Tallaght News 17th Oct

The national fuel allowance scheme for the 2022/23 season will help many households in Dublin with their winter heating costs. Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, has announced the start of the national fuel allowance scheme, which will be paid over 28 weeks.

TD for Dublin Mid West, Deputy Emer Higgins has confirmed the fuel allowance will be paid for 28 weeks to over 78,000 people

in the capital, with many more people in Dublin to qualify this year. Deputy Higgins said: “78,336 people in Dublin who are entitled to the fuel allowance will now be able to avail of it as we approach the winter.

“The payment is made at the weekly rate of €33 or, by way of two lump sum payments if people prefer.

“In Budget 2023 my colleague Minister Humphreys also ensured a €400 additional lump sum payment for all

PEOPLE

households in receipt of the fuel allowance payment. This will be paid the week commencing 14th November 2022 and will bring the total value of the fuel allowance to €1,324 per household.

“In addition, as part of Budget 2023, Minister Humphreys secured funding for the largest ever expansion of the fuel allowance scheme. This expansion will bring many more Dublin households into the scheme.

This will be of

particular benefit for older people in our community with a new means test taking effect for over 70s from January,” added Deputy Higgins.

“Under this new over 70s means test, a single person can have income of €500 per week and a couple can have income of €1,000 per week. In the case of a couple where one person is under 70 and one person is over 70, they will be assessed under the over 70s means test criteria.

“The weekly means threshold for those aged under 70 will also be increased by €80 per week, from €120 to €200 above the weekly rate of the contributory state pension. “We in Fine Gael know that times are tough, and we are ensuring we put more money in your pocket to help reduce the impact of the higher cost of living,” said Deputy Higgins.

The Department of Social Protection is now working on developing the necessary IT systems and application forms to give effect to these

Continued on page 2

changes from January. Minister Humphreys added: “I am very conscious that older people are particularly vulnerable to the cold however many pensioners currently fall just outside the income thresholds to qualify for fuel allowance. For that reason, I am introducing a new over 70s means test for fuel allowance from January. Under this, a single person can have income of €500 per week and a couple can have income of €1,000 per week and still qualify for fuel allowance.

“Broadening the eligibility of the fuel allowance to include more older people was a priority for me in the budget and my department is now working

on developing the necessary IT systems and application forms so that persons Over 70 will be able to benefit from these changes from January. “We have also increased the weekly means threshold for those aged under 70 by €80 per week. Combined, it is estimated these changes will bring an extra 81,000 households into the fuel allowance scheme which represents the largest ever expansion of the Scheme. “As part of Budget 2023, I secured approval for a range of other lump sum payments to support our pensioners, carers, people with disabilities and working families and I will be setting out the timetable for these payments in the coming days.”

COUNCILLORS CALL ON LIFFEY VALLEY TO REVERSE STAFF CAR PARKING CHARGES

Local councillors have called on the management and owners of Liffey Valley Shopping Centre to reverse the decision to charge staff for car parking. Workers had been informed in September that they would be forced to pay for car parking from October onwards. Initially staff were told that they would have to pay full price which was later changed to a €600 fee per year. At the September meeting of the Lucan/Palmerstown/ North Clondalkin Area Committee in South Dublin County Council elected representatives voted unanimously to write a letter to Liffey Valley asking them to reverse the decision. The motion, which was proposed by People Before Profit councillor Madeleine Johansson, expressed the disappointment of the local councillors with the decision by Liffey Valley.

People Before Profit TD’s for the area Gino Kenny and Bríd Smith also met with workers at the centre and

have vowed to support them against the management.

Cllr Madeleine Johansson commented: “Retail workers are some of the lowest paid workers in the country and the proposed car parking charges amounts to a significant pay cut for workers. Councillors were shocked by the decision by the centre to charge staff for parking. The owners and management of Liffey Valley made all sorts of

promises to support the local community when they wanted councillors to rezone their land last year. It seems that their generosity has gone out the window.”

Gino Kenny TD said: “I met with a number of workers from the centre recently, and I’m shocked that the centre is still going ahead with these charges for staff. Many staff members have no choice but to drive to

the centre for work. Some work part-time and have to pick up children from school before or after work, while others live outside of Dublin with no public transport links. Workers are already struggling with the cost of living crisis and retail workers simply can’t afford to pay these charges. We will be supporting the workers in whatever way we can to defeat these unfair charges.”

POOR STANDARDS ON GO AHEAD BUS ROUTES MUST BE ADDRESSED

TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe called on Minister Eamon Ryan and the National Transport Authority to address the atrocious standards being delivered on bus routes served by Go Ahead Ireland. Teachta Crowe was speaking from outside the Department of Transport at a Sinn Féin demonstration recently, to highlight Go Ahead Ireland’s poor service right across Dublin, Meath, Kildare, and Wicklow.

Teachta Crowe said “Commuters across South Dublin are fed up to the teeth of the poor service being delivered by GoAhead Ireland. “Late buses, no shows, overcrowding and generally poor service standards are commonplace on the routes that commuters and school children rely on.

I have received numerous complaints in just the past week about the 17, 116,

and 175 being especially bad for no shows and late arrivals.

“I had one woman on to me, to say that she and her partner had been abandoned in Dun Laoghaire when the last two buses of the night were cancelled without warning and they were left to pay for a taxi. This woman was subjected to a needless expense when there should be a functioning bus route. “This is causing serious problems for people who rely on these buses and very little is being done by the Minister or the regulator to fix the ongoing issues.

“People are literally being left stranded on the side of the road. This type of service will drive people away from using public transport. “Go Ahead Ireland are a number of years into their contract, so we simply don’t accept this is still teething problems. “Sinn Féin

warned the privatisation of our bus services would drive down standards, as profits would be prioritised over punctuality, reliability and customer service.

“Go Ahead’s Irish subsidiary made a €2.6m profit last

year, which is hard for commuters to stomach given the poor service they are experiencing on the ground.

“If Minister Ryan wants more people to use public

transport, he needs to ensure buses are on time and reliable. He needs to get on top of these problems.

We will never get people out of cars when they cannot be confident in the

alternative. “The National Transport Authority needs to stop treating Go Ahead Ireland with kid gloves and use their regulatory powers to ensure the service on these routes is improved both greatly and quickly.”

