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PERSISTENT DUMPING 17th. April 2017

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Illegal dumping on Oldcourt Lane is a “persistent problem” which is damaging the environment and causing distress for residents according to one local man. Peter Behan is “appalled” by the state in which illegal dumping has left the area of Oldcourt and explained that he is “saddened”

by the issues residents are facing. The local man, who grew up in Oldcourt and still has family in the area, described the lane as “headquarters for illegal dumping” in the county. He said: “The rubbish up there is added to each week and it is very bad on Oldcourt stream at the moment. This is

a long-standing issue for people in the area, it has been going on for years.”

With the Dublin Mountains Project aimed at bringing more tourism to the area Peter believes that it is now more important than ever before to ensure that the environment is looked after.

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He said: “The Council is talking about bringing tourists up there but you couldn’t do that as it is. I have no objection to the Dublin Mountains plan in principle but I do have an objection to the state that Oldcourt Lane has been left in.” “It is cleared up at intervals every so often but the dumping is on the stream and into the fields, it is really bad – it is a litter blackspot.”

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South Dublin County Council confirmed that the area is “regularly inspected” by Litter Wardens who make patrols every two to three days. Peter is calling for CCTV to be installed in the area and the offenders to be punished if they are caught dumping rubbish in the vicinity. He said: “The problem needs to be sorted, I would like to see the area cleared and cameras put up to catch people doing this – people are going up there with vans to dump

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PERSISTENT DUMPING...........FROM PAGE 1

large amounts of rubbish. The whole thing is not being treated seriously.”

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: Webprint Ltd. Distributed by: Local Post Co. Contact Details: Email: info@newsgroup.ie Website www.newsgroup.ie www.facebook.com/newsgroup.ie Twitter @NewsgroupIRL www.linkedIn.com/company/newsgroup Registered in Ireland: 497158 Tax and VAT Registration: IE 3354179CH Advertising: Anthony Russell Sales Director anthony@newsgroup.ie Design & Editorial: John Russell john@newsgroup.ie Administration: Sarah Brooks Office Manager admin@newsgroup.ie

However, the Council revealed that it is taking the issue very seriously and is currently considering installing “demountable CCTV” in the area where the dumping occurred. A spokesperson said: “The Council was informed that a large amount of illegally dumped materials were deposited in the vicinity of Oldcourt Road and Oldcourt

Lane. It is believed that the dumping occurred in the early morning of Friday, 7th April.

“An investigation is currently being carried out by the Council’s Litter Wardens and Public Realm sections. The majority of the dumped material is on private lands and we are making contact with the relevant land owners in relation to the material. Material on the public road and public land has been removed by the Council.”

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HOUSE PRICE JUMP PUTS ‘HELP TO BUY SCHEME’ UNDER MICROSCOPE

Dublin South West TD, Seán Crowe, has said that serious questions are hanging over the current ‘Help to Buy Scheme’ following figures released by Daft.ie showing huge jumps in house prices in the first three months of the year and information gleaned recently from Parliamentary Questions. The Sinn Féin TD said that there needs to be greater scrutiny including a full review into the current scheme before even more

damage is done to house hunters and the overall housing market. Deputy Seán Crowe said: “In Sinn Fein’s view this scheme was always suspect and a sticking plaster approach that favoured developers and speculators. It is, at its core is a demand side solution to a supply side problem. It has directly led to the massive hike in house prices we are currently seeing, where prices in Dublin have risen by an

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average of €17,500 in the first three months of this year. These increases cannot be sustained. It is workers and by extension compliant taxpayers, not developers and speculators who are having to pay the real cost “When it was initially proposed, with Fianna Fáil facilitating it, the Minister under pressure agreed to a review after it was introduced. With these spiralling increases this needs to happen now. “Figures Sinn Féin have obtained through Parliamentary Questions show that applications already submitted means that the estimated cost of the scheme could easily be exceeded. Currently there is no cap on the scheme and nothing to prevent it becoming another run-away cost. “The original scheme was in reality a financial bribe to developers to increase the supply and building of housing. Meanwhile the State and hard pressed Irish taxpayers at a time of housing shortage and huge

demand are being strong armed, to ‘pay up’ in order to supposedly keep the supply of housing flowing. “Surely as long as we continue with this state policy of subsidising and relying on private developers and speculators we will continue to have this problem. The Irish Government clearly needs to deal with the supply problem by taking ownership and going back to allowing local authorities to directly or indirectly build social housing for its applicants. “Price spikes and uncertainty like this only benefit the speculators, the hoarders, and the banks. This current broken scheme is being subsidised by Irish tax payers and needs to be urgently reviewed before even more damage is done. “Ironically the Help to Buy Scheme is rewarding many of those who created the housing crash and penalising those, who through no fault of their own, are its victims. House hunters are again trapped in the spiral of rising house prices.”

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BROADCASTING LEVY MUST NOT SEE DUBLIN HOUSEHOLDS PAY ON THE DOUBLE - Proposed new charge aims to cover laptops and other devices -

Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Dublin, John Lahart TD has called on the Communications Minister to clearly outline how his proposed new broadcasting charge will be implemented. According to reports this week, Minister Naughten is planning on extending the remit of the charge to cover laptops and tablets. “Minister Naughten’s broadcasting charge will see households with laptops, tablets and other devices with screens that are larger than 11inches, liable for the levy. However, it is not clear if this new charge will be in addition to the current TV licencing system,” commented Deputy Lahart. “This raises serious questions for households which have a laptop or tablet as well as a TV. Will they have to pay both charges? This would be deeply unfair and must be avoided. “The popularity of online subscription services has risen significantly over recent years and with a substantial student population across the city that rely on the use of laptops on a daily basis, an additional levy would be especially unfair on them. “The Minister needs to clarify the situation before any attempts are made to bring this new broadcasting charge into force,” he added. “Fianna Fáil believes in a properly funded and efficient public service broadcaster. The high levels of licence fee evasion must be tackled to help bridge the funding gap which exists in RTÉ. However, we do not advocate for people being charged a levy on the double. “Minister Naughten must now outline his plans for the charge, whether he plans to retain the current TV licence structure, and who will be liable to pay the new fee”, said Deputy Lahart.

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THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES GET EXTRA CHILDCARE SUPPORT FROM SEPTEMBER “Childcare system changing from one of the most expensive in the world to the best”

Families will receive extra childcare support from September as an extra €19m is pumped into the scheme, according to Dublin South West TD and Independent Minister, Katherine Zappone. The Minister says the changes being introduced will move the childcare system from being one of the most expensive in the world to one of the best. Minister Zappone is confirming that 70,000 families nationwide will be see the burden of paying for childcare cut – with those households on lower incomes set to benefit the most. Making the announcement Minister Zappone said: “The cost of childcare is a major burden on families. Many tell me that it is the equivalent to a second mortgage or rent. We are now taking steps to ensure the maximum number of families will see that burden eased from September.

The Government has also agreed that a major information campaign will be launched next month so everyone is aware of their entitlements. I am asking that every effort is made to ensure the campaign will reach every family. By easing the cost of childcare we will also open up opportunities for parents to accept job, training and education opportunities. The changes coming in September are a significant step forward. However there is more work to be done. We are working to extend benefits to more families and building an IT system to simplify applications. Further investment will be required and we are working to secure that.” The childcare supports available from this September will include: · A new universal childcare subsidy for children aged 6 months up to 36 months old

(or commencement of the free pre-school programme). This new universal childcare subsidy will benefit up to 33,000 children. For children in full-time, registered childcare, it will amount to €1,000 per annum. · Significant increases of up to 50 per cent in childcare subvention rates provided under the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme for children aged 6 months up to 15 years old. · Up to 23,000 children and their families currently availing of childcare supports under this Scheme will benefit from these increases. For example, parents availing of full-time childcare who currently have had their childcare costs subsidised by €95 per week under this Scheme will see their subvention rate rise to €145 per week. · Up to 7,000 additional children and their families are expected to benefit from this Scheme for the first

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time from September due to improved access to this Scheme through a greater number of community/ not-for-profit and private childcare providers throughout the country. These children and their families too will benefit from these generous increases in childcare subvention rates. Children and families can

avail of these new levels of childcare subsidies under a number of circumstances, including if they are in receipt of Family Income Support or of they have a medical card or a GP only card. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs is working with Pobal and a number of

Government Departments to build a fully automated IT system which will ultimately be used to access and administer childcare supports. When that IT system is available, existing levels of investment will allow a further 9,000 families to benefit from more affordable childcare.

Dublin South West TD and Independent Minisrter Katherine Zappone with Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar at announcement of Government measures to move Irish childcare from being one of the most expensive in the world to one of the best.


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CALL ON MINISTER TO ISSUE NATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR HOSPITAL CAR PARK CHARGING Car parking fees for Seriously Ill patients at Tallaght Hospital must be examined Local Fianna Fáil TD John Curran says that it is time for the HSE to regulate car parking fees in hospitals across the country and particularly city based hospitals.

A typical four-hour stay during treatment at Tallaght Hospital costs cancer patients €10 or more, some cancer patients can visit the hospital 50 – 60 times a year. The Irish Cancer Society’s ‘Park the Charges’ report revealed that cancer patients could be paying up to €63 a week in car parking charges. These charges add up for

patients and their loved ones visiting and it is a disgrace by the HSE to not look into this matter. Speaking on the issue after it was raised again on RTE Deputy Curran said: “I am calling on the Minister for Health to instruct the HSE for national general guidelines across all hospitals in relation to car parking at hospitals. Each hospital is providing certain concessions and exemptions but some are not, therefore national guidelines are needed re concession rates and exemptions for certain patients/visitors. A ‘Go To’ Person is needed

at each hospital to manage each patients/visitor’s individual needs for parking at the hospital. Currently patients are referred to a nurse manager to sort out their parking payments however a nurse manager has enough to be doing in a hospital than dealing with car parking tickets. This is only a reasonable and compassionate call on the HSE to look into this matter for seriously ill patients and their families. Car parking charges represent a huge cost for many cancer patients undergoing treatment at a time of complex need

and financial pressure. These are people that are already facing real hardship with additional costs and large drops in income; extortionate car parking fees further add to this. Patients receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy must be exempt from paying carparking fees. This practice is currently in place at hospitals such as Mayo General Hospital, St. Luke’s, Rathgar Co. Dublin and Wexford General Hospital and needs to be more widely adopted. I acknowledge that these charges are a huge source of

revenue for many hospitals; however, the excessive rates charged at some hospitals place an unnecessary strain on cancer patients and their families. Public transport when going to or from treatment is simply not viable and the passes available at Tallaght are still an added cost. This is an important issue which is brought up time and time again by people in our community and which needs to be addressed. We must continue to highlight the financial burden of car parking on patients and their families”, concluded Deputy Curran.

