Rathcoole & Saggart News

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€500,000 flood relief workS

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2nD APRIL 2012 P.O. BOx 3430, TALLAGHT, DuBLIn 24 TeL: 451 3822 email: info@newsgroup.ie web: www.newsgroup.ie

Hayes announces €500,000 flood relief works for Dublin South West

Local Fine Gael TD and Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Brian Hayes, has announced €500,000 for flood relief works in Dublin South West.

Minister Hayes stated “Flooding problems arising from the River Poddle has been a persistent problem in the Templeogue and Limekiln area for many years. We all saw the consequences of the floods last October and the impact it had, particularly in the

Willington, Osprey and Limekiln areas. The main cause of the flooding in these areas late last year was the lack of capacity within Tymon Park to hold large amounts of floodwater.”

Minister Hayes continued “Following last Octobers’ floods myself and my colleague Cllr Colm Brophy met with South Dublin County Council to identify what measures could be put in place to address this

issue and prevent future flooding. My department recently received a proposal from South Dublin County Council that includes the redesign and installation of new trash screens, works to two restrictive pedestrian bridges and maintenance, dredging and widening of the river. The cost of this work will be €250,000. I have today approved this funding and have communicated this to South Dublin County Council.

Minister Hayes further stated, “In addition to the above funding being provided to South Dublin County Council, the second part of the scheme, namely works to increase the attenuation capacity in Tymon Park will be advanced directly by the direct labour force within the OPW. Therefore the total cost of works along the River Poddle will be €500,000. These works will not only benefit Dublin South West but also further downstream such as Harold’s Cross which experienced serious flooding resulting in the lost of one life last October.

Minister Hayes concluded, “These works will finally address the major problem of flooding in these areas and will also give greater protection to householders. I hope that these works will be completed by the end of this coming Summer.

I am also aware of other parts of South Dublin that suffered serious flooding last October and that the Council are currently preparing proposals to address these matters.”

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indePendent Planning regulator required to guard againSt endemic corruPtion

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An Taisce has welcomed the publication of the Mahon Tribunal Report which has exposed the endemic corruption at the heart of the Irish Planning System.

The catalyst for the setting up of the Tribunal was the placement in 1995 by Michael Smith, former Chairman of An Taisce, of an anonymous

advertisement in the Irish Times through a firm of newry Solicitors offering a reward of for IR£10,000 information on land rezoning corruption that would lead to a conviction. This action exposed a chain of corruption which reached into the highest level of Government.

An Taisce once more

calls for the setting up of an Independent Planning Regulator.

This is supported by the Tribunal's recommendations of a number of important changes to the Irish planning system including the establishment of an independent Planning Regulator who is free from political influence

greyhound rePorted for illegal dumPing

Cllr Trevor Gilligan, FF, Dublin Mid-West has reported to the litter warden in SDCC, that hundreds of Greyhound leaflets were illegally dumped on the Fonthill Road. The leaflets were to hang on doors and asked people to ‘contact Greyhound to ensure continued service’. “I was on my way to a meeting in the area when I saw 100’s of leaflets thrown around. Its unacceptable - the company that has received the tender for Dublin City and South Dublin Council waste collection, has now dumped 100’s of leaflets in the area.”

“If the Council does not take action then I firmly believe from what I can see, that there is one rule for us [the residents] and another for them [Greyhound]. These leaflets can only have come from Greyhound... The Council must enforce the full rigors of the law against Greyhound”

and has the power to undertake independent inquiries into the planning functions of local authorities.

In light of the Tribunal’s findings the decision by the current Minister of the environment, Phil Hogan T.D, not to proceed with the independent planning

inquiry initiated by the previous Government into the considerable evidence of malpractice within local authorities is a retrograde step.

It is now clear that there was a catastrophic and systemic failure of the planning system and proper planning was entirely abandoned.

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One of the first actions of the Independent Regulator should be to initiate a time-limited investigation with strict terms of reference to examine the endemic clientelism, cronyism and corruption that pervaded the entire Irish planning system throughout the 'Celtic Tiger' era.

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tacky Street trading in clondalkin 'muSt end'

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Labour Councillor Breeda Bonner has called for action from council officials on the unsightly and tacky, unacceptable street trading taking place on Main Street Clondalkin, an issue on she has been which contacted by residents more than any other.

"I am sick and tired of the views of the people of Clondalkin on this issue being ignored by council officials and representatives being given the run around.

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It is a cause of great annoyance to residents of Clondalkin that there are shops on the Main Street placing products on the pavement"

"The practice of suspending items for sale from the shutters or from the shop-fronts looks like something that would be seen at a car boot sale or at a sale of work. Another practice is for shopkeepers to be seated on the pavement supervising and

selling the products that are for sale. This is totally unacceptable behaviour in our scenic and historic village."

"The recent increase in the number of neon signs is something that I am also concerned about. These signs are against regulations, but the council just doesn't seem to be interested in tackling these issues."

officials started listening to what the people of Clondalkin are telling them

and took action to end this practice."

"I will be raising this at the

Clondalkin area committee again this week and asking for action on this issue."

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Paintings by two Tallaght students Mohamed el Sayed from Glenshane Park and Alannah O’Reilly from Kiltippear Road - are amongst the over 26,000 entries received from budding young artists from each of the 32 counties who took part in this year’s 58th Texaco Children’s Art Competition.

Pictured admiring the works is competition coordinator Annemarie Barnes – on the left a colourful landscape entitled ‘Planet Relaxation’ by 12-year old Mohamed and, on the right, a portrait study set against a

busy street scene entitled ‘Cape Town’ by 14-year old Alannah.

This year, some 6,579 students from Dublin city and county were amongst those who entered. This level of entry has helped Dublin retain its place as the highest represented county in the competition ahead of Cork and Wexford.

Judging of entries is currently taking place and winners will be announced in early-April, followed by the prize-giving ceremony which takes place in May.