REVAMPED TENNIS AND BASKETBALL COURTS

HALLOWEEN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

This year, to raise awareness and to encourage our citizens to stay safe, South Dublin County Council has published a colourful information leaflet providing facts and tips on how to stay safe at Halloween. The leaflet also contains details of the various family events hosted by South Dublin County Council’s Libraries. Members of the public can find information on incentives offered by the Council to avoid damage to community open spaces as a result of illegal bonfires. “Bulbs Not Bonfires” is a reward available through the Council’s innovative Social Credits Scheme. This initiative provides communities with flowers in the spring in return for organising alternative Halloween activities which will not harm our environment.

A free pass to Ballymount Civic Amenity Centre will be provided to every Social Credit applicant / group from Monday 17th October to encourage recycling, one pass allows one entry for one car and will be valid until Friday 11 November 2022.

As Halloween is fast approaching, Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Cllr Emma Murphy said “Halloween is a fun time but also a time to be safe during activities. South Dublin County Council works with a

number of emergency services to support them in making our community safe during this time of the year such as An Garda Síochána, Dublin Fire Brigade and the Ambulance Services. For Halloween 2022 I am encouraging residents to participate in Bulbs not Bonfires and eliminate unnecessary costs related to bonfire cleanups as well as the pressure Halloween places on public safety and our Emergency Services.

It is natural that people and especially young people will be excited about Halloween but please enjoy the festivities safely and remember to look after our furry friends too. Pets can get quite alarmed during Halloween, so keep them safe.” Mayor Murphy encourages children to participate in the many activities taking place throughout our county, particularly in libraries. You can check out what’s happening in your area on www.southdublin.ie

And don’t forget to check out the free concert which will take place on Halloween, Monday 31st October, from 7pm to 10pm at Tallaght Stadium. Teenagers aged between 14 and 18 will have the opportunity to enjoy live performances from musicians including Jafaris, Sello and the NOISE Music Collective.

Pictured at the official opening of the revamped Tennis and Basketball Courts in Dodder Valley Park Tallaght were Cllr. Charlie O’Connor, Mayor Emma Murphy and Cllr. Alan Edge

226 DAY TURNAROUND FOR ISSUING TAXI LICENCES MUST BE ADDRESSED

lengthy delay in issuing taxi driver licenses

to be addressed immediately

chronic

Deputy Emer Higgins has called for additional staffing and resources to be allocated to An Garda Síochána and the Carriage Office to improve the 226 day average turnaround time between an applicant

their small public

text and their license being issued. Deputy Higgins said, “We’re all aware that there is a shortage of taxis on our roads right now and it’s particularly evident in Dublin where people are reporting huge difficulty in finding a taxi to take them home from the city centre after a night out. “A couple of prospective taxi drivers have also raised with me their frustration that having passed their SPSV test they have been left waiting months for their license to be issued to allow them begin working as a taxi driver.

“I recently submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister for Transport about these delays and I’m informed by the National Transport Authority that while the shortest timeframe recorded for issuing a SPSV license is 6

days, for driver licences added in 2022 there is on average 226 days between the applicant passing their skills tests and the issuing of a Driver Licence.

“In some cases, there can be a delay between an applicant passing their test and submitting their application, but in most

cases, applicants pay the €250 application fee within 2 weeks of passing their test so this doesn’t justify an average turnaround time of over 32 weeks.

“It is of course important that due diligence is done in approving all applications, but when there is a chronic shortage of drivers, a

turnaround time of eight months for issuing a license is not helping the situation.

“The typical turnaround time for ordinary drivers’ licenses and learner permits being issued by the NDLS is only a couple of weeks, and a service of similar efficiency is needed for issuing SPSV licenses. “An Garda Síochána is the licensing

authority to grant licences to drive Small Public Service Vehicles so I am calling on the Department of Justice to ensure that the necessary resources are available to drastically improve turnaround times in the service and get more taxi drivers onto our roads as soon as possible,” concluded Deputy Higgins.

LOCAL LADIES KNITTING GROUP IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS

A group of local volunteers that go to (The Bungalow)

Cherry Orchard FRC centre every Monday Morning from 10am to 12 .00 make Blankets and Twiddlemuffs, they are therapeutic quilts to which different items have been attached or sewn on. These items offer Sensory stimulation that has calming effects on Dementia /Alzheimer

Patients. The Blankets alleviate boredom for older people and provide a means of performing repetitive behaviours that are often comforting and distracting. The group have received very good feedback from nursing homes and hospitals. With the long dark evenings drawing in if anyone that can sew or knit would like to help the group, they

would love for you to come on board, most of the work they do at home and meet up Monday for a chat about ideas and a nice cup of Tea & Scone. Please call in any Monday if you can’t make Monday ring Christina Tel 01 6231367 and she will make appointment with Connie to see you day that’s suits you to let you know all about what they do. The group are

always looking for people who can sew or knit. Tell your friends or bring your friend’s down!

Address is Cherry Orchard FRC Clg., 28 Elmvale Drive, D10K763. Tel 01 6231367.

Fidget blankets are for almost anyone! They were originally developed for elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia who need sensory input to cope with restlessness and confusion. But they’re also great for children and adults on the autism spectrum, those with ADHD, sensory processing disorder, developmental disabilities, stroke, brain injury, and anyone else who benefits from stimming — sensory stimulation. Stimming helps neurodivergent people cope with stressful situations and self-regulate when we struggle with loud noises, bright lights, and other sensory processing challenges.

Community centres in Firhouse, Bohernabreena,Tallaght and Knocklyon will receive funding of €79667 to upgrade facilities which will benefit users of all ages, according to Councillor Brian Lawlor. Cllr Lawlor was speaking after Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys announced the successful projects under Category 1 of the Community Centres Investment Fund. Cllr Lawlor said: “I am delighted that my colleague Minister Humphreys has made this funding available to Dublin South West community centres given the vital work that staff and volunteers there do and the invaluable services they provide. “Fine Gael is working to build stronger safer communities and today’s funding allocation is the latest in a long line of initiatives and supports aimed at making our towns, villages and cities more attractive places to live and visit. “The Community

UPGRADES

Centres Investment Fund was launched by Minister Humphreys in April 2022 with funding of €15m available under three categories. The key theme of the fund is to support community groups with the upgrade and development of their Community Centre facilities. “Community centres which will receive funding include The Park Community Centre, Glenasmole Community Association and Fettercairn Community &Youth Centre.

Pictured Monica, Val, Ann, Marie, Eileen, Mary, Connie and Bernie ouside The Bungalow

€60,000 FUNDING PRESENTED TO AWARDEES AT DUBLIN CITY

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE AWARDS

Six Dublin based social enterprises including Recycle IT received funding and supports at the Dublin City Social Enterprise Awards today.