Fianna Fáil TD John Curran

VOGUE WILLIAMS TO JUDGE THE GRAND FINAL OF THE BOLLINGER BEST DRESSED LADY COMPETITION AT THE PUNCHESTOWN FESTIVAL ● Glenda Gilson – Tuesday 25th of April ● Aisling O’Loughlin – Wednesday 26th of ● April Bláthnaid Treacy – Thursday 27th of April ● Vogue Williams – Friday 28th of April

Vogue Williams has been announced as the celebrity judge for the grand final of the Bollinger Best Dressed Lady Competition at this year’s Punchestown Festival

Vogue Williams

which will take place on Ladies Day, Friday 28th of April at the Kildare venue. Vogue will join the line-up of other celebrity judges Glenda Gilson, Aisling

O’Loughlin and Bláthnaid Treacy to choose the most stylish lady of the festival 2017. Vogue said “I’m so excited

to be judging Ladies Day at Punchestown. I love the races, there’s always a great atmosphere down there, it’s a brilliant day out. The fashion is always amazing and women really make a huge effort so I know I’ll have a tough time choosing the best dressed.” The format for the Bollinger Best Dressed Lady Competition runs over the first four days of the Punchestown Festival when judges and style scouts find the most stylish ladies in attendance and select a number of finalists each day. The daily winner will then progress to the grand final on Ladies Day, Friday 28th of April. For those planning on dressing up for Punchestown, it’s important

to note that gates open at 12 noon each day and scouting will commence early, festival organisers are encouraging ladies to be on site from 1pm if they are interested in the Bollinger Best Dressed Lady Competition. Bollinger’s philosophy is that “Life Can Be Perfect”, and the family-owned Champagne House stays true to form with a bespoke prize created especially for the winner of Ireland’s most coveted fashion title. The 2017 Bollinger Best Dressed Lady at Punchestown will receive a VIP trip for two taking in the Bollinger Estate, Reims and Paris complete with private chauffeur, Michelin-starred dining and luxury accommodation, not to mention a year’s supply of Bollinger to top it all off!

Not be forgotten the finalists who will each receive a luxury goodie bag filled with luxury treats including Topflight vouchers, Race Tickets, Bellamianta Tan and much more! The Punchestown Festival takes place from Tuesday 25th to Saturday 29th April 2017. The action packed, fun filled, style showcase attracts over 120,000 people to the Co. Kildare venue, with packages ranging from high-end hospitality to great value admission only tickets and are available at www. punchestown.com or by calling +353 (0)45 897704. Prices start from as little as €25pp with concessions for groups, seniors and students. The famous Punchestown hospitality package range is available from just €109pp.


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COMMUNITIES CAN MAKE HOMES ENERGY EFFICIENT WITH NEW GOVERNMENT FUNDING €5m fund being made available so homes can get an ‘A’for energy saving

Neighbours, communities and local areas should band together in an effort to access funds from a new €5m Government scheme to make homes more energy efficient, according to Dublin South West TD and Independent Minister Katherine Zappone. The scheme is aimed at supporting groups of people who have come together to have work carried out on their homes which will save money on energy bills. Minister Zappone says that under the ‘Deep Retrofit Homes’ Scheme the

Government will pay up to half the cost of any work done. Welcoming the announcement Minister Zappone said: “Making homes more energy efficient is not only good for the environment but can save people money. This scheme by my colleague the Minister for Climate Change, Denis Naughten, will allow householders to achieve the top grade in the Building Energy Rating (BER) scale – an ‘A’. Allocations for the €5m national fund will be made

to neighbours, communities and local areas where people have come together rather than to individual households. I would encourage those local groups already working on community clean ups as well as South Dublin County Council to consider making an application. The fund will pay up to 50% of work carried out on houses. The saving on electricity and gas bills can be significant once homes become cleaner and more efficient. As the weather improves it

is an ideal time to consider getting work underway so that homes are ready for the return of winter. The scheme is being administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and full details are available on its website www.seai.ie. We cannot afford to continue with fuel inefficient. It does not make economic sense. I encourage our active communities to act now to become more efficient, cut bills and save the environment for generations to come.”

SECOND-LEVEL STUDENTS GEAR UP FOR ELECTORAL REVOLUTION

The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union have reinforced their calls for voting rights to be extended to 16 and 17-year-olds, as they launched a brand new app which will revolutionise student engagement with elections and the political process. The ISSU have teamed up with Smartvote.ie to develop this new app, which will support second-level students in choosing their preferred candidate for the ISSU National Student Executive elections this year. It is modeled on the successful Smartvote app used for the 2016 General Election campaign which was extremely popular amongst younger voters. There were 256,708 users in six weeks and 90% surveyed said they would recommend to a friend. “The ISSU Smartvote app will help our members vote for their ideal candidate, by seeing how their own views on the important issues for young people in

Ireland today match with those of the candidates.” President of The ISSU, Jane Hayes Nally says. “It is going to completely change how our members interact with the election process and make our elections even more democratic and representative”. The app works in a very simple way. You are asked to read a number of statements ranging from the new Junior Cycle to students’ representation on school boards of management. You then rank on a scale how much you agree or disagree with each statement. The app then shows you, based on your answers, the candidate with whom you most agree. The ISSU Smartvote is available on www.issu.ie/ smartvote and second-level students attending the ISSU Annual Assembly on the 13th of April in Liberty Hall, Dublin will have an opportunity to vote for their preferred candidate.

ISSU have teamed up with Smartvote.ie to develop this new app


CALLS FOR ACTION ON SCRAMBLERS Local Councillor Charlie O’Connor has renewed calls for action to be taken in respect of the problem of Scramblers in public places. He said that it is an issue which is of serious concern to many in our communities and that he regularly receives calls in the matter from residents and associations throughout Tallaght. He added that the issue is regularly raised by Councillors at Council meetings and it is clear that action is required. The matter was raised by the Fianna Fail Group on South Dublin County Council at the January meeting of the Council and the following motion, in the name of the Party, was agreed: “That this Council, noting the increased illegal, reckless and unsafe use of scramblers, quad bikes and other similar mechanically propelled vehicles in our Parks across our County and noting the difficulty

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MAYOR’S RECEPTION FOR GREENHILLS BOYS FOOTBALL CLUB

encountered by an Garda Siochana in bringing successful prosecutions under existing By-Laws, now calls on the Government to introduce primary legislation to regulate the ownership and use of all those vehicles” The matter was again raised at the April meeting of the Council and the following response was tabled from Frances Fitzgerald TD, Tanaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality: “Such a legislative review would involve a review of road traffic legislation, which the responsibility of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Mr Shane Ross, TD. As such, your correspondence has been forwarded to the relevant Department for direct reply”. According to Charlie O’Connor, it is now vital that action would be taken in respect of this matter and he has assured residents that he will continue to pursue the matter with Government.

Mayor Guss O’Connell welcomed fellow Councillors, Chairman Robert Macken, Committee Members, players and officials of Greenhills Boys Football Clubto a special event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Greenhills Boys Football Club at County Hall, Tallaght. Mayor O’Connell was delighted to host the event to recognise the outstanding contribution the club and

team have made to the local community in Greenhills over the years. Speaking at the event Mayor O’Connell commented “This evening is about recognising the time, dedication and sacrifice that the players, managers and officials make, in order for a club like Greenhills Boys to be in existence for 50 years”. The Mayor mentioned the importance of children coming together in a safe environment and being

introduced to the basic skills by dedicated parents and mentors and where great friends are made on the pitch and on the side-lines that last a life time. The evening was about celebrating everybody in the club who has made a contribution over the last 50 years: themanagers, mentors, drivers, jersey washers, dedicated families, committee members, fund raisers and sponsors who all

have contributed so much over the last 5 decades to make Greenhills Boys Football Club what it is today. South Dublin County Council values the great contribution that Sports and Recreation bring to our communities and are very proud of Greenhills Boy’s achievements. The council works in partnership with clubs to provide the facilities needed to support this great work.


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SEEKING CONSENSUS WAS AT THE CORE OF COMMITTEE AGREEMENT ON WATER CHARGES

Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South West, Spokesperson for Dublin and Water Committee member, John Lahart , has said that the deal reached at the Oireachtas Water Services Committee this week will bring about the end of the failed water charges regime introduced by Fine Gael/ Labour.

Lahart added, “This report is essentially the same report that was agreed in late March and means that 92% of households will not pay any charges. The remaining 8% whose excessive us of

water is deemed over the allowance will have an opportunity to fix any leaks. Their comments follow this morning’s publication of the report from the Special Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services. Deputy Lahart said: “Despite the political posturing on this issue over recent weeks, I and my Party welcome the outcome of this process. In short, the failed water charges regime introduced by the last Government, and all the contradictions and unfairness attached to it, are now quashed.

