Lucan News

luCan news ©

landmark moment in reCovery

30TH NOVEMBER 2015 TEL: 01 451 3822 / 01 451 9000 email: info@newsgroup.ie web: www.newsgroup.ie

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More than 1,100 people returning to full-time employment every week

The Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton T.D., has welcomed the employment figures from the CSO, which show unemployment under 9% for the first time since December 2008, as a landmark moment in Ireland’s recovery.

The figures show that employment increased by 56,000 over the last 12 months – meaning more than 1,000 people

are returning to work every week.

The Tánaiste said: “Behind every new job is a person or family benefitting in their own lives from the wider recovery. This is a crucial step in ensuring every family and every household benefits from renewed prosperity and opportunity, which is my focus as Labour Party leader.”

There was an even

bigger increase of 59,400 in full-time employment over the last 12 months, with a corresponding fall of 3,400 in part-time work. This means that more than 1,100 people are returning to fulltime employment every week.

The Tánaiste said: “As the recovery becomes more established, in addition to securing new jobs, many people

are moving from parttime employment to full-time jobs or are seeing their hours of employment increase.

“Unemployment is now down from a crisis peak of 15.1% to 8.9%, and through determined implementation of Government strategy, we will help create thousands of new jobs and good jobs and put

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o’Connor CallS for reStoration of ConfidenCe in tallaght hoSpital

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Published by: Newsgroup, Unit 3 Floor 2 St. Dominics Shopping Centre, St. Dominics Road, Tallaght, Dublin, D24 HK49.

Titles: Tallaght News, Clondalkin News, Lucan News and Rathcoole & Saggart News Printed by: Celtic Media Group.

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Local Councillor Charlie O’Connor has called on the Leo Varadker TD, Minister for Health, in conjunction with the

HSE, to take whatever action is necessary to restore the confidence of the public in Tallaght Hospital.

Ireland firmly on the course to full employment by 2018.

“I particularly welcome the fact that long-term unemployment is down from 6.4% last year to 5% now.

This is particularly crucial to ensure a generation are not left behind and reliant on social welfare while the economy takes off.

“We’ve much more work to do, because an 8.9% overall rate unemployment remains too high, but we are moving at speed in the right direction.

“My colleague, Jan O’Sullivan, is publishing a €2.8 billion school building programme that, in addition to

catering for our children’s futures, will provide many thousands of jobs and apprenticeships over the next six years.

“I will shortly bring forward the next phases of the Pathways to Work strategy to ensure jobseekers are equipped to avail of work, training and education opportunities, while Minister Bruton will bring forward the latest Action Plan for Jobs.

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He was responding to recent controversies have been which highlighted in the National and Local media regarding the challenges faced by Tallaght Hospital.

A member of the Regional Health Forum Dublin Mid-Leinster, he has tabled business for the next meeting of that Forum calling on the HSE to take action to deal with issues particularly overcrowding at the Tallaght Accident & Emergency Department and has also sought assurances that there will be a full and independent investigation in to whistleblower intimidation at the Hospital which again has been highlighted in the national media.

The local Councilor, who is also a past member of the Tallaght

Hospital Board, said that the public is concerned seriously about the situation and he feels that it is important that the Board of the Hospital would received as much assistance as possible to deal with these issues.

According to Councillor O’Connor, no patient should be left on a trolley for a considerable time and certainly no 90 year old, as happened recently, should be left in that situation. In that regard, he said that he had received many queries over the weekend wondering what was behind the story that Tallaght Hospital is tendering for a supply of new trolleys.

He did however welcome the recent statement by Dr. Susan O’Reilly Chief Executive of the Dublin Midlands

Hospital Group “that there has been no adverse outcome for any patient as a consequence of the recent situation at Tallaght Hospital”

She had further told Charlie O’Connor that as part of the HSE Winter Initiative 1.1 million Euros has been allocated to Tallaght Hospital to fund the opening of 16 inpatient beds including additional nursing staff.

She added that her office is in close communication with the Hospital to ensure there is no adverse clinical event as a consequence of this ongoing situation.

Promising to continue to monitor this situation, Charlie O’Connor stressed that the public must have confidence in Tallaght Hospital.

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new tenant purChaSe SCheme for eXiSting loCal authority houSeS

Labour Councillor Mick Duff has said that a new tenant purchase scheme which comes into effect on January 1st is a positive development for tenants of local

authority houses in Dublin South West.

Mick Duff said: “I am very pleased with this scheme and the fact that it will come into effect shortly. It will encourage tenants to

stay in their homes and help build sustainable communities.

Giving local authority tenants the opportunity to become homeowners is an issue I have raised on a number of occasions

with my colleague Minister Alan Kelly, so I am glad to see it come to fruition and I am confident it will make a difference.

“I now would encourage tenants in our local

area to consider whether they wish, and can afford, to avail of this opportunity to buy their homes from the local council.

“Introducing the new scheme on 1 January 2016 will allow time for local councils to become familiar with the scheme and interested tenants to make the necessary preparations to apply to purchase.

“This scheme is important because it will provide opportunities for local authority tenants to become homeowners, as a means of promoting sustainable communities, while generating additional funding from sale proceeds for local authorities to invest in a range of social housing supports. It will also lower maintenance costs for local authorities and allow them to focus more on delivering new social housing units.

“The scheme involves a discount for a purchaser of 60%, 50% or 40% off the purchase price of the house and an incremental charge on the house equivalent to the discount.

This charge reduces to nil over a period of years in annual increments of 2% of the total value of the house, unless the tenant purchaser resells the house or fails to comply with sale conditions during the charged period. In the

event of a resale within the charged period, the tenant purchaser will be required to pay to the local authority the outstanding incremental charge on the house from any resale profits.

“I want to thank my colleague, Labour Minister Alan Kelly, for introducing the scheme which will give local authority tenants the right to buy their homes."

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loCal Company Set to take the energy teChnology SeCtor by Storm your free local newspaper

by Lynda O'Donoghue Donnelly

Clondalkin-based company Acutrace is calling on local people to back their bid to win the Bank of Ireland Sponsor for a day competition.

The business wants to change the way customers use, monitor and control their energy consumption and hopes that the nationwide competition will help propel the Irish-owned start-up forward.

Acutrace is located on the Nangor Road and aims to take the energy technology sector by storm with its new MVAC software.

The software, which was launched at the Energy Show earlier this year, allows users to Measure, Visualise, Analyse and Control their energy costs.

The Clondalkin business has developed software and hardware solutions for monitoring energy use in commercial and industrial buildings but also has the capability to move into the domestic market.

The winner of the Bank Of Ireland Sponsor for a Day competition will take over

sponsorship of the Leinster rugby team for a European Champions Cup match in January.

Acutrace has already beaten off some stiff competition from over 700 other businesses to be shortlisted for the prize with the winning company given the chance to reach an audience of 100,000.

Previous winners of the competition include Gahan Meats and Big Red Cloud in Leinster and SME Irish Yoghurts in Munster.

The MVAC software from Acutrace has been developed and written in Ireland with the company already creating 4 new hi-tech jobs in the sector.

This software can also be used to develop a complete ‘Smart Building Solution’ which incorporates all of the technologies used in Modern Building Automation.

Using the software the company can measure all utilities including electricity, water, gas, and oil and can also monitor and control essential building systems such as back-up generators, fire alarms and intelligent lighting systems.

A spokesman for the company said:

“Winning the competition will provide Acutrace with the marketing platform for European exposure of an Irish Product and ensure the continued growth of the company into 2016.”

The winners will be decided by a public vote

5

online vote and Acutrace is urging local people to support the Clondalkin business.

To vote for Acutrace or to find out more about the company visit the website at www.acutrace.com.

The Acutrace Team from left to right, Aidan McDonnell, Gavin Doyle, John Lynch with Rugby Players Dave Kearney, Jordi Murphy, Mike Ross

familieS eviCted aS government tdS Cry CroCodile tearS 6

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Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe has claimed that Government Legislation has led to a tenfold increase in eviction proceedings in the courts and described Government Deputies cries of concern nothing more than "crocodile tears."

Last year 7,100 families faced the unnerving prospect of appearing before the courts and in just nine months the bailed out banks have lodged 4,500 eviction proceedings with the courts.

Deputy "Across

thousands of families are living with the constant fear and very real prospect of losing their home.

Hard working families many who bought average family homes at grossly inflated prices are being dragged through the courts by the very same banks that were bailed out by the usual suspects, the Irish taxpayers.

"Last year 7,100 families faced the unnerving prospect of appearing before the courts.

"In just nine months the bailed out banks have

Crowe said: the country

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lodged 4,500 eviction proceedings with the courts. Every single month sees hundreds of fresh court actions are being taken against families in mortgage distress

"Hundreds more families are being forced by the banks into selling their homes rather than face the terror and embarrassment of being dragged before the courts.

"Two years ago Government Deputies passed the Land Conveyancing Act with the sole intention of making it easier for the banks to evict people from their homes.

"Figures released suggest that before the Act became into law the banks lodged between 50 to 100

facilitated evictions. concern

court actions lodged every month. After the Conveyance Act became the law the number exploded from somewhere between 500 to1000 a month, a whopping tenfold or higher increase.

these Cries of from

Government Deputies will hardly impress the countless number

families who have lost or face losing their homes."

tallaght tot StarS in friendS of the Coombe 2016 Charity Calendar

"The Government has given the banks additional powers to facilitate these evictions, the court orders for evictions has increased dramatically and now Government backbenchers are belatedly crying crocodile tears over the very same evictions.

"There have been 1088 evictions in the first nine months compared with 644 during the same period in 2014 and 240 during the same period in 2013.

"Government policy and their legislation have

Pamela Flood with Sean Brennan his cousin Megan Riley (9) and parents Edel Greene and Michael Brennan all from Tallaght at the launch of the Friends of The Coombe 2016 charity calendar. Sean was chosen to star in the 2016 Friends of The Coombe Calendar which aims to help raise the €70,000 urgently needed to buy four cosy cot infant warmers essential to the intensive care of some of Ireland’s most premature and fragile infants.

Photo: Gareth Chaney

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The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has welcomed the changes in the private rental sector announced by the Government, despite falling short of full rent certainty.

SVP says that it has been advocating for a number of the changes for some time.

"As an organisation who helps families priced out of the rental market and in emergency accommodation the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) believes that a functioning private rented sector needs certainty for tenants, landlords and also to attract investors” it said.

John-Mark McCafferty, SVP Head of Social Justice and Policy, said "We believe that the measures announced by the Government is a positive move in that regard.

We are pleased with the increase in Housing Assistance Payments and Rent Supplement.