These social enterprises are actively working to address important issues and achieve societal or environmental impact, rather than maximising profits for owners or shareholders. The issues that the awardee social enterprises are seeking to address include Biodiversity, Sustainability, Unemployment, Low Education Attainment, Diversity, Inclusion, Addiction, Refugee Welfare, Health, Mental Health, Homelessness, Accessibility, Ex-Offender Reintegration and more.

As well as addressing these issues, the awardees provide practical help to people

who are disadvantaged, distanced from the labour market, or distanced from inclusion in their local communities.

Speaking at the awards, the Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy said “The social enterprises we are celebrating, work with their local communities to address inadequacies, contradictions, and underlying issues. They typically work with and seek to practically help those who are most disadvantaged, those who are particularly far from the labour market or inclusion in their local area.

Going forward, these social enterprises and the many other social enterprises in Dublin will help to make our city a better, more inclusive, and sustainable place.” The six awardees including

Recycle IT received funding from a total pool of €60,000 along with various supports which will assist their social enterprises to develop and achieve a greater impact among the individuals and communities that they serve and assist in Dublin city. Each awardee also received a bespoke award trophy which was handmade by House of AKINA, a local social enterprise and previous awardee.

Recycle IT based in Dublin 22 are thrilled to receive this award as it helps support a new recycling initiative targeting apartment dwellers and property management companies with responsibility for apartment complexes.

The initiative aims to enhance electrical recycling opportunities and increase the rates of electrical

recycling from the residents of apartments in Dublin.

Mary Mac Sweeney, Chair of the Dublin City Social Enterprise Committee and MC at the awards,

congratulated the awardees and highlighted the important contribution that they make.

“Each of the social enterprise awardees are actively working with and

supporting individuals and communities across Dublin city. They are providing tangible services, innovations and opportunities that are much needed.”

The Dublin Citizens Assembly held their final meeting on the 1st October where they voted on recommendations for a Directly Elected Mayor for Dublin and local government structures for Dublin. There was a clear message from the Assembly that a significant number of powers should be devolved from central government to a new Directly Elected Mayor and to Local Government.

People Before Profit Councillor Madeleine Johansson was one of 12 councillors selected to take part in the Assembly. She has expressed her support for the principle of giving more decision-making powers to local government so that decisions that matter to our local communities are made as close to the people as possible.

Cllr Johansson recognised that Ireland ranks second

worst in Europe for local decision-making and that this needs to change urgently. She also suggested that the devolution of powers does not necessarily equate to the need for a Directly Elected Mayor, however that she would welcome such a position if it was given the authority, budget and power that currently lies with unelected managers, outside bodies or central government.

Cllr Johansson welcomed the recommendation of the Assembly to hold a plebiscite of the people of Dublin on whether or not there should be a Directly Elected Mayor. She added that there should be transparent and clear information to the people about the functions and powers of the Mayor, as well as re-numeration and budgetary proposals.

People Before Profit

Councillor Madeleine Johansson commented “I was honoured to be asked to take part in the Assembly and get to see first hand the deliberative democracy process in action. I am very impressed by the residents who gave up so much of their time to take part. My only concern would be that certain sections of society were largely absent from the Assembly, in particular blue collar working class people and people from disadvantaged communities.

“It’s been clear to me throughout this process that many people in Dublin are extremely frustrated with the government and their lack of vision and action, particularly around housing and transport. You can see this in the fact that 91% of the Assembly voted for Housing to be devolved to local government.

“Many residents were

surprised about the lack of powers for local councillors and the frustration councillors have both with central government and council management.

I was impressed with the genuine interest by Assembly members in trying to understand both the current structures but also to look for solutions to make it better.

“I hope that the recommendations from the Assembly will be taken seriously by the government and that significant steps will be taken to devolve powers to local government. What was very clear to me was that people have no interest in having a Directly Elected Mayor if it’s just another ceremonial role without real powers and responsibilities. It will not be acceptable to the Assembly if the government fails to take the issue of devolution seriously.”

SUCCESSFUL SECOND HEALTH HACKATHON COMPLETE

Taking place over two days the 2nd Health Hackathon run in TU Dublin Tallaght campus brought together over 40 students from the School of Enterprise Computing & Digital Transformation at TU Dublin as well as many other schools across the three campuses of TU Dublin. Recently, the students were presented with five challenges set by clinicians in TUH.

Commenting on the event one of the judges and one of the creators of the challenges set for the students, Professor Catherine Wall, Consultant Nephrologist and Director of Quality, Safety & Risk Management at TUH said “I left the event with an immense sense of energy and possibilities for the future. I learnt a lot from the students over the weekend. We have strengthened collaborations between ourselves and TU Dublin and further fostered further relationships with very bright, very talented people. I am looking forward to seeing these ideas realised for our patients and staff but also to other healthcare settings in Ireland”.

Róisín Faherty, Head of Information Systems at the School of Enterprise Computing & Digital Transformation at TU Dublin said “Our students have generated amazing

ideas in the 24 hours of the challenge. They have benefitted greatly from this experience, being presented with real healthcare challenges, getting to question clinicians directly, in-depth briefings from Amazon Web Services, presenting and communicating on their solution. This event is an incredible opportunity to enhance our students’ education”.

1st Place Warfarin Patient App the winning team of Andrzej Zero, Marta de la Cuadra Lozano, Jorge Jiménez García and Csanad Alattyanyi developed the concept of an app for home monitoring of patient’s on warfarin. The judges described the solution as ‘applicable, relevant, patient centred and hopefully something that they could see patients and clinicians using in the near future’. 2nd Place Weigh Up in the Clouds - Greg Marviak and Adrian Donnelly developed an app that will capture a patient’s weight both at home and in the Hospital.

Having an accurate and upto-date weight of a patient is key for medication prescribing, nutritional and fluid assessment that will be accessible by the patient and members of their clinical circle of care. 3rd Place Way Finder Jason Fung and Alan Byrne developed a way finder app

to enable patients, families and new members of staff to navigate the campus using their mobile devices. A very practical and helpful development for a number of stakeholders.

The clinicians presented the challenges and the students were then broken into their working groups. They were each given time with the clinicians so they could ask more detailed questions, the understanding of the brief and development of the concept were very important elements of the final scoring. Following the briefings there were a series of presentations from the Hospital, Amazon Web Services on Ethics, Data, Cyber Security and GDPR all very important elements for consideration as part of the development of any solution to the challenges set.

Finally TU Dublin presented a technical presentation on fast prototyping using cloud services. On the Friday night at 9:30pm the briefings were finished and the students worked through the night in developing their solutions, the groups had their posters and some working prototypes following an initial round of judging on Saturday morning, the clinicians returned to the TU Dublin Synergy Building reviewing all of the posters before the finalists were announced and then undertook a final round of judging.