“Having fully co-operated on the committee through robust debate and discussion, I am satisfied that it has been agreed to refund water charges paid to date issued via the Revenue Commission once proof of payment is provided.” Concluding, Deputy Lahart said, “Under the deal agreed, excess use and wilful abuse of water will be set at 1.7 times the average daily use of each individual. The expert view is that in Ireland, the average daily use of an individual is 133 litres per person and that has now been agreed by the

committee. “Those who are identified as using excess volumes of water will have the opportunity to rectify their misuse or alternatively apply for the first fix policy in the case of leakages. “Fianna Fáil will be making sure that the deal reached is fully reflected by strengthening the Water Services Act 2007. Now that this agreement has been finally reached it will give more time for the Dáil to prioritise housing and other critical issues which has been affecting people’s lives.”

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS ARE KEY TO IMPROVING CANCER OUTCOMES

Fine Gael Dublin Senator, Catherine Noone, has said education and awareness are key to improving cancer outcomes. She said: “We must continue to provide education and awareness about cancer and its causes and continue working towards implementing a new National Cancer Strategy. “Measures such as these could have a significant effect on the outcomes for all socio-economic groups. “Fifty years ago, just three in ten cancer patients survived their diagnosis. Now, six in ten will live for five years or more after being told that they have cancer. “I was disturbed to see men in areas with the poorest

education levels have a 32 per cent greater risk of lung cancer than men living in areas with the highest education level. “Increased dialogue with organisations such as the Irish Cancer Society can help us tackle these statistics. “I would encourage all of us to do our part in supporting cancer research and awareness, not just on Daffodil Day, but all year round. “Furthermore, I am calling on Minister Harris to renew the National Cancer Strategy as soon as possible in order to close the socio-economic gap and to tackle cancer as best we can.”

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TALLAGHT TRIO FIRE DUBLIN TO VICTORY

St Marks GAA club had three representatives on the South Dublin Juvenile Colleges Hurling side that successfully retained the Leinster League title. The under 15s game between Dublin South Juvenile Colleges, and Good Counsel College, of New Ross, Co. Wexford took place on the 30th of March 2017 at Éire Óg GAA Club in Carlow. Representing St Marks on the day were corner back Conor Burke, half forward Ross Byrne and full forward Jack Kielthy, all of whom play for the Under 15s and Under 16s within the Tallaght club. A motivated Dublin team were gunning for revenge, having come second best to Good Counsel College in the group stages of the Leinster League. The success of the three Tallaght stars was a historical first for the Springfield based St Marks GAA Club having such strong representation at county level, explains Juvenile Secretary Paul Burke. “This is the first time in the history of St Marks that we have had three members on the same team representing the South Dublin Colleges team. These same lads also represent the club on the Dublin Hurling panel which is a massive achievement and something St Marks GAA club are extremely proud of.” Paul said

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ICELAND’S BIGGEST STORE OPENS IN TALLAGHT

Food retailer Iceland has announced a €12 million investment in nine new stores in Ireland this year.

270 new jobs will be created across the country as part of the investment in the new stores, as the company continues to expand nationwide. 2017 is set to be the biggest year yet for Iceland Ireland, with nine stores announced for Tallaght, Galway, Cork (Douglas, Fermoy, Ballincollig) Letterkenny, Limerick, Shannon, and Gorey in the coming months. Since its launch in 2013, Iceland has been committed to further expansion in Ireland, building a strong team on the ground and growing the store base steadily over the years. Tallaght is the thirteenth store in the portfolio which will grow to 21 stores nationwide in the next 12 months. This growth will see Iceland grow to an employee base of over 530 in the latter half of the year. Iceland is home to over 2,000 branded fresh and frozen grocery products, proud to support Irish with more than

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32 local suppliers - all at great prices, in addition to being the exclusive stockist of the Slimming World range in Ireland. It’s even easier to enjoy the #PowerOfFrozen at home as selected Iceland stores offer free home delivery. Tallaght Store The new store, which opened last week in New Bancroft on the Greenhills Road, is Iceland’s biggest yet, covering 15,000sq. ft. and creating 35 jobs for the area. This brings the total number of current staff to 268 in Ireland, a great boost for the local area and the country’s retail industry. The store will feature great value offers and free delivery when you spend €30 or more, for those who want to shop now and organise delivery for a time that suits. The Tallaght store sets the tone for the future of Iceland in Ireland, with a focus on a new state of the art design and revamped food-to-go proposition, which comprises of an instore bakery and a Lavazza coffee station.

Above: The new Iceland store in Tallaght sets the tone for the future of Iceland in Ireland Right: David Harper, Tallaght Store Manager, with staff member, Jodie Brennan (Pics: John Raftery) David Harper, Iceland Tallaght Store Manager said “Having worked with Iceland over the last three years, it’s exciting to see the store numbers, staffing

and investment levels increasing. We’re looking forward to welcoming our new customers to our new design Tallaght store ahead of the summer season.”


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O’CONNOR RENEWS CALL ON KINGSWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE Local Councillor Charlie O’Connor has again called on Richard Bruton TD, the Minister for Education and Skills and also the management of Dublin/ Dunlaoire Education Training Board to explain what is going on in respect of the Permanent Building Programme for Kingswood Community College which is currently operating in prefabs. According to Charlie O’Connor he is most anxious to represent the concerns of the local community which have been articulated by the Kingswood Heights Residents Association who remain

very concerned about the situation. He said that “It was always understood that the permanent building would be available for pupils in 2018 but information has recently emerged that the building will not now be ready for occupation until September 2019.” In its statement on the matter the Kingswood Heights Residents Association have said that “Residents in Kingswood received an update through their door about the progress of the tender phase of the build. However, as far as KHRA are aware the tender has not been submitted

and they are even further behind than indicated in correspondence. Parents have contacted Charlie O’Connor and have expressed concern that the Permanent Building Programme has been delayed and he also added that parents are upset that they may have been misinformed about the project progression when they were making what they regarded as important decisions for their children. The matter has been the subject of correspondence by Charlie O’Connor to the Minister demanding clarification and he has also had the matter raised as Dail

business. He has also written to the CEO, Dublin Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board and also raised the matter at the Tallaght Area Committee which caused a further letter to be sent to the CEO. No responses have been received to date and Charlie O’Connor believes this is very unfair to the Association and to the parents concerned with the situation. Charlie O’Connor added that this is an important issue for the local community who need to know the exact position and he will continue to raise the matter on their behalf.

LUCAN STUDENT JAMES CASSERLY INVITED TO GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS TO MEET WITH TAOISEACH AND TÁNAISTE 11-year-old son of Councillor Vicki Casserly talked inclusion, disability and access on his first trip to Department of Government. Fine Gael councillor for Lucan, Vicki Casserly, was “delighted” to receive the special invitation – while James was “very excited” about the meeting. The two visited the Department of Government to meet Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Dublin Mid West TD, Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald who has been a long-time supporter of TeamJames. The 11-year-old was there to discuss disability and inclusion and also took the opportunity to detail his fundraising efforts for Barretstown. Cllr Casserly, who also serves as an ambassador for Barretstown, was very proud to have the opportunity to highlight issues around access and inclusion across the capital. She said: “We were so honoured to be invited to speak with the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste. It is something that James has wanted to do for a long time. It was a wonderful morning and James was thrilled to talk about accessibility, inclusion and the importance of fundraising. It was a proud day for the whole family.”

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Councillor Vicki Casserly with her son James with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Dublin Mid West TD, Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald

LUCAN COLLEGE CROWNDED ALL-IRELAND TABLE QUIZ CHAMPIONS

STOP THE LUAS! All-Ireland Feachtas table quiz champions Coláiste Phádraig, Lucan. Pictured are contestants Dáire Ó Broin, Gordon Duffy, Calvin Davis and Abhiram Ajith. (Pic: Seán Ó Mainnín)

TOASTMASTERS WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

Toastmasters would like to hear from anyone who may be interested in setting up a ‘Toastmasters’ Club in Tallaght. It is a worldwide organisation that provides training in public speaking and presentation in a friendly and encouraging manner. (Learning by doing) It is ideal for people who are less confident and would like to increase confidence or learn how to speak or make a presentation in public. Maybe you have to deliver a wedding speech or one in work. Anyone interested can attend their meetings in Tallaght, where people can learn about ‘Toastmasters’ and ask any question they wish. John Conroy (ABC CL) has been a member of five years standing and would be delighted to meet likeminded people. You don’t need to be from Tallaght to join or attend any meeting. If you are interested contact John at communitynewsletter24@ gmail.com Tallaght toastmasters on Facebook -https://www.facebook. com/tallaghttoastmasters/ Or text him on 0874160988 Toastmasters meet twice Monthly in St Kevin’s Family resource centre Kilnamanagh. (Girls school) 2nd and 4th Monday of the month. No experience needed, so why not drop in and see if it suits your needs-Its good fun and a great social night.

Cllr. Charlie O’Connor PC Working for Tallaght

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John Lahart TD, Councillors Paul Foley, Emma Murphy, Charlie O’Connor


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STUDENTS CAN AVAIL OF NEW GRANT MEASURES Low earners and second chance students will be prioritised

Students who are less well-off and those taking a second chance at college should benefit from changes to grants, according to Dublin South West TD and Independent Minister, Katherine Zappone. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs says the changes are aimed at making college more accessible to all. Nationally €380m is being made available in grants. Welcoming the announcement Minister Zappone added: “Thanks to the Tallaght

Institute of Technology, other Dublin Colleges as well as vocational and training courses we have a third level hub on our doorstep. It is only right that everyone should have an equal chance of avail of that opportunity – no matter what their financial circumstances. The announcement of grant changes is an opportunity to break down barriers which prevent many people from entering college. All students – no matter what their income or age – should examine the grants available and

begin planning their applications for the 2017/18 college year. The key changes include: · Maintenance grants to support 1,100 of the most disadvantaged postgraduate students · Changes which allow second chance mature students to complete a post Leaving Cert Programme within a 5 year break period The Grant Application Process is also opening up earlier than usual. This is to allow students extra time to consider options and submit their forms.

I would encourage all students to take time to consider the supports which are available and to come forward and use them. Information and the application process can be accessed through www.susi.ie, the website to Student Universal Support Ireland. I am asking that schools, colleges and libraries in throughout the South Dublin Council area would make every information to get the information out to student in the coming weeks.”

