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It was a day to remember for over 30 children from Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin as they embraced Christmas when they took to the skies above Ireland in search of Santa. In the company of their families, the children were guests of CityJet as its special Santa Express departed Dublin to check on how Santa’s preparations were progressing. With the help of Santa’s little helpers and his elves, the children enjoyed Christmas carols, face painting and party games before flight departure and a party afterwards at the airport. On hand to help were pupils from Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan, and pilots, cabin crew and ground staff from CityJet. Pictured are Ella Egan, Abby O’Brien and Catelyn O’Brien from Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan with their passports, ready to take to the skies in search of Santa
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13th December 2016 • Volume 23, Issue 43 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. K67 P5W4. • Tel: 01 8•400•200 • info@northcountyleader.ie • www.northcountyleader.ie
Opinion Divided On Directly Elected Mayor
James, Aidan, Liam and Noreen Burke enjoy the festivities at the turning on of the Christmas lights in Lusk last week. See more pictures on page 14
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The contentious issue of a directly elected Mayor of Dublin is about to raise its head once again. This development comes on foot of a Fianna Fail bill to introduce a directly elected Mayor of Dublin. The last time