PRE-PAY METERS COST TOO MUCH

Laura O’Reilly, the local People Before Profit representative in Tallaght South has condemned the fact that consumers who use prepaid meters are paying above the odds!

In a statement Laura said ‘The numbers on prepaid meters have shot up and these are now installed in 365,000 households. ‘Some companies install these meters but they charge more for the electricity. Over the course of a year, you will pay an extra €600 if you consume the average amount. ‘Many are now facing cut-offs this winter and the government says it is very concerned. But they have only set aside a miserly €3 million hardship fund to be administered by MABS and the Vincent de Paul.

‘The government could involve its legal powers to order companies to reduce energy costs and particularly target those who prey on low-income users who have pre-paid meters. ‘They could abolish the standing charge for those who want to switch to bill pay. But they refuse. ‘People Before Profit want the nationalisation of the energy sector because ‘liberalisation’ has been a disaster.

Ever since the crash of 2008, for example, there has been a ‘rebalancing’ of energy costs to reduce the price for large corporations and to increase prices for domestic users. ‘It is estimated that an extra burden of €600 million was added to domestic bills over that period. ‘Enough is enough – let’s put energy supply under public ownership.’

NO SIGN OF CAMHS BEDS IN LINN DARA REOPENING

Mark Ward TD has expressed his concern that 11 child and adolescent beds in Linn Dara remain closed despite assurances that they would be reopened in September. Teachta Ward was speaking after a response to a parliamentary question revealed that it is not possible for the HSE to give a specific date when these beds will reopen.

The Dublin Mid-West TD said “It is of huge concern that the 11 child and adolescent beds in Linn Dara that were closed in May of this year remain closed indefinitely.

“We got assurances from the HSE and the Government, including the Taoiseach and the Minister for Mental Health that the beds would be reopened in September. “Information I received from the HSE in response to a parliamentary question stated that it is not possible for the HSE to give a specific date when

these beds will reopen.

“This is simply not good enough. There is a crisis in Child and Adolescent Mental Health services with waiting lists for CAMHS exceeding 4,000 children waiting for psychology appointments.

“Over 11,000 children are also waiting on primary care psychology, with almost 4,000 children waiting over a year for an appointment. “Nationally CAMHS is only operating at 70% bed capacity. Linn Dara is even lower than this as it is currently operating at only 54% bed capacity with just 13 of the 24 beds open.

“In May we were told that these beds were only closed temporarily and that they would re-open in September.

“It is now October and there is no date when these vital beds will reopen. “This is unacceptable and is another failure by government in children’s mental health.

O’CONNOR WELCOMES LOCAL GRANTS

Councillor Charlie O’Connor has welcomed the announcement of Grants for local Centres under the Community Centre Investment Fund. The announcements were made by Heather Humphreys TD Minister for Rural and Community Affairs at a special event in Fettercairn Community Centre. Grants are as follows; Citywise, Jobstown €10,422.00, Fettercairn Community Centre €9,284.00, Glenasmole Community Centre €20,880.91, Jobstown Community Centre €16,699.00 and Park Community Centre, Ballycragh €17,936.00. Councillor Charlie O’Connor warmly congratulated the Centres on the success of their applications and wished them well.

“The government is not treating this emergency with the urgency that is

required. Children and their families are being left behind.”

TALLAGHT SLÁINTECARE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES LAUNCH EVENT

Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy, Frank Feighan T.D. visited Fettercairn Community Centre on Thursday 6th October to launch Tallaght as a Sláintecare Healthy Communities area. Minister Feighan was welcomed to the event by the Mayor of South Dublin Emma Murphy, Dublin South, Kildare & West Wicklow (DSKWW) Community Healthcare Head of Health and Wellbeing Margaret McQuillan and Colm Ward, Director of Services Housing, Social and Community Development of South Dublin County Council. Also on hand for the event were Francis Noel Duffy TD, Sean Crowe TD, John Lahart TD, Cllr Lyn Hagen-Meade, Cllr Charlie O’Connor, Cllr Alan Edge

and Cllr Mick Duff.

The programme began with Minister Feighan meeting Mary O’Kelly, HSE Interim Chief Officer for Dublin South Kildare & West Wicklow Community Healthcare and Colm Ward, Director of Services Housing, Social and Community Development of South Dublin County Council. There was also an opportunity for the minister to meet and get photographs with the speakers, organisers and community partners who are involved in the programme delivery in the Tallaght Sláintecare Healthy Community area.

The speaker portion of the event took place thereafter in Fettercairn Community Centre. Mayor of South Dublin, Emma Murphy began

by welcoming the Minister to the area stating “..it gives me great pleasure to welcome the [Sláintecare Healthy Communities] programme to Tallaght and I am sure it will be well received by the people living and working in Tallaght.”

Margaret McQuillan HSE Dublin South Kildare, West Wicklow Head of Health and Wellbeing spoke next, discussing the variety of different programmes that are available in the local Tallaght area as part of the Sláintecare Healthy Communities programme including; Stop Smoking Service, We Can Quit, Parenting Programmes, Healthy Food Made Easy, Social Prescribing and MECC. She discussed that: ‘’Each of these evidencebased programmes have

been designed to empower and support people to help make healthier lifestyle choices to improve their overall health and wellbeing. These services are free, readily available and accessible to all now’’. Following Margaret’s speech, a powerful video was played of service users who had engaged in some of the programmes. Ray, Cathy and Pádraig spoke of their experience in being involved in these programmes and the impact that this experience had in their lives.

Minister Feighan spoke next; he stated “Sláintecare Healthy Communities is a collective programme where we all work together to ensure that our communities in greatest need are supported to live longer, healthier lives. The health services cannot make these changes happen alone. To make real and lasting change we need to work together to create communities where people can thrive…. Our local community partners know better than anyone else what challenges this community faces and the strengths with it. They have the relationships and trust of the community and

will be a key to the success of this programme as they are already imbedded into your community.”