ALL SMILES AT DÁIL - TEMPLEOGUE CHILDREN IN CORRIDORS OF POWER

Dublin South West TD and Independent Minister Katherine Zappone welcomes the students and staff of Bishop Galvin National School, Templeogue to Leinster House. During their Dáil visit the boys and girls asked the Minister about her life in politics. Welcoming their keen interest Minister Zappone said “The Templeogue students show that young people are interested in politics and want a say in the future of their communities, our country and the world. It is always an honour to meet some leaders of the future.”

TALLAGHT LITTER MUGS

Tallaght Litter Mugs is a society of volunteers that love and are proud of where they live. Working quietly and diligently to tidy, mind and care for their local environment. Cleaning where others discard either through carelessness or design in the hope that leading by example others will follow and littering of all types will become as anti-social as drink driving or smoking in a restaurant etc. Their current focus of attention is a monthly cleanup of Sean Walsh Memorial Park, the green lung of Tallaght. Tallaght Litter Mugs gather in the park on the last Saturday of every month for a couple of hours of litter picking. They could always do with an extra pair of hands so if you have a couple of hours to spare once per month they would be delighted for any help that you can offer. Volunteers of all ages are welcome and you don’t have to make any long term commitments. Just turn up when you can and contribute to cleaning up the litter in Sean Walsh Park in any way that you can.

If you wish to volunteer just email us with your name and we’ll contact you with details of the next clean-up which is scheduled for Saturday, 6th May 2017. Checkout their website www.litter-mugs.org. email: info@litter-mugs.org

Tallaght Litter Mugs current focus of attention is a monthly clean-up of Sean Walsh Memorial Park


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AN TAISCE’S NATIONAL SPRING CLEAN SUPPORTED BY SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

The Mayor of South Dublin County, Cllr Guss O’Connell, in the company of Lucan Tidy Towns and St Andrews NS helped launch National Spring Clean month in South Dublin County. Tidy Towns groups work tirelessly throughout the year to improve and maintain their beautiful villages and towns. Whilst schools involved in the green school programme, demonstrate their ongoing commitment to achieving a cleaner more environmentally friendly school and local area for teachers and students alike. Mayor Cllr Guss O’Connell, praised Tidy Towns groups for their continual work in their communities and encouraged everyone to get involved in National Spring Clean 2017. Mayor O’Connell continued to say “I am also impressed to hear of all the hard work being carried out by schools in the County getting involved in the National Spring Clean, this shows that everyone in the community can be

involved in National Spring Clean 2017 and make a difference in their local area. “South Dublin County Council has been supporting the An Taisce National Spring Clean initiative for many years now and it encourages everyone to take part in the Spring Clean. I want to pay particular compliments to our Environmental Awareness Team who do so much, a lot of which is behind the scenes and hidden, in promoting the Environment all year round. One of the events they organise is the annual Spring Clean which not only inspires citizens to take pride in their local area and to love where they live but it also urges members of the community to come together and get to know each other. It is community building in practice” Mayor O’Connell stated. In addition to the materials supplied by National Spring Clean, local groups who wish to carry out

local environmental enhancements, can avail of support materials through the Social Credits Scheme which supplies volunteers with clean up materials as well as materials to start up community gardens and much more. Groups can also avail of Green Dog Walker pledge cards which encourage all residents to take responsibility for their dogs while out in the community. In addition an ““Adopt a Bring Bank” initiative has been recently rolled out. For more information on these initiatives please visit www.sdcc.ie or www. socialcredits.ie. An Taisce’s National Spring Clean is Ireland’s largest anti-litter initiative which runs for the month of April and interested community groups who are planning a community cleanup during the month of April can apply online at: http://www. nationalspringclean.org/ for a cleanup kit.

Mayor Guss O’Connell with pupils from St Andrews NS

Mayor Guss O’Connell with members of Lucan Tidy Towns Committee

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YOUNG MINDS DECODE LONG LOST LANGUAGES TO REPRESENT IRELAND AT INTERNATIONAL LINGUISTICS OLYMPIAD

Eight secondary school students will be representing Ireland in the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) this July in Dublin. The students from across Ireland beat off competition from over 4,000 opponents in this year’s All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) and will form two teams at the international competition this summer. The results were recently announced by the organisers of the competition, the ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology, whose aim is to inspire the next generation of problemsolvers who posess a combination of logic and language competency skills. Students from across Ireland vied to get selected to test their language decoding skills against the world’s best at the IOL taking place in Dublin this July. Having made it to the finals of the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) in March, which saw the top 100 students out of a starting line up of over 4,000 opponents compete to reach the international finals, the eight winners will now compete against students from 32 other countries for the international title. Competitors are challenged to engage in ‘code-breaking’

tests to unlock information in unfamiliar languages. No prior knowledge of a second language is needed with competitors required to use logical reasoning and outof-the-box thinking to solve the problems presented. One puzzle challenges the students to decode Old Norse Runes, the language of the Vikings. Spoken in Scandinavia from the 700s to the 1300s, Old Norse was the ancestor of the Icelandic, Norwegian, Danish and Swedish languages and was written in a runic alphabet. Speaking about the competition, Professor Vincent Wade, Director of the ADAPT Centre said: “The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad puzzles are a mix of maths, science and humanities. The increasing popularity of the competition highlights the Irish public’s interest and appreciation for the imporance and applicability of problem-solving skills across science, the economy and society. We are looking forward to hosting the IOL this summer and running a free, family-friendly problem-solving festival in Dublin Castle on 5th August open to all.” The Irish finalists who will be taking part in the International Linguistics

Olympiad (IOL) are Philip Krause from Ashton, Blackrock Co Cork, Eimear Kyle from St Finian’s College Mullingar Co Westmeath, Marco Stango from Newtown School Co Waterford, Tom McAlinden from Aquinas Grammar Belfast, Padraig Sheehy from Gonzaga College Co Dublin, Tristan l’Anson-Sparks from Methodist College Belfast, Cian O’Hara from Holy Family Community School Rathcoole Co Dublin and Daniel Quigley from Belfast Royal Academy Belfast. Run by the Science Foundation Ireland funded ADAPT Centre, AILO aims to inspire the next generation of multilingual technology graduates, who possess a combination of language competency and problem-solving expertise. Participants in AILO 2017 received tuition from experts at the ADAPT Centre, a €130M academia-industry research centre developing advanced technology to adapt and personalise digital content and services to the needs of global users. Participants in AILO 2017 received tuition from experts at ADAPT and the winners will receive further tuition before the finals this summer.

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YOUNG PEOPLE FROM TALLAGHT AND CLONDALKIN REPRESENTED AT YOUNG SVP YOUTH DAY

Over 200 young people from across Dublin gathered in the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire for the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) East Region Youth Day. They included young people from the Priory Outreach on the Greennhills Road, Tallaght and the Yes Centre ( Clondalkin Outreach). The gathering also included secondary school students from school throughout the city and county who met to recognise and celebrate the work and dedication of Young SVP volunteers. The Young SVP programme provides opportunities for young people in schools and colleges to engage in social action in their own communities and encourages personal and social development. Participants created visual

displays of their work, attended social justice themed workshops, and networked with other young volunteers . One student from Pobalscoil Neasáin in Baldoyle said “Through the Young SVP Programme we feel like we’ve done some good when there’s so much bad going on in Ireland and the world. It was really rewarding to the soul.” National Youth Development Coordinator with SVP, Becca Gallagher explained that during the last school year students involved in the Young SVP programme have carried out a range of actions to give back to their communities, including raising awareness about homelessness, fundraising, putting together Christmas Hampers, and forming an intergenerational choir.

VARADKAR ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT MEASURES TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES GET INTO EMPLOYMENT

Minister Varadkar, Minister Harris and Minister McGrath have published the “Make Work Pay” Report, designed to help people with disabilities to achieve their ambitions and find work, and to remove the many barriers which prevent them from doing so. The report was produced by an Interdepartmental Group and independently chaired by Professor Frances Ruane. The report concludes that work does pay for the majority of people with disabilities who wish to engage in work and have the capacity to do so. However they currently face significant financial and other obstacles in finding suitable employment. The report makes 24 recommendations and today Minister Varadkar confirmed that he is bringing in immediate changes including: * People with a long-term disability payment who move off the payment to get a job will retain their Free Travel Pass for a period of five years; this measure goes beyond the recommendation of three years contained within the report and comes into effect from today;

* A Fast -Track return to Disability Allowance, or Invalidity Pension for people where employment does not work out;

* Development of a new “Ready Reckoner”, to calculate the net benefits and financial implications of working is already underway; * The Department will review its communications with a specific focus on the needs of people with disabilities; * There will be regular reviews of policies to ensure their effectiveness.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Varadkar said: “We want to help more people with disabilities to achieve their employment ambitions and enter the workforce Unemployment and poverty among people with disabilities is high in Ireland and we would like to help to change that. Work is the best way forward for many people with disabilities but we need to ensure that the right support is provided. “This is an excellent report with lots of constructive proposals that we are already acting on. The first change is that people on a long-term disability payment, including disability allowance, can keep their Free Travel Pass for five years after taking up work. This goes beyond the report’s own recommendation of three years. My Department is also launching a protocol to allow people to return to Disability Allowance

seamlessly if work doesn’t work out within a year. In Ireland, people with disabilities of working age are only half as likely to be in work as their non-disabled peers.” The report found that in the majority of cases, work does pay for people with disabilities and that Ireland’s incentive scheme is broadly in line with other OECD countries. The report provides a detailed examination of the financial barriers faced by people with disabilities in fulfilling their employment ambitions and makes 24 recommendations to overcome these barriers. The report highlights the importance of early intervention and making supports available at the earliest opportunity. One of its recommendations is to support young adults through education, training and social inclusion according to their capacity, and to change the qualifying age for disability allowance at 16.