We have been advocating for some time that the rent supplement / Housing Assistance Payment limits need to be reviewed, particularly in areas of high demand and significantly increased rents."

“We also proposed prior to the recent budget that a financial incentive to private landlords should be introduced through taxation for accepting tenants on the new Assistance Housing Payment (HAP) on condition that the quality of private rented homes are improved.” he said.

While welcoming the announcement SVP also said that the large number of families and individuals in emergency

accommodation is caused not only by an acute lack of affordability of the private rented sector but also a chronic lack of supply of social housing.

There are at least 89,000 households in need of social housing, as last measured in 2013. "We expect this figure to have risen significantly when the Spring 2016 local authority waiting list figure are published", McCafferty added.

"The Government’s Social Housing 2020 Strategy only provides for 35,000 new social housing units, and it is too slow in being implemented.

The majority of units envisaged in the strategy are to come from the private rented sector - hence the need for such measures as announced by Government.

"We want to see the

20,000 NAMA units announced in the recent Budget being dedicated to social and

affordable homes – anything less would be a real missed opportunity". he said.

landlordS rule!

In a statement by Eamonn Maloney Independent TD for Dublin South West rega rding the ‘rent freeze’ he said that “Landlords throughout the country have much to celebrat e following the Government announcement that there will be no “rent freeze” in the private rent al sector.”

He went on to say that “The Gov ernment have abandoned the plight of families who are under financial strain to pay the very high increases in rent.

There has been a steady increase in rents in the past three years. In Dublin there has been a 35% increase and rents continue to rise. None of these increases are linked to the cost of living index.

“If the threat of additional fam ilies becoming homeless, and the misery associat ed with it, is to be halted, then only priority legi slation which freezes private rents will be effe ctive.

“It is the function of the Dáil to legislate for the common good, it is not our func tion to allow landlords ‘free-rein’ This legislation gives landlord s a two year guarantee that they can continue to collect high rents. It is legislation to protect the interests of landlords, not tenants.

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government denieS the people of luCan and adamStown their own SoCial welfare offiCe

After years of waiting and hoping, people in Lucan and Adamstown have been denied their own Social Welfare Office and must continue to travel to use Clondalkin’s Social Welfare Office, according to Fianna Fáil’s general election candidate for Dublin Mid-West John Curran.

Commenting on this issue John Curran said: “The Department of Social Protection has confirmed that they have no intention of locating a Social Welfare Office in the Lucan and Adamstown area. This is a very disappointing development for the people of Lucan and Adamstown who must frequently travel to the Clondalkin Office to sign on and avail of other welfare services.

As part of the plan for the roll-out of Intreo Centres, the

do not bag leaveS thiS autumn

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Lucan/Adamstown areas were originally designated by the Department for the provision of Intreo services in Dublin MidWest, which I very much welcomed and supported in 2011 when I was in Government,” said Curran.

The Office of Public Works has been exploring options in both Lucan and Adamstown for an Intreo Centre over the past three years, but apparently has failed to identify a suitably sized office for the provision of an Intreo service.

“I believe the’ lack of suitably sized offices’ in the Lucan/Adamstown area to be a farcical excuse from Government for the failure to provide the people of Lucan and Adamstown such a basic service. People with young babies, carers, the elderly and people

with disabilities should not be expected to travel so frequently for their welfare services.

The Department now believes that the scale of the operation in Clondalkin is capable of serving the population catchment of the Lucan-Adamstown area.

The Department has no plans for an Intreo Centre in LucanAdamstown at the present time; however the fact that the Clondalkin Office can service the catchment area is not the point for the many people in Lucan and Adamstown who find it so difficult to get to Clondalkin on a weekly and monthly basis,” said John Curran.

It is a matter of urgency that a local Social Welfare Office is provided to service the people of Lucan and Adamstown, concluded John Curran.

Leaf collections change of procedure

“I’m delighted to welcome the new procedure for collecting leaves that has been introduced by South Dublin County Council.

Not only will the new procedure be more efficient but also more environmentally friendly for the County”, Fine Gael Councillor and General Election candidate for Dublin South-West, Councillor Anne-Marie Dermody, has said.

This year there will be a change to the way leaves will be collected, which will be more beneficial to residents.

Oxigen Environmental has received a contract from South Dublin County Council, to sweep leaves from and roads paths between September and January. Their schedule will be based on reports received so if any residents think their road or area needs

to be swept, they can contact the South Dublin County Council Public Realm Section at 01 4149000 as soon as possible.

“Last year I saw many residents of the County sweep up leaves and put them in bags for collection. Collecting leaves is something that takes time and effort and residents who helped collect leaves last year have to be commended.

contact the Social Credits Section at 01 4149000 ext 2791 and the Council will arrange for Oxigen Environmental to call out.

“South Dublin County

Council will no longer be collecting bagged leaves, so it’s important that residents are aware of this new procedure that will be of benefit to residents.”

Thankfully this new procedure will result in residents no longer having to take the time to bag leaves and our streets will be cleared much quicker”, said Councillor Dermody.

If anyone is completing a community clean up and want to sweep up the leaves, they are asked to sweep them on to an area away from drains/gullies on the path or road and to

Councillor Anne-Marie Dermody, Fine Gael General Election candidate for Dublin South-West, informing residents not to bag leaves this Autumn and to follow the new Council procedure that will be of benefit to residents.

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deepeSt CondolenCeS to the people and government of franCe

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Ireland and worldwide offer their deepest condolences to the people and government of France.

The victims, their families and French nation affected by these barbaric attacks, are in the prayers of the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Tel: 01-6184833 Email: eamonn.maloney@oireachtas.ie

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This unprecedented attack on different locations, targeting innocent people is against everything, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with the civilized world.

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The caliph and leader of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahamd, points out “If a person does not follow a particular teaching properly whilst claiming to subscribe to it, then it is he who is in error, not the teaching. From cover to cover, the Holy Qur’an teaches love, affection, peace, reconciliation and the spirit of sacrifice.

Hence, if anybody portrays Islam as an extreme and violent religion filled with teachings of bloodshed, then such a portrayal has no

link with the real Islam”.

National president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Ireland mirroring the sentiments of members of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Ireland states that he is “shocked about the atrocities and killing of innocent people”.

Ahmadiyya Muslim Association ireland Head Office: 2 Old Monivea Road, galway, Phone: 091 768 832 Regional office: 6&8 Fforster walk Lucan, Phone:016241975

Seeking martina griffin ... Can you help?

Frances Catherine Hamer (nee Griffin), and living in Birmingham, England is trying to contact her sister Martina.

Martina is the daughter of Maureen Byrnes and Francis Patrick Griffin (Frank Griffin).

Martina is aged approx 45- 50. She is married (marriage name unknown) and has

several children. She is believed to be living in the Tallaght area.

Frances would be happy to hear from anyone who may be able to help her get in touch with Martina.

Frances can be contact by email on frances.hamer@gmail.com

20 yearS before luaS getS to luCan?

13

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Fianna Fáil’s General Election Candidate for Dublin Mid-West, John Curran has received confirmation from the Minister for Transport that the planned Luas to Lucan has not been included in the Government’s new Capital Plan (2016-2021).

Commenting on the issue, John Curran said; “I cannot believe that the Government has not included the Luas to Lucan in the Capital Plan 2016 – 2021. This means that the planning process cannot recommence until at least 2021, with no visibility on a submission date of application and of course no date for a planning consent to issue and let’s not even talk about construction. “ “The Minister has informed me that there are plans to review the public transport requirements for the Lucan area and the N4 corridor and that an east-west Luas to Lucan is envisaged. This

is published in a draft Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area covering the period 2016 to 2035 and all dependent on the availability of funding.“ “Does this mean it could be 20 years before the Luas gets to Lucan?” asked John Curran.

“After last week’s M50 accident that caused citywide traffic chaos, it is clear that the lack of good quality public transport in Dublin is a huge factor in the cause of gridlock when there is an accident.

The Government keep telling us that economic growth is making great strides and that it will continue to grow, this can only mean one thing – more cars on our roads! Without the provision of quality public transport like the Luas and Metro, traffic in Dublin is only going to worsen,” said John Curran.

“While everyone recognises

that to commence construction of this project was unlikely in the short term, to not advance the planning process of this project is the wrong decision and shows a worrying lack of vision for public transport by this present Government.”

“If Government’s spin is to believed regarding be excellent economic growth; why have politicians on this side of the city failed to provide for the future transport needs which now need to be planned for?” asked Curran.

“Funding is being made in the new Capital Plan Building for Recovery for Metro North but there are no plans and no funding to proceed with the Metro West proposal or the Luas to Lucan. This is short sighted and a failure on behalf of Dublin West commuters by our elected representatives”. said Curran.

“new SeCondary SChool for kingSwood top of the liSt”

The Minister for Education, Jan O’Sullivan has published details of the Schools Building Programme that seeks to keep up with the growing number of children.

Local Labour T.D. Pat Rabbitte welcomed the publication of the plan for Dublin South-West. “May I especially welcome the fact that a new second-level school for Kingswood will proceed to construction in 2016. For as long as I am in public life government after government have failed to deliver a second-level school to

Kingswood/Kilnamanagh,” he said.

The List in respect of new build and new extensions for Dublin South-West include: Kingswood Post-Primary in 2016 St Maelruan’s (Jnr) Old Bawn in 2018 St Maelruan’s (Snr) Old Bawn in 2018 St Thomas (Jnr) Jobstown in 2018 New Post-Primary School Firhouse 2019 – 2021 Holy Rosary National School, Ballycragh; St Colmcille Junior and Senior, Knocklyon and Naomh Mhuire National

School, Saggart are already completed.

In the case of Scoil Caitlín Maude work has already commenced.

Both Scoil Niamh, Citywest Community National School and Citywest Educate Together are at Stage I Three new schools, Gaelscoil, Old Bawn and Firhouse/Old Bawn Educate Together and Scoil Aoife, Tallaght West are gone to tender.

This is the most significant School Building Programme for any period in Dublin South West.

14

greyhound reCyCling pollution problemS perSiSt in Clondalkin your free local newspaper

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Sinn Féin Councillor Eoin Ó Broin has urged residents and businesses close to the Crag Avenue Greyhound Recycling Plant to complain to the Environmental Protection Survey about ongoing odour pollution and fly problems. The call comes after a survey revealed that 79% of residents said they were experiencing problems and 65% of residents said things were the same or worse than last year. The full details of the Sinn Féin survey are below.