Colm Ward from South Dublin County Council was the last to speak, touching on the Sláintecare Community Enhancement projects in Tallaght and the potential of the Healthy Communities programme to make a real difference in the Sláintecare areas of Tallaght in relation to the determinants of health going forward. He concluded the speaking portion of the speeches by acknowledging the close collaboration between all partners to bring this to reality: “The Sláintecare approach acknowledges the effectiveness of collaborative working and it is rewarding to see this programme launched here in Tallaght, where groups and agencies have a long history of partnership, working to deliver on community development programmes”

Following the speaker portion of the event, Minister Feighan had the opportunity to engage directly with Health and Wellbeing staff, community partners, and other persons

in attendance. Minister Feighan spoke with Áine Buggy HSE Sláintecare Healthy Communities co-ordinator, Gráinne Meehan Sláintecare Healthy Communities Local Development Officer and Alan McDonnell HSE Healthy Promotion and Improvement Officer who were integral in supporting the roll out of these programmes in Tallaght. Before departing Minister Feighan was gifted local honey from the Tallaght area.

Tallaght is now officially launched as a designated Sláintecare Healthy Community location. The visit served as an opportunity to showcase all the services and supports available to promote health and wellbeing for the people of the area. The Tallaght Sláintecare Healthy Communities programme has generated strong collaboration between the HSE, South Dublin County Council, South Dublin Partnership and Barnardos. The event organisers wished to thank all community partners and members of the public who attended, along with the staff of the Fettercairn Community Centre who were on hand to support the event.

Back Row: Alan McDonnell, HSE Health Promotion and Improvement officer; Colm Ward, Director of Housing Social and Community Development SDCC; Daniel Mc Loughlin Chief Executive SDCC; Margaret McQuillan, Head of Service, Health and Wellbeing, HSE.

Front Row: Jennifer Moroney Ward SEO SDCC; Mary O’Kelly, Interim Chief Officer, HSE Dublin South, Kildare and West Wicklow; Mayor Cllr Emma Murphy; Minister Frank Feighan; Aine Buggy, Senior Health Promotion and Improvement Officer, HSE; Grainne Meehan, Sláintecare Local Development Officer. Photo by Ben Ryan.

TRAIN WITH THE DUBS SESSION FOR LOCAL SAGGART LADIES TEAM

Ireland’s leading bottled water, Ballygowan Natural Mineral Water, ran a training day in October for St. Mary’s Saggart Ladies Minor and U16 teams. The club was the winner of a competition for a training session with Dublin GAA, at the GAA, National Games Development Centre. This is part of Ballygowan’s partnership with Dublin GAA, as its official hydration partner since 2015. Ballygowan has kept the Dublin GAA’s teams hydrated throughout the Championship season, and will continue to fuel the team in the 2023 season and beyond.

Paul Casey, coach with the Dublin senior ladies LGFA team and former Dublin Senior Footballer, led the session and brought the

Ladies Minor and U16 team through their paces. Dublin GAA stars, Martha Byrne, Orlagh Nolan, Jess Tobin (ladies senior footballers), Lee Gannon, and Paddy Small (men’s senior team), were on hand to bring the players through drills and gave some tips and tricks on how to improve performance.

Commenting on the event, Tomas Quinn, Commercial & Marketing Manager, Dublin GAA said:, “‘Dublin GAA was delighted to work with our hydration partners Ballygowan to arrange a special ‘train with the Dubs’ session for the St Marys U16 girls football team. We wanted this session to be as authentic as possible to how our intercounty teams train so we had Dublin Senior Ladies Coach & former

Dublin Footballer Paul Casey lead the session. To assist Paul run the session he had three of our ladies senior footballers, Orlagh Nolan, Jess Tobin and Martha Byrne as well as Paddy Small and Lee Gannon from the men’s senior team.”’

Ballygowan Natural Mineral Water is part of Britvic Ireland, the number 2 soft drinks business in Ireland with 21.7% of the market. The company has a proud brand history that spans over 240 years. Its powerful portfolio of market-leading brands includes other Irish favorites such as MiWadi, Club and TK which have been trusted and enjoyed by Irish people for generations. Ballygowan is the number one Irish bottled water brand in Ireland. Ballygowan Natural

DUBLIN GAA STORIES FEATURE IN SECOND ‘GRASSROOTS’ BOOK

Ten contributions about Dublin appear in a compelling new GAA book written by those at the heart of the sport.

‘Grassroots: The Second Half’ is a gold mine of GAA tales spanning over 150 years and follows the publication of a successful first volume last year. “The GAA and I were astounded by the response to the first edition,” said book editor PJ Cunningham, who collaborated with Croke Park on both publications.

“This collection is slightly different to the first in that as well as having the

usual stories from the deep roots of rural society, there are also numerous stories where people from other sports and walks of life talk of their GAA experiences,” he said.

Former Irish rugby international Ollie Campbell, ex-snooker world champion Ken Doherty, both Dubs, and Viennabased opera singer Tom Birch, all explain how they became big fans of Gaelic games. “Virtually no subject escapes in the 400 pages, with tales of a parish priest’s curse, referees officiating with watches which didn’t work to players taking ‘leaks’ on the field of play,” said Cunningham. “All human life is in there whether it is going to and from matches or in one case, the story where a Kilkenny fan got locked into a well-known Dublin pub while his team won the All Ireland hurling final a mile away in Croke Park. “This book provides snapshots into the history of the GAA, recounted by the people at the heart of the action, whether those stories are happy or sad,

sensational or ordinary.”

Former Dublin GAA ref Tom Farrell offers readers an amusing tale of how he became a ‘Red Star’ while officiating in a local game while Finbarr Dolan recalls the exploits of an ‘Irishtown Hero’ in the sixties and Norman Freeman’s thoughtful piece on train journeys to big matches will also strike a chord with many supporters. There are also contributions from the late John B Keane, who gives his views on junior referees and a separate story on different circumstances surrounding a Seamus Darby goal. GAA President Larry McCarthy said the book highlighted “the value of the folklore and stories built up around our games. “What these two Grassroots books do is ensure they become available to a wider audience as most, if not all, of these stories are being published for the first time,” he said.

Grassroots: The Second Half, priced at €19.99, is available now nationwide and from: www. ballpointpress.ie.

Mineral Water is bottled at source in Newcastle west, Co. Limerick. Dedicated exclusively to bottling Ballygowan Natural Mineral Water, the automatic

bottling line operates at speeds of up to 600 bottles per minute.

The capacity of this plant on one eight-hour shift

is approximately 600,000 bottles of Ballygowan products. Approximately 50 million litres of natural water are distributed from the plant each year.