5

community Still Paying Price for ff corruPtion in weSt dublin Your FREE Local Newspaper

guidelineS to reSPond to concernS over SexualiSation and body-image

Local T.D. and Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, has welcomed the decision by the industry group Retail Ireland, to prepare guidelines on the responsible retailing of childrenswear.

“At my initiation, the industry group Retail Ireland, have announced that they will prepare guidelines on the responsible retailing of childrenswear. This is an issue that is of concern to many parents throughout Lucan and I have been working on this for some time,” said Minister Fitzgerald.

Last month Minister Fitzgerald wrote to Irish fashion retailers inviting the sector to prepare guidelines to address growing concerns over the sexualisation of childhood and body-image, in particular among young girls.

Minister Fitzgerald states: “I warmly welcome the decision of Retail Ireland, following consultation with their members, to proceed with the preparation of guidelines, similar to those introduced in the uK last year by the British Retail Consortium.

“Safeguarding our children and protecting childhood is a task which falls to all of society.

We all have a responsibility and I welcome Retail Ireland’s initiative in this important area,” continued Fitzgerald.

The Minister added that “guidelines should not just be about restricting what you can sell, but instead should provide a more constructive guidance on best practice on a range of issues such as styling, age-appropriateness, size, labelling and marketing."

In a statement to Newsgroup, Robert Dowds Labour Party TD, Dublin Mid West said that "As a representative for the people of Clondalkin, Lucan, Palmerstown and Quarryvale, it is my firm belief that our community is still paying the price for the widespread corruption in the planning process outlined in the findings of the Mahon Tribunal.

"It is people in our community that are still living with the consequences of the planning corrupt decisions of the late 1980s and early 1990s. examples of this are the lack of a nearby town centre for thousands in Lucan and Clondalkin, the fact that the Clondalkin railway station is located where few people actually live, and the fact that Clondalkin, Lucan and Palmerstown villages all live under the commercial threat of a

major supermarket at Liffey Valley.

"The consequences of this corruption continue to be felt in 2012, as the people of the area have been deprived of a decent town centre and the area that was originally intended to be a town centre remains undeveloped to this day.

have fought against this malicious and destructive culture, and the Labour Party has a very proud record of neither engaging in nor tolerating this kind

of behaviour.

"Fianna Fáil should hang their heads in shame for what they have inflicted upon the people of our community.

"I am hopeful that the report will be sent on to the DPP for his consideration in the context of criminal proceedings." Dowds concluded.

"As a result, most of the residential areas are far from what away purports to be the town centre at Liffey Valley.

This is far from the ideal when trying to build a strong sense of community.

"The findings of the tribunal have borne out what was common knowledge among many people in our community, that various Fianna Fáil politicians were receiving corrupt payments in exchange for votes on planning issues."

"As a Labour member, I

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aS retail trade StruggleS - Stronger meaSureS to combat black market oPeratorS demanded Your FREE Local Newspaper

ISMe, the Irish Small & enterprises Medium Association, has

demanded stronger government action to stamp out the black

economy and the rogue involved. traders Reacting to the latest

Retail Sales figures issued by the CSO, the Association pointed to the continuing decline in legitimate sales contrasted to the surge in black market activity across a range of products from cigarettes to diesel.

The Retail Sales figures show a 0.3% drop in sales in February, continuing the downward trend now stretching back over four years, with no sign of abating.

Commenting, ISMe Chief executive, Mark Fielding stated, “the effect of illicit trade has a much broader impact on the smaller retail outlets, with less footfall, loss of sales and margin threatening their very existence and the jobs involved. The Government’s Action Plan for Jobs will be a total waste, if immediate action is not taken to stop the increase in illegitimate trade. We have already lost 50,000 jobs in the

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retail sector and a further 40,000 are currently in jeopardy as a result of the twin threats of reduced consumer spending and economy shadow activities”.

The Association called for the; · introduction of an awareness campaign to communicate the issues and highlight the negative effect of black market activity on legitimate business, the economy, jobs and society. · Increase in judicial penalties on conviction of illegal trading.

“Small and medium, owner managed, retailers and wholesalers must be protected, promoted and prioritised in the fight to save their 260,000 jobs. The immediate introducing of the long awaited Retail Strategy Group would show some real action”, concluded Fielding.

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Solidarity- greek Style for council workerS Sinn Féin Councillor Máire Devine was successful in passing an emergency at the motion Tallaght Local Area Committee Meeting today. The motion put forward by ther councillor stated; ‘That this committee fully supports Local Authority Staff that refuse to knock door to door personally, to remind people that they owe the Household Tax and we call on the trade union movement to fully endorse this sentiment.’

The motion was passed without the support of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil councillors.

Ms Devine said that it was time that we stood up against the austerity measures and unfair taxes that are being imposed on the people of Ireland. It was time

to take a leaf out of the Greek’s book. In 2011 the Greek government were forced to impose a property tax as part of their bailout agreement.

This Household charge was added to the electricity bills of families in a bid to rule out boycot of the payment. This increase on the bill of hardpressed families resulted in thousands of homes having their electricity cut off.

In disgust at this injustice Greek electricians staged a sit in at the electricity supply company’s office.

“Those workers were supported 100% by their unions, we need that same show of solidarity from the trade union movement in Ireland for Local Authority workers.”

Said Councillor Devine.

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thurSday Polling iS a farcical Situation

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The union of Students in Ireland (uSI) has reacted with dismay to Government’s the announcement that polling in the european Fiscal Treaty referendum will take place on a Thursday.

Tánaiste eamon Gilmore announced to the Dáil that polling in the referendum will take place on Thursday May 31st, a decision that will prevent thousands of students from being able to cast their vote and have their say on this issue of national importance.

By holding the on a referendum Thursday the government is ensuring that many citizens, who work or attend college outside of their constituency, will be unable to vote.