Cllr Ó Broin said: ‘For years residents in James Connolly Park, Station Road and Close and Palmerstown Woods have been complaining about odour pollution and flies. Businesses in the Crag Avenue Industrial estate have

been voicing similar concerns.

‘These problems cause enormous problems for residents and workers impacting on their quality of life, of working environment and possibly their health.

‘For the last three years Sinn Féin has conducted a door to door survey of the three estates to see how badly the area has been affected. 40% of houses completed the survey The key findings included: · 79% of respondents experiencing were problems with odour and/or flies · 65% of respondents said things were the same or worse than last year · 20.5% of respondents had complained to South Dublin County

Council · 13% of respondents had complained to the Environmental Protection Agency · 68% said they hadn’t complained to any agency ‘It is widely believed by residents and

businesses that the cause of the odour pollution and flies is the Greyhound Recycling Plant in Crag Avenue.

‘Earlier this year the Environmental Protection Agency secured a court fine of €23,000 against the

Greyhound plant for seven breached of their licence. This was the second such fine with a fine of €37,000 having been awarded against the company for breaches in 2013.

‘Despite these actions it is clear that the problem remains and further action is required. I have raised the matter directly with the Environmental Protection Agency who have the statutory for responsibility enforcing the terms of the recycling facilities licence.

‘I am also urging all residents and businesses in the area who are experiencing problems to complain directly to the Environmental Protection Agency on 01-268000 or 1850365121.’

ChriStmaS at the green iSle hotel Cllr. Eoin Ó Broin

See what The Green Isle Hotel has in store for the festive season. Party with them over the festive period and make it a Christmas with a difference.

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tamara reStaurant offerS Some of the beSt thai and aSian CuiSine you will find in dublin

15

your free local newspaper

by Lynda Donnelly

O'Donoghue

Tucked away in Belgard Square, just minutes from The Square Shopping Centre and Tallaght village, Tamara Restaurant offers some of the best Thai and Asian cuisine you will find in Dublin.

Delicious flavour combinations, sizzling dishes with fresh spices and fantastic service make Tamara the ideal place to enjoy a meal with family and friends.

The Tallaght restaurant is offering customers a very competitive deal launching

its Christmas and New Year three course menu this week.

The menu contains both Thai and Asian inspired dishes and includes a starter, main course and dessert for just €25.

The atmosphere in the restaurant is exceptional with mood lighting to suit all occasions and space for 200 diners.

Tamara also offers party catering as well as takeaway options and some exceptional chef’s specials on the menu every night of the week.

New to the mouth-watering menu is the recently

tamara restraurant belgard sq. tallaght dublin 24

launched Mega Box which is available for delivery from this week.

The €20 Mega Box contains ribs, chicken wings, spice bag, chicken balls and prawn crackers all served up with two separate sauces.

With a €10 lunch menu served Thursday, Friday and Sunday there are plenty of ways to try this tasty eatery any day of the week.

There are also Early Bird and Set Menu options throughout the week with dishes to cater for all tastes and budgets as well as a special Cinema Deal which includes the seasonal menu and a cinema ticket for €24.

Over the Christmas period Tamara will close on December 25th and 26th but will remain open on Christmas Eve and throughout the New Year.

Staff are expecting plenty of customers and Christmas cheer all throughout the festive period, particularly for their New Year’s Eve

dinner service – which is buzzing with excited customers every year.

When you go along be sure to try the Crispy Chicken dish which comes on a sizzling platter coated in a sweet, sticky sauce which will have your taste buds tingling!

For more information and mouth-watering pictures visit the Tamara Asian Cuisine and Thai Facebook page.

Tamara Restraurant can cater for up to 200 diners

Enjoy your meal in the beautiful surroundings of the Tamara Restraurant

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for reservations tel: 01 414 0888 info@tamara.ie www.tamara.ie

16

Queen of SpieS

‘houSing and homeleSSneSS – iSSueS of our time’ your free local newspaper

Senator Katherine Zappone will host a public meeting to discuss solutions to the housing crisis and best ways for the state to intervene to make sure, people are secure in their homes either if they are renting or have a mortgage.

In publishing terms Queen of Spies is a pretty rare event being only the second biography ever published about a British Cold War career intelligence officer (the betrayers Blake and Philby apart). Her story is an example of what can be achieved by dint of sheer personality, persistence and a refusal to take ‘no’ for an answer. Pictured is Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Justice & Equality who launched the book

Ireland is in the midst of an unprecedented and accelerating Housing crisis . This is from the evident evictions, social housing waiting lists that are becoming longer and longer, more and more families becoming homeless, epidemic mortgage arrears, and repossessions growing share of young families unable to afford to buy a home.

At the same time, the Irish landlords’ are struggling to stay in the sector due to high tax cost related to rental

HeReS youR oPPoRTuNiTy

30th November 2015

income and many distressed landlords are still not meeting the cost of their property through rents, especially if they bought during the boom years.

Hence, the solution to the unsustainable housing situation needs to consider all parties fairly while making sure, those who are most vulnerable remain a priority.

Tallaght public meeting ‘Housing and Homelessness – Issues of Our Time?’ will be addressed by Focus Ireland founder Sr Stanislaus Kennedy who will talk about the worsening homelessness crisis Dr. noeline Blackwell, General Director of Free Legal Advice Centres who will speak about the mortgage arrears crisis.

Senator Zappone will

speak about Rent certainty and policies to ensure affordable and secure long term homes for all.

Senator Zappone said: “The Government infighting of recent weeks has done little to ease the genuine fears of people I am meeting on the doorsteps, in the shopping centres and at community events in Dublin South West. This is a crisis which is touching every family in the constituency – and has people lying awake in their beds fearing a knock on the door.

I am hopeful that the Government’s rent certainty policies that are currently going through the legislative process will have a modest, positive, short term impact on the rising rent levels on the private rented sector, but it does not offer a lasting resolution to the

ongoing housing crisis "I am delighted that Sr Stan and Dr. Noeline Blackwell are accepting my invitation to come and speak to people at my public meeting at the Plaza Hotel, Tallaght at 7pm on December 2nd and engage with the public on the issues of homelessness, rising rents and mortgage

arrears."

The Independent Senator confirmed that she will shortly publish legislation which will set out rent certainty policies which ensure fair treatment for both those seeking homes and the property owners, and are practicable to implement.

Senator Katherine Zappone

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health Care to beCome a Commodity

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Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe has expressed his utter disgust at the that the news government is considering opening up more of the health service to privatisation, saying that this system would lead directly to health care becoming a commodity, and would inevitably lead to profit being the driving force rather than patient care.

The Dublin South-West deputy’s comments come after Minister for Health Leo Varadkar made a speech suggesting that underperforming hospitals would be opened up to private interests and follows criticism of staff in Tallaght Hospital by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who blamed staff for elderly patients being left on trolleys in Accident & Emergency.

Deputy Seán Crowe said: “The Fine Gael / Labour government, faced with the enormity of the challenge of dealing with a broken health system through

their cuts and mismanagement, have utterly failed in their obligation to alleviate the suffering caused by those very same policies and are now opting for privatisation that will reinforce health care becoming a commodity.

“The latest notion from this government is that hospitals which ‘consistently underperform’ would see their management passed over to a private operator. I am utterly disgusted to think of how this would impact on seriously ill patients who would then be at the mercy of a profit driven margin.

“Such policy has been a disaster in other countries and we only have to look across the water in Britain to see the consequences of the Conservatives roll out of this kind of initiative. In the United States, corporate private medicine has also led to a heartless, more expensive care model that is less efficient and with poorer outcomes.

“Minister Varadkar talks of ‘incentivising’ hospitals to do more work. His work harder notion includes already overstretched men and women in our hospitals who will be asked to do even more. This is happening with a backdrop of nurses in St. Vincent’s having been forced to take industrial action to highlight the dangerous facing situation patients there with overcrowding, and a shortage of beds and key staff.

“This new work ethic will also be driven by the 1,000 extra nurses announced in the budget, all the while ignoring Minister Kathleen Lynch’s that announcement 1,500 nurses will actually retire from mental health services, leaving 500 less to do work on wards.

“No doubt he will be asking 4th year nurses to do more. Trainees currently work a 39 hour week for a miserly €6.95 an hour.

“His work harder notion should apply to his

sense of leadership that concentrates on pronouncements rather positive than announcements, such as much needed resources like primary care, step down beds and reduced numbers on trolleys.

“Our public health service is severely under resourced, that’s a fact not a notion. It requires a commitment, not only of new investment, but to a public ownership model. Patient care needs to be at the centre of our health system not the pursuit of profit.

“Sinn Féin is committed to delivering a worldclass system of universal health care that is accessed on the basis of need, free at the point of delivery, and funded by progressive taxation to the Irish state. We believe that the majority of taxpayers if given the option would opt for this system over a profit driven system that reduces seriously ill people to a numbers or a cash figure.”

As part of the implementation of the Government’s Action Plan on Bullying, the Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan T.D., has launched the national anti-bullying website, www.tacklebullying.ie.

The tacklebullying.ie website, which was developed by the National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre (ABC) at Dublin City University, provides information, support and advice for students, teachers and parents on how to recognise and deal with bullying behaviour and allows teenagers to share experiences with their peers online.

The launch of the website is part of the final phase of implementation of the Government’s Action Plan on Bullying. The Action Plan, which was published in January 2013, sets out twelve actions to help prevent and tackle bullying in primary and post primary schools. The actions focus on support for schools awareness raising and research.

information and support for young people, parents and teachers affected by bullying”.

The Minister also highlighted some other recent developments in the implementation of the Action Plan and formally launched a piece of research into preventing school bullying of children with special needs or disability, which was published by the National Disability Authority earlier this year.

post primary) antibullying training programme for parents this year. The additional funding will bring the total amount spent on the programme to almost €250,000 since 2013.

national anti-bullying webSite launChed

Speaking at the launch in DCU, the Minister congratulated the AntiBullying Centre on developing this “invaluable resource” that would provide “a single point of

In addition, the Minister announced an extra €33,000 in funding for the National Parents Councils (primary and

The Minister thanked everyone involved in the development and ongoing implementation of the Action Plan. She said that their contributions were making a difference, adding that “bullying is not a problem that schools alone can tackle and it is incumbent on each and every one of us in the wider community to stand up to bullying”.

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over €190m Saved in deteCtion of fraudulent SoCial welfare paymentS

“Between 2011 and 2014, €190.2 million has been saved by detecting fraudulent social welfare claims”, says Derek Keating, Fine Gael TD for Dublin MidWest.

Deputy Keating received this information on foot of a parliamentary question he submitted to the Department of Social Protection.

