on the first Sunday in July from 2pm to 5 pm. Families can join in this free afternoon of fun and games in one of the city’s favourite parks.

The theme for this year’s event is ‘Back to Basics’ which is aimed at encouraging families and communities to support children to play outdoors. Games, new and old will feature, for example; skipping, marbles, penalty shoot-outs and relays and obstacle courses. This event will inspire children to use their imagination with creative elements of play on offer such as messy play, art, dress up and den building. A special surprise activity will feature play that celebrates outdoor play. Playday encourages the very essence of children’s play. Playing outside is beneficial for children’s overall health and well-being. The sight and sound of children playing on the street and in local neighbourhoods is an important element of a vibrant, sustainable community. Look out for posters nearer to the date!

Have your Say! – Dublin City Play Strategy Online Surveys Following on from the Dublin City Play Plan; ‘Play Here, Play There, Play Everywhere 2012 – 2017’, Dublin City Council are developing an implementation strategy which will include a comprehensive action plan from 2019 onwards.

The key underpinnings of the Dublin City Play Strategy is to support ‘play’ as a right for children and young people under United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 31; the child’s right to play.

By treating play as a rights based issue, the City Council aims to support children and young people engage in and enjoy, explore and learn about the world from a broad range of play in their own way and at their own pace.

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St Annes Park – the natural environment supports children to assess and take risks

The Dublin City Play Plan and subsequent Strategy advocates a whole-child play-led approach to planning and development by prioritising play concepts for community groups, organisations, projects and schools. The goal is to implement long term sustainable measures so that children and young people can play safely throughout their parks, playgrounds, green spaces and neighbourhoods. This requires changing the mind-set that streets aren’t just for cars and generating an understanding that there is a place within them for play. High impact and low cost measures can influence behavioural change, “Traffic is not going to go away so compensatory actions are required to offset the challenges that are impeding children’s play in their local communities” according to Dublin City Council’s Play Officer, Debby Clarke.

As part of the development of the Dublin City Play Strategy, DCC Parks and Landscape Services – Play Development Section want to involve the wider community , especially children and young people in ‘having their say’ regarding the development of Dublin as a child friendly and playful city. By giving children and young people a voice in influencing issues that affect their lives, the Dublin City Play Strategy will be influenced and shaped by input from its citizens but mainly its young citizens.

The online consultation questionnaire for the Dublin City Play Strategy is now live until 24th May, 2019 and we encourage parents, carers, providers and especially children and young people to participate in this process.

Natural Play Area at Mount Bernard Park

The online surveys are for three specific categories; adults/parents/carers, younger children under 12 years and older children 12 years plus.

The consultation questionnaires can be accessed via http://www.dublincity.ie/playstrategy.

Please join in this consultation process and be part of shaping Dublin as a child friendly and playful city!

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St. Catherine’s Park and Electric Charging points winners for Fingal at LAMA awards St. Catherine’s Park, Dublin 15 was named Best Public Park and Fingal County Council’s Electric Vehicle Charging on the Public Street Lighting System won the Best Energy Smart Initiative at the 2019 All Ireland Community and Council Awards at a ceremony in Croke Park Stadium on Saturday evening. The two winning projects were among eleven Fingal nominations for the Awards which are sponsored by IPB Insurance and organised by the Local Authority Members Association (LAMA) in recognition of projects that are the joint effort of councils and community groups.

Senior Engineer Karen Gallagher and Director of Services David Storey with the electrical charging point

Speaking in relation to the awards David Storey, Director of Operations Fingal County Council said “This award is recognition for St. Catherine’s Park’s dedicated team of staff, who pride itself in delivering a high standard of grounds and horticultural maintenance. Their commitment has helped St. Catherine’s Park provide the area of Dublin 15, Lucan and environs with an extensive amenity asset which encompasses all the natural conservation and wildlife aspects necessary for a viable sustainable public park, with continuous enhancement and development based on the needs of the community users at present and into the future. The Best Smart Initiative award for the use of public street lighting poles to charge electric vehicles provides recognition for this initiative one of the many ways, including our use of electrical vehicles, that Fingal County Council is working to mitigate climate change and contribute to sustainable communities.”

Mayor of Fingal Cllr Anthony Lavin said “I would like to congratulate Fingal on winning the two awards and commend those involved in these projects, and all those nominated, on the excellent work they are doing to enhance Fingal for the benefit of all the community”

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Chief Executive Paul Reid paid tribute to all those involved in the various projects saying: “To get 11 nominations is a tremendous achievement and great credit must go to all the staff who were involved in the various projects. I want to congratulate those involved in St Catherine’s Park which was named as the Best Public Park. It is recognition of the great work being done there daily by our Operations staff and the long-term strategic planning of the facility by our Parks Department.”

“Last year during the #Engage process I highlighted the growing importance of Climate Change and Operations staff in St. Catherines Park: Joan Kernan, Mick Kennedy, Shane Sutton, Ollie Brennan, JohnMark Bentley, Eugene Sweeney, the effect it will have on what we do Olivia McCormack, Ted Lynch, David Storey as a Council. One of the initiatives Director of Services, Norman Macken that emerged out of that process was the use of public street lighting poles to charge electric vehicles and the staff in Operations deserve great credit for bringing the idea to fruition. I hope that we can continue to lead our sector in rolling out practical solutions to enable citizens to play their part in mitigating the effects of Climate Change.”