In order to register for a postal vote, students must have their forms registration signed by their college and returned to their local authority within 48 hours of the polling day order being signed by the Minister for the environment. uSI is calling on the Government to begin holding all elections on a Saturday, as is common across europe.

uSI President, Gary Redmond, said that “While in opposition both Fine Gael and Labour insisted that all elections must to be held on a weekend.

However, now that they are in Government, they have changed their tune.

This is a pre-election promise that is simple, easy and doesn’t cost

any money to implement. For the second time in less than a year this Government has told the young people of Ireland that they are unimportant and not relevant by scheduling polling for midweek.

The fact that the referendum is to be held on a Thursday will exclude thousands of people from being able to vote. This includes thousands of students across Ireland.

It is physically impossible for students to get home from college in good time to vote on a weekday.

Given the fact that most students will be undertaking exams in May, the Government has created a farcical situation where the almost 250,000 students nationwide

will be unable to vote.

There is only a 48 hour window after polling is called for students to register for a postal vote – this is too short and requires an immediate change in legislation.

To accommodate polling schools and other public buildings will have to close, which will caused major disruption to the general public. All elections and referenda should be held on a Saturday as is common across the rest of the continent. elections and referenda need to be accessible for the students of Ireland, who are the future taxpayers of the country and will be ultimately responsible for the recovery of the economy.”

Sdcc to receive more than €11 million for Social houSing

Local Fine Gael TD and Minister of State, Brian Hayes has welcomed the announcement by the Housing Minister, Jan O’Sullivan TD that more than €11 million is to be provided to South Dublin County Council

for the provision and improvement of social housing units.

Minister Hayes stated “There has been an increase in the number of people applying for social housing across

South Dublin in recent years. Due to our current economic situation, the Government has been forced to come up with new ways of ensuring social housing continues to be provided and

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maintained.”

Minister Hayes continued; “Just over €5 million will be spent on improving the existing housing stock – such as increasing energy efficiency. A further €6 million will be spent on increasing the housing supply. This will be done in a number of ways. There will be a focus on vacant units, so they can become part of the housing stock. The Capital Advance Leasing Facility will also help to boost the number of social housing units by providing an up front equality stake of 30% of the property value to approved voluntary housing bodied who raise private finance to acquire or build new units, using leasing payments to repay loans in respect of their equity share.”

Minister Hayes concluded; “It is important that the Government continues to prioritise social housing provision at this time of economic difficulty.

The allocation of €11 million for South Dublin County Council is a very significant investment.”

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increaSed Security urgently needed on red luaS line

Fine Gael TD, Catherine Byrne, has called for increased security on the Luas red line to deal

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with high levels of anti-social behaviour on the route. Deputy Byrne has written to the

Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) to voice her concerns.

“The Luas is a

SPorting greatS Join forceS to helP Sick children

Two of Ireland’s sporting greats, Stephen Roche and eamonn Coghlan, have joined forces to help raise funds for Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

To mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of his 1987 Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and World Championship wins, Stephen Roche is hosting a week-long cycling challenge at his camp in Mallorca while eamonn Coghlan is inviting runners to join him in the new York City Marathon to mark the twentieth anniversary of his first participation in the event.

The cycling challenge takes places in October followed by the nYC Marathon in november as part of Crumlin’s ‘Kilometres for Kids’ fundraising campaign to raise the euR8million required to fix the cardiac and cancer units.

Stephen and eamonn are pictured with children Sophie McMahon (left) (aged 6) and her sister Ruth (9).

Further information, registration, fundraising ideas and sponsorship cards for both events can be accessed online at kilometresforkids.ie or by lo-call 1890 507508.

wonderful facility, but the benefits it provides are being severely undermined by high levels of anti-social behaviour on the route.

Constituents of mine have expressed grave about concern behaviour ranging from smoking and spitting to intimidation and harassment. I and my family have also personally experienced threatening anti-social behaviour.

“Security on the route is clearly inadequate. I

wrote to the RPA to raise my concerns about this issue, and I have received a response from Veoila, the operators of the Luas.

While the company acknowledges that anti-social behaviour is taking place, I believe their response does not go far enough.

“Veolia says that it employs a specialist transport security firm (STT), which patrols the line from 10am to the last tram, every day.

The company goes on to

say that the best way to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour is to increase Garda visibility on the tram and at stops. Monthly meetings are held between the company and the Gardaí to discuss security problems on the tram lines.

“This isn’t enough. I don’t believe Veolia should be passing the buck to the Gardaí on issue.

Luas this customers are suffering here; people are feeling

threatened and in some cases are avoiding taking the tram as a result. As the private operators of a public service, the company has a responsibility to provide adequate security, day and night.

“We cannot allow a situation to persist where members of the public are being intimidated, and such a great source of public transport is being undermined. I intend to continue to push Veolia on this issue.”

Chris Bond- Labour Councillor for Tallaght South has urged against granting permission for a late night Off Licence or Takeaway on the campus of a proposed discount store in Beechdale, Ballycullen.

Planning has been sought for the construction of a discount supermarket of German Origin at a site that has been left empty for the past 8

years. In addition to the discount store, planning for four unspecified future retail units has been sought by the applicant. ''I welcome the proposal for a new discount store, as it finally puts to use the empty site on the corner of The Beechdale and Ballycullen road. Since 2006, Beechdale residents have been promised that a small

retail centre would be delivered for the community. The new outlet will also provide people living in the Firhouse and Ballycullen area with more shopping options.''

alone Off Licence should be granted alongside this new store. This site is located adjacent to a residential area and such outlets would encourage anti social behaviour in particular at night time.

Furthermore there are already a sufficient number of Takeaways and Off Licences in the Firhouse and Ballycullen area.

local councillor urgeS againSt late night off licence and takeaway at Site of ProPoSed diScount Store

''As someone who lives within walking distance of the site, I share the view held by many residents that no provision for a Takeaway or stand

local SPortS clubS urged to aPPly for funding

Labour TD Robert Dowds has urged all local sports clubs with plans to construct or refurbish facilities to apply for funding under the Sports Capital Programme announced last week.

