DOWDS ROBERT FOUR CORNERS A3 NEWS SPRING 4138_Layout 1 26/02/2015 15:04 Page 1
4 CORNERS UPDATE
Brittas, Newcastle, Rathcoole & Saggart
Robert Dowds TD Spring 2015
DELIVERING FOR THE 4 CORNERS 1. NEWLANDS CROSS FLYOVER COMPLETE Robert put a huge amount of pressure on the Government and the NRA to approve the funding mechanism for the Newlands Cross flyover, which has been promised for 25 years and is now open. This junction has been the bane of people in Rathcoole, Newcastle and Saggart for many years, but thankfully the flyover is now open.
2. NEW SCHOOLS FOR NEWCASTLE, SAGGART & RATHCOOLE DELIVERED Robert worked very closely with the board and staff of St. Mary's NS in Saggart and put pressure on the Minister for Education to ensure that the funding for their new school was put in place. The new school was built as part of the Government's school building programme, which also included a new school for both Holy Family NS & CS, and a new school for Caisleán Nua Liamhna NS in Newcastle.
3. RATHCOOLE VILLAGE TO GET MAKE OVER Rathcoole Village is to get a makeover as part of a €7m County Council initiative. The public realm will be enhanced in front of the Church of Ireland, the Health Centre and the Garda Station to include a new public plaza with good quality paving, stone kerbs and a regular pattern of trees and bollards building on the high quality environment and existing heritage. It is proposed to provide widened pavements in front of the School and Bank of Ireland complimented with trees to create a network of good quality public spaces and to improve the laneway link with the pedestrian crossing at the school.
4. REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE FOUR CORNERS In August 2011, there were 9,686 people signing on the dole in the Clondalkin Social Welfare office, which covers Newcastle, and 12,180 signing on in Tallaght Social Welfare Office which covers Rathcoole, Brittas and Saggart. In January 2015, there were 7,064 signing on in Clondalkin, a fall of 27%, and 9,640 signing on in Tallaght, a fall of 21%, in under 3 and a half years. With the numbers of people emigrating having fallen also, this means that people in Newcastle, Saggart, Rathcoole and Brittas are getting jobs again.
5. €675 MILLION INVESTED IN GRANGE CASTLE BY MAJOR COMPANIES As the Government stabilised the country from 2011, investors started putting money back into Ireland. This included at least €675 million invested in Grange Castle by Google, Microsoft and other companies, and will hopefully lead to more investment and jobs in the future. Robert has worked with local residents to put pressure on the companies which are investing to listen to their concerns.
6. SUPPORTING WORKERS’ RIGHTS Robert went out on the picket line with the Greyhound Workers after they were told to accept a 35% pay cut or be locked out of their jobs. After a long and difficult campaign which Robert supported, the workers came to an acceptable agreement with the employers.
CONTACT ROBERT:
7. HELPING THE PEOPLE OF NEWCASTLE, SAGGART, RATHCOOLE AND BRITTAS Robert sees it as his duty to be available to the people of Newcastle, Saggart, Rathcoole and Brittas when they need help. If you wish to talk to him about a problem you have, ring 016183446 to set up a meeting, or drop into one of his advice centres.
8. HELPING LOWER PROPERTY TAX BILLS Robert worked very hard to get the Government to set up the Local Property Tax in such a way that South Dublin County Council could cut it by the maximum 15% allowed and still have more money for services than they did previously. Labour Councillor Breeda Bonner voted to cut the Property Tax for Newcastle, Saggart, Rathcoole and Brittas by 15%, and the tax cut took effect on January 1st. Constituency Office: Main Street, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 Tel: 618 3446
Mobile: 087 652 0360 E-mail: robert.dowds@oireachtas.ie Website: www.robertdowds.ie
Robert Dowds
@robert_dowdsTD
DOWDS ROBERT FOUR CORNERS A3 NEWS SPRING 4138_Layout 1 26/02/2015 15:04 Page 2
DELIVERING FOR IRELAND 1. TAX CUTS AND USC CUTS FROM JANUARY 1ST
2. GETTING IRELAND BACK TO WORK
The cuts which took effect in January are the first step in easing the burden on low and middle income workers.
The unemployment rate has fallen from a crisis high of15.1% to 10.6%, and almost 125,000 people left the live register in 2014 to take up work, the vast majority for full time employment.
3. FASTEST GROWING ECONOMY IN THE EUROZONE Just a year after exiting the Troika Bailout programme, Ireland now has the fastest growing economy in the entire Eurozone. This fast economic growth is creating jobs and income for the citizens of our country.
4. SORTING OUT THE IRISH WATER FIASCO Labour Minister Alan Kelly has helped provide certainty on water charges. Families will pay no more than €3.08 per week in water charges, and single people will pay no more than €1.16 per week.
5. REVERSED THE CUT IN THE MINIMUM WAGE & ESTABLISHED LOW PAY COMMISSION One of the first things the Government did was to reverse the cut in the minimum wage which Fianna Fáil introduced. Under Labour leadership, the Government has also set up a Low Wage Commission to work towards better pay for those on low wages.
6. BUILDING SCHOOLS & HOSPITALS Since 2012, despite being in serious financial difficulty, the Government has commenced or completed 319 new schools and major extensions, including several in or near the Four Corners. It has also opened 37 new primary healthcare centres and is working on a further 33.
8. RE-STARTED RECRUITMENT INTO THE PUBLIC SERVICE, INCLUDING GARDAÍ
7. PROVIDED OVER €70 MILLION TO SPORTS CLUBS AROUND THE COUNTRY
The Government has ended the recruitment moratorium, and has re-started public sector recruitment, including recruiting several hundred new Gardaí.
Since 2012, the Government has given over €70 million in grants to Sports Clubs around Ireland.
THE NEXT STEPS... The last few years have been very difficult for people across Ireland. Now that the economy has been stabilised and the Government's finances are getting in reasonable shape, it is very important that those that have struggled the most in recent years get the most benefit. I am arguing for further reductions in the USC from the bottom up, and that eventually it should be phased out for low and middle income workers.
If you wish to raise any issue with me, whether personal, local or national, please contact me. Constituency Office: Main Street, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 Tel: 618 3446 Mobile: 087 652 0360 E-mail: robert.dowds@oireachtas.ie Website: www.robertdowds.ie Robert Dowds @robert_dowdsTD
Working with your local Labour team Joanna Tuffy TD
Cllr. Breeda Bonner
Cllr. Martina Genockey
01 6183822 joanna.tuffy@oir.ie
087 413 2627 bbonner@sdublincoco.ie
086 373 5657 mgenockey@cllrs.sdublincoco.ie
You can talk to me at my advice centres: ■ 10am every Monday morning on Main Street, Clondalkin ■ 10.30am every 3rd Saturday of the Month on Main Street, Clondalkin ■ Third Monday of Every Month at 7pm at Rathcoole Community Centre 0612
Robert Dowds TD