The Newspaper with the
01 881 81 81
BIGGEST circulation in the North County
We Deliver We deliver A registered newspaper at the G.P.O.
Your Quality Local Newspaper
€85
€135
€185
Mini
Midi
Standard
Email info@northsideskips.ie Web www.northsideskips.ie
12th March 2013 • Volume 20, Issue 09 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. • Tel: 8•400•200 • info@northcountyleader.ie
Call For Publication Of Councillors’ Financial Interests Balbriggan Green Party representative, Joe O’Brien has called on the County Council to publish the details of councillors’ financial interests. On an annual basis, councillors are required to submit a declaration form detailing their various financial and property interests. On investigation, O’Brien discovered that the declaration forms can only be viewed in County Hall, Swords by presenting in person. He told the County Leader, “Locked away in a dusty room in County Hall is no place for this important information which is of great public interest and importance. For the transparency of our political system, it is vital that the Council now publishes these declarations on it’s website. This is not about pointing fingers at any individual, but we all know there has been very damaging political corruption at local and
By Jennifer McShane national level.” He continued: “Our public representatives need to be held to the highest standards and open to public scrutiny, and this information needs to easily accessible and visible to the public. I have written to the County Manager to ask him to change the County Council’s policy in relation to declarations of interest and publish this information on its website. It would take little more than 30 minutes to scan and upload
these declarations to the Council website, so there is certainly no argument against this proposal on the basis of cost.” He continued, “There is a big difference between information that is available to the public in limited circumstances and information that is truly Joe O’Brien accessible to the public, and this information needs to be fully accessible.” A determined O’Brien is adamant that this issue needs to addressed as soon as possible. “The declarations are due at the end of February each year, so I hope that sometime this month, we will see this important information on the website. I have also written to Minister Hogan on this matter, as it transpires that it is not national policy that such declarations are published. If declarations of interest were nationally published on all local authority websites, more would be done for political transparency than Minister Hogan has done in his whole tenure,” concluded O’Brien.
Pictured at the launch of the Reading Tree at Fingal Community College to mark World Book Day are, Adam Daly, Barbara Broaders (Teacher), Sharon McGrath (School Principal), Mayor Cian O'Callaghan, Caroline Farren (Librarian), Martina Donnellan (Deputy Principal) and Sam Quigley
Reading Tree Launched At Swords School A Swords school has come up with a unique initiative to encourage it’s students to read more books. As part of World Book Day, Fingal Community College has launched a Reading Tree, whereby students are encouraged to make book choices and to stimulate discussion. The Reading Tree was officially launched by County Mayor, Cian O’Callaghan on Thursday last, 7th March. School librarian, Caroline Farren explained to the
By Patrick Finnegan County Leader how the tree works. “This is part of our reading initiative here at the school. We use paper apples and paper leaves on the tree and students are encouraged to fill out apples with their book recommendations. If you like a book, you place the title and author on an apple and it’s then hung on the tree. The leaf represents your book choice and you put in the name of the book and it’s author there. Matches
are then made,” she said. Students and teachers are asked to donate books to the tree, so they can fulfil leaf wishes. Caroline said, “People are now talking about literature and it’s been a great way to encourage children to read. Students have been very excited about the idea and have taken to the concept. Mayor Cian O’Callaghan filled out an apple for us and his book recommendation was ‘Against the Tide’, by Dr Noel Browne,” she concluded.
Tragic Paul Is Finally Laid To Rest Rush resident, Paul Byrne who disappeared from his home on Christmas Day last and whose body was recovered from the sea, over two weeks ago, was finally laid to rest on Thursday last, 7th March. The late Paul Byrne A very large crowd turned out to bid farewell to Paul in a moving and poignant ceremony at St Brendan’s Church in Coolock. His mother, Mary was too distraught to speak, but through a friend, she thanked everyone who helped in the search for Paul, including the Coastguard, the Civil Defence and Balbriggan Gardai. She was particularly grateful to the crew of the Nausicaa, who found Paul’s body. “It was God’s hand that directed them to find Paul” and she hopes to meet the crew soon to thank them. After the Mass, Paul was laid to rest in Fingal Cemetery in Balgriffin.