GAA PITCH IN TYMON PARK OFFICIALLY OPENS

On Wednesday 28th September 2022, the Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Cllr. Emma Murphy officially opened a refurbished GAA pitch at Tymon Park. The Mayor was joined by representatives from South Dublin County Council, members of Faughs GAA Club and schoolchildren from St. Pius X BNS and Scoil Naomh Iosaf. Designed by SportLabs Ltd. and constructed by Haffey Sports Grounds Ltd. this pitch is specifically designed to cater for maximum use and to support the Council’s objectives regarding delivery of active recreation. Speaking at the event Mayor Cllr Emma Murphy said “The provision of sports pitches is in line with South Dublin County Councils aim to support and promote the health and wellbeing of the people of South Dublin County. The Council is delighted to be able to deliver this pitch in partnership with Faugh’s GAA Club and would like to gratefully acknowledge both their support and the support of the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport via their Sports Capital Infrastructure Grant allocations.”

Pictured are the Dublin GAA trainers with members of St. Mary’s Saggart Ladies. Pic Credit: INPHO/Bryan Keane.

CALL FOR MORE PUBLIC TOILETS IN SOUTH DUBLIN

Workers’ Party representative David Gardiner has welcomed a motion calling for a public toilet pilot scheme in south Dublin, put forward by Cllr. Eoin Ó Broin of the Social Democrats, while also

calling for a wider rollout. Gardiner said “There is a real need for public toilets to be provided. We have a number of public parks, such as Waterstown Park in Palmerstown, that should be equipped in this manner.

Even where there are no parks, other places with a high footfall still require such facilities. Citizens should be able make the most of the public realm, and public toilets are needed to ensure that we

can.” “Unfortunately, the motion as passed with an amendment only covers the high street of one village in south Dublin, and only as a pilot project. The council should really be more ambitious in providing what is a fairly basic public service. This is a given in

many European cities.”

“This idea that citizens should rely on private businesses for toilets while out and about is nonsense.

In many cases, businesses require a purchase before you can use their toilets. We shouldn’t have to rely on pubs, cafés or any other

private business for a simple public service.” “Wellmaintained public toilets, as well as other features of the public realm such as benches and bins, should be brought back to our streets to enable people to make the most of their local communities.”

EIGHT VOLUNTEERS FROM SOUTH DUBLIN ATTEND NATIONAL FORÓIGE’S 50TH VOLUNTEER CONFERENCE

Foróige volunteers from all over Ireland came together in the Tullamore Court Hotel in Co. Offaly recently for Foróige’s annual volunteer conference. Minister Roderic O’Gorman was in attendance and spoke to volunteers, praising their continued efforts throughout the pandemic “Foróige volunteers have helped create communities that are vital to our society. The value of the contributions that are made by these volunteers cannot be overstated. “Not only does volunteerism positively impact our communities but it can provide people with a sense of purpose, improving their own wellbeing, enhancing their empathy and allowing them to connect with young people in their communities. Foróige has to be commended for the innovative approach in involving young people in the decisions that impact their lives.”

This was the 50th annual Foróige Volunteers Conference, with 120 delegates from 16 counties enjoying a wide variety of guest speakers, group discussions and social events aimed at exchanging ideas to continue Foróige volunteers’ impactful work throughout Ireland. Dr David Coleman, clinical psychologist, broadcaster and author was the keynote speaker at the conference and gave his insights into how to communicate with and help teenagers tackle the problems they’re facing in their lives.

Foróige celebrated its 70th year anniversary with the first Club meeting in Mooncoin on 14th March

1952. Foróige now has over 5,500 volunteers working in its 550 clubs, 150 projects and programmes, including Leadership for Life; Be Healthy Be Happy, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), and Big Brother Big Sister.

Foróige volunteers are essential to the organisation’s engagement with over 50,000 young people year after year.

Foróige, with the help of volunteers, encourages young people to take responsibility for themselves and to be part of shaping the world around

them while developing their talents, skills and abilities.

Barbara Daly, Foróige Chairperson, opened the conference and commented on the momentous anniversary, “This year marks the 70th Anniversary of Foroige, and if we view the challenges ahead through the lens of history, we see that the organisation has continually evolved and changed through those seven decades, adapting to the needs of a given generation of young people, crossing each hurdle in its path and using obstacles as springboards to progress.”

Pictured: FRONT ROW (Left to right) Niamh Maher, Tallaght & Valerie Scully, Tallaght. SECOND ROW (Left to right) Adunola Olugboun, Debby McAuley, Tallaght & James Dempsey, Tallaght. THIRD ROW (Left to right) Kevin Dignam, Templeogue, Anthony Clinton, Tallaght & Andy Leeson, Tallaght

RSA’S FREE CHECK IT FITS SERVICE IS BACK

Over half of child car seats (56%) checked by the Road Safety Authority’s Check it Fits service were incorrectly

fitted and needed some type of adjustment to make them a safe fit. If a child’s car seat isn’t fitted

correctly, it could lead to a serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision. The RSA are delighted to announce that their face-to-face child car seat checking service – Check it Fits –is back on the road visiting locations around the country after a two-year absence due to the Covid 19 pandemic and is coming to Firhouse Shopping Centre on 21st October 2022.

Car seats may seem simple to install, but the installation is often easy to get wrong. The RSA have found that almost a third of seats fitted incorrectly needed major adjustments *. We know parents are not intentionally putting children in danger and it is an education issue. To help address this problem, the RSA Check it Fits service will be visiting County Dublin, to help parents and ensure car seats and restraints are correctly fitted.

seat or get it rechecked at a Check it Fits service. For example, if you got your child car seat fitted in winter now coming into the summer months you may need to tighten the harness as your children are wearing

lighter clothes. If your child’s car seat or restraint is incorrectly fitted, the Check it Fits experts will advise on how to fix the problem, demonstrate how to fit the restraint correctly and answer any queries

participants might have to avoid potential serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision.

For more information on Check it Fits visit www.rsa. ie/checkitfits.

Maynooth University Department of Geography held its Prizes Evening on the 5th of October, with prizes being awarded to the top students for both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years. One of the prize-winners was Caoimhe Currie from Lucan, who won the prize for the best overall work in Physical Geography across the final year of the Geography undergraduate programme for the 2021-22 academic year. As one of the Geography lecturers in Maynooth University claimed, “Caoimhe is an excellent student and proved this with a highly impressive performance in her Final Year., no mean feat given the pressures that she, and other student, had been under throughout their degree due to the impacts of Covid restrictions, but also because she was a highly active member of the Student Geography Society and gave up a lot of her time to helping other Geography students”. Caoimhe is currently continuing her interest in Physical Geography, remaining within the Department as a student on this year’s MSc in Climate Change programme.