"The Government has announced a €30 million for a new Sports Capital Grant Programme this week. Application forms and information about how to apply is available on the website: www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie.

"The deadline for applications made online and those made in Irish (and hard copy of the signed application form and all supporting documentation) must reach the Department by 5pm on Friday 1st June 2012. Paper based applications (and all supporting documentation) must reach the Department by 5pm on Friday 11th May 2012."

"The scheme will be more open, as a strict requirement on landownership has been relaxed. In the past, all applicants had to own their land or have it on a long lease. Minister Ring has decided that these clubs will now be able to apply for grants of up to €25,000 to upgrade facilities."

"The minimum amount of matching funding which clubs and organisations will need to provide themselves in order to apply for a grant has been halved from the previous round of the programme in 2008. Groups in RAPID areas will only need to raise a minimum of 5% of the project cost in order to apply. Groups in non-disadvantaged areas will only need to raise a minimum of 15% of the project cost in order to apply."

"Should any sports club seek assistance in making an application, I would encourage them to get in touch with my office as soon as possible."

9

new rePort on children’S Social and emotional well-being launched Your FREE Local Newspaper

Report examines link between parenting styles, relationships, parental depression and marital satisfaction and children’s social and emotional development

Local Fine Gael Frances Minister, Fitzgerald, has launched the latest Growing up in Ireland – The national Longitudinal Study of Children report on how families matter for children’s social and emotional well-being.

Growing up in Ireland How Families Matter for Social and emotional Outcomes of 9-Year-Old Children explores how children in Ireland are faring in terms of their social and emotional well-being.

“This report examines the links between what goes on within the family, and children’s social and emotional development.

The report looks at the influence of parenting, the quality of the parent-child relationship, parental depression and marital

satisfaction and the to which extent children’s outcomes differ according to family structure and social-class background,” said Minister Frances Fitzgerald who invited An Taoiseach enda Kenny to the launch so he could be presented with the findings of the report.

“The report confirms what we already know.

The quality of family relationships and factors within the home impact hugely on children's development.

Good parenting is crucial for children’s outcomes and that is why this Government is committed to helping parents ensure their child gets the best start in life. It is with this in mind that I have prioritised support for families and parents, in particular those who may be facing periods

of difficulty or trouble.

I am pleased that An Taoiseach could join us at the launch, it is so important that the findings of this study are widely understood and fed into future Government policy as well as policy within my

own Department,” said Fitzgerald.

The Reports findings are based on data from the first round of interviews with 8,500 nine-year-old children as well as interviews with their parents,

teachers and principals.

Interviewing took place from September 2007 to June 2008. now that they have turned 13 years of age these children, and their families, are currently taking part in a follow-up interview

Minister Fitzgerald and children who participated in the Growing Up in Ireland Study flick through the publication

10

inveStment in broadband infraStructure eSSential for economic develoPment - rabbitte Your FREE Local Newspaper

The Irish Government will work with a range of Telecoms companies to ensure a nationwide roll out of fast Broadband over the next three years. This will be the single most important investment needed to secure future jobs in Ireland Minister Rabbitte told new graduates at a conferring ceremony in The uCC. Communications Minister explained that the process would involve two phases firstly the telecoms industry needs to be freed up so that the range of companies involved can accelerate their own investment plans and roll out faster internet over all platforms including fibre, cable, wireless and mobile technologies. Secondly, the Minister made it clear that the Government itself must be prepared to invest where the market is

likely to fail so as to ensure fast broadband is available in every corner of the country. elaborating on the two phases Minister Rabbitte said "Firstly, during April the Cabinet will consider industry's recommendations on a range of areas where private sector investment needs to be facilitated.

My Department has pulled all these ideas together by listening to the companies whose CeOs have participated in a next Generation Broadband Task Force, which has been meeting since June last year under my chairmanship and which has now completed its work. I have been very encouraged by the investment plans I have heard about, from mobile companies who can't wait to take advantage of new mobile spectrum we are about to auction,

- from the main cable player which is rolling faster speed out products in many urban areas and - from the "traditional' companies telecoms who see great potential for fibre roll-out.

In the Task Force there has been a great deal of straight talking about what needs to be done by the State so as to speedy facilitate private sector investment. We have agreed targets - the numbers of consumers and businesses that the companies aim to meet. In return, we have clarified what can be done to stimulate demand for new services and to remove planning and other barriers that delay the build out of telecoms networks. We have also sought to find a consensus view about the best use of Ireland's spectrum and teased out the role of state companies that have

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large land holdings and extensive infrastructure facilitating in broadband build out.

I look forward to the publication of the Task Force Report as soon as it has been delivered to Cabinet. It is an action plan in its own right but I think it will provide a good basis for a wider debate with individuals and business consumers about what they, or indeed you, think needs to be done.

We will be looking for a quick reaction though, because the second strand of this initiative is also very important and I will be going back to Government with my own proposals for what the State needs to do this summer. We may as well face facts.

There are areas of Ireland where the market will not deliver high speed broadband without State support.

It’s a simple logic of geographic distribution.

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here today, no doubt, live and or hope to in thinly work populated rural areas, perhaps in charming but mountainous Indeed landscapes. such locations are frequently highly prized by knowledge workers with greatest needs for connectivity.

The Programme for Government commits to state investment in high speed Broadband roll out and, despite the challenges facing the exchequer, I am confident that we will find the resources necessary to bridge the gap. There will be a relatively small percentage of households that we will need to connect using public money but we must do it.

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12

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dublin weSt child care and learning ServiceS and the dublin South national early yearS acceSS initiative (neyai) ProJect Jointly launched

The Mayor Catríona Jones and Minister for Children and Youth Frances Affairs, Fitzgerald TD, officially launched the establishment of Dublin West Child Care and Learning Services and the Dublin South national early Years Initiative Access Project.