However, there is a legitimate expectation among parents and families that a child who currently receives domiciliary care allowance will qualify for disability allowance at age 16. Minister Varadkar has therefore ruled out making any change in this area unless it is supported by the disability sector.

And he has invited parents and disability advocates to discuss the issue.

Minister for Health, Simon Harris, said his Department was committed to addressing what the report finds is the single most significant barrier for people with disabilities, saying: “I want to acknowledge that one of the greatest barriers to accessing employment is people’s fear of losing supports. I fully understand the anxiety that people with a disability and who hold a medical card may have about losing their medical card and that this can discourage them from entering the workforce or, even worse, cause them to want to opt out of working altogether. I am determined to address these concerns directly. “Today’s report commits my Department, the Department of Social Protection and the HSE to work together to ensure that people with a disability have all the information they require about their medical card, and its retention, at the point where they are making a decision about current or future employment. We will ensure that this information is clear, concise, readily available and accessible to everyone who needs it. “One of the most significant elements of the report

relates to the earnings disregard applied to people in receipt of Disability Allowance or Partial Capacity Benefit when it comes to assessing eligibility for a medical card. I am committed to substantially raising the earnings disregard for people in this category and my Department and the HSE have already begun work on this. I do not anticipate that this work will involve an extended process and I look forward to announcing implementation plans within the coming months. “Raising the earnings level disregard will ensure that those with long-term disabling conditions who have modest earnings will still be eligible for a medical card and this will address what the report finds is the single most significant barrier for people with disabilities.”

Welcoming the publication of the Report, Minister with Special Responsibility for Disabilities, Finian McGrath said: “Since my appointment as Minister for Disabilities, one of my key objectives has been to see more people with disabilities encouraged into the workplace and I believe this is a very important report within the context of the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with disabilities and I look forward to the implementation of the

recommendations in the report in accordance with the timelines set by the group.”

Professor Ruane commented: “The report’s recommendations are robustly evidence-based and I believe provide a strong basis for Government Departments to act. I’m convinced that these recommendations, if implemented and taken in the context of the comprehensive employment strategy, will make a real difference to helping people with disabilities to achieve their employment ambitions according to their capacity. However, progress will only be made if Government Departments, agencies and the disability sector continue to work together to achieve their common objectives.” Minister Varadkar also confirmed that his Department officials have been preparing for the report’s publication in order to better support people with disabilities. Some 166 Case Officers have been trained to provide a service to people with disabilities across the Department’s network of Intreo Centres. This training is being extended to other Case Officers and front line staff to provide a more comprehensive overview of employment supports for people with a disability.


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DUBLIN AHMADIYYA PEACE SYMPOSIUM 2017

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Top: Members engaging with guests Above: Imam Ibrahim Noonan with Fr. John Laizer Right: The exhibition On the Sunday 2nd April, the local members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Lucan were enabled to hold their 11th Annual Peace Symposium at the Lucan Spa Hotel. The theme of this year focused on ‘Global Conflicts and the need for Justice’. The peace Symposium has become a permanent feature of the Community’s activities for over a decade now, in the proliferation of the true Islamic teachings that emanate a sense of love, tolerance, dialogue and harmony.

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The event draws people ranging from all walks and sectors of life including councillors, religious leaders, journalists, principals, teachers and many others. This year 122 people were in attendance at the event. Most notable were the guest speakers that graced the event such as Mr. Guss O’Connell The Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Garda Darren Coventry, Mr. Gino Kenny TD, Mr. Yanky Fachler (The Jewish Historical Society of Ireland) and Imam Ibrahim Noonan (Imam of the Mary Mosque, Galway). There was also an exhibition set up in the adjoining

room to the main hall where the charitable work of the community was showcased. Alongside this many translations of the Holy Quran were also on display that the community had rendered. A separate section was also set up which commemorated the ongoing concerted efforts for the establishment of peace and justice that have been undertaken by the worldwide spiritual head of the association, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Khalifa of Islam. The event began with recitation from the Holy Quran that was followed by both Irish and English translations. The National President Dr. Anwar Malik presented the opening remarks which was followed by a power point presentation highlighting the worldwide concerted efforts of the community in the field of promoting its core values of ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’ to the corners of the world. The guest speakers took to the podium and spoke about the need for tolerance and respect being a means of building bridges and tearing down walls of hostility leading to a perpetual utopia

of peace and harmony. The Keynote address was delivered by the Waterford born Imam Ibrahim Noonan who eradicated the false notion that Islam was a religion that harboured extremist ideologies. He further spoke about how currently the world is engulfed in 26 wars and the main reason looming behind them was the injustices that had sprouted at their very inception. He also spoke about how the Holy Quran emphasised on righteousness which is a clear harbinger of this fact that a Muslim could not sustain following radical and warped ideologies. Thereafter a one minute silence was held in remembrance for all those lives that had been lost due to acts of barbarity. The formal function ended in tradition with a silent prayer. This was followed by dinner. All guests were given a gift bag before they left that contained two books ‘Pathway to Peace’ and ‘Life of Muhammed’. The address of the Khalifa of Islam, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad at the recently held Peace Symposium in the UK was also included.


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POLL REVEALS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR BAN ON MARKETING OF UNHEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS TO CHILDREN ONLINE

More than three in four members of the Irish public are in favour of an outright ban on digital marketing of unhealthy food and drinks to children, a new poll for Irish Heart has revealed.

The Ipsos MRBI study – carried out before the launch earlier this month of Irish Heart’s Stop Targeting Kids campaign – found that 76% of respondents support a ban on the marketing of unhealthy products to children on digital media. It also showed that 80% of respondents believe that advertising and promotion is a very big or fairly big contributor to childhood obesity, whilst 87% rated childhood obesity as a very big or a fairly big concern in Ireland. The Stop Targeting Kids campaign is being conducted amid growing concerns over how online marketing, that is being carried out behind parents’ backs, is fuelling Ireland’s childhood obesity problem. According to Irish Heart, it is very difficult for parents to have visibility

of how junk brands are targeting their children on social networking sites like Facebook, which holds the highest account ownership for a social networking site in Ireland at 64%. “This poll represents a clear message from the public that it wants action to halt the relentless targeting of children online by unhealthy food and drinks brands and that’s why we’re calling on Government to regulate digital marketing aimed at Irish children in this way,” said Irish Heart Head of Advocacy, Chris Macey. Mr Macey continued: “There is conclusive and longstanding proof of a causal link between junk food marketing to children and child obesity. That’s why junk food ads on TV were restricted four years ago. But there’s still no regulation of digital marketing that’s more personalised, targeted, effective and therefore potentially much more damaging to children’s health. “This is deeply worrying. We now have children as young

as eight presenting with high blood pressure - an early sign of heart disease once mainly seen in middle-age. “We know junk food marketing to children is rampant, we know it is fuelling obesity, we know this is damaging children’s health and we know the State is not doing enough to tackle the problem and is failing in its duty of care to protect children’s health.” Irish Heart’s Stop Targeting Kids campaign is seeking public support through a petition at www.irishheart. ie/stoptargetingkids which calls for action by the Government to regulate digital marketing aimed at Irish children and to close gaping loopholes in broadcast restrictions which mean that children still see over 1,000 junk food and drinks ads on television every year. Irish Heart Dietitian and Health Promotion Manager Janis Morrissey said: “Junk food brands have achieved a wholly inappropriate proximity to our children

online – pestering them relentlessly in school, at home and even in their bedrooms, mostly through their smart phones. It’s almost like each child has their own personal marketer following them around wherever they go. “They get onto children’s newsfeeds and interact like real friends. They’re anything but. All these marketers really want to do is encourage children to consume as much junk as possible. Worse still this is being done behind parents’ backs. The vast majority of parents do not know that these brands are individually targeting their children.” According to the World Health Organisation it is possible for individual States to compel digital platforms like Facebook to remove junk food marketing in the same way as they do with adverts for tobacco and alcohol products so they do not get onto children’s timelines. The WHO says successful efforts to protect individual privacy, enforce copyright

protection and remove hate speech online shows that distribution and accessibility can be regulated. It insists, however, that high monetary penalties are required and references EU data protection laws allowing penalties of up to 4% of a worldwide turnover for companies in breach of the

regulations. “The need for action on junk food marketing is clear,” added Ms Morrissey. “The longer it takes to provide protection for our children, the greater the number that will be condemned to lives dominated by ill-health, chronic disease and quite possibly an early grave.

LUCAN STUDENT BRINGS COLOUR TO ART COMPETITION

Texaco Children’s Art Competition adjudicator Aoife Ruane pictured during judging of entries in this year’s competition, the results of which will be announced mid-April. In her hand is an entry by 8-year old Lilymai Clancy, a pupil at Scoil Mhuire Girls National School, Lucan, entitled ‘Fairyhouse’. Prizes will be presented at a ceremony that takes place in Dublin in May.


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HOMEOWNERS SPENT BILLIONS ON THEIR HOMES IN 2016

Dublin homeowners have availed of €658 million in total through the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) since its launch in 2013. This incentive has facilitated homeowners in carrying out 35,448 home improvement projects throughout Dublin over the last three years with an average spend of €18,562 per project. The extension of the HRI to rental properties in late 2014 has also added further activity to this sector. The Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) provides homeowners with an Income Tax credit at 13.5% of qualifying expenditure on home improvement works carried out on a main home or rental property by qualifying Contractors. CIF Director General, Tom Parlon said, “The Home Renovation Incentive has been very successful on several fronts. It supported an incredible

€4 billion spend into the Irish economy in 2016. This money is recycled into the local community by the 9,000 plus domestic contractors involved in delivering renovation construction across Ireland. These businesses employ a good proportion of the 140,000 people engaged in construction in Ireland. The Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) costs about €85million to the Exchequer but supports over €10 billion spend in the economy since 2014. Homeowners might otherwise not have spent this money or it may have been spent in the grey market at a great loss to the Exchequer. It’s likely that the incentive kept many thousands of construction workers, tradespeople and companies afloat during the recession. The increase in home improvement over the last three years now

means that the overall Repair, Maintenance and Improvement (RMI) sector has grown to a quarter of the entire construction industry output and accounts for €1 of every €4 spent in the construction industry. The incentive also helps Ireland achieve its onerous climate change targets as many people use the incentive to make their homes more energy efficient. This of course has also helped support the growth in demand for energy efficient products. This demonstrates how effective incentives like can be in reaching climate change targets. The CIF believes that a similar model could be utilised to incentivise companies with large building stock to renovate and improve energy efficiency, possibly offsetting the cost through the taxation system over a number of years. This would

be a huge step towards achieving our climate change targets of a reduction of 30% reduction in green-house gasses. This would also help us avoid huge fines from the EU. We are also encouraging

the Government to put the Construction Industry Register of Ireland (CIRI) on a statutory footing. Only construction companies operating at the highest standards will be registered and this will help consumers

select quality operators for any renovation or new building. The CIRI register is the equivalent to those quality standard schemes in operation in the engineering and quantity surveyors sections of the industry.”