Aisling Sloyan, Senior Road Safety Promotion Officer for the RSA commented “While the RSA’s experience with its Check it Fits service shows that half of child car seats are fitted incorrectly, worryingly, it found that 30% of these needed a major adjustment to fix them. For example, the seat being excessively loose so as to make the fitting almost ineffective. 67% were minor adjustments, for example, the fitting being loose or a twisted seatbelt. Having a correctly fitted car seat is a simple measure parents, grandparents and guardians can take to ensure children are safe while travelling by car. I would encourage people to visit the Check it Fits service when it comes to County Cavan and give yourself the peace of mind that your children are travelling safely.”

The service takes between 10-15 minutes and runs from 10.00am – 5.30pm, it is free of charge and offers parents and guardians reassurance that their child is safe while travelling in the car. It is a walk-in service, no appointment needed.

It is important to use your child car seat correctly every single time during a car journey so parents should regularly check the fitting of your child car

LUCAN’S CAOIMHE IS TOP PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHER AT MAYNOOTH GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT PRIZES EVENING

MOTORING LIFE WITH

NEW TOYOTA HIGHLANDER –TAKE THE HIGH ROAD

By Breda Corrigan

The new Toyota Highlander is a large, seven-seat SUV that sits above the RAV4 in Toyota’s impressive SUV line-up, and is only offered as a petrol/electric hybrid. Rivals to the Highlander include the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe, but Toyota feel that the Highlander is good enough to take on basic versions of the Audi Q7 and Land Rover Discovery too. The Highlander is a self-charging hybrid, and the system juggles between powering the wheels via petrol or electricity, and charging the small battery to always keep some electric power in reserve.

Outstanding Cabin & Boot Space.

Overall space within the cabin of the new Highlander is admirable to say the least, helped in no small part by an impressive 2,850mm wheelbase. Passengers seated in the middle row will benefit from generous legroom, especially with the sliding and reclining seats pushed all the way back, while headroom is excellent too. There is a flat floor through the centre of the vehicle, so all occupants will be able to enjoy the same level of comfort on every journey.

As is normally the case in a seven-seat vehicle, the third row is best for kids, but will be also fine for adults on short journeys, and the rearmost seats are certainly more usable than those found in some competitors. The Highlander also has reclining seatbacks for the third row, and this will provide occupants of those seats with a greater level of comfort. Thanks to a super-easy tilt and slide function on the middle row of seats, gaining access to the rearmost seats is never an issue. With all seven seats in place, there is still enough room in the boot for the weekly grocery shopping. In five-seat guise, the Highlanders cargo capacity measures in at 658-litres, but this can be increased to a

gigantic 1,909-litres when the seats in rows two and three are folded.

One Power Unit, Three Trims.

There is just one powertrain offering in the new Highlander, while three generouslyspecified trim grades are available. The sole engine is a 2.5-litre petrol unit with front and rear electric motors (providing all-wheel drive), and a powerful NickelMetal Hydride battery that is located under the middle row of seats. With a combined system output of 248bhp and 239Nm of torque, the Highlander can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 8.3-seconds (quite impressive for a vehicle weighing over two tonne), and is capable of consuming as little as 6.6-litres of petrol for every 100kms driven on a combined driving cycle (WLTP). A Drive Mode Select switch provides the driver with a choice of Eco, Normal, Sport and Trail drive modes to suit their individual driving style. All four drive modes may be used when the vehicle is operating in the separately-switchable EV mode. Buyers of the new Toyota Highlander can choose between entry-level Hybrid, mid-spec Sol, and top-spec Platinum trim grades, with all variants coming with a CVT automatic transmission as standard.

Functional & Practical Cabin.

The Toyota Highlander’s suspension set-up has been tuned in favour of comfort, and this will certainly please the vast majority of buyers in the full seven-seat SUV market.

The relatively soft suspension irons out all but the worst potholes and speed ramps, and the laid-back feel from behind the steering wheel certainly will suit the sort of journeys that families are likely to be doing in a large SUV with seven seats.

The functional and practical cabin in the

Highlander comes equipped with a whole host of standard comfort, convenience, infotainment and safety features across all trim grades, with all occupants provided with great visibility no matter what seat they are in. Excellent build quality is evident everywhere throughout the Highlander’s cabin, and it certainly feels like this is a vehicle that will stand up well to everything a growing family can throw at it. All Highlander models get an 8-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system positioned on top of the centre console so that the driver’s eyes need to barely move in order to glance at it. Physical shortcut buttons positioned on either side of the touchscreen help you to skip from one key feature to another with the minimum of fuss, with Toyota’s voice command system providing additional help when requested. Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity comes as standard, along with satellite navigation too.

Test Car Details.

My test car was a Toyota Highlander Platinum which was finished in Celestial Silver metallic paint with grey perforated leather upholstery featuring a diamond pattern and black stitching. Over and above the standard equipment tally across all models in the Highlander range, the main additions exclusively available in Platinum grade include: 20” machined-face alloy wheels, panoramic roof, Panoramic View Monitor (PVM), Head Up Display (HUD), powered tailgate door with kick

function, smart interior mirror, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and dark grey painted under-runs. With a platform and powertrain set-up modified from the RAV4, there are strong similarities between the RAV4 and the Highlander SUV’s from behind the wheel. Acceleration from a standing start is strong thanks to the subtle punch of the electric motor, so getting the Highlander up to speed doesn’t require a strong stomp of the accelerator. Once on the move, you can slip the Highlander into the EV mode via a button near the gear selector. This means that you can drive around city streets in silence, and at speeds of up to 60km/h before the petrol engine kicks in to assist the small battery. It will automatically slip into EV mode at cruising speed too, shutting down the engine for brief periods. The Highlander’s sporty steering set-up means that it is precise and easy to place on the road, defying its size in the process.

Verdict & Pricing.

With room for seven occupants and their luggage, along with lots of standard equipment, and a smooth, efficient hybrid powertrain, the new Toyota Highlander is a very commendable and competent large SUV, both on and off road. It has the power to cruise at speed on long motorway road trips, but low Co2 emissions for inner-city traffic. Pricing starts at €71,305 with my test car specification priced at €83,300 (excluding dealer delivery and related charges).

AN COSÁN COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROVIDER PLEDGES TO TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF A FURTHER 20,000 PEOPLE BY 2030

Ireland’s largest provider of community education is pledging to empower a further 20,000 people to transform their lives by 2030.

This will not only benefit adult learners, children and their parents, but also their families and communities. An Cosán, which was founded 36 years ago to break the cycle of poverty for families living in West Tallaght, has already transformed the lives of over 20,000 people throughout the country through its unique model of education provision. This encompasses adult community education, online courses, early years’ education and care, and a range of holistic support services. These include counselling, financial support, IT support and digital skills, and one-toone mentoring and tutoring.