In 2011, €34.9 million was recouped from 20,585 cases of fraudulent claims In 2012 20,720 cases were detected to the value of €40.9 million In 2013 there were 27,489 to the value of €61.9 million In 2014 27,437 cases were detected to the value of

€52.5 million.

“Overpayments for 2015 are not yet available. This means that in total over 96,000 fraudulent overpayments were detected, saving the state €190.2 million.

“Upon entering Government, Fine Gael committed to addressing and cracking down on fraudulent social welfare claims.

“Social welfare support is extremely valuable and this was never more evident than during the recession, when people found themselves out of work and genuinely in need of the state’s assistance. It is

unacceptable that this system be abused.

“Since the launch of the Action Plan for jobs the Live Register has dropped from 15.1% to 9.3%, meaning that reliance on social welfare is slowly reducing.

This Government is committed to making work pay and to ensuring that the number of people at work continues to rise.

“A well-run and transparent social welfare system is a key component of a functioning economy, and it is therefore very welcome that these fraudulent overpayments are being detected, saving the state and the taxpayer.”

Dublin Senator Catherine Noone, has called for the Misuse of Drugs Act to be updated urgently, in order to empower Gardaí to quash new drugs which are currently emerging on the market.

potentially very dangerous and, frankly, still a hugely unknown quantity.

“Last week’s RTés Prime Time programme, revealed how one such drug, ‘Clockwork Orange’, is being sold online and by street dealers. It also highlighted the possible dangers of the drug.

“I have already received assurances that the Misuse of Drugs Act will be updated in early 2016. However, I feel that this issue should now be addressed more urgently, as it is clear the Gardaí are powerless to pursue a prosecution for the sale and possession of these dangerous new drugs”.

urgent need to update the miSuSe of drugS aCt to taCkle new dangerouS drugS

“It’s quite clear that new synthetic drugs are

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miniSter pulling wool over the eyeS of parentS Dublin West Fianna Fáil Councillor Jack Chambers has accused the Minister for Education, Jan O’Sullivan, of trying to pull the wool over the eyes of parents of children with special education needs.

According to Cllr Chambers, a host of questions have arisen over the Minister's proposed new system for allocating Learning Supports and Resource Teaching to different schools, which need to be answered. Under the proposed system, allocations are to be based on the socio-demographic characteristics of a school's catchment area and standardised tests, rather than the professionally assessed special education needs of children in the school.

“This new system of allocating teaching resources will be a disaster and will deprive children with assessed special education needs of essential education supports. Learning Supports and Resource Teaching allocations should be based on individual pupils’ needs, not the characteristics of the geographical area in which their school is located.

“Should this system be introduced next year, as the Minister is proposing, many schools will face major reductions and pupils with existing learning supports will have to do

without,” he said.

“This is a senseless system, with no link to pupils' actual needs. The medical equivalent would be if access to care was determined by where an individual is from, rather than on their clinical need.

“Nobody thinks that the current system of allocation for resource teaching across schools is acceptable. There are serious inequalities, whereby schools with pupils from wealthier backgrounds tend to get significantly higher resource and learning support allocations than schools with children from less well-off backgrounds.

“The system should be reformed by raising the boat for all, not by ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ as is being proposed with this senseless system,” added Cllr Chambers

“The Minister should put resources in place to reduce waiting times for public assessment, with priority given to schools in disadvantaged areas, and put in place sufficient numbers of resource teachers as dictated by the level of need.”

the legal Column

by Romaine Scally

Romaine Scally is the principal in the firm of ROMAINE SCALLY AND COMPANY SOLICITORS Main Street Tallaght, Dublin 24 TEL 4599506 FAX 4599510 email: legal@scally.ie FLExiBiLiTy about the claim being initiated within two years from the date of the event.

In this edition of the paper, Romaine Scally Solicitor, of Romaine Scally & Company, Solicitors, Main Street, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Telephone 014599506 email legal@scally.ie answers more legal queries. This issue they centre around various types of personal injuries which can occur and whether or not claims arise therefrom. We hope you find them helpful. Further queries can be directed to: ROMAINE SCALLY & CO. SOLICITORS, MAIN STREET, TALLAGHT, DUBLIN 24 TEL: 01 45 99 506 FAX: 01 45 99 510 EMAIL: legal@scally.ie WEB: www.romainescally.ie Q. i was involved in an accident just over a year ago now. At the time i did not pursue any claim as i felt that i was alright. now however, i am aware that i have a fairly constant pain in my neck which is interfering with my day to day life. it was a road traffic accident i was involved in and i did take details. is it too late to make a claim?

A. It is important to remember that in all cases of accidents causing personal injury, a claim must be initiated within TwO yEARS OF THE DATE On wHiCH THE ACCiDEnT OCCuRRED. It is also a requirement that a letter of claim be issued by a claimant to the person he or she feels is responsible for the accident within TwO MOnTHS of the date upon which the accident occurred. Such a letter of claim will normally be drafted by a solicitor. However, there is flexibility about the letter of claim being issued within the two months but there is nO

In short, it is advisable that you contact your solicitor as soon as possible after an accident.

Your solicitor does not necessarily need to start a claim on your behalf if you do not feel that it is appropriate at that time. However, at least the facts are recorded and details taken so that at a later date, the claim can easily be processed. Our advice in all these situations, is to take legal advice early and give particulars. You are within the time limit to commence a claim but as it can take some time to obtain an initial medical report, which is a requirement of registering a claim then, we would suggest that you go to see your solicitor as soon as possible.

Q. i had an accident at work some time ago and was out sick for two months. i am back at work now and although i am not recovered, i am nervous about taking a claim as i am afraid that i might lose my job. i have been in the job for over six years. Could i lose my job if i take a claim?

A. As you have been with your employers for such a long period of time, then, any attempt to dismiss you could be construed as an unfair dismissal which in itself would give rise to a claim for compensation.

This is quite separate and apart from any claim for personal injuries.

Your employer will undoubtedly have recorded the accident and may already have notified the details of same to it’s insurance company. As such, a claim may well be anticipated. You do not go into any detail regarding the circumstances of your accident and you would need to discuss same in some detail with your solicitor. However, assuming that this was an accident which should not have happened within the workplace and has caused you personal injuries then, you do have the right to claim against your employer. You must initiate the claim within two years from the date of the accident and it is important to allow your solicitor plenty of time to take details and

obtain an initial medical report. It would be unusual if your employer decided to dismiss you simply because you initiated a claim. You are protected by the law and if your employer takes legal advice they will be so informed. Our advice therefore is to go to your solicitor and give particulars and commence an action for personal injuries arising out of your accident at work.

Q.i was on a guided tour with my family of a local tower recently. The tower was undergoing renovations and when we moved off the temporary platform, some of the old flooring gave way underneath some of us. i lost my balance falling forward and hitting my head against a stone wall. would i have any claim?

A. Once guided tours are offered of any monument then, a certain responsibility is assumed by the organisation running these tours. In most local authority areas, guided tours such as this are set up during the summer months. Health and Safety is of paramount importance and it sounds as if this particular monument was not ready for visitors. It would be important to ascertain in more detail how your accident actually occurred but from what you say, it sounds as if the fault was at the hands of the organisers in allowing tours to continue during the renovation work or at least before the work was completed.

You should consult with your solicitor who will initiate a claim on your behalf. You should also ensure that you go to see your doctor before you go to your solicitor to ensure that the injuries are recorded. If you have details in relation to the tour including the name and address of whoever organised same, then this would be very helpful for your solicitor. It does seem however as if you have a genuine claim for personal injuries against the organisers of this event.

Q. we went on holiday this June to wexford and booked two weeks accommodation together with a weekly cleaning service through an agent. we brought my husband’s mother with us.

She is quite elderly. She was sitting on a wooden seat in the garden which

collapsed under her. it turns out that it was very dilapidated. we brought my mother-in-law for a check-up and although she was only cut and bruised, she has not been the same since. Her confidence seems to be badly affected. would she have a claim for personal injuries?

Your mother would most certainly have a cause of action against the travel agent arising out of the faulty seat. These types of accidents can badly affect anyone’s confidence but particularly older people.

Again, you need to make a written complaint to the tour agent or operator with whom you booked the holiday. If your mother-in-law is then in agreement, you should take her to a local Solicitor who will take instructions and pursue the matter on her behalf.

Q. we recently had a family holiday in County Clare. we all stayed in a hotel on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis. unfortunately, i got a bad dose of food poisoning from shellfish on the last night and was very sick for several days afterwards requiring me to go to the doctor and take medication. would i have any cause of action against the hotel?

A. This was a most unfortunate end to your holiday and could so easily have been avoided. Assuming that the bout of food poisoning can be directly connected with your meal in the hotel then certainly, you have a cause of action against the hotel itself. You do not need to have booked through a travel agent or tour operator. It will be necessary to obtain a medical report detailing the nature of the illness, the medication prescribed and the prognosis. In the meantime, however, it would be worth putting the complaint in writing to the hotel as soon as possible to ensure that they have some time to investigate the incident. It would be important in any event that the hotel would look as soon as possible at their practices and procedures within the kitchen to avoid a repeat of such an unwelcome incident for all concerned. My advice therefore is to talk to your local Solicitor as soon as possible.

In contentious business a Solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement

tallaght group to take the toy Show by Storm

23

your free local newspaper

by Lynda O'Donoghue Donnelly

Dance crew XDC have had a busy six months culminating in a special Christmas performance on the Late Late Toy Show on Friday, November 27th.

Formed from two successful hip-hop groups XDC, which is part of Xquisite Dance, features 15 young people from Tallaght, all aged between 8 and 14 years old.

XDC is based at The Farm in St Marks Youth and Family Centre and secured a place on the Toy Show after auditioning for the very first time.

Priscilla O’Connor, whose daughter Katie dances with the crew, praised the work of the young dancers as well as crew teacher Don King and Xquisite Dance principal Nicole Kelly.

King and Kelly came up with the idea to

combine two already successful groups putting Secret Swagger made up of Katie O Connor, Hannah Kelly, Emily Doran, Jess Boyle, Amy Boyle, Emma Corrigan and Lucy Condon with Mini Movers Tadhg Kelly, Calum Philips, Abbie Doran, Erica Packenham, Evie Byrne, Alisha Hawkins, Robin and Nicole Egan Clinton.

As two separate crews the youngsters claimed first prize in both divisions at a Blackpool dance contest in 2014, returning as XDC this year to once again secure first prize.

Now, together less than a year, XDC will showcase their talents in front of the nation on the Late Late Toy Show.