GROWING TIME FOR THE VINE

In 2009 in The Church of the Incarnation Fettercairn Tallaght a group of people under the request of the then parish priest Father Frank Herron and with the support of Bishop Eamonn Walsh, conceived and set up a unique and intimate monthly mass which would welcome all who wished to attend and would help people celebrate mass in a new and not so new way and in the process help them explore their faith and recharge their spirit and minds, this mass is called a Vine mass and takes place the first Saturday of every month at 7pm. Well eight years later the vine mass is stronger with more people hearing about us and coming along young and not so young alike. So at the end of 2016 and with the blessing of our area moderator who is also our spiritual director Fr Pat McKinley the vine group launched a series of new initiatives to reach out to the community. The group realised that not everyone goes to church not everyone believes not everyone [for a number of different reasons] cares and the last thing they want is someone preaching at them or trying to force them to go to church or pray,

So with this in mind we understood that our job is not just to pray and have mass and preach but to reach out to everyone in the community with practical information and news as well as religious and to try help where ever we can maybe

Members of the Vine

not directly but whatever way we can, but at the same time not forgetting those who do have faith attend church and after a lot of thought the following initiatives were decided.

One we would launch a news letter that would be circulated round the churches in Tallaght and out in to some areas The news letter is called The Vine Word and will give information on groups and clubs in the Tallaght area that would be of interest to people the newsletter would also give some church information and some area news of local interest, our editor is Eddie Byrne and any information can be sent to him at thevineword2016newsletter@gmail.com. Or vinemass@gmail.com The next event we launched is the movies with meanings series, these are movies or documentaries that are shown on a monthly basis the movies are chosen by the vine mass group and members of the Springfeild world youth day group so that we bring movies that will tap into your out look and understanding of the world past present and future not just religion, to help deal with and address social and world issues. The movies are run by Peter Keogh, Reiltin Geoghegan and Amy Costello and suggestions can be sent to vinemass@ gmail.com One of our more involving events is the sharing our gifts series which is where we help people who have a genuine

gift to show case it by arranging and promoting an exhibition of their work and in so letting them inspire others to maybe try something new be it painting, writing, music, flower arranging or any gift that can inspire others to try something new or even encourage others to reveal their own gifts. If anyone feels that they have a gift that they could share or showcase, they can contact us by emailing information to vinemass@gmail.com The last of our initiatives is more complex it’s called praising with music and song This actually has a number of purposes; on one level it is what it says a celebration of faith with music performances the hopes to engage with other choirs and musicians in as many of the churches in Tallaght and to explore how much more we can be doing in our ministries to praise and to help those in the community That is where another level of this initiative comes in. Our Chairperson and founding member Joe Geoghegan was responsible for bringing back the disbanded Now and Then production company by persuading past members to get back involved and bring the group back to life thankfully the group are going from strength to strength and even won an award at this years Tallaght person of the year awards. Because of that success Joe realised was that there is a potential there where shows and performances can be done to tell the stories and teachings of the church and at the same time raise money that can be used to help those who need help, also for church choirs and musicians to join together at masses to bring some extra joy, the musical aspect of this has so many levels that its possibilities are endless, with the idea of raising money and using it to help in the different communities of Tallaght in mind the vine group are securing charity status so that we can help make a difference outside the church as well as inside, so if you’re a singer musician actor etc and would like to get involved just email vinemass@gmail.com for the attention of Patricia Geoghegan and Reiltin Geoghegan. To finish the vine mass group chose this name because we know that things change and that we can’t stay the same we have to grow and reached new goals and we aim to make a difference for all those in our community. “For He is the vine and we are the branches.” For more information check out our facebook page


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COMFORT EATING, SECRET EATING & MORBIDLY OBESE TO LOSING 65 POUNDS AND GETTING MARRIED ON DON’T TELL THE BRIDE “Food has always been something I abused. I was a classic comfort eater. I’d eat in secret and pretend it never happened. I could easily polish off six packets of crisps in a row and still complain about being hungry. I had an addiction and food was my drug of choice. For this reason I always saw food as the enemy. It was something that was ruining my life. Something that had a complete hold on me. It was the very reason why I never wanted to leave the house. I was sixteen stone and miserably unhappy but I was putting on a wonderful show for the world to see. I was the joker. The class-clown if you will. I made jokes about my weight because I didn’t want people to think that I didn’t know how I looked. I wanted to get there first before they thought it.” said lifestyle blogger, Tracey Quinn. “When I walked in the doors of Slimming World in August 2015 I felt so incredibly vulnerable. I didn’t want to be there and my sister thought it would be a great idea. I was in denial and quite frankly I was sulking about the fact that I would no longer be able to medicate myself with food. The feelings I had been pushing down were starting to surface. The feelings I desperately tried

to suffocate with food. I believed that it would never work for me. I was supposed to be over-weight. I told myself that some people are just meant to be bigger. It’s in my DNA. Big bones.” “And then I entered the group that changed my life. My Slimming World consultant was so genuine and warm from the moment I met her. She quickly explained that I would have to forget the past and forgive myself. Guilt was only self sabotage. I looked around and saw people of all sizes. There were people who wanted to lose seven pounds and there were people who wanted to lose seven stone. It was one of the warmest friendliest places I had ever set foot in. It sounds cheesy but deep down I felt a spark within me. I just knew something amazing was about to happen.” Tracey continued “I couldn’t believe it when my consultant explained the principles behind Slimming World. She showed me photographs of big heart dinners like chicken curry, Sunday roast and Spagetti Bolognese. She explained to me that every single plate was 100% on plan. Members of the group spoke about the fabulous meals they had eaten that week in the same breath that they spoke about their huge weightless. I have always been something

who loves carbs and when my consultant explained that I could have CHIPS on Slimming World I nearly fell off the chair. I couldn’t believe that all these foods that I deemed as “bad” were actually allowed. Not only were they allowed but they resulted in impressive weight-loss. I was so inspired by the group that evening. I wrote down recipe ideas and gasped every time a weight-loss was announced. I also loved that the weight gains were no big deal too. People had holidays, nights out and slip ups and they had come to group to rectify it. There was absolutely NO humiliation and the level of support was unbelievable.” “It felt like I was on a night out. I was sitting in a room with women and men of all ages. Couples, mothers and daughters and lots of people happily on their own. The sense of friendship was plain to see. I felt part of something wonderful. There was such a feel good vibe and so many laughs shared. Everyone was there to lose weight AND enjoy really delicious food. It was unlike any diet I had ever come across. In fact I wouldn’t

Right: Tracey 18 months later and her life is completely different, after losing 65 pounds

Last August Tracey got married on Don’t Tell The Bride. The marriage took place in Tallaght Stadium and we have given our toddler the best start in life. It has been the most positive thing I could have ever done for our little family. The best part? It’s me time. Every week I look forward to going to my Slimming World group. There is always tea and coffee and great support and inspiration to be shared. When I’ve been a big naughty I need my group more than ever and when I’ve had a brilliant weightloss they need me more than ever. It is something I do for me. I go with my sister and it is one of the best part of the week. I now want to help other people achieve their dreams. I want to help people look and feel healthy. To stop feeling the

guilt that only makes things work. To love themselves, lose weight and eat the most incredibly delicious food imaginable. I want to share my love for Slimming World and help people live a happier healthier life. On Wednesday 3rd May at 7.30pm I will open the doors of my brand new Slimming World Group in Tallaght. It will be in St Josephs Special School in Tymon North/ Balrothery and I would love to see you there. It is a brand new group and will be full to the brim with inspiration, friendship and support. I am so excited to see you there. You can do this! You will do this and I am 100% committed to helping you get to your dream weight.”Tracey concluded.

SLIMMING WORLD & ICELAND: A WINNING WEIGHT LOSS COMBINATION

Slimming World have been at the forefront of helping the people of Tallaght fight obesity for a number of years now.

Above: Tracey before joining Slimming World

even call it a diet, it was a healthy eating lifestyle that just so happened to include all of my favourite meals. I quickly learned that everything can be made in a Slimming World friendly way.” “18 months later and my life is completely different. I have lost 65 pounds and I have never felt so happy and confident. Last August we got married on Don’t Tell The Bride. We were married in Tallaght Stadium and I had to put the entire process in my fiancé’s hands. Including the dress. On 30th of August 2016 I heard the words I had been waiting my whole life to hear... “It’s a bit big, we’ll need to bring it in”. I cried with happiness. I was wearing a size 12 dress. A million miles from the size 18-20 that I wore for so many years. We had the most amazing wedding day and I felt so confident in my appearance as the whole country watched our wedding on national television.” “I still can’t believe that I am a healthy weight. That my BMI says healthy and that my energy levels are so high. My whole family has benefited

“Over half the population of Ireland is overweight and with over 15 Slimming World groups to choose from in the Tallaght area alone, we’re helping the people of Tallaght fight this epidemic” said Sandra Maxwell. “I feel very passionate about helping people to not only lose weight but also to lift the burden of guilt, that often comes hand in hand with being overweight. As a Slimming World Consultant I see on a weekly basis the difference weight loss can make to not only a persons physical health but also their mental health. Having lost 5 stone myself as a member, I completely understand the fears that can surround starting out on any weight loss journey, but I’m here to reassure people that with Slimming World you can lose weight and still enjoy food, real food, not just salads” she said with a smile.