Speaking at the launch of An Cosán’s new strategy, Vision 2026: Transforming Lives Together, which

took place during the organisation’s AGM at its Tallaght headquarters, Chair of the Board of Directors, Anna Durkan, said, “I am delighted to share our new strategy. It is bold, ambitious and builds on the remarkable strengths of the team and expertise that An Cosán has developed. It recognises the need to constantly innovate and improve our services in early years’ education and care, counselling and family support, and adult community education.”

Ms Durkan said that, since An Cosán was set up in 1986, over 20,000 learners had been enabled to access education and go on to live better lives. “Now we’re working to grow that impact across the country and reach another 20,000 people over the next eight years,” she said. “We are committed to reaching even more adult learners, children and parents, and having an even greater influence to achieve our vision of ‘a

world where everyone can access education to achieve their full potential’.

“Our strategy positions us to promote inclusivity by working with the most marginalised,” she continued. “It empowers us to influence systemic change, whether that is directly through influencing government policy, or through encouraging our learners towards active citizenship and enabling them to influence factors that affect their lives.”

An Cosán CEO Heydi Foster said that, as a forward-looking feminist organisation, An Cosán’s mission was to empower women and children left furthest behind through learning, leadership and enterprise. She said: “We put women and children at the centre of everything we do, holding empowerment, equality and inclusion as core values. They are the ones we must break down barriers for. They are not

passive participants in our work; they are supported to be active citizens and agents of their own change.

“We believe that those who are so often excluded from society – because of living in poverty, because of their gender or race, because of being lone parents, because

of where they come from –have a right to be respected and valued, and to access opportunities.

It is with the support of all those in our network and community that we are able to progress towards our goals of ending poverty and achieving a truly equal

society.”

An Cosán offers a wide range of courses, including Access and Further Education classes in Tallaght and Higher Education programmes delivered blended or online. Find out more at www.ancosan.ie, email courses@ancosan.ie or tel: 01 462 8488.

IRELAND CAN BE A WORLD LEADER IN MENTAL HEALTH

Deputy Mark Ward has praised the work of his mental health committee colleagues on the work on recommendations to reform the Mental Health Act 2001. Deputy Ward was speaking at the launch of the report document in Leinster House recently. Teachta Ward said “In recent weeks we launched the pre-legislative scrutiny report of the Draft Heads of Bill to Amend the Mental Health Act 2001.

“This is a huge piece of work that sees us moving on from 2001 Mental Health Act and bringing a more human rights approach to mental health care in Ireland. “We have seen the stigma surrounding mental health fade somewhat in recent years and we now can have open conversations in how to best approach the subject with the compassion it deserves. “This report takes a human rights-based approach and aims to adhere to the spirit and rationale of the UN Convention for

Human Rights.

“A lot of work has been put into this report by myself and my committee colleagues and it goes a long way to addressing longstanding outdated issues in our legislation. “I want to pay particular tribute the Chair of the Committee, Senator Frances Black for her passion in getting this report finished. “There is no decision that is made at the cabinet level that does not have an impact on people’s mental health, be that a positive or negative impact.

“I believe that if the recommendations in the report are accepted by government then Ireland could become a world leader in mental health care. “The Minister for Health must ensure that the recommendations are considered, resourced and implemented. “This is a very positive step forwards for mental health in Ireland.”

FAMILIES TO FINALLY GET NEW HOMES

Cllr William Carey has welcomed news that the 16 families that have qualified for South Dublin County Council (SDCC) pilot affordable purchase scheme at Kilcarberry Grange will finally be able to draw down their home loans. In June 2022 Minister Darragh O’Brien announced

the affordable purchase scheme had failed to put in place an agreement with the banking federation to approve loans for the scheme. Unfortunately this led directly to families being unable to conclude their house purchase after they had been offered their homes by South

INTERNATIONAL MENTAL

HEALTH DAY

To mark the occasion of International Mental health day, Red Rhinos Kickboxing Club would like to present to you their social entrepreneurs award winning six week workshop. Its an all new course that combines prosocial, pro-positive youth work activities coupled with the disciplines and values associated with traditional martials arts. Every session is themed were look at and tackle subjects of physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual health to provide you with the best tools to become the best you. The club have an amazing track record with proven results. So if you’re a social worker, care provider, youth organisation or just stuck in a slump and don’t know where to begin........ they are now taking names for the launch of our November workshop but places are limited so get in touch today and start the journey of a life time. Red Rhino Resilence cause sometimes, the demons come down the hardest, on those who are meant to shine the brightest. For more information see RedRhinokbc.ie or contact Karl on 0870609847.

LIFFEY VALLEY PUMPKIN PATCH AND HALLOWEEN EXPERIENCE

Dublin County Council. At a recent meeting of SDCC full council meeting Councillors were informed that after a protracted delay an agreement with Irish banks is to be confirmed and that the paperwork confirming the scheme will be put in place. South Dublin Councillors were discussing the proposal before them that sets out the criteria for people to qualify for the scheme which includes retaining 30% of these for people with a local connection to South Dublin.

Cllr Carey said, “this has been very stressful for some of these families who felt they were left in limbo during the summer and unable to complete the purchase of their new homes. The good news for these families is that they can look forward to being in their new home before Christmas, provided the agreement is concluded.

Cllr Carey added by saying that it is imperative that this agreement with the banks be concluded immediately and looked forward to this taking place.

Tom (4) and Annabella (5) Hennessy pictured in Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, celebrating the launch of the Liffey Valley Pumpkin Patch and Halloween Experience. Running from Friday 28th – Sunday 30th October, tickets to this unique urban pumpkin patch are totally FREE and available from liffeyvalley.ie/spooktacularweekend. Little shoppers will have the chance to select and decorate their seasonal jack-o-lantern, with a series of FREE spooktacular activities taking place in the Centre right across the bank holiday weekend. Those who come dressed to impress from Friday 28th – Monday 31st October will also be entered into a draw to win fang-tastic daily prizes, with the parent or guardian who guides their little ghoul to enter also in with a chance to win. For more information visit liffeyvalley.ie Pic credit:Naoise Culhane

NOVENAS FOR LAURA LYNN

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. With grateful thanks to Our Lady for favours received. And thanks to the Sacred Heart for favours received. N.N.

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

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. With grateful thanks to Our Lady for favours received. And thanks to the Sacred Heart for favours received. Pauline.

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. With grateful thanks to Our Lady for favours received. And thanks to the Sacred Heart for favours received. Pauline.