Ms O’Connor said: “They are fast becoming a crew to look out for. Every year we kept saying the kids should audition for the [Toy Show] as the

school also does Ballroom and Latin, show class and singing as well as Hip Hop. So this year we sent in an audition tape of the crew.

“When Don sent them all a video message saying ‘start practicing’ because they will be on the Late Late Toy Show it was like all their Christmases came early.

There is no way of putting into words just how happy they are at major this achievement.”

Although XDC is a set crew Xquisite Dance is always on the lookout for new members and to form more crews so visit the Facebook page for more information.

Ms O’Connor added: “We are all very proud of them and hope they just enjoy every minute of it.”

Catch XDC on the Late Late Toy Show on RTE One on Friday, November 27th from 9.30pm.

Catch XDC perform on the Late Late Show Friday 27th November

keating CallS on CounCil to review new Speed limit on Chapelizod bypaSS

Fine Gael TD for Dublin Mid-West, Derek Keating, has called on Dublin City Council to review a change to the speed limit on the Chapelizod Bypass between Con Colbert Road and Palmerstown.

“The speed limit on the Chapelizod Bypass, between the Con Colbert Road and Palmerstown, has recently been changed from 80 kph to 60 kph and while I appreciate

that road safety must always be the priority, I do not believe that this low limit is necessary along the stretch in question.

“I have contacted the Chief Executive of Dublin City Council in relation this decision as I am not satisfied that this change is justified.

“I am calling on the speed limit to be restored to 80 kph as this section of road.

This excellent dual carriageway has been

entirely upgraded during the recent roadworks and has no entry or exit points along this stretch, apart from one line of merging traffic from Ballyfermot near the Palmerstown end.

“This is an issue which has affected many local residents and motorists who regularly use this route. I will continue to appeal to Dublin City Council to see the new speed limit revised.”

uniCef video driveS polio appeal

A recent video in which UNICEF seeks the support of Irish families to help eliminate polio in South Sudan has attracted over 50,000 views across social media channels within weeks of its introduction.

In partnership with Swords-based banana importers Fyffes, UNICEF is attempting to replicate the outcome achieved in Nigeria last year where vaccinations were administered to over one million children thereby helping to make the country polio

free.

In the video, UNICEF is appealing to shoppers in Dublin and elsewhere to switch their normal banana-buying pattern away from the loose variety to ready-packed ‘Freddy Fyffes’ bags thereby automatically funding the cost of one life-saving polio vaccination for children in South Sudan.

The video can be viewed by searching uniCEF ireland on youTube.

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Miriam O’Shea Slimming world Firhouse St.Annes GAA Club Bohernabreena Tallaght, Dublin 24 Times: Tuesday Mornings 9.30am & 11.30am Tuesday Evenings 3.30pm, 5.30pm & 7.30pm Mobile: 087 9703016

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Sandra Slimming world Tymon north St Josephs School Tallaght, Dublin 24 Times: Monday evening 5.30pm & 7.30pm Mobile: 085 148 4669 Sandra Slimming world St Marks gAA Club McGee Park, Cookstown Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24 Times:Tuesdays 5:30pm and 7:30pm Wednesday Mornings 9.30am Mobile: 085 148 4669

Karen Kingswood Community Centre Tallaght, Dublin 24 Times: Thursday Evenings 5.30pm & 7.30pm Mobile: 087 9066423

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iSpCC welComeS paSSage of the Children firSt bill aS hiStoriC moment for Children

25

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The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) has welcomed the passage of the final stages of the Children First Bill.

The legislation is integral to ensuring a robust and effective protection child system.

The new law will require all organisations providing services to children to have a child safeguarding statement which outlines policy and procedures in relation to child protection. It also places a mandate on

professionals to report any child protection or welfare concerns to TUSLA the Child and Family Agency.

Grainia Long, ISPCC Chief Executive said “The passage of the First Children legislation through the Dáil is a milestone for child protection in Ireland. As has been uncovered in recent years, far too many children were failed by a state that did not intervene to protect them from abuse. Long overdue, this legislation will ensure that all

those who provide services to children are required to commit to their protection through systems and procedures for child protection and child safety.”

The ISPCC has warned that however legislation without correct and full implementation is futile and therefore it is imperative now that sufficient funding is made available to that ensure implementation is rolled out across the board.

Ms Long said “The spirit

and intent of Children First will remain an ambition rather than a reality if the legislation is not sufficiently It is resourced. essential that TUSLA, the Child and Family Agency as well as other government departments and agencies are sufficiently resourced to assist parents, professionals and all concerned in understanding and the supporting implementation of the law.”

The passage of the Children First Bill will

place demands and on requirements organisations that work with children and as such will require a public significant education campaign to ensure the new law is heard and understood.

The ISPCC recommends that accessible guidance and advice is made available for all organisations in Ireland to understand the requirements placed on them.

time to implement an alldublin ‘no fry zone’

Dublin Senator and Fine Gael candidate for Dublin West, Catherine Noone, hascalled on the four Dublin Councils to adopt a ‘no fry zone’ of 500m around schools and playgrounds.

This move would, in effect, mean that no new takeaways or franchise fast food outlets would be

allowed to open within 500 metres of schools or playgrounds.

“Dublin City Council is currently preparing the new City Development Plan 2016 – 2022. This plan will set out the future development of our city over the next six years and is now open for submissions.

“I believe that in this

Development plan there is scope to include some form of ‘no fry zone’ policy within the environs of Dublin City. However I believe we need to go one step further and implement this policy in Fingal, South Dublin and Dun LaoghaireRathdown County Councils also.

“There is a clear imperative to limit access to unhealthy fast foods for children. A quarter of 11-year-olds are now clinically obese. We are facing an obesity time bomb, which I have spoken about on many previous occasions.

“A study of Irish childhood obesity

enacting this legislation and looks forward to working closely with his

department to see its full and successful implementation.

Flanagan & Little Solicitors

The ISPCC congratulates the Minister for his commitment to

recently revealed that children who are obese have an 82% chance of remaining so into adulthood, compared with just 15% of children with a normal weight in childhood. I believe we need to do everything possible to stop that, and this is one such tool we can use”.

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ConCerned reSidentS of firhouSe - “fighting againSt bad planning not SChoolS”

26

Concerned The Residents of Firhouse have launched a campaign to save their green space from, what they say is bad

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planning. They are against the proposed schools for 3 reasons which are location, location, location.

The Concerned

Residents welcome the development of the schools but do not believe the site chosen, a community green used by residents for over 40 years is the correct location. In a recent statement they say “That the schools should be built on one of the unused zoned primary school sites (of many years standing) in their area.

Firhouse/ Ballycullen does not have a capacity issue with regard to education, these proposed schools represent a choice for parents. The existing local schools (Scoil Carmel, Scoil Treasa and Holy Rosary) cater for children of many faiths and have never refused a place to a local child.

The density of having five primary schools within a mile of each

other is bad planning.

The catchment area of Firhouse/ Ballycullen is not big enough to fill three schools our already. A community green in Firhouse should not have to host schools that cater for a huge wider area, only recently and finally confirmed by the DES as Village, Firhouse Bohernabreena, Ballinascorney, Tallaght-Killinarden, Tallaght-Kiltipper, Tallaght-Old Bawn, Tallaght-Milbrook, Tallaght-Avonbeg and some of the FirhouseBallycullen electoral Division (west of the M50).

The schools should be relocated to one of the zoned areas in our Local Area Plan in accordance with proper planning procedures.

The soccer club, 40 years in existence, will lose their main football pitch.

The soccer

clubhouse is beside this pitch so you will have the ludicrous situation of a clubhouse isolated from the remaining amenity green space.

The green is also used daily as an amenity by the local community for dog walking, family playtime and peaceful strolling.

Building schools on an existing used green field site is not appropriate use of land.

Killininney Road is a main artery to access the M50 and beyond.

SDCC should be doing everything possible to divert traffic away from here not adding to the problem. 960 pupils and 64 staff is an extra 1000 + cars twice a day.

There will be a loss of natural habitat for wildlife due to the destruction of the existing hedgerow. The existing hedgerows and

trees have been there well before any houses were built in the area.

In fact the hedgerow dates back to 1837 according to ordnance survey maps. The much loved oak tree is over 200 years old but is due for removal if the permanent schools get planning permission.

This tree was planted around the time of the battle of Waterloo!

Part of Ballycullen Drive coming up to the

is roundabout dangerous when wet due to the incorrect camber of the road.

Numerous accidents occurred here in the past and a crash barrier was installed on the Carriglea side to protect pedestrians from cars mounting the footpath. To locate entrances to the proposed schools on this stretch of road is an accident waiting to happen!”

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South dublin County CounCil takeS firSt plaCe for library and artS projeCtS at ChamberS ireland annual eXCellenCe in loCal government awardS

South Dublin County Council was honoured at the 12th Annual Chambers Ireland Annual Excellence in Local Government Awards - with a double win for the Council’s Libraries and Arts Services.

South Dublin County Council took the ‘Best Library Service’ Award for their programme ‘Creative Campus: Supporting our second level students in South Dublin’ and the ‘Sustaining the Arts’ Award for ‘TENDERFOOT: A volume of plays by and for young people’, a partnership project with the Civic Theatre lead by theatre artist Veronica Coburn.

In accepting the award, the Mayor of South Dublin County, Councillor Sarah Holland commented: “I am delighted that the work of South Dublin County Council and partner agencies have been recognised with these prestigious awards. South Dublin County

Council strives to support the development of young people in our county – these projects offer a support to young people and encourage them to participate, learn and engage”.

Chief Executive, Daniel Mc Loughlin added “The Chambers Ireland Awards are a great opportunity to recognise Local Authority Innovation at national level. I am delighted and proud of all the staff who were winners and those whose projects were shortlisted for these awards. It is important that their efforts and achievements are acknowledged by their peers”.

The Excellence in Local Government Awards, hosted by Chambers Ireland in partnership with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and showcases the best practice in local government throughout Ireland.

more muSt be done to help young people aCCeSS mental health ServiCeS

Sinn Féin Cllr Máire Devine has called on the government to speed up investment into front line mental health services.

Cllr Devine said: “The youth suicide figures are stark and worrying.

“Irish females of 15 to 19 years of age have the highest rate of suicide in the EU, while Irish males of 15 to 19 years of age have the second highest rate of suicide in the EU. “In our 2016 alternative

budget we proposed to increase investment in mental health services by €29.16m “Year after year the Government has failed to deliver on its mental health commitments.

Despite a greater need for mental health services, there are 1,200 fewer mental health staff now than there were in 2006.

“It is imperative that access to mental health services is guaranteed on a 24 hour basis.