“Slimming World has always focused on home cooked, healthy, family friendly meals. In recent years our partnership with Iceland has come about due to our recognition that sometimes life gets very busy and time is tight. So we worked with Iceland on a range of Slimming World ready meals, soups, sauces, sausages and burgers, all of which are syn free on our Extra Easy plan. Making it easier for our members to still make a healthy choice, even when time is tight.” Said Sandra Sandra said “It’s fantastic that my members now have an Iceland store on their doorstep, helping to make their weightloss journey that little bit easier.”

Sandra runs Slimming World groups in St Mark’s GAA Club Springfield Tuesday’s 5.30 & 7.30pm Wednesday mornings 9.30am The Maldron Hotel Every Friday at 9.30 & 11.30am Contact Sandra 0851484669

Sandra Maxwell with staff member Jordan Fenlon (Pic: Paul Maxwell)


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BEEF UP YOUR BBQ SKILLS

Dubliners can now beef up their barbecue skills with a free demonstration by top BBQ chefs at The Orchard in Celbridge on Saturday, April 22. The Orchard Home-Garden-Cafe is hosting an afternoon of free BBQ tutorials by a top Weber Grill BBQ chef from 12 noon to 4pm. “Chef Lee will be on site cooking up a storm and revealing the secrets of better barbecuing from the basics upwards,” said Orchard general manager Ray McLoughlin. “Along with giving our customers tasty grilled treats, chef Lee is on hand to help them with top BBQ tips, recipes and advice on BBQ equipment.” Ireland’s first Weber World is exclusive to The Orchard and offers barbecue fans a huge selection of products, personalised advice from in-store specialists, regular cookery demonstrations, grill skills tutorials and barbecue health checks. The Weber Grill Squad will be at The Orchard on Saturday, April 22 and on Saturdays May 6, May 19 and June 3 with live BBQ demonstrations. For those keen to do some hands-on barbecuing The Orchard is hosting a BBQ Cookalong event on Friday, June 30 with Weber chefs. Cookalong tickets are limited and those interested in taking part are asked to email info@theorchard.ie This month also sees the opening of a stunning new 3,000 sqft (300sq mt) Flamant interiors store at The Orchard in partnership with the acclaimed Belgian interiors brand. The Orchard, Home-Garden-Café is located in Celbridge, just 10 minutes from Liffey Valley, exit 5, N4. To find out more see www.theorchard.ie

NEW CASSIDY TRAVEL BROCHURE HIGHLIGHTS ALLURE OF NEW ENGLAND With the introduction of Aer Lingus direct flights to Hartford from Dublin, Connecticut and New England are likely to tempt many Irish holidaymakers this year, and a new brochure from Cassidy Travel highlights the many attractions which this beautiful pocket of the US has to offer. The dedicated brochure emphasises the old-world charm of New England, the backdrop to so many iconic American movies. From warm autumnal foliage to sleigh rides through the snow and cherry blossoms in the Spring, this is a destination with something different to offer depending on the season. Connecticut itself boasts a rich history and culture, with terrific seafood at every turn. Cassidy Travel can help piece together an endless selection of itineraries, with Hartford Airport within 1 hour of New Haven and Mystic, 1.5 hours of Rhode Island, and just 2 hours of the Big Apple. 3-night breaks including flights, accommodation and taxes are available from €588 pps in March and from €849 in June.

Connecticut and New England are likely to tempt many Irish holidaymakers this year 7 nights from 10 October is on offer from €925 pps including accommodation in the 4-star Omni New Haven Hotel in Yale and flights from Dublin. The 300-year old Yale University is among the attractions and the Connecticut Wine Trail is nearby. Also available is 5 nights in the 3-star Hyatt Place Mystic from €725pps departing Dublin on 4 September. Mystic is home to the famous maritime museum and aquarium. 4 nights in May at the 3-star Stamford Marriott Hotel with flights are from €719pps, while an early break to lovely Madison

– perfect for a romantic getaway - is on offer from €1099pps, departing 22 March with accommodation for 7 nights in the 3-star Madison Beach Hotel. “We’re delighted to be able to create a new holiday experience this year for the many thousands who love this part of the world,” explains John Spollen of Cassidy Travel. “As a destination, Hartford is ideally located for embarking on a variety of East Coast adventures.” Cassidy Travel’s Connecticut brochure may be picked up in any of its 9 Travelshops in Dublin. Packages may be booked in store or by phone

on 01 890 1000 or 01 462 9100.. Established in 1985, Irishowned Cassidy Travel is the country’s largest travel agent, with Travelshops in Liffey Street, the Ilac Centre, Liffey Valley, Dundrum, Talbot Street, Blanchardstown, Tallaght, Donaghmede and Swords and an online at cassidytravel. ie. Across its sun holiday, city break, cruise, sports and Classic Resorts longhaul divisions, it will cater for close on 100,000 Irish holidaymakers this year. See cassidytravel.ie All prices subject to change.

NOVENAS NOVENAS NOVENAS NOVENAS NOVENAS

Deirdre Smith Slimming World Ballyboden St. Enda’s GAA Club Firhouse Road, Ballyboden, Dublin 16 Times: Monday Evenings: 5.30pm & 7:30pm. Mobile: 086 8466807

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS NEWSPAPER

TELEPHONE 01 451 9000

email: info@newsgroup.ie

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. H.B.

any blocked arteries or veins and rebuild any damaged areas. Remove all inflammation and cleanse any infection. Let the warmth of your healing pass through my body to make new any unhealthy areas so that my body will function the way you created it to function. And Father, restore me to full health in mind and body so that I may serve you the rest of my life. I ask this through Christ Our Lord Amen. I.B

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.L.

NOVENA PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART O Divine Jesus, who said, “Ask and you shall recieve”,I kneel at your feet. From whom shall I ask if not from you, whose heart is the source of all blessings. With a lively faith in you, I come to ask… Share your petitions silently with the Sacred Heart. I admit I am most unworthy of your favours, Jesus, but this is not a reason for me to be discouraged. You are the God of mercies and you will not refuse a contrite heart. Look with pity on me, I beg you, and your compassionate Heart will find in my weakness a motive for granting my request. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me. Amen. E.F.

NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. You who solve all problems, who lights all roads so that I can obtain my goal. You who give me the divine gift to forgive and to forget all evil against me and that in all instances of my life, you are with me. I want in this short prayer to thank you for all things and to confirm that I never want to be separated from you even and in spite of all material illusion. I wish to be with you in eternal glory. Thank you for your mercy toward me and mine. (mention favors) This prayer must be said for 3 consecutive days and published immediately After 3 days the favor requested will be granted even though it may appear difficult. This prayer must be publised immediately and after 3 days the favour will be granted. I.S. PRAYER FOR HEALING Heavenly Father, I call on you right now in a very special way. It is through your power that I was created. Every breath I take, every morning that I wake, and every moment of every hour, I live under your power. Father, I ask you now to touch me with that same power. For if you created me from nothing you can certainly recreate me. Fill me with the healing power of your spirit. Cast out anything that should not be in me. Mend what is broken. Root out any damaged cells. Open

As our regular readers will know we have asked for your generosity in supporting very worthy charities over the last few years. 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. 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.com 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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FACE THE MUSIC IN BALLYFERMOT COLLEGE

Ballyfermot College has long been recognised as a leader in the delivery of media and music courses in Ireland and is considered a leader in the industry. It has been running music courses since the Rock School was set up in 1990.

environment in which students can develop skills of self-expression, musical composition, presentation and performance. Live performances in the college and at city centre venues are an exciting and integral part of the course.

The Rock School course is a two-year HND course aimed at students who aspire to become professional musicians and who want to learn about the Music Industry. This course creates a working

Equally popular is the two-year HND in Music Production. This programme involves technical operations of sound equipment and music technology. Students work with performers and musicians in the recording

studios to produce master tracks and other media. Other work involves live sound, desktop audio production and developing multi-media content. Robert Kelly graduated from the HND in Music Production in 2010. “I have since progressed to achieve a BSc at Queen’s University Belfast and to an MSc at the University of Salford at their MediaCityUK complex”. There is a two-year HND in Irish Traditional Music Performance aimed at

musicians/singers who wish to pursue a career in traditional music. The course is practical in nature with an emphasis on performance. Students perform on a regular basis in various venues throughout Dublin and beyond. Course coordinator Paul McGrattan says “Our students really value the many performing opportunities the course provides including our Ceoltóir Folk Club”. The college has been running a HND in Music Management

since 1998. Damien Rice’s manager Bernadette Barrett is a graduate of the music management course. “I loved every day of it, and the placement that I found at the end of the course kick started my life into music” Now days many artists are producing and marketing their own music into a very competitive marketplace, there is a demand for music management skills to compete effectively in a global marketplace. Some students undertake a one-year course in Music Management and Production. The course offers three strands in the

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areas of music management, music engineering and music performance each offering a different certification. The course is designed to enable students to develop the skills necessary for work in a dynamic and ever changing music industry. Many of the graduates continue to study in Ballyfermot College and take one of the two-year courses outlined above. Applications can be made on the college website www.bcfe.ie where full details of all the courses can be found.

BCFE has been running music courses since the Rock School was set up in 1990.


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The Legal Column

Romaine Scally, Solicitor Q. I was recently returning from a holiday in Spain on a well-known airline. The trolley for food and drinks had just passed my row and I got up from my seat to use the bathroom. However, one of the air hostesses, who was delivering a hot cup of tea to a lady seated behind me, bumped into me. It appears that the lid was not secured properly on this cup and the tea scalded my arm and chest. I rushed to the bathroom and put cold water on the affected area. The hostess was very apologetic and gave myself and my husband complementary food and drinks for the duration of the flight. She seemed very upset and so I reassured her that I was okay. Now however, two weeks later, it appears that the wounds have gotten infected and I am currently attending with my doctor who has said that there is a possibility that my skin will not return to normal. This is very upsetting and I am wondering if I would be able to take a claim against this airline.