Dublin West Child Care and Learning Services is a merger of four Community Childcare

Services located in the areas of Clondalkin and Lucan South. A single management structure with a voluntary board of management replaced the existing Boards of four Management, therefore establishing a more centralised and management administrative function. emily Smartt Chairperson of Dublin West Childcare and

Learning Services states “it is early days yet, but we have made great achievements through collaborative working with the Board and the staff, we hope to all our achieve objectives and aims over the coming year.”

South Dublin The national early Years Access Initiative (neYAI) Project is one of 11 demonstration projects funded nationally under

Pci college aPPointS dr. derek dorriS aS head of PSychology

PCI College, Ireland’s leading provider of professional counselling and psychotherapy courses has announced the appointment of Dr. Derek Dorris as Head of Psychology.

In his role, Dr Dorris will develop new Psychology-related programmes at PCI College, designed to be of value to a wide variety of students with differing levels of interest and prior experience in the area of Psychology.

Dr. Dorris will also be contributing to the development of PCI College’s Counselling & Psychotherapy programmes at graduate and post-graduate levels, and will play a key role in the setting and maintenance of academic standards across all the educational and training activities of the College.

Prior to joining PCI College, Dr Dorris held the position of Lecturer at university College Cork. Derek is a graduate of university College Dublin where he obtained a degree (BA), masters (M.Litt.), and PhD in Psychology.

In 2007, he was the IRCHSS (Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences) Postdoctoral Fellow in uCD. His work has also been published in top ranked international peer-reviewed journals.

this initiative. The overall aim of the South Dublin project is to develop an original and sustainable model for the ‘up-skilling’ of the early Childhood Care and education (eCCe) workforce by addressing gaps between training and practice.

The establishment of the Dublin West Child Care and Learning Services was the initiative stimulus for applying for the neYAI project.

Jean Courtney Chair person of the South Dublin neYAI project explains, “South Dublin Childcare County Committee are delighted to be involved in this neYAI and look project forward to taking the learning from this initiative and sharing it with the 267 services across South Dublin.

This sector has experienced extraordinary change for the better over the past number of years,

as it becomes more focused on providing best outcomes for children, and more professional in its quality and curriculum.

In any sector when this amount of change is driven in a short space of time it brings its own challenges as it has done in this sector to service providers, parents and children.

Mentoring is a key factor to success across all sectors in transferring knowledge to build successful practice consistent models.”

eight community based services will participate in this initiative, with a total of 90+ staff and over 400 children and families. It will be an initiative engaging the Dublin West Child Care and Learning Services and four services in the Tallaght area. This is a four year initiative (2011-2014) and the overall vision is that better outcomes for children, their families

and the community as a whole can be secured through the delivery of

high quality early Childhood Care and education services.

Ó broin SPonSorS aShwood football club

Sinn Féin Dublin Mid-West representative Eoin Ó Broin last week presented a new club strip to Bawongue soccer team Ashwood FC. At the presentation of the club strip was Club members Mick Lordan, Ger Martin and team Captain Carl Mahon. Ó Broin said "I am delighted to be able to sponsor Ashwood FC. Local sport plays a vital part in our communities. I want to commend the Club management, the players and all the locals who give the time to the senior and junior teams in Ashwood FC."

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13

14

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better energy workPlaceS Scheme 2012 fund announcement

energy Minister, Pat Rabbitte, has announced the launch of a capital fund to support sustainable energy investments in 2012 in the public, commercial, industrial and community sectors.

The fund will make available €7.5 million for projects that support energy performance contracting; a key element of Ireland’s national energy efficiency Plan. Public sector

projects are particularly encouraged in order to assist in meeting the 33% public sector energy efficiency improvement target in 2020.

Applications for funding will be evaluated on a competitive bid basis, with the scheme open now. Successful applicants will be notified in June.

The 2012 iteration of the scheme builds upon the strong

The Legal Column creditor removes the goods or “snatches back” goods without a Court Order and without your consent where a third or more has been paid, you are entitled to a refund of all the money you have paid under the agreement.

Also, regardless of whether one third of the total amount has or has not been paid, your car cannot be repossessed from your home, your driveway, or your garage without a Court Order.

In THIS MOnTHS eDITIOn, ROMAIne SCALLY SOLICITOR, PRInCIPAL In THe FIRM OF ROMAIne SCALLY & CO. SOLICITORS (TeL: 01 4599 506) ADVISeS CLIenTS AS TO HOW BeST THeY CAn enD A HIRe PuRCHASe AGReeMenT Hire purchase agreements are different from the ordinary credit agreements because under Hire Purchase (HP) Agreements, you do not own the goods until you have paid off all the instalments and in some cases a lump sum payment at the end. So, for example, if you are buying a car under a HP Agreement, you cannot sell the car yourself without the creditor’s written permission. If you sell the car without permission it can be a criminal offence.

When using hire purchase, you are making a contract with a financial institution and the garage is acting as a credit intermediary between the consumer and the financier and earning a commission for it’s role.

REPOSSESSiON

With HP Agreements, if you do not keep up with the repayments, it is possible for a creditor to repossess

the goods.

With ordinary credit agreements, the goods you buy belong to you from the time you take out the credit and so the lender cannot take the goods back. They can only ask you to pay the money you owe under the agreement.

However, under a HP Agreement, repossession rules are determined from the portion of the payments already made. If you are in arrears with your HP payments, the company may try to repossess the car.

However, if you have paid one third or more of the total amount payable, the goods become “PROTECTED gOODS” and the creditor must go to Court for an Order for the goods to be returned unless you consent to the repossession.

When working out if you have paid a third or more, remember to include any deposit or part exchange as well as the instalments that have been paid. If the

Staying with the example of a car bought under a HP Agreement, if it is repossessed, you will usually have to pay extra costs on top of what you already owe to the finance company, including a repossession fee or a towing fee.