“Sinn Féin believes that

the ‘A Vision for Change’ strategy for mental health must be implemented.

“We would address staffing-level shortcomings with a particular focus on staffing Child and Adolescent Mental Health teams, the provision of suicide critical assessment nurses and mental health intellectual disability posts and increasing access to the Counselling in Primary Care service.”

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wE HAVE 5 PAiRS OF TiCKETS TO SEE MELAniE MCCABE in COnCERT AT THE CiViC THEATRE On THE 29TH OF nOVEMBER. Melanie McCabe, the former X-Factor star, is now taking the first steps on her journey to becoming a successful concert artist. The Greatest Diva’s Live offers Melanie the opportunity to use her wonderful voice to pay tribute to some of the greatest female singers in recording history.

From the ‘60’s pop queens like Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Diana Ross and Tina Turner, the one and only Barbara Streisand, the soul and blues of Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin. Classic songs like “Walk on By”, “Son Of

A Preacher Man”, “Simply The Best” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and many many more.

For more information www.civictheatre.ie.

To enter simply answer our question 'what TV programme did Melanie star on?’

Email your answer to lynda@newsgroup.ie with ‘Melanie McCabe’ in the subject line by Thursday the 26th of november.

win win win A FAMiLy TiCKET TO wRESTLing MAin STAgE On Saturday the 12th of December Wrestling Main Stage

takes places in Our Lady’s Hall, Mourne Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12. Tickets are €10, group and family tickets are available, and can be purchased on www.eventbrite.ie or at the door on the night. A two hour American Wrestling show full of thrills and spills that’s fun and suitable for all ages. Come and see the action live! For information on the event click on www.facebook.com/mainstagewrestling What date does Wrestling Main Stage take place in Drimnagh?

To enter simply like the newsgroup facebook page, www.facebook.com/newsgroup.ie and private message your answer by Monday the 7th of December.

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tallaght graduate, raChel gaul among 800 new rCSi graduateS at november Conferring CeremonieS

RCSI (The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) conferred 832 students with undergraduate degrees and postgraduate awards at conferring four ceremonies held between the College on St Stephen’s Green, Dublin and at the RDS, Dublin. Among those was Tallaght graduate Rachel Gaul, who graduated with a Masters in Pharmacy from RCSI.

ceremonies The commenced on Friday 6th November at RCSI, 123 St Stephen’s Green with the conferring of 90 candidates from fulltime undergraduate programmes including medicine, physiotherapy and pharmacy. A further 20 candidates were conferred with the RCSI Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education, which is being awarded for the first time. Graduates of

the Postgraduate Diploma in Human in Patient Factors Safety were also be conferred.

78 candidates were awarded doctoral and masters degrees at the ceremony. These were conferred with Masters of Surgery (MCh) and higher degrees by research including MSc, MD and PhD; and MSc Healthcare, Ethics and Law.

On Monday 9th 393 November, candidates were presented with postgraduate degrees in Nursing and Midwifery in the day’s first graduation. This was followed by a final ceremony which saw the conferring of 246 candidates at the Master’s Degree ceremony.

Those conferred include a Masters in Pharmacy (MPharm), MSc Industrial Pharmaceutical Science

and MSc in Bereavement Studies.

Institute of Leadership programme candidates being conferred include MSc Healthcare Management, MSc in Leadership, MSc in Leadership in Health Professions Education and MSc in Quality & Safety in Healthcare Management.

Professor Cathal Kelly, CEO/ Registrar, RCSI said: “The conferring ceremonies are a wonderful celebration and recognition of our graduate’s accomplishments which they have achieved through outstanding ability, diligent application, sacrifice, excellent teaching and, in particular the support of family and friends. I would like to congratulate all our graduates on their achievements and wish them success in their careers as healthcare professionals.”

RCSI is ranked 46th in the world for ‘International Outlook' and #251 - 300 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2015-2016). It is an international not-

for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements human health in worldwide.

Rachel Gaul (MPharm graduate), from Tallaght, at the RCSI Conferring Ceremony, RDS Dublin.

(Picture: Lafayette Photography)

inCreaSed Support for Children with diSabilitieS in pre-SChool

Fine Gael Senator for Dublin South-West, Cáit Keane, has welcomed a new Government programme to increase support for children with disabilities in pre-school, launched by Minister for Children James Reilly.

“I commend Minister Reilly for securing €17 million in Budget 2016 to establish a new programme next year which will increase supports for children with disabilities in preschool. This means that children with disabilities will be able to fully benefit from the significant expansion of free pre-school, coming on stream from September 2016.

The programme, which will benefit approximately 7,500 children, will deliver truly inclusive care and education for children. The idea is to enable children with disabilities to fully participate in free pre-school in mainstream settings alongside their peers; all the research shows that the inclusive model of education is best.

“What is really welcome about this new programme is that it doesn’t rely on diagnosis, but focuses on children’s developmental level, their abilities and their needs. This is really important as many children don’t have a formal diagnosis when they start pre-school. No doubt this will be welcomed by parents.

“Fine Gael’s priority is to keep the economic recovery going, to ensure that we can continue to invest in better services and supports like this, in order to ensure that everyone in society feels the benefit.”

novenaS novenaS novenaS novenaS novenaS

MiRACLE PRAyER Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine. Amen. Say this prayer for three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail. g.n.

MiRACLE PRAyER Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine. Amen. Say this prayer for three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail. g.M.n.

MiRACLE PRAyER Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and

not mine. Amen. Say this prayer for three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail. n.D.

MiRACLE PRAyER Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine. Amen. Say this prayer for three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail.

B.L. MiRACLE PRAyER Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine. Amen. Say this prayer for three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail.

Ms. LOng MiRACLE PRAyER Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for

many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine. Amen. Say this prayer for three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail.

Special thanks to the Archangels, Michael, Uriel, Gabrielle, Raphael and Daniel the Angel of Marriage. g.L.

MiRACLE PRAyER Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine. Amen. Say this prayer for three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail.

E.O.H.

MiRACLE PRAyER Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you for a very special one. Take it, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within your own broken heart where your Father sees it. Then in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine. Amen. Say this prayer for

three days. Promise publication and favour will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail.

M.C.

As our regular readers will know we have asked for your generosity in supporting very worthy charities over the last few years including nCBi Solas Centre in Clondalkin, Tir na nOg (Cheeverstown House) and Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice . These charities have all been involved in providing vital services to children with special needs and their families. we would like to thank all readers who have supported our chosen charities to date and while we will still be supporting Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice going forward, we are delighted to support THE iRiSH PiLgRiMAgE TRuST. We are appealing to you our loyal newspaper readers to show your generosity in helping us to support an equally worthy charity, THE iRiSH PiLgRiMAgE TRuST. THE iRiSH PiLgRiMAgE TRuST is a registered charity in Ireland (Charity Number: 5992), and for over 40 years the Trust has been travelling on pilgrimage/holiday to Lourdes with young people with special needs, from all over Ireland.

The Trust has over 1100 people travelling at Easter time and it is divided into small groups of approx 10 young people and 12 volunteer carers who stay in one of the many Hotels in Lourdes.

In June we bring a group of 110 people to Hosanna House in Lourdes for what is a unique experience both Carer and Guest.

We have two facilities in Kilcuan, Co. Galway and Cois Cuain, Co. Wexford each offering different opportunities.

Both facilities provide Friendship weeks during the Summer.

Application forms are available from our Office at 091 796622.

For more information on the Irish Pilgrimage Trust please contact us at 091 796622 or Email info@irishpilgrimagetrust.com or visit our web page on http://www.irishpilgrimagetrust.c om for more information..

if you would like a novena published please send a postal order or cheque made payable to THE iRiSH PiLgRiMAgE TRuST and send it, along with your novena to: nEwSgROuP, uniT 3, FLOOR 2, ST. DOMiniC'S SHOPPing CEnTRE, ST DOMiniC'S ROAD, TALLAgHT, DuBLin 24 if you require any further information call us on 087 6535443.

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31

laCk of Sunlight and itS role in diSeaSe 32

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Researchers are concerned over the widespread vitamin D deficiency that has been affecting even seemingly healthy individuals. Lack of sunlight is the main reason for this deficit which has been linked with a number of different illnesses.

from Seafood to SunSCreen

In 2010, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism showed that at least 59 per cent of the general population in the modern world is vitamin D deficient, with a large proportion having extremely low levels of this 'sunshine vitamin'.

One problem is that we are not consuming enough of the foods which are good sources of vitamin D, mainly oily fish and organ meats. To make matters worse, our extensive use of SPF blocks the natural synthesis of vitamin D that takes place in the skin in response to sun exposure.

defiCienCy and diSeaSe

Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of many different health problems, including auto-immune conditions, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and even cancer.

the 'd' iS for d-fenSe

Vitamin D is vital for the production of antimicrobial proteins that help fight infection.

Japanese scientists successfully demonstrated that school children who received a daily vitamin D supplement were nearly 60% less likely to catch the flu, compared with those who did not get the extra vitamin D.

did you know?

•

•

•

• • • •

down in the dumpS?

Research results reported in the by the Vitamin D Council, highlight a link between vitamin D deficiency and depression.

Canadian researchers reviewed 14 studies, consisting of 31,424 participants and found a strong correlation between depression and a lack of Vitamin D. The lower the Vitamin D level, the greater the chance of depression. However it seems to be a bit of a chicken and egg type situation. It's yet to be confirmed if people get depressed because of a deficiency of Vitamin D, or if depression lowers the vitamin level.

Researchers have also found that patients with schizophrenia and manic depression are often born during the time of year where a mother’s vitamin D levels are low, typically in the spring and winter.

heart health

Using a meta-analysis study, British researchers from the University of Warwick found that middle-aged and elderly people with high levels of vitamin D were at least 33 per cent less likely of developing heart

disease. In the heart, vitamin D binds to specific receptors and produces its “calming”, protective effects. Their research is based on nearly 100,000 men and women of different ethnic backgrounds.

American scientists from the Washington University School of Medicine have discovered that it is particularly dangerous for diabetics to have too little vitamin D, as it impairs their ability to clear cholesterol from their blood vessels.

There are two types of vitamin D. D2 and D3. D3 is the active form (the same kind that is produced when our skin is exposed to sunlight). It is much more efficient at boosting body stores and should always be favoured when picking a suplement.

Vitamin D production is inhibited by the use of SPF's. A factor of 8 or higher will block production by 95%!

It is almost impossible to obtain adequate vitamin D through diet alone. The best food sources are oily fish, egg yolks and organ meats.