A. This was an unfortunate accident particularly so when you are having ongoing problems resulting from the burn. It is not unfortunately entirely straight forward in advising you as to whether or not you have a claim. You would need to have a detailed consultation with a Solicitor to assess whether or not there is in fact any liability against the airline arising out of the actions of the member of the cabin crew. You say that the member of the cabin crew bumped into you but, as you were walking down the aisle towards the toilets she may well say that you bumped into her. The area was obviously very small in which to move and certain sympathy will obviously be afforded to the cabin crew whose job is a difficult one. In the circumstances therefore, we can only suggest that you arrange for a consultation with a Solicitor to discuss your options in more detail. Q. I bought a second hand car from a garage in February of last year which came with one year’s warranty. However, within 4 months it became apparent that there was something wrong with the vehicle. I have brought it back to the garage and they have carried out repairs on it after which the car functions well for a few weeks. Inevitably, the issues start again and I must go through the whole process again. In January of this year, the issues with the car arose again and, at this stage, I had had enough. I returned the car to the garage on 23rd January and asked for a full refund. When they finally got back to me on 6th February, I was informed that repairs had been carried out and that I was to collect my car. When I informed them that I had

Romaine Scally is the principal in the firm of ROMAINE SCALLY AND COMPANY SOLICITORS, Main Street , Tallaght, Dublin 24.

TEL 01 4599 506

FAX 01 4599 510

returned my car they simply said I could not do this and furthermore that my warranty was now expired and that any further repairs would be charged for. What can I do in these circumstances? A. This is very unfortunate for you and indeed could be costly. You do not give any indication as to the year of the second hand car. When you buy a car from a garage, you are afforded better protection than when you buy from an individual. Nonetheless, you can only return a second hand car and look for a full refund in the event that a report from a motor assessor indicates that the vehicle is a danger to the driver of the vehicle and other road users. In those circumstances, the contract is deemed to be void and you are entitled to a full refund of monies paid. The situation is less clear when it involves an older car which simply has faults. The warranty covers you for repairs for that year but does not automatically entitle you to a refund of your money. Before you go any further, you would need to take the car back and have it assessed by a motor engineer whose job it would be to assess the road worthiness of the vehicle and as to whether or not it poses a danger to its user and other road users. On receipt of that report, you will be in a better position to decide on what to do next and the garage will have to take note of such report. We hope that this has been helpful. Q. I was attending a concert recently. I always leave a few minutes before the end of a concert to avoid getting delayed by the huge crowds. As I was walking down the stairs, I slipped and fell down the remaining stairs landing on my backside. I was in a

email: legal@scally.ie

lot of pain but extremely embarrassed and simply left. My partner drove me home. It transpires that I have badly bruised my coccyx and I have now missed a whole weeks’ work. Would I have a claim against the concert venue? A. This certainly was an unfortunate ending to what presumably was an enjoyable evening out at a concert. It is also a very painful injury to fracture or bruise the coccyx bone and as there is little treatment for this, you simply have to let it heal with the passage of time. We certainly wish you the best of luck with your recovery. To answer your question about a possible claim, this would have to be determined with the benefit of engineering evidence. It should be pointed out that the fact of the fall itself is not sufficient to mount a claim for personal injuries. It has be established to the satisfaction of the insurers for the venue first, and Court secondly if it goes that far, that there was negligence on the part of the owners/operator of the venue. Lots of questions would have to be asked to establish this. Was the lighting adequate on the steps? Were the steps compliant with health and safety. Some of these questions can only be answered with the benefit of engineering advice. It would also have to be established what shoes you were wearing on the right and whether or not alcohol was a factor on the night. In short, with the information you have provided, it is not possible to give a comprehensive answer but we would strongly recommend that you attend with a Solicitor for the purposes of giving detailed instructions and receiving legal advice. We wish you the best of luck.

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

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Entertainment Guide

With

by Lynda O’Donoghue Donnelly email: lynda@newsgroup.ie

Covering ● Tallaght ● Clondalkin ● Lucan ● Rathcoole ● Saggart ● Newcastle TOP FIVE FILMS – THE FUTURE For many years people have been fascinated by the future and time-travel; this obsession spawning countless TV shows and movies. Although popular culture cannot predict the future, Hollywood heavy hitters have tried many times to do just that with futuristic film offerings. In our Top Five Films – The Future we look at some of the best movies tackling the subject of time-travel and what might happen 100 years from now… 1. Passengers – Set aboard a spaceship transporting humans to a new planet, the concept of this movie certainly is intriguing. Those aboard the ship are scheduled to sleep for 120-years but when a pod malfunctions some of the inhabitants are woken up 90 years too soon. Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence are good in the lead roles and the cameo by Michael Sheen is great. This movie will make you wonder about the

future of travel. 2. Wall-E – This children’s film is one for the whole family to enjoy. After mankind abandon earth WALL-E, a garbage collecting robot is tasked with cleaning up the mess. When another robot is sent to earth to see if life can survive WALL-E falls in love, protecting his new friend from the harshest of elements. Have the tissues at the ready for this heartfelt animated movie. 3. Demolition Man – A superb cast including Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock and Sylvester Stallone combine to make Demolition Man one of the best future movies of a generation. A cryogenically frozen crime lord is thawed out for his parole hearing – woken far into the future when the city has become a crime-free utopia. He is intent on bringing back the bad, with a former cop the only one equipped to handle real crime. A fantastic caper. 4. The Terminator – The

role made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger will never get old. An indestructible cyborg sent from the future to kill a young woman whose unborn son is set to become the saviour of humanity. With the help of a soldier sent from the future to protect her she must survive long enough to raise her son and save the world from the killing machines.

If you like to look forward to what is coming then these movies will certainly keep you – and the whole family – entertained over the midterm break.

MATILDA AT BORD GÁIS ENERGY THEATRE received rave reviews, winning dozens of awards across the globe. Adapted from the famous Roald Dahl book, Matilda the Musical, focuses on a little girl with telekinetic powers who is trying, with the help of a kindly teacher, to come to terms with her gift. Matilda is a gifted child, who loves books and reading, but her awful parents constantly

moved up to the advanced class and her powers disappear; but her ability to be kind and understanding still remains. This is the quality that will help to save her family from a horrid fate and secures her a new home in the process. The musical features a

talented cast of singers and actors, with youngsters taking centre stage in a tale that children will love. Tickets for the limited run, from April 4th to April 28th 2018, at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre will go on sale on April 26th from Ticketmaster and usual outlets.

REVIEW: ED SHEERAN AT THE 3ARENA

5. Back to the Future – Anyone who saw this movie undoubtedly begged their parents for a hoverboard! The franchise follows the story of Marty McFly who befriends a wacky scientist intent on making time-travel a real possibility. Marty must negotiate the past – and the future – without changing history or erasing himself from the planet. A brilliant family film that everyone will enjoy.

A scene from Passengers

Children’s favourite Matilda will come to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in April 2018. It was announced this week that the hugely popular book and movie will come to Dublin for a three-week run as part of the UK and Ireland tour. The stage, Matilda the Musical, will be performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company and has already

begins to get more of a handle on her powers. With some nifty tricks of the mind Matilda finally gets the better of the cruel headmaster and defends her classmates – leading to happy-ever-after for all. When Miss Honey is named headmaster, Matilda is

put her down and insult her – behaviour which is met graciously by the young girl. Her teacher, Miss Honey, spots that Matilda is special and tries to nurture her abilities but is met with resistance from the nasty headmaster, Miss Trunchbull, and Matilda’s own parents. As Matilda begins to rally against the injustices doled out by Miss Trunchbull she

Photo credit Lynda O’Donoghue Donnelly With a reputation as one of the nicest guys in showbiz Ed Sheeran revealed that he is also one of the most talented guys in the industry when he stepped out on stage in Dublin this week. Sheeran played to two fully sold out crowds at the 3Arena on Wednesday and Thursday, with a show that was awe-inspiring in so many ways. Traditional singersongwriters do not come with much of a production when gigging but what the show lacked in costume changes it certainly made up for in musical prowess as Sheeran rocked his way through the set in a black t-shirt and blue jeans in front of several large screens. The undisputed king of lyrics gave the crowd tender, he gave high-octane and he gave raw, honest and open performances throughout his 90-minute set. The standout songs were Sing and Castle On The Hill for their high energy and crowd participation but

the crowd saved a special reception for Galway Girl and Nancy Mulligan. Sheeran brought trad group Beoga on stage to join him for the two songs and there was an unbelievable response from the audience as he began with a few bars of the original version of Galway Girl. The best moment of the night, however, was a tender performance of Sheeran’s beautiful love song, Perfect, during which a couple standing close to the stage got engaged. A delighted Sheehan thanked them for the “really special moment” after he finished the song, telling them that no matter how well the song does that memory will last forever. There was very little to complain about throughout the show with faultless playing, singing and a decent amount of audience engagement from start to finish – Sheeran certainly has a knack for making you feel like everyone is just

around at his house for a jam session. Despite this a couple of his big hits were left out with many in the crowd wondering if he would return for a second encore to play Photograph or Lego House – both of which were absent on the night. His comfortable ease on stage is certainly to be admired and he really does seem to take the sold-out arena tour, number one album and several singles in the charts all in his stride. The highlights of his show at the 3Arena on Thursday included an emotional rendition of Thinking Out Loud which had 90% of the crowd swooning and the high energy show ending which featured Shape Of You and You Need Me. He left the stage with a vow to come back to Dublin, which he described as “always the best crowd to play to”, next year; and if he does return in 2018 there is no doubt he could sell out the 3Arena five times over.


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