It is important to consider the condition of the car. Take pictures of it so you are not liable for additional costs should it become damaged during the towing process or any time after you return it. If you find yourself in this situation of financial trouble and you need to keep your car then you could talk to your financial company, explain your situation and ask them to re-structure the agreement. You may be able to negotiate lower repayments but, work out what you can actually afford first. If the finance company agrees to re-structure the agreement, be aware of the extra fees and interest. If you feel that you can do without the car, or you cannot afford to keep up with repayments even at a reduced rate, you should explore the option of terminating the agreement.

TERMiNATiNg THE AgREEMENT

If you wish to terminate a HP Agreement, before the end of the contract, you can do so by buying the car on hire for an agreed sum or by returning the goods. Returning the goods can be done using what is known as the “half rule” or by voluntary surrender but it is important to be aware of your options in this situation as there can be a significant difference in the amount you end up owing depending upon how, or who, ends the agreement. You can lose your right to terminate your agreement if the creditor has already terminated it, or if the full balance of the agreement has become payable.

VOLuNTARy SuRRENDER

Surrendering the car means that you can give back the car to the finance company by signing a voluntary surrender form. Giving back the car this way means you still owe the full balance due on the agreement. Your debt does not disappear with the car. The finance company sells the car and the money they generate from the car goes towards your debt but, you will still have to make repayments until the entire debt is paid off.

Voluntary surrender works in much the same way as repossession but usually costs less as there are no repossession fees to be paid.

However, there is a better alternative.

THE HALF RuLE

You have the right to end a Hire Purchase

success of previous programmes run in recent years (2009-2011). Over €23m was provided to energy projects delivering an estimated annual energy saving equivalent to powering and heating over 23,000 homes.

Interested parties are encouraged www.seai.ie/grants for further information.

Agreement using the “Half Rule”. The Half Rule was traditionally understood as meaning that if you have paid half the hire purchase price, you can return the car and give notice, in writing, that you are ending the agreement without having to pay the remaining 50% outstanding.

Your agreement with the finance company must show half the hire purchase price, so check your contract to see how much you would need to pay in order to return your car under the Half Rule.

The Half Rule still works as it always did, however it has become clear that you do not need to have paid the 50% before you are able to terminate your agreement although some creditors might say that you do. All that is necessary is for you to give notice to the creditor in writing that you are terminating the agreement regardless of how much is owed, or even if you owe arrears. The finance company will then either have to make an arrangement with you about how any shortfall or arrears may be paid, or pursue you through the Courts to recover the amount, like any other debt due. The clarity relating to the Half Rule was established by a recent High Court decision.

Following an Appeal from the decision of the FiNANCiAL SERViCES OMBuDSMAN, it was found that there was no legal basis for the finance company (in this case Ge Money) to refuse the return of a car under a HP Agreement without half of the repayments made. Of course the finance company were still entitled to be paid,

to

by Romaine Scally but, non payment did not warrant a refusal to accept the return of the car by the hirer.

Once the HP Agreement is validly terminated, regardless of the amount of repayments made, the car can be returned to the company and an arrangement for the remainder of the payment to the value of half the original price can be made.

This has the effect of relieving the consumer of the burden of keeping a car which he/she does not own or no longer use.

WHEN TERMiNATiNg A HP AgREEMENT

When terminating a HP Agreement, it is very important to keep a copy of the termination letter and send it by registered post. In the letter, you should expressly state that you are exercising your statutory rights under Section 63 of the Consumer Credit Act, 1995. In the letter you should also ask the company where it wants you to return the goods. If they arrange to have them collected it can cost you quite a sum.

Some finance companies charge up to €300.00 to collect a car.

You are also required to have taken reasonable care of your car under HP. Therefore you should if

visit

at all possible, have the items assessed before you return them. You should have your car seen to by an assessor or at least mechanically checked.

The HP Company will itself have the car assessed professionally.

You are under no obligation to sign a voluntary termination notice, if requested by the HP company. Also remember to take care of the goods right up to the point of return as you are liable for damage even after the termination of the contract.

iF BuyiNg A uSED CAR BE SuRE TO CHECk iF THE VEHiCLE iS SuBJECT TO A HiRE PuRCHASE FiNANCE AgREEMENT. THE RESPONSiBiLiTy iS ON THE BuyER TO ENSuRE THAT ALL OuTSTANDiNg FiNANCE iS CLEARED PRiOR TO PuRCHASE. OTHERWiSE A VEHiCLE COuLD BE SEizED By THE BANk TO WHOM THE FiNANCE iS OWiNg, LEAViNg yOu WiTHOuT A VEHiCLE AND iN THE DiFFiCuLT POSiTiON OF TRyiNg TO TRACk DOWN THE ORigiNAL SELLER. THiS CAN BE DONE By DOiNg AN ONLiNE HiSTORy. CHECk SuCH WEBSiTES AS CARTELL.iE, MOTORCHECk.iE OR CARSiRELAND.iE

ROMAINE SCALLY & CO, SOLICITORS operate a

free legal advice

clin

ic on the second Wednesd ay of every second month from 2.00pm un til 6.00pm at their offices at Main Street, Tallaght, Dublin 24. next clinic: wednesday 11tH aP

ril

No Appointment is neces sary.

We look forward to answ ering your legal queries in person.

Romaine Scally is the principal in the firm of ROMAINE SCALLY AND COMPANY SOLICITORS Main Street Tallaght, Dublin 24 TEL 4599506 FAX 4599510 email: legal@scally.ie

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‘we’re very worried about the future’ – an increase in calls reporting depression to Senior help line Your FREE Local Newspaper

Senior Help Line received over 1,515 calls in January and 1,514 February this

year representing a 30% increase in calls over the same period last year. “We are getting

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calls from people worried as they are unable to afford a fill of oil and generally worried about making ends meet. We notice an increase in calls where the caller says they are depressed, or it is obvious that they are feeling low” says Mary nally, CeO Senior Help Line.