Our ability to absorb vitamin D decreases as we age.

Overweight or obese individuals are less able to produce vitamin D from the sun.

If you have dark skin, you'll need about 25 times more sun exposure than a light skinned person.

Dark pigmentation reduces the production of vitamin D. When we sun bathe, the darker the tan, the less vitamin D that is produced. This is the body's way of maintaining balance.

Your body cannot absorb calcium without adequate vitamin D. Vitamin D opens up channels in bones so that calcium can enter.

what to look for in a Supplement

- Tiny pearl sized capsules which are easy to swallow or even chew.

- Active vitamin D3 from organic lanolin (for optimal bio-availability) - Dissolved in cold pressed olive oil for antioxidant protection and superior absorption - Blister packed capsules to prevent contamination from bacteria. Also protects the chemical composition from oxygen, heat, air and moisture.

33

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TWEET OF THE WEEK

***by Lynda O’Donoghue Donnelly For the week that was in it we thought it was important to immortalise this Jonathan Walters tweet in paper.

The Stoke footballer bagged a brace of goals against Bosnia and Herzegovina to see Ireland qualify for France 2016.

Although not usually one for the spotlight Walters posed with fellow internationals David Meyler and Robbie Brady alongside President Michael D Higgins after the historic win on Monday, November 16th.

Well done lads, you made us all proud…

Don’t forget, we want to see your favourite tweets so send anything you think is worth sharing to @Newsgroupirl or @Lynda_ODonoghue and use #NewsgroupTweet.

to advertiSe in any of our publiCationS telephone 01 451 3822

kay’S kitChen now open in the Suprvalu Store in the luCan Shopping Centre your free local newspaper

Kay’s Kitchen, a chain of family owned and run Dublin restaurants and coffee shops is proud to announce its achievement in winning two awards at The Retail Excellence Ireland (REI) 2016 Awards held at the Galway Radisson Blu Hotel, Saturday 7th November 2015.

year’s REI Awards are both diligent and in their intricate approach.

Candidates are measured over a period of six months on all aspects of business operations, from a

thorough site inspection, including assessment of retail spaces as well as photographic and film documentation, to financial performance analysis and a mystery shopping programme.

With every single

The company, founded by the glover family in 1979, currently owns six outlets with a seventh opening in the SuperValu Store, Lucan Shopping Centre this week.

At last weekend’s awards ceremony, the team brought home the titles of Best Restaurant and Coffee House 2016 as well as Best Medium Sized Retail Company 2016.

The processes leading up to the selection and announcement of this

Staff at Kay’s Kitchen, proudly show their awards

goodfellasbarberstallaght

all week - all CutS €10 father & Son all week €18 oap’S all week €8 we now offer Colouring

A huge welcome to our newest barber Caroline, (formally of Rico's).

Meagan and Caroline will be in goodfellas for the Christmas Season and onto the new year, so get over and get freshened up by the newest hottest and freshest team in Tallaght.

aspect of business operations being analysed and graded in the lead up to winning the award, the team at Kay’s Kitchen were honoured to be named the winner of the Best Restaurant and Coffee House 2016.

The Best Medium Retail Category award process focusses not only on a company’s financial performance and development plans but also on the company’s contribution to the local economy, sustainability and level of industry leadership.

Bart Glover, founder of Kay’s Kitchen, noted, “As an active member of the retail industry in Ireland on both a local and national level for over 30 years, winning the REI award is an absolute honour for Kay’s Kitchen.

We every day spend working as a team to ensure that each one of our customers’ is met with a friendly face and level of service and product selection second to none. To know that this endless effort is not only recognised, but celebrated is just fantastic.”

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the 2015 ChriStmaS muSt have....with newSgroup!! e of C i o h C great lable i a v a S Colour

Spole airboard with cutting edge gyro technology is very easy and fun to use, lean forward to go forward and lean to side to go left or right, it couldn’t be more simple! you can choose from a variety of colours when ordering, with updated hardware the boards are flexible and stable and are often referred to as the ‘Self balancing Scooter’. the boards are priced at €399, normally retailing at €499, so you can now save a whopping e100. Pre ordering is essential as stocks will be limited and €50 deposit is required. breathnachs eile is open monday to Saturday.

newsgroup have partnered with breathnachs eile and we are giving one lucky reader a chance to win a Spole airboard. to win, just answer the following question.... how much is breathnachs eile selling the Spole airboad for? email entries to info@newsgroup.ie or simply fill out the form below and send to newsgroup, unit 3, St. Dominic’s Shopping Centre, tallaght Dublin 24 to reach us no later than tuesday 1st December 2015. name: address:

tel. no: answer:

✂

the Spole airboard is tipped to be the Christmas must have for 2015 and you can order your very own at breathnachs eile, St. Dominics Shopping Centre, tallaght.

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by Lynda O'Donoghue Donnelly TOP FIVE FILMS – Courtroom Drama

Legal wrangles, compelling arguments and harsh judgements – courtroom dramas have it all and make the perfect movie night in.

For our Top Five Films – Courtroom we have selected not only some of the best legal films but also some of the best movies of all time.

So grab your pen and paper and get ready to note down some of the most lawful movies around…

1. A Time To Kill – Based on the John Grisham novel this 1996 movie is one of the most memorable courtroom dramas ever made.

Superstars Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Spacey, Samuel L Jackson and Kiefer Sutherland make up a stellar cast to tell the story of prejudice, murder and justice in Mississippi. Get ready to root for the accused and question the

penal system.

2. Primal Fear – Possibly the best twist in movie history the story of a hotshot lawyer defending a young altar boy accused of a murdering a priest will grip you from start to finish.

Richard Gere plays lawyer Martin Vail while Edward Norton gives an acting masterclass as Aaron. Well worth a watch.

3. A Few good Men – This courtroom drama offers up one of the most quotable lines in modern film; “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth”. Fine performances from Tom Cruise, Demi Moore and Jack Nicholson set this film apart from other naval justice movies. It’s a little on the long side but worth it in the end.

4. The Accused – The role that launched Jodie Foster into the acting stratosphere and landed her an Oscar was that of Sarah Tobias in The

Accused. A harrowing tale of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who is attacked by a group of men. Her case is taken on by Kathryn Murphy played by Kelly McGillis and together the two women find the strength to fight for justice.

5. Erin Brockovich – Another Best Actress Oscar winner Erin Brockovich is the ultimate triumph of the little guy. Julia Roberts portrays an unemployed single mother who stumbles upon a corporate cover up and investigates why what is supposed to be a clean water supply is making people sick. This movie will make you wonder what exactly you are doing with your life!

These outstanding movies are some of the best ever made with Oscar winners, compelling and gritty performances and true stories that will make you sit up and take notice.

Jodie Foster in a scene from The Accused

CIVIC THEATRE - Magic, Mayham and Mistaken Identity

A new light-hearted ballet from Ballet Ireland is set to rock Tallaght’s Civic Theatre this December – and we have two sets of tickets to giveaway to readers.

Coppélia is a witty mix of magic, mayhem and comedy which will run from December 3rd to December 5th at the impressive local venue.

The ballet follows the story of Franz and his reporter

finance Hildy, who are curious about a beautiful girl – Coppélia.

Hildy believes that the young beauty is not all that she seems and takes it upon herself – with the help of her friends – to follow Coppélia to Dr Coppelius laboratories where she confirms the truth.

The group find a “magical and strange” world which has the power to change

each of their lives forever.

Choreographer Morgann Runacre-Temple and writer Stella Feehily, have done a stellar job of re-interpreting this witty and pertinent ballet which is inspired by the eternal obsession with youthful perfection.

Runacre-Temple, who has also worked on Romeo and Juliet as well as Carmen, sets the story at a County Fair and along with Feehily

gives a nod to the movie glamour of days gone by.

This ballet offers “captivating dance” and “charming music” with the latter provided by Léo Delibes and Tom Lane. principal dancers The bringing the ballet to life include Duncan Anderson, Clare Basset, Richard Bermange, Celine Le Grelle, James Löffler, Maria Ledesma and Kesi OlleyDorey.

Coppélia aims to “enchant and enthral” audiences of all ages and is suitable for the whole family to enjoy together.

For your chance to win one of two pairs of tickets to this fantastic show all you have to do is email Lynda@newsgroup.ie with your name, address, contact number and answer to the question below… in which venue will Coppélia be performed from December 3rd to December 5th?

MUSIC TO OUR EARS – Upcoming Gigs Preview

If you are planning a musical night out there are plenty of hot tickets in the run up to Christmas with high profile artists, up and coming bands as well as local musicians lining up gigs.

There are music shows for every age, genre and budget taking place at the end of this month and throughout December to help plan your perfect evening of entertainment.

Ireland’s newest boyband, Hometown, will take to the Vicar Street stage on Friday, December 4th for a special Christmas concert.

Featuring Tallaght singer Dean Gibbons the boyband have already built up a huge following across the country

and have been touted as the next big thing.

Rockers Kodaline have also lined up gigs in December and with their two 3Arena dates already sold out fans are eagerly awaiting the release of extra tickets for the December 11th and 12th shows.

Former X Factor hopeful Melanie McCabe will visit Tallaght later this month as she takes her Greatest Diva’s Live show to the Civic Theatre.

Dublin girl Melanie is no stranger to the limelight having appeared on Simon Cowell’s TV talent show three times – travelling to Judge’s Houses in Miami on one occasion.

Unfortunately she did not

make it through o the live shows but she has become a household name throughout Ireland.

Melanie will perform The Greatest Diva’s Live in the Civic Theatre Tallaght on Sunday, November 29th and a limited amount of tickets are on sale now.

Lucan band The Riptide Movement have been riding high in the charts over the last 12 months and will perform in Whelans on December 11th and 12th.

It will also be a busy month for new Dublin venue Hangar with One Tree Hill stars Kate Voegele and Tyler Hilton playing a double show on December 9th and the brilliant Raglans performing on December 19th.

There will also be a number of free shows in local venues and clubs in the run up to Christmas with Tallaght band Inertia, Brendan Keeley and Amoric playing the Kiltipper Café Bar throughout December.

With so much taking place across Dublin in the run up to Christmas there is no reason not to treat yourself to a music filled night out.

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magiCal wonderland at the City weSt arena, City weSt hotel We've got Christmas all wrapped up with a unique Santa Experience complete with Reindeer, Traditional Family Funfair Rides, Bavarian Style Food Stalls, Christmas Crafts Market, all surrounding a centrepiece 800 sqm Real Ice Rink! The Ultimate Christmas experience.

