Paddy cosgrave newsletter 414

PLAY SPACE FOR KNOCKLYON

CLLR PADDY COSGRAVE

Provision of a Play Space in the location of Woodstown, Knocklyon will be constructed in 2014. A series of meetings have taken place to agree a draft proposal in advance of a full public meeting on and specifically at Woodstown estate.

RATHFARNHAM WARD NEWSLETTER YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE

In relation to the areas off Stocking Avenue, the Council is in discussion with the Receiver for Stocking Well to advance the development of the parkland associated with the development. It is intended to include provision for a Play Space in this parkland area.

m: 085 1742709 e: pcosgrave@sdublincoco.ie w: paddycosgrave.eu

A series of meetings have already taken place with residents to agree a draft proposal in advance of a full public meeting.

A Local Play Space serves a local area and in particular children up to 8 years of age. This will allow - when the programme is complete – for parents and guardians to be able to locate a play space within 1km and hopefully within 500m of their houses.

They are not called Playgrounds now as they have a combination of elements that use formal manufactured units and natural materials such as trees, logs, bark, rocks, water, wildflower areas and so on. This stimulates children’s imagination so they can actually create the play themselves rather than having to rely on play directed at them.

May 2014 Newsletter

Dear Resident, I would like to thank everyone who contacted me since my last update. If you have any queries or issues you would like me to raise at the County Council feel free to contact me by phone or email.

HERITAGE SITES At April’s council meeting Councillor Paddy Cosgrave proposed a motion asking that council officials consider other uses for heritage buildings in the county - a case study to be Loreto Abbey, Rathfarnham.

Stakeholders will include the Council’s Heritage Officer, OPW officials at Rathfarnham Castle & Pearse Brothers Museum. Officials from the Department of Education (who now own Loreto Abbey) should be consulted to come up with a plan of action.

Gaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh will open in the main building in Loreto Abbey.

Cllr Paddy Cosgrave recognises that there is huge potential for tourism in Loreto Abbey, which will link with the Rathfarnham Village Council Initiative to include a tourism hub of the village, Rathfarnham Castle, Loreto Abbey and St Enda’s. “With public access to Padraig Pearse Museum in St Enda’s Park and Rathfarnham Castle, opening Loreto Abbey will further cement Rathfarnham as the top historic tourist hub of South Dublin.

The abbey and the chapel on the grounds will attract great interest from architectural enthusiasts”, Councillor Cosgrave said.

Paddy has also requested that the auditorium, which has a stage, be used for drama and local exhibitions. The abbey chapel was designed by the renowned 19th century architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin.

Councillor Cosgrave commented “The purchase of the Loreto Abbey will stem the decay of disrepair that has fallen upon the site in recent years. The structure of the building will be secured and the grounds around the abbey will be brought back to its former glory.”

Emer

Aideen

Cllr. Paddy

Costello MEP Carberry Cosgrave

RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 2014-2020 (LEADER) The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government is currently undertaking a targeted consultation exercise regarding the content of the LEADER elements of the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme and local authorities have been invited to participate in this process.

The consultation process primarily considered what actions should/could be delivered to best achieve the key priority (EU priority 6) for LEADER under this programming round: Promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas, with a focus on the following areas: • Facilitating diversification, creation and development of small enterprise and job creation: •

Fostering local development in rural areas:

•

Enhancing accessibility to, use and quality of information and communication technologies (ICT) in rural areas.

“The overall draft Rural Development Programme for Ireland will be prepared and submitted to the EU Community by July 2014.

Areas in the county that will be able to access funding from the Leader Program include Edmondstown, Rockbrook, Kilakee and Boharnabreena” Councillor Cosgrave said

Low-cost transport service for older persons for healthcare and other needs Vantastic is an initiative used by Dublin City Council in the North Central area of the City and a pilot project is starting in the South Dublin County Council area in Tallaght this year. Councillor Cosgrave will be proposing that Leader funding for Edmondstown, Rockbrook, Kilakee and Boharnabreena be put in place to establish Vantastic in those isolated communities. Having considered this initiative in conjunction with the Age Friendly County Alliance Group the Council is working with a local organisation that has acquired the transport and intend to put in place a 6 month pilot project which will be evaluated as to the use of the service and its impact on local communities. Councillor Cosgrave strongly supports this initiative.