“Callers are worried about the cost of living and cuts to services.

Some grandparents have become from childminders Monday to Friday because their adult children can no longer afford to pay for childcare.

There is obviously a lot of worry and anxiety in families and this is coming through on the help line,” she said.

The Senior Help Line take calls from older

people throughout Ireland on LoCall 1850 440 444 and is now open from Monday to Thursday 10am to 10pm, Friday from 10am to 4pm and 7pm to 10pm, Saturday from 10am to 7pm, and Sunday from 10am – 4pm and 7pm-10pm. By mid-2012 the service will open for 12 hours daily - from 10am to 10pm.

“Senior Help Line is open when many other services are closed.

Being so available is very appreciated.

Callers tell us it is a great comfort to know they can phone us and talk to us if they are in need of company, or have a particular worry.

Many people call us just to say goodnight,” says Mary nally.

“Many callers who are parents or grandparents

to advertiSe in in any of our

PublicationS tel: 01 451 3822

are very upset because families who may be unemployed are considering emigration.

This is obviously very upsetting Loneliness is an all-pervading issue for many older people and the calls to our service illustrate the often hidden loneliness which many older people experience. This is european Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity Between Generations. We invite anyone out there who needs someone to talk to, to phone Senior Help Line.

We are ready and waiting,” she says.

Senior Help Line is a national programme of Third Age, a voluntary organisation that promotes the value and contribution of older people in communities.

Third Age has over 1,000 people working throughout the country as voluntary tutors, advocates, peer nutritionists and more.

The B&Q Ideal Home Show has everything you need for your home improvements, extensions, home energy, interior design, room make-overs, gardens, patios, lifestyle and so much more.

Some of what you can expect at the Ideal Home's Spring Show in 2012 · Ideal Woman Zone · Ideal Dinner Parties Zone, · extend, Retrofit & FRee Architects extension Advice Centre in association with The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland · DIY & Home Accessories · Furniture & Décor · Dulux FRee Interior Design Advice Centre - bring photos of your home, to avail of free advisory consultations with leading Interior Designers from the institute of Designers in Ireland · eCO expo – The Home energy Show · Kitchens & Bathrooms The B&Q Ideal Home Show is more than a show, it’s an experience!

Opening hours for the duration of the show are: Friday, 20th April: 2pm to 9.30pm Saturday, 21st April: 10.30am to 6pm Sunday, 22nd April: 10.30am to 6pm Check out www.idealhome.ie for all the latest information.

To win a free ticket simply answer the following question: Where is the B&Q ideal Home Show being held

Answers on a postcard please. Send to Newsgroup, 21 Alderwood Avenue, Springfield, Tallaght, Dublin 24 to reach us no later than Friday 13th April ‘12.

18

PlanS for new cityweSt Primary School ProgreSSing Your FREE Local Newspaper

Plans for the opening of the new educate Together national School for Citywest are progressing rapidly, with the recruitment of the school principal currently underway.

Following four years of campaigning by local parents, educate Together finally got the go-ahead to open the new Citywest primary school this September.

The new school is currently taking enrolments for junior infant classes. While the exact location of the school is currently being finalised by the Department of

education and Skills, educate Together has confirmed that it will be in the Citywest area.

The Dublin 24 educate Together Association, which has been campaigning for the school since 2008, is delighted with the news that educate Together have been granted patronage of both this school and another one which is due to open in Firhouse in 2013.

Sinead Harrington, Chairperson of the Association said; “This is something that we, as a group of parents, have been working towards for four years.

We have demonstrated

that there is a strong demand for choice in primary education in the area and once construction on the new school starts we would expect the demand to grow further. There has been a lot of hard work carried out over the last few years and as a group we would like to thank the local politicians and parents who have provided support to us. We look forward to working with educate Together in the establishment of the new schools in Citywest and Firhouse and we are confident that it will provide an

excellent education for our kids.”

Amy Mulvihill, Regional Development Officer for educate Together said: “The demand we are seeing for an educate Together school in Citywest is mirrored in other towns and cities across Ireland so we are delighted to see an educate Together school opening in September for the parents and children of Citywest.

The next news we hope to have is the exact location of the school and we are working closely with the Department of education and Skills and

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in this regard and an announcement is expected in the next few weeks”.

Today there are 60 educate Together schools throughout Ireland, with 5 more due to open this September. educate Together aims to meet a growing need in Irish society for schools that recognise the

developing diversity of Irish life and the modern need for democratic management structures.

In particular, educate Together guarantees children and parents of all faiths and none equal respect in the and operation governing of education. educate Together

Schools are fully recognised by the Department of education and Skills and work under the same regulations and funding structures as other national schools.

Parents can pre-enrol their children for the new Citywest school here: www.dublin24etns.ie.

Pictured are the Association which has been campaigning for the school for 4 years.

cruel cutS for adultS with SPecial needS condemned

Chris Bond- Labour Party Representative for Tallaght South has condemned the cuts in allowances for Adults with intellectual disabilities participating in employment services at Cheeverstown. Cllr Bond’s half brother is currently participating in the scheme. The allowance paid is currently €20 per week.

From April of this year the allowance will be reduced by 50% to €10 culminating in the total abolition of the allowance from April 2013. “€20 is only a small allowance but it means a lot to those who are participating in the employment scheme many of whom have severe disabilities and are dependant on others to carry out daily tasks ’’ ‘’I call upon management at Cheeverstown to do the right thing and stop the implementation of this cut, I am also calling upon the Minister for Health to intervene if necessary. Regardless of the country’s financial circumstances, supports for the most vulnerable people should be maintained’’

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maJor Scheme for community grouPS to get involved with the oPw launched 20

The OPW has today launched a nationwide advertising campaign seeking expressions of interest from local heritage/community groups

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who may be interested in becoming a partner with the OPW. Brian Hayes TD said today “ For whatever reason Ireland has never involved

id t h ea e lg if t

voluntary effort in the presentation of our heritage. unlike many european countries where volunteers are an essential part of heritage tourism, we

have been slow to formalise the involvement of community groups in our national heritage. This will change under my time as Minister.”