Magical Wonderland, at the City West Arena, City West Hotel, Ireland’s newest indoor Christmas attraction, is the biggest and best Christmas Experience Ireland has ever seen. Book now and don't miss this! Opens Friday, 4th December and runs until 3rd January 2016.

The Unique Santa Experience not only involves meeting Santa, getting a present and a framed photograph taken with the man himself but also the chance to share a hot chocolate with Mrs Claus and meet Santa’s reindeer.

There is a truly stunning 20m x 40m real Ice Rink with special kiddie’s skating area. It really is the coolest rink around. A trained team

4th december 2015 – 3rd january 2016

of Ice Marshals are on hand at all times to ensure that skaters enjoy their experience in safety and comfort.

No day out at Magical Wonderland would be complete without a visit to The Bavarian Style Food Court. Whether it’s a sit down meal, a bite on the move or festive drinks with family and friends there is something for everyone.

THE SAnTA ExPERiEnCE All families will meet the Elves, Mrs. Claus and a lot of fun characters before they visit Santa.

On a magical tour around Santa’s home, our guests will drop into the post office and write their letters, enjoy a hot chocolate or mulled wine, and no child’s visit will be complete without a gift and a framed photo with Santa himself.

•A gift for each child from Santa •Meet real reindeer •Write a letter to Santa in the post office •A 45 minute self-guided tour

•Hot chocolate or mulled wine with Mrs Claus •A high quality colour photo with Santa for each child

iCE SKATing The centrepiece of the event will be a glistening ice rink extending over 800 square metres under hundreds of twinkling fairy-lights.

• Skating sessions last for 50 minutes throughout the day • Ice skates of all sizes are provided, as are limited penguin skate aids, which can be shared amongst little ones to help them find their balance on the Kid’s Rink.

• Festive treats can be enjoyed by all in the surrounding viewing areas to soak up the atmosphere.

• The separate Kid’s Rink is perfect for children from age three up as well as beginners. A trained team of ice marshals will be on hand at all times to ensure skaters enjoy their experience in safety and comfort and the real ice rink surface is maintained to optimum condition.

TRADiTiOnAL ATTRACTiOnS •Every 40 minutes we will have a real snow fall •Funfair and Rides •Live Crib & Reindeer •Large Irish Crafts Market

A FESTiVE FEAST FOR ALL A full festive selection of food and drink in our themed Bavarian area.

Whether it’s a sitdown meal, a bite on the move, or festive drinks with family or friends, we have something for everyone. And watch our food court entertainment.

•Gourmet burgers •Festive frankfurters •Crepes •Coffee and hot chocolate

SnOw gLOBE This one of a kind photo opportunity brings as many as eight people into the globe. As snow moves around an incredible photograph is taken And with free car parking guaranteed this is the ideal family & friends Christmas day out.

Magical Wonderland at the City West Arena. Experience

the magic of Christmas at City West this festive season.

TiCKETS Tickets for the Magical Wonderland are €15 per Child and €10 per adult •Tickets can be booked online via our website www.magicalwonderland.ie •The Magical Wonderland is

an indoor event •The experience within the Magical Wonderland will last approximately 45 minutes.

Guests are welcome to spend as much time as they like in the rest of the venue after their experience.

•The Magical Wonderland is a fully wheelchair accessible event.

win win win with newSg roup and magiCal wonderlan d.

Win a family pass to Ma gical Wonderland taking place at Citywest Hotel from the 5th Decemb er till the 3rd of January !

Magical Wonderland wi ll boast a 800m2 real ice rink, unique Santa expe rience with live reind eer, traditional fun fair rid es, Bavarian food villag e and so much more.

To enter simply answer What size is the real ice rink?

Email info@newsgroup .ie with ‘Magical Wonderland Competitio n’ in the subject line.

Entries close on the 2n d of December 2015.

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o’Connor raiSeS kilnamagh traffiC management iSSueS

Local Councillor Charlie O’Connor has raised Traffic Management Issues relating to Kilnamanagh Estate on behalf of residents who contacted him in respect of their concerns.

He raised the matters directly with Council Management and has received the following responses: Treepark Road at the Community Centre “Location inspected on Wednesday 18th November at 3pm. There is a pedestrian crossing on Greenhills Road at the Cuckoo’s nest.

At time of inspection there was no traffic parked on either side of Treepark Road outside the Centre in either Community direction. There are good sight lines in both directions.

Barriers are already in place at both ends of this walkway. No evidence of markings in the grass area”.

Treepark Road/Parkhill Road “There are 3 approaches to the roundabout. Extensive continuous white centre lines on all approaches to the roundabout which prohibits parking. There are also double yellow lines commencing on Treepark

Road East Leg for 80m. on the left hand side. no further proposals.

Recommended re-instatement of faded double yellow lines on the east leg of Treepark Road.”

According to Charlie O’Connor he has also raised the issue regarding the need for traffic signals at the busy junction of Mayberry Road/Treepark Road and received the following reply: “A traffic count was carried out at Treepark Road/Mayberry Road (western leg) on October 18th 2015.

The weather was overcast but dry.

No incidents or accidents were observed during the count period.

Analysis of the count data indicates that a warrant for the installation of traffic signals exists.

Will be examined in the contest of available resources in 2016.”

Councillor O’Connor also confirms that he will be raising all these matters at a formal session of the Tallaght Traffic Management meeting and he will, of course, continue to give these matters his particular attention.

StudentS in dublin reminded to enter the aCtionaid SpeeCh writing Competition Top prize is a visit to ActionAid’s programme in Malawi

The Second National ActionAid Speech Writing Competition is already shaping up to be a very exciting event; schools from around the country have been telling ActionAid that budding young orators have been busy crafting their speeches ahead of the 11th January deadline.

The top ten students from around the country will be invited to the final in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, on 3rdMarch 2016 to deliver their speeches a panel of to experienced judges.

The top prize is a trip to Malawi to see

ActionAid’s women’s rights programme, which is funded by Irish Aid.

As well as helping to raise awareness for the need to alleviate poverty in the developing world, the competition helps students to develop vital skills. Researching a topic, developing an argument, effective writing and public speaking are just some of the essential skills that students take away from the competition.

developing world is to build confidence that positive change is possible. This is a message we are keen to impart to students also.”

The competition is open to all secondary school students aged 14 to 17 and the deadline for entries is 11 January,2016. Entrants have to write a ten minute speech on one of the three topics below.

1. 2015 is European Year for Development, what can Ireland and Irish Citizens do to create a more equalworld?

2. The Human Rights

fitness with newsgroup Director of ActionAid Ireland, Siobhán McGee said: “A central part of ActionAid’s work in the

Tips on Avoiding Christmas weight gain Part 2: Eat before drinking and celebrating.

Skipping breakfast or lunch in order to “save your appetite” probably isn’t the best weight-maintenance tactic. While the jury’s still out on how important breakfast truly is, not eating until the afternoon may lead to binging later on (read: four slices of pumpkin pie). Our advice?

Stick to a reasonably sized breakfast with plenty of protein, which will keep you fuller longer and temper the urge to stuff your face later.

Just say no.

Though your relatives may encourage overeating by shoving seconds onto a cleaned plate, it’s OK to respectfully decline. “I’m full” or “I’m taking a break” should be enough for friends and family members to back off (and give you time to decide if you’d really like more).

wait before grabbing seconds.

Like we've mentioned, the quicker we eat a meal, the less time we give our bodies to register fullness. Since it takes about minutes for the brain to get the message that dinner’s been served, it’s best to go for a walk or chat with friends before dishing up seconds.

invest in some toss-away tupperware.

Before guests leave you with half-full platters of food, have some Tupperware at the ready.

Load up containers for friends and family to hand out as they leave. Bonus points for getting containers that are holiday-themed or for adding a festive bow to your parting gift.

Freeze it.

If you end up with loads of leftovers on your kitchen counter, pack up the extras and store them in the

freezer for a later date.

Studies show that when food is out of sight, you’ll be less likely to reach for a second helping.

Turn off the tube.

Though turning off the TV during any football game or family movie might feel like a sin, eating while watching television is linked to poor food choices and overeating. Plus, getting sucked into It's a Wonderful Life or Elf may bring on mindless eating, since it can be easy to lose track of just how many chocolates or candies you've had. And it’s not just the mindlessness of watching television that’ll get us. Commercials for unhealthy foods and drinks may increase our desire for low-nutrient junk, fast food, and sugary beverages.

Chew gum.

Studies have conflicting results on whether chewing gum will actually help curb

your appetite and lead to weight loss in the long run.

However, in the short-term, chewing can keep you busy when socializing amongst a sea of hor d’ouevres or when you're full but still eyeing a second plate of dessert.

Turn your back on temptation.

The closer we are situated to food that’s in our line of vision, the more we’ll actually consume. A simple fix? Face away from the dessert spread to listen to cues from your gut rather than your eyes.

Beware of booze.

Not only does alcohol add unnecessary calories to your diet, but getting boozy has another effect on us, too.

Drinking too much in the presence of champagne, eggnog, wine, and beer can make us lose our inhibitions around food and start eating irresponsibly. Take it easy with the bubbly before you

Based Approach to Development looks at structural causes of inequality. How can this help women living in poverty?

3. Why are women’s rights important within international and development ending poverty?

For more information on the competition visit http://www.actionaid.i e/speech-writingcompetitionhttp://ww w.actionaid.ie/speechwriting-competition

All the enthusiasm and excitement of last year’s competition can be seen in the video below.https://youtu.be /nTylqfBIsyg

By Seán Corr

start saying things like, "Eh, what's one more cookie?"

Cave in to cravings.

Finally, a suggestion we can all get behind. It’s smart to acknowledge a few cravings instead of pushing them away completely. Caving to a craving—as long as it’s in moderation—can curb the desire to go at it like a kid in a candy store.

Forbidding a specific food or food group during the holiday season may only make it more attractive.

Still want more of that apple pie after a couple of bites? Try thinking of your favorite holiday activity, like opening presents, watching Christmas movies, or playing in the snow.

Research shows that

daydreaming about pleasant activities or distracting yourself with just about any activity can reduce the intensity of food cravings.

Choose tall and thin.

When you’ve got a hankering for some seasonal eggnog, reach for at all, not a short squatty one.

Research shows people pour less liquid into tall glasses than into their vertically challenged counterparts.

With a taller glass, you’re likely to down less in one sitting (which is especially helpful when drinking booze).

We will more helpful Christmas tips in our next Article

ining and group For information on Personal Tra ok page classes contact me via my Facebo tact me Con or www.facebook.com/SeanPTCorr 6.

by Phone 085103824

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sugar

lyons green

79c €2

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