The eleven Fingal nominations in various categories included Council of the Year which was won by Limerick City and County Council. The other projects nominated were: Flavours of Fingal County Show; Fingal Comhairle na nÓg ‘Perfect Imperfections’ short film; Rush Harbour Playground; Tropical Butterfly House, Malahide; Development of Newbridge House & Farm as a Heritage Attraction; Rock Garden Park, Rathbeale Road, Swords. Billy Bebbington from Sutton was nominated as Community Volunteer of the Year.

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CORK UNIVERSITY BRIDGE WINS 37th IRISH CONCRETE SOCIETY AWARD Excellence in concrete design and construction was celebrated at this year’s Irish Concrete Society’s Awards Evening, which took place on the 30th of March in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin.

Element and Overall Award winning entry - Perrott’s Inch Bridge, UCC, Cork

This was the 37th Annual Awards Evening and the event is always one of the highlights of the construction industry’s calendar, with 280 attending. The Awards recognise excellence in both design and construction in concrete and are adjudicated by a distinguished, independent jury of industry professionals. The main awards jury reviewed a total of twenty-five projects nominated in three categories of main awards - Element, Infrastructure and Building. There were also nine projects nominated for the 7th International Award, which is sponsored by Enterprise Ireland. In addition, the winner of the annual Séan de Courcy Student Award was announced.

Speaking at the awards evening Chairman Eamon Booth stated: “Since its inauguration in 1977 our awards evening has become a highlight of the construction industry calendar and the awards themselves are widely recognized for the exceptional quality standards and levels of excellence they represent, in concrete design and execution.

This year, we received an exceptional standard of nominations across all of the various categories and I commend all the entrants for the skill, ingenuity and resourcefulness on display in the array of outstanding projects that are showcased in the competition.”

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The Main Awards The main awards jury consisted of Karen McEvoy (Bucholtz McEvoy Architects), Des Mulcair (Roadbridge) and Jerome O’Brien (J.B. Barry and Partners).

Project team members for Perrott’s Inch Bridge, UCC, Cork accepting their award from Eamon Booth (Chairman of the Society).

(L-R)Gordon O'Reagan (Keating), David McCarthy(Keating), Eamon Booth(Chairman of the Society), Tim Cronin (University College Cork), Keith Goodwin (Kilsaran)

Element Category and Overall Winner: Perrott’s Inch Bridge, UCC, Cork Chosen from a total of 9 element category entries and 25 entries for overall award.

Jury Quote: “Great care and consideration has been given to the crafting of the abutments of this bridge, a delightful addition to the banks of the Lee, facilitating pedestrian connectivity across the river within the UCC campus”.

“The plasticity of concrete has been used to great advantage to sculpt elegant forms in the differing conditions at each side of the bridge, on one side seamlessly offering universal access in a 20m long ramped form, simultaneously offering a place to sit, whilst on the other integrating playful parabolic arches sitting in the floodplain below.”

“The inherent materiality of concrete is explored and made manifest in a variety of excellently executed finishes, their respective locations carefully considered with regard to how users will interface with the concrete (ground and slip resistant underfoot, polished where the human hand will pass over it).”

Project Client: Project Architect: Project Engineer: Project Contractor: Major Suppliers:

University College Cork O’Donnell + Tuomey Horganlynch Consulting Engineers Keating Kilsaran / Palmira

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Infrastructure Category Winner: UBC 43A Osberstown Underbridge, Co. Kildare Chosen from a total of 5 projects entered.

Infrastructure Category Winner– UBC 43A Osberstown Underbridge, Co. Kildare

Jury Quote: “The designers and contractors of the winning project in this category were presented with a challenging logistical problem - how to construct a new road bridge under an existing busy rail line which could only be closed for a short period.

The judges were impressed with the near unique solution of bespoke large scale interlocking precast concrete U sections which were installed quickly in the challenging timeframe, and resulted in a robust, durable structure with excellent finishes.

Project team members for “UBC 43A Osberstown Underbridge” accepting their award from Eamon Booth (Chairman of the Society) Front Row (L-R) Alan Donnelly (John Sisk & Son), Cathy Kissane (Iarnród Éireann), Mairéad Whitty (John Sisk & Son), Fergus O’Hara (Hanlon Concrete) Back Row (L-R) Liam Meagher (Iarnród Éireann) Darragh O’Brien (G O’Brien Crane Hire), Conor O’Brien (G O’Brien Crane Hire), Martin Hewitt (Iarnród Éireann) Eamon Booth (Chairman of the Society) Gerry Gielty (Iarnród Éireann), Damien Maher (John Sisk & Son), Pat Lucey (John Sisk & Son), Aidan McAdam (Iarnród Éireann)

The feasibility of erecting the precast concrete structure was tested by constructing a scale timber model which was used to perfect the erection sequence.”

Project Client: Project Architect: Project Engineer: Project Contractor: Major Supplier:

Kildare County Council Iarnód Éireann Iarnód Éireann John Sisk and Son RAPS Construction / Hanlon Concrete

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Building Category winner: Cliffs of Moher Coach Park Reception Building Chosen from a total of 11 entries

Building Category Winner – Cliffs of Moher Coach Park Reception Building

Jury Quote: “In the sensitive landscape along the coast of Clare to which visitors flock to view the Cliffs of Moher, this project seeks to minimise its visual impact on the setting, creating a sunken enclosure of concrete, incorporating reception facilities for the various coach companies serving the site.

Concrete is cleverly used to hold back the earth enabling the necessary accommodation to be concealed in a mounded form. Benefiting from the inherent strength, robustness and resilience of concrete, its comprehensive use seems particularly appropriate here. Carefully detailed fair-faced concrete is used extensively in the floors, walls and ceilings both internally and externally, treated with various finishes from exposed aggregate to highly polished, according to its location. Artificial lighting is hidden in niches carved out of the concrete, whilst canted sky windows are crafted to allow daylight into the concealed interior.”

Project team members for “Cliffs of Moher Coach Park Reception Building” accepting their award from Eamon Booth, Chairman of the Society.

Front Row (L-R) Denis Byrne (Denis Byrne Architects), Carmel Greene (Clare County Council), Paul O’Mahony (Roadstone), Gordon O’Reagan (Keating) Back Row(L-R) Maggie Moran (Denis Byrne Architects), Brendan Phelan (Keating), Brian O’Loughlin (Keating), Eamon Booth (Chairman of the Society), Patrick Queally (Keating), Martin Tierney (Roadstone)

Project Client: Project Architect: Project Engineer: Project Contractor: Major Suppliers:

Clare County Council Denis Byrne Architects Bakkala Consulting Engineers Keating Ryan Bros.(Ennis) now part of Roadstone

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Winner of the 7th International Award Techrete for “Lombard Wharf, Battersea, London” An award, sponsored by Enterprise Ireland, that recognises Irish companies who export product or service off the island of Ireland. The Award reflects the continued emphasis on export for Irish construction. The Jury included David Clarke of Moloney O’Beirne Architects, Ed Hanlon, Engineer and Donal Byrne from Enterprise Ireland.

Chosen from a total of 9 entries.

7th International Award winner – Lombard Wharf, Battersea, London, Techrete

Jury Quote: “This curved landmark building is situated on a prominent location overlooking the Thames in Battersea.

Designed by Patel Taylor and constructed by Barratt Homes, the building appears to twist as it rises through 28 storeys.

The precast concrete balconies wrap around three sides of the building, creating a carved stone effect and contributing hugely to the aesthetic quality of the project.

The structural precast concrete balconies, which were dropped into position as the building went up, required continuous collaboration between the architect, builder and precast concrete manufacturer to achieve the desired effect.”

Project team members for “Lombard Wharf, Battersea, London” accepting their award from Eamon Booth, Chairman of the Society.

Back Row (L-R) Michael Saunders, Adam Barry (Techrete), Eamon Booth(Chairman of the Society), Vivian Hand (Techrete) Front Row (L -R) Darren Brown (Techrete), Ainoha Hoyos (Techrete), Coxwell Mupandanyama (Techrete), Valerie Heatherton (Enterprise Ireland)

Project Client:

Lombard Wharf, Battersea, London Irish Export Company:

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Séan deCourcy Student Award This is an annual award given to the best final year project on a concrete related topic from the engineering faculties of 3rd level colleges.

The award is named after the late Professor Séan deCourcy, an inspirational professor for many years at UCD, a former chairman of the Irish Concrete Society, an author and historian of note.

Séan de Courcy Student Award -Cormac Mac Murchú for his thesis “ Prestressed Concrete – Numerical optimisation of design, economy and sustainability.”

Back Row (L-R) Eamon Booth (Chairman of the Society), Des Walsh (Cork Institute of Technology) Front Row (L-R) Cormac Mac Murchú, (Cork Institute of Technology), Mrs. Sheila de Courcy (widow of Séan de Courcy) Brian O’Rourke (Cork Institute of Technology)

Winner: Cormac Mac Murchú (Cork Institute of Technology) Project title: Prestressed Concrete – Numerical optimisation of design, economy and sustainability About the Irish Concrete Society The Irish Concrete Society is a learned society founded in 1973 to support and encourage technical excellence in concrete. It is a cross-sectorial, independent, impartial, science based organisation. With membership open to all who have an interest in concrete.

The Society acts as a focal point for industry debate, research, education, standards development in the field of concrete technology, design and construction. The Society is a not for profit organisation funded by membership subscriptions and the services it offers.

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Pleased to be associated with Campion Pumps and Irish Water on the “Project Of the Year”

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Contact Gleeson steel at 056 8834110 or email info@gleesonsteel.ie

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Small Things Matter Now and Forever!

When it Comes to Recycling, One Small Action Can Make a Huge Difference

Pictured: Sam Reid, aged 6, from Sandymount with Boa Belle Doyle, aged 4, from Killester;Alice Mc Loughlin, aged 5, from Drumcondra; and Cillian Kennedy, also aged 5 from Clontarf; with Leo O’Donovan, CEO, WEEE Ireland.

Extended Caption: Leo Donovan, CEO, WEEE Ireland, celebrates the launch of the Small Things Matter campaign with some help from small ‘recyclers’, at the environmentally sustainable city farm Airfield Estate in Dublin, to remind us about the importance of recycling for the future of our children and our planet.

27th March 2019 – WEEE Ireland, Ireland’s largest electrical and battery recycling scheme, launched the Small Things Matter campaign today to encourage Irish householders to recycle waste energy saving lightbulbs and small electrical household items to benefit our environment and the future of our children.

Participating householders will be pleased to know their recycling efforts will also support LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice, with WEEE Ireland contributing to the charity, as part of the campaign. WEEE Ireland has been in partnership with LauraLynn since 2011 and has donated over €390,000 to this vital organisation, which brings support and palliative care to children with life limiting conditions.

“For a small nation, Ireland is playing a big part when it comes to recycling WEEE with over 60% of household e-waste recycled each year compared to a global rate of only 20%. And it’s not just our environment that sees the benefits. Because of the effort made by everyone to recycle, WEEE Ireland is able to support LauraLynn, meaning we are all helping to improve the quality of life for the children living with life-limiting conditions and their families. That is why WEEE say Small Things Matter”, said Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland.

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As of 1st January 2019, Ireland’s national target for e-waste recycling is 65% of material placed on the market, as part of the EU WEEE Directive 2012-19.

These items are made up largely of the types of old and broken electronic items most of us find lying in our drawers and cupboards.

This means small things really do matter because meeting an ambitious target such as this is only possible with the amazing support of households, businesses, and schools across Ireland taking small actions.

Remember These 3 Things to Play Your Part To help each of us play our part, WEEE Ireland is making it easy for everyone to do the right thing with three simple reminders: that recycling small electronic household waste items is free, easy and local.

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It’s Free: Any small electrical item with a plug or battery can be recycled for free. So, whether you’re returning kettles, toasters, toys, lightbulbs, batteries or clearing out the garden shed of electric lawnmowers and drills, there’s no need to worry about bin charges – it’s completely free.

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It’s Easy: Every piece of Small WEEE can easily be recycled at recycling points across the country.

Return small electrical waste to your local recycling centre (at no charge) or at electrical retailers (where’s there’s no purchase necessary), and you can drop waste lightbulbs to recycling centres and hardware stores nationwide too.

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It’s Local: Recycling electrical and lighting waste benefits the environment, allowing plastics, metals and glass to be recovered for manufacturing and ensuring hazardous waste is disposed of safely. 100% of Small WEEE returned is recycled here in Ireland too. Visit smallthingsmatter.ie to view WEEE Ireland’s interactive map and find your nearest recycling point today.

Since 2011, WEEE Ireland’s partnership with LauraLynn has led to donations in excess of €390,000. By simply recycling everyday household electric and electronic waste, rather than putting it in the bin, together we are supporting the staff at LauraLynn to deliver invaluable hospice care and emotional, social and psychological support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families

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Fairfield Drive – Council’s social housing scheme in Macroom officially opened Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy was joined by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed TD to official open the Fairfield Drive housing scheme in Masseytown, Macroom.

The scheme is one of a number of Cork County Council’s built construction projects that will be delivered over the coming years to address need and meet the targets set in Rebuilding Ireland.

Speaking of the development, Mayor Murphy commented on the Council delivering housing where needed and ahead of target, “Fairfield Drive is one of many such housing schemes that Cork County Council is making available to the people of Cork County. This is indicative of the great progress being made in the delivery of high quality housing, throughout the county, to the highest of design standards. I wish the residents of Fairfield Drive every happiness in their new homes.”

Minister Michael Creed TD praised the development stating: “I’m delighted to see Cork County Council’s housing programme delivering. These much needed homes, and others throughout the country, are creating new communities and enhancing existing ones. I look forward to seeing this development contribute to the vibrant and welcoming community of Macroom and its surrounding areas.”

These houses in Fairfield Drive are a much needed addition to the existing scheme built circa 20 years ago.

The new scheme, built on one acre, comprises of seven single-storey units, two 3-bed family type units and five 2-bed units.

Designed by Cork County Council’s Architects Department and constructed by Cahalane Bros. Ltd., with a contract value of €1.1m, the new scheme adheres to the standards set out in the Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities guidelines. The former greenfield site now accommodates a diversity of residents in a variety of housing types with high standards of design.

The scheme uses renewable technologies to achieve an A3 BER rating; PV solar panels, gas condensing boilers, a highly insulated building fabric, mechanical extract ventilation and solid fuel stoves. Consideration was also given to the design of the public area including planting, boundary types and on-street parking in order to define and complement the open space provided. Enclosed gardens to the front give private open space while a communal green connects to the existing houses on Fairfield Drive; altogether making for a vibrant community and positive sense of place-making.

Speaking ahead of the opening, Chief Executive of Cork County Council Tim Lucey highlighted the number of housing projects the Council is currently working on, “Schemes in Kanturk, Blarney, Mallow and Dripsey are at tender stage while proposed developments in Clonakilty, Ballincollig, Bandon, Douglas, Midleton, Dunmanway, Doneraile, Macroom, Bantry, Mitchelstown and Courtmacsherry are progressing through the planning process. In addition Cork County Council is the lead authority for Public Private Partnership Bundle Two, which will see the construction of 400 units, in six Local Authority areas, commencing later this year.”

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New Vartry to Callowhill pipeline secures water supply for over 200,000 people Irish Water marked the completion of a new pipeline from Vartry to Callowhill.

The new pipeline secures and safeguards the water supply for more than 200,000 people in north Wicklow and south Dublin, one of the most densely populated areas in the country. The completion was marked by Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Pat Vance, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy TD, Tony Keohane, Chairman of Ervia, and Eamon Gallen, MD of Irish Water, at an event at the Vartry Water Treatment Plant.

Original Construction The Vartry Water Supply Scheme was originally constructed in the 1860s and was a feat of engineering for its time. The scheme included a four kilometre long tunnel under Callowhill to deliver water to north Wicklow and south Dublin. A British Pathé archive film shows the opening of the second upper reservoir in from 1923.

The tunnel is now in a poor state of repair and at risk of collapse. The works include a new pumping station at the existing Vartry Water Treatment Plant and four kilometres of buried pipeline from Vartry to Callowhill.

Cllr Pat Vance Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Pat Vance, welcomed the completion of the project: “I’m delighted to see the completion of these works, which will secure the water supply for a significant number of residents in north Wicklow. The size and scale of the challenge in replacing 150 year old infrastructure is not to be underestimated. I want to pay tribute to the contractor, Roadbridge and Local Authority staff who delivered this vital project, which will benefit 200,000 people in north Wicklow and across south Dublin, on schedule, and to Irish Water for prioritising investment in this scheme.”

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Minister Eoghan Murphy TD Commenting on the completion of works, Minister Eoghan Murphy TD said: “The infrastructure that makes up the Vartry Water Supply Scheme is amongst the most vital water infrastructure in all of Ireland. The scheme supports a population of 200,000 in north Wicklow and south Dublin, from residents to major businesses, who all depend on this infrastructure for the delivery of a safe, sustainable supply of water. The completion of the Vartry to Callowhill link, as well as other upgrades now underway to the Vartry Water Supply Scheme, will safeguard the water for the future development of this region, sustain existing residents and businesses and also support ongoing economic growth and development.”

Eamon Gallen, MD of Irish Water Eamon Gallen, MD of Irish Water, said: “The replacement of this vital piece of water infrastructure was a priority project given its importance to so many people in north Wicklow, Dún Laoghaire - Rathdown and other areas of south Dublin. We are investing in Ireland’s water infrastructure to safe guard public health and to support economic growth and development in communities across the country. This significant project builds on the legacy of the scheme constructed in the 1860s and will benefit the lives of those who work, live in north Wicklow and south Dublin. It highlights all our commitment to invest and upgrade Ireland’s ageing water infrastructure to bring it in line with world standards.” enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser.

Vartry Water Supply Scheme Upgrades The construction of the new pipeline is part of a €200m investment in the Vartry scheme which will secure the drinking water supply for the area for decades to come. Upgrades to the Vartry Treatment Plant and Stillorgan Reservoir also fall under the Vartry Water Supply Upgrade Project, and are now under construction. Once completed, the upgrade will provide a safer, more secure water supply to the people of north Wicklow and south Dublin, and will facilitate removal of the scheme from the Remedial Action List (RAL) maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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Works begin on Newbridge to Osberstown Sewer Upgrade Part of Upper Liffey Valley Sewerage Scheme Irish Water, in partnership with Kildare County Council, will soon begin works on the Upper Liffey Valley Sewerage Scheme Contract 2A. The €30 million project will significantly upgrade the sewer network between Newbridge and Osberstown and is one of several projects to expand and improve wastewater treatment in Kildare.

The existing sewer network from Newbridge to Osberstown is not large enough to handle the volume of wastewater which runs through it. This can cause frequent overflows in which untreated wastewater is discharged to the Liffey. Irish Water is investing over €30 million to solve the problem and to ensure there is capacity for future growth in Newbridge.

What is involved?

The works, which will take approximately two years to complete, include the laying of approximately 10km of new gravity sewers and rising mains, the replacement of the existing pumping station at Newhall with a new pumping station that includes storm storage to further reduce the risk of overflows. It also includes the construction of two new pumping stations at Little Connell and Kilbelin, each with storm storage tanks to further reduce risk of overflows.

Project will enable future economic and social growth in the area When complete, the project will enable future economic and social growth in the area, reduce the risk of wastewater overflows, and ensure all legal requirements for the treatment of wastewater are met.

Speaking about the project, Esther White, Infrastructure Regional Lead, said “This project is an example of the size and scale of Irish Water’s challenge in bringing the wastewater network up to standard. Once completed, the Upper Liffey Valley Sewerage Scheme Contract 2A will bring significant benefits to the Newbridge area. The sewer network will have increased capacity for future growth in the Newbridge area, and will be better able to handle storms. The number of untreated overflows to the Liffey will be significantly reduced, improving water quality, and the improvements to the sewer network will help the Osberstown agglomeration to comply with legal requirements. This project is one of several projects to expand and improve wastewater treatment for three large catchment areas in Kildare.”

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Planning sought for new Wastewater Treatment Plant in Omeath Plant will end the discharge of raw sewage into Carlingford Lough Irish Water has submitted a planning application to Louth County Council for the construction of a new Wastewater Treatment Plant at Omeath. The new plant will serve a population equivalent of 1,000 to accommodate an increase in the local population and facilitate future growth in the area.

At present, the equivalent of 800 wheelie bins of raw sewage is discharged into Carlingford Lough every day.

Once operational, the plant will enhance the area’s amenity value by ending this practice. If granted, the new plant will end the discharge of untreated wastewater to Carlingford Lough by ensuring all wastewater receives appropriate treatment. This unacceptable practice is unsustainable and threatens water quality as well as the amenity value of the coastal waters at Carlingford Lough.

Supporting economic and social development in the area Speaking about the project, John Joyce of Irish Water said “Irish Water is committed to ending the practice of discharging untreated wastewater into Ireland’s rivers, lakes and seas. The equivalent of 800 wheelie bins of sewage is discharged into Carlingford Lough every day. The proposed Wastewater Treatment Plant in Omeath will end this practice. The proposed plant, when completed, will also support economic and social development in the area, and improve water quality at Carlingford Lough. We’d like to thank the local community for their engagement with this project at our information evening in December. Irish Water is committed to keeping the community up to date as this project progresses.”

Works to commence in 2019 Subject to planning permission being granted, works on this necessary project will commence in 2019 with a completion date expected in 2021. This project forms part of Irish Water’s investment plan. Works have been prioritised to address the most critical issues in line with commitments outlined in Irish Water’s Business Plan.

Delivery of the business plan will involve a €5.5 billion investment in capital spending on drinking water and wastewater quality and capacity and new infrastructure up to 2021.

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Ending the unacceptable practice of discharging untreated wastewater into Tawny Bay Publishing Compulsory Purchase Order for lands required for the Kilcar Sewerage Scheme Irish Water is working to end the unacceptable practice of discharging untreated wastewater into Tawny Bay by developing a new wastewater treatment plant as part of the Kilcar Sewerage Scheme.

Wastewater treatment plant will restore integrity of the environment The practice of discharging untreated wastewater into Tawny Bay is unsustainable. The new wastewater treatment plant will bring benefits to Kilcar in terms of health, integrity of the environment and improved water quality for all. Cleaner water will enhance Kilcar’s amenity value and act as a platform for social and economic development. The new pipes, pumping station and wastewater treatment plant have all been sized to accommodate an increase in the local population and will facilitate future growth in the area. The project will also ensure that the water quality standards set down by regulatory bodies will be achieved.

Consultations on-going with landowners Consultations have been on-going with all landowners identified on the proposed scheme. We were unable to acquire all of the required wayleaves and lands on a voluntary basis. Given the importance of the project to the waste water infrastructure, we will now endeavour to acquire the wayleaves and lands by way of Compulsory Purchase Order pursuant to the provisions of the Water Services Act, 2007 (as amended). We will now be submitting the Compulsory Purchase Order to An Bord PleanĂĄla.

Seeking planning permission for the scheme In addition to the land acquisition process we will be seeking planning permission for the Kilcar Sewerage Scheme from Donegal County Council. The timeline for the commencement of works is subject to the Planning and CPO statutory approvals.

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Essential works to repair Victorian Sewer taking place on Benson Street in Dublin City Part of Dublin South Docklands Water and Sewer Upgrades Irish Water, in partnership with Dublin City Council, are carrying out essential structural repair works to a Victorian Sewer on Benson Street. The works are part of the €4.6 million South Docklands Water Services Infrastructure Project. This project is part of the provision of essential water and wastewater infrastructure, serving the South Docklands Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) and the city centre areas. GMC Sierra Limited is working on behalf of Irish Water to deliver this project.

In order to resolve the structural issues identified with the sewer, the works will require a lane closure on Benson Street, between Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and Green St. The lane closure period will extend until to the end of June 2019, until the works to rectify the structural defects are completed.

Traffic management plans will be in place Irish Water apologise for any inconvenience that may be caused and appreciate the patience of the local community during these necessary structural repair works. Traffic management plans are to be implemented to minimise any impacts from the lane closure.

Works involved in the Dublin South Docklands Water and Sewer Upgrades include addressing structural defects in old Victorian sewers, and the construction of essential infrastructure including new water mains, foul sewers and storm water sewers to serve existing and new developments in the South Dockland and city centre. This works will enable future growth in this SDZ. Speaking about the project, Hugh Kennedy, Irish Water Capital Programmes, said “These essential works are required to rectify structural defects in old Victorian Sewers. We thank the local community for their patience during these works, and apologise for any inconvenience the lane closure on Benson Street will cause. This scheme, when complete, will provide essential water and wastewater infrastructure for businesses and residents of the area, improving the water and wastewater networks for Dublin’s South Docklands

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Investigations show that plume in Poolbeg was result of overloading of Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant Mechanical failure On the morning of Saturday 23 February, 2019 there was an mechanical failure at Ringsend Wastewater Treatment plant which caused a temporary incident whereby a discharge of partially treated wastewater that contained activated sludge entered the Lower Liffey estuary. The discharge was stopped within 20 minutes when the tank was isolated. It is estimated that 100 cubic metres of partially treated wastewater was discharged. This is less than 1% of the hourly flow at the plant.

Protocols Irish Water regrets this incident and thanks those engineers on site who worked quickly to limit the damage caused by the mechanical failure at the pipework at the aeration tank. As this was categorised as a low level incident, operators followed agreed protocols and the EPA were notified the next working day, Monday 25 February.

Investigation ongoing As a result of Irish Water’s ongoing investigations, we now know this mechanical failure may have been a contributing factor to the plume shown in the aerial photograph but it was not the primary cause. The plume was the result of the plant being significantly overloaded. The effluent that was discharged into Dublin Bay over the weekend and formed the plume was not raw sewage as it had already gone through a number of treatment stages.

In the days prior to the formation of the plume, the total solids received at the plant were significantly higher than the design capacity of the plant. The plant is designed to treat an average of 101 tonnes of solids per day.

On Friday 22 February 2019, approximately 300 tonnes of solids were received at the plant.

Capacity Currently the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant treats approximately 40% of the country’s wastewater load. In order to treat the increasing volumes of wastewater arriving at the plant to the required standard and capacity, Irish Water is investing over €400 million in the staged upgrading of Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant.

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Plant development Work on an upgrade to add an additional 400,000 population equivalent to the Plant started in February 2018 and in June 2018, Irish Water submitted an application for strategic infrastructure development to An Bord Pleanála to further progress the upgrade of the Plant utilising Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) technology.

This upgrade project when completed will enable the plant support the wastewater needs for a population equivalent of 2.4 million, supporting future population growth and ensuring the plant operates to the highest possible environmental standards. Irish Water is committed to safeguarding the environment and ensuring all wastewater is correctly treated and is safely returned to rivers, lakes and sea.

Irish Water is working with the EPA and our colleagues in Dublin City Council to analyse water samples from the discharge point and to agree any actions that might need to be taken as a result.

Essential works on Grand Parade Waste Water Pumping Station in Cork Irish Water, in partnership with Cork City Council, is replacing part of the infrastructure at the Grand Parade waste water pumping station adjacent to Nano Nagle Bridge. These essential works will commence on Monday February 11 and are expected to take up to three weeks.

“The pipework has reached its end of life and needs to be replaced. These works will ensure safe and efficient pumping of waste water at this location and help to protect the environment.” said Pat Britton, Irish Water’s Waste Water Lead for Cork.

External covers removal may cause odours The external covers at the pump station will need to be removed to facilitate the works. This may result in localised odours being present around the pump station while the works are taking place during the day.

“Disruption caused by this essential maintenance will be kept to a minimum” added Pat Britton.

“Irish Water regrets any inconvenience these necessary improvements may cause and would like to thank local residents and businesses for their cooperation in delivering these essential works which will ensure a more reliable sewer network.”

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Minister Murphy Announces New Reforms to Protect Renters and Provide Greater Housing Security Commenting on the measures approved by cabinet Minister Murphy said:

“These reforms are the most significant rental sector reforms in recent years. They will bring greater affordability and security for people who are renting.

Not only are we now extending rent controls out to the end of 2021, we are also changing the criteria to capture more areas experiencing high rent inflation, and closing down avenues that allowed some landlords to escape rent controls.

In addition, we are strengthening security of tenure provisions for tenants, and also extending notice to quit periods. This will help those in housing insecurity while also giving more time for people to find new accommodation where necessary.

Rebuilding Ireland is working to dramatically increase the supply of new homes, to rent and to buy, which is the fundamental problem in our housing sector. As supply increases, we can do more to protect people in housing insecurity, to protect renters against unaffordable rents, and in doing both, prevent more people from having to enter emergency accommodation.

It’s a time of significant change as we develop a more mature and stable rental sector in this country. This isn’t easy while there is a supply challenge, but it is necessary. Many of these new reforms are being made following a series of engagements between the Taoiseach and I and the leading NGOs in the area of homelessness. I want to thank them for their very constructive proposals. And while not all of them could be adopted in full, in particular that of banning tenancy terminations for reason of sale, because it was deemed unlawful, these changes will help people who are struggling most to keep a roof over their heads.”

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Provisions relating to rent setting and rent reviews inside and outside of Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs): •

The designation of existing RPZs will be extended to the end of 2021.

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The exemptions from the 4% p.a. rent increase restriction in RPZs have been revised so to apply only to the first rent setting, rather than every rent setting, during the period of RPZ designation in respect of a new rental property, including a property that had not be rented in the 2 year period prior to any RPZ designation.

•

Also, a definition is proposed to illustrate the type of works that qualify for the exemption from the rent increase restriction in respect of a substantial change in the nature of the rental property – such works shall consist of either a permanent extension increasing the floor area by 25% or at least 3 of the following; (a) a permanent alteration of the internal layout, (b) adaptations for persons with a disability, (c) a permanent increase in the number of rooms, (d) an improvement in the BER by 2 or more ratings.

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For fairness across the country, revisions are proposed in respect of the average rent qualifying criterion for RPZ designation. Using RTB data, (i) the rent of a dwelling in the Greater Dublin Area (Kildare, Wicklow and Meath) will now be compared to the average rent across the country, excluding Dublin rents; and (ii) the rent of a dwelling outside of the Greater Dublin Area will be compared to the average rent across the country, excluding the Greater Dublin Area rents.

•

Outside of RPZ’s, the requirement for bi-annual rent review cycles, rather than annual, will continue to the end of 2021.

Provisions relating to tenancy termination under the Act: • the new RTB sanctioning regime will apply to improper conduct by a landlord who contravenes the tenancy termination provisions; •

landlords will be required to copy a tenancy termination notice to the RTB;

•

where a landlord terminates a tenancy because he/she intends to sell the property, he/she must enter into a contract for sale within 9 months of the termination date and if not, must offer to re-let to a former tenant who provides their contact details;

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where a landlord terminates a tenancy because he/she needs the property for his/her own occupation or for a family member, that property must be offered back to the former tenant who provides their contact details where it again becomes vacant within 1 year, rather than 6 months (as currently provided for in the Act), of the termination date;

•

where a landlord terminates a tenancy because he/she needs to substantially refurbish/renovate the property, that property must be offered back to the former tenant who provides their contact details, upon completion of the works;

•

Also a certificate from an architect or surveyor will be required to the effect that the proposed substantial refurbishment/renovation works in question would pose a health and safety risk requiring vacation by the tenants and would require at least 3 weeks to complete;

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180 days (approx. 6 months) notice period to be provided by landlords who terminate a tenancy of between 3 and 7 years’ duration.

Duration of Tenancy

Notice Period – Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as amended in 2015)

Period – Committee Stage Amendment

Less than 6 months

28 days

28 days

6 or more months but less than 1 year

35 days

90 days

1 year or more but less than 2 years

42 days

120 days

2 years or more but less than 3 years

56 days

120 days

3 years or more but less than 4 years

84 days

180 days

4 years or more but less than 5 years

112 days

180 days

5 years or more but less than 6 years

140 days

180 days

6 years or more but less than 7 years

168 days

180 days

7 years or more but less than 8 years

196 days

196 days

8 or more years

224 days

224 days

Student-specific accommodation Amendments to the Bill provide for relevant obligations and rights under residential tenancies legislation to apply to tenancy and licence agreements in student-specific accommodation, provided by public educational institutions or by private accommodation providers to both part-time and full-time students. For example, the 4% p.a. rent increase restriction in Rent Pressure Zones, relevant termination provisions, the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) dispute resolution procedures, tenancy and licence registration requirements and the new RTB sanctioning regime for improper conduct by landlords will apply to student-specific accommodation.

Short-term letting / Homesharing Amendments to the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) to provide for the regulation of shortterm letting of residential accommodation through the planning code in urban centres of high housing demand.

The amendments will essentially allow the Minster to make regulations to allow homesharing, while restricting the letting of second properties on a short term basis in high demand areas. Holiday homes and executive letting will not be impacted.

These amendments and regulations are in keeping with the decision made by the Minister last year, and as communicated in draft form to the Joint Oireachtas Committee previously. The specific regulations will be debated and laid before the House shortly.

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April House Building Update Shows Continued Growth in Commencement Notices This report contains the most recent housing data, including residential planning permissions, commencements, housing guarantee registrations, new homes available, and purchase and rental price indices.

The latest figures show that Dublin Planning Permissions (Q4 2018) were up 41% year-on-year and Commencement Notices were up 26% in February 2019.

For the full report go to www.rebuildireland.ie

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Sleep Better with Social and Sustainable mattress recycling Mattresses are almost always associated with fly tipping. They are thought to be low in value and being bulky, are difficult to transport. As a result they are commonly dumped by individuals or illegal waste collectors. Once wet or contaminated, they cannot be recycled and require disposal.

Last year, amnesty days were introduced through the Government’s AntiDumping Initiative (ADI) to avoid mattress tipping. Householders were encouraged to drop mattresses into Civic Amenity Sites for a limited period at no charge.

The scheme was hugely successful. It also saw increased collaboration between local authorities and social enterprises, which now provide mattress recycling services through Eco 0attress 5HF\FOLQJ, Boomerang Enterprises and BounceBack Recycling, across all three waste regions. In total over 9,200 mattresses were recycled from amnesty events by social enterprises in 2018, delivering not only cost savings – through avoided landfill gate fees and avoided use of scarce landfill void - but also environmental and social benefits.

The carbon footprint of an average double mattress is over 80kg CO2. Through dismantling and recycling, tonnes of valuable metal, wood and fabric are recycled or prevented from going to landfill (where it takes over 10 years to decompose), avoiding CO2 emissions. Social enterprises also provide jobs and training for people from disadvantaged communities and are leaders in the Circular Economy, pioneering research and business models that drive forward a more circular agenda.

We look forward to more amnesty days in 2019 through the ADI scheme.

However, beyond these one-off events there is still a lot more to do – an estimated 600,000 mattresses are discarded each year, compared with 53,000 recycled in total in 2018 by social enterprises. With increasing pressure to deliver a more Circular Economy, and an emerging Government strategy to strengthen social enterprise, now is the time for Local authorities to work more closely with social enterprises to bring forward a social and sustainable mattress service for all.

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