The Minister went on to say “ the potential of volunteering and Irish heritage has never been organised at a national level. As the lead agency with the responsibility in preserving and presenting our heritage, we need the help of local community and heritage groups.”

The Minister continued “Building on the success of the free day initiative launched by the OPW last year, I want by this summer to have at least 25 partnerships in place between the OPW and various organisations. Since coming into office I have been impressed by the enormous interest that exists locally in the heritage sites that are under the control of the OPW. ”

“I am constantly met by groups who want greater opening times, more local involvement or who have plans to develop tourism locally by using our national monuments and national properties. We need to work with these groups. A new partnership needs to be formed between the OPW and local volunteering effort. There are of course challenges for the OPW in this but I’m convinced that this organisation has the expertise and know how required.”, the Minister said.

Minister Hayes said further “The truth is that funding for extending opening times or extending the excellent guide service are simply not there. nor will they be over the next few years. If we want more domestic or international tourists to visit our fantastic sites, we need the help of community groups. While everyone knows the Rock of Cashel or Kilkenny castle, there are

literally dozens of other amazing sites which have been restored brilliantly by the OPW and which need to be developed.” “next year 2013 is the year of the gathering. It’s a great opportunity to showcase the wonderful heritage we have in this country. Far too many sites across the country should have a much greater local input. Working with local groups the OPW can help develop the tourism platform and have a much greater local involvement.

The Minister concluded “ I would encourage groups to express an interest by e us at mailing communities@opw.ie or contacting us directly at 046 9426106 or 046 9426061. A national conference will take place in April and the OPW will provide training and support for the groups selected to be part of the pilot in 2012.”

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SubmiSSion lodged on boot road to bord Pleanala detailing develoPerS claimS Your FREE Local Newspaper

Local Fine Gael Minister Frances Fitzgerald and Councillor Tony Delaney have lodged a further detailed submission to An Bord Pleanla in relation to the decision on Boot Road. Their submission clearly gives a detailed analysis and assessment of the claims by the developers including their assertion that the site is adequately serviced by public transport.

Fitzgerald and Delaney previously described as ‘extremely disappointing’ the decision by the Bord not to allow an Oral Hearing into the Council’s decision to grant planning permission for the development of a five

storey Primary Care Centre and an adjoining 80 bed nursing home on Boot Road, Clondalkin.

“We believe that the developers latest response exaggerates the suitability of the site for a centre like this. Their response claims that between the bus routes and Metro service the site on Boot Road is adequately served by public transport. unfortunately, this is not the case. Plans for the Metro suspended, cutbacks on Dublin Bus routes have curtailed the services and no public transport links exist between this site and north Clondalkin or big residential areas such as Woodford. This site is far from ideal as

a location for a service like this and our latest submission lodged this morning aims to show just that,” said Minister Frances Fitzgerald.

“We were very disappointed by the refusal of an Oral Hearing into this application but we are confident that our latest submission to the Bord is comprehensive and contains concerns which have to be taken into account by the deciding officer on this case. The refusal of the hearing was a real blow for residents, who oppose this development on the basis that it is over-scaled, but residents in the area are continuing their campaign and Cllr.

Delaney and I have

make a move at thiS yearS ultimate dance feStival

nOISemoves Dance Festival 2012 is inviting youth dance groups to join amazing dancers on stage at the Civic Theatre, Tallaght this year to show their skill, talent and passion for dancing.

Special guest dance companies Dublin Youth Dance Company and Coisceim Creative Steps will return to the festival once again along with young dancers, to present an explosive mix of dance styles and techniques at the Civic Theatre, Tallaght. nOISe Moves Dance Festival2012 takes place from April 20th – 22nd. It is host to another great programme of dance performances, film screenings and workshops dancers for young dancers, ages 13 to 25. The highlight of the weekend is on Sunday, April 22nd where young dancers working in all styles take the main stage of the Civic Theatre at 8pm.

today submitted a strong proposal we are hoping will influence the decision on this case,” continued Fitzgerald.

Cllr. Delaney, who at the time, described the decision as ‘demoralising’ stated that the array of objections and concerns from local residents needed to be taken into account by the Bord.

“Aside from the Church, the highest building in Clondalkin village is 5 meters. At its highest point this

development would be in excess of 20 meters implying that it would be totally out of keeping with the character of the village. Given that there were almost 100 objections and submissions on this planning application, there is a feeling on the ground throughout Clondalkin that residents concerns and voices have not so far been heard. All we can do is trust that the Bord will listen to those concerns and take them on board when making their final decision,”

said Cllr. Delaney.

“Cllr. Delaney and I have worked closely with local residents who have valid concerns relating to this proposal and we will continue to highlight these concerns. We have now lodged a further submission for review by the Bord and will continue to highlight residents concerns concerns. The granting of permission for this development is contrary to the policies set out in the Council’s County Development Plan and also in the

Past & Present

Draft Clondalkin urban Framework, which recommends the development of areas adjacent to the Mill in order to expand Clondalkin’s town centre and make it more commercially viable. A Primary Care Centre would be a welcome addition to Clondalkin, but it is only a welcome addition if it is built in accordance with proper planning and consideration for residents and the surrounding environment,” explained Fitzgerald.

PROJECTION PHOTO MONTAGE

POLYGREEN FESTiVAL EVENTS:

Friday, 20th April, 8pm Dance Film Screenings, RuA ReD Saturday, 21st April, 11am – 1pm Street and Contemporary Dance Masterclasses RuA ReD Sunday 22nd April, 8pm Performance showcase, the Civic Theatre Tallaght

GARDEN SERVICES

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