This project also has the potential of a social employment opportunity within the county and the evaluation of the pilot will take this into consideration.

This is a Door-to-Door Transport Service for Older People. Many elderly people are dependent upon public transport. For older people, public transport service is a vital link between them and the wider community but they face barriers in terms of: ● Difficulties associated with walking. ● Difficulties associated with boarding /alighting ● The perception of risk of accident due to vehicles moving off before passengers are seated, overcrowding and driving practices ● Feelings of Intimidation and vulnerability ● Weather conditions Vantastic provides Accessible Door-to-Door Transport Services for Individuals (People with Disabilities & Citizens 65 plus) & Not for Profit Groups/Organisations in the Dublin Area.

WEEKEND EMPTYING OF LITTER BINS IN OUR COUNTY'S VILLAGES The Environmental Services Dept is finalising its work programme for 2014. The programme will include the provision of an enhanced Village Cleaning and Maintenance Service in the County's towns and villages in line with the budget for the current year. As part of the plan, collection of litter bins in the villages will be reorganised in such a way that they will be serviced on an “as required basis “each day, Monday to Friday, with certain bins in high usage areas being serviced more than once in each day where this is deemed necessary.

Extension of the Village Cleaning Service to provide a weekend service is currently being examined and costed as part of the Work Programme.

FOOTPATH REPAIRS Councillor Cosgrave asked the Manager how much money is available to the Council in 2014 for footpath repairs and renovation in the County? He was informed that a sum of €300,000 will be allocated to that purpose in 2014

BOHERNABREENA CEMETERY The fees in relation to Bohernabreena Cemetery and all other SDCC burial grounds are set out below: Purchase of Burial Right in Grave Space - Single Plot Purchase of Burial Right in Grave Space - Double Plot Purchase of Cremation Plot First Opening Fee (only applicable for Advance Purchases of Burial Right in Grave Space) Headstone Permit Transfer of Ownership Weekend/Bank Holiday Interment Fee

€2,400 €4,800 €1,000 €460 €490 €80 €185

There is no fee for the opening of gates in burial grounds.

CARS FOR CASH Staff from the Council's Public Realm and Roads Sections have and continue to remove "Cash for Cars" signage throughout the County where they come across them. In excess of 1,000 of these illegal signs have been removed to date.

The Council has been working with an Garda Siochana and other Local Authorities to identify those involved in this activity involving illegal signage and illegal depollution/transfer/shipment of end of life vehicles across a number of Counties.

All opportunities to progress investigations are being taken with some useful information having been recently submitted by members of the public which is hoped will lead to the identification of those involved.

PLANTING OF APPROPRIATE STREET TREE SPECIES

The emphasis of the 2014 Arboriculture Programme will be on tree maintenance.

A limited tree planting programme is also planned for 2014 at selected locations across the county. Tree planting proposals have been included in the 2014 Arboricultural Programmes presented to the Area Committees.

Planting will be carried out in the following locations: Butterfield Park

5 No. Corylus colurna

Glenlyon Estate

5 No. Corylus colurna

Longwood Estate

10 No. Acer camp. 'Elsryk'

Stonepark Estate

10 No. Acer camp. 'Elsryk'

Castleside Drive

10 No. Corylus colurna

Hermitage Estate

10 No. Acer camp. 'Elsryk'

Woodstown Estate

Anti Graffiti beech Hedging

WI-FI IN OUR VILLAGES The roll out of Wi-Fi to our villages in conjunction with local business communities continues. The following villages have been completed and are operational: ● Lucan ● Templeogue ● Rathfarnham ● Newcastle Official launches will be organised for the Rathfarnham and Newcastle Village Wi-Fi services shortly.

ALLOTMENTS AT BOHERNABREENA Work on the extension of the allotments at Friarstown, Bohernabreena is continuing. The number of new individual allotments to be provided will be 160 and there will be a number of group allotment sites also.

Paths have been constructed and the erection of the perimeter fencing is due to commence shortly. This will be followed by the planting of hedgerows and the creation of a wildflower meadow on the margins of the entrance road to the allotment site. The cultivation of each individual plot is normally the responsibility of the allotment holder but the Council will make every effort, subject to the available resources, to provide a site that requires the minimum initial cultivation.

It is anticipated that the allotments will be available for use at the end of April 2014.

with John Tracey at his allotment at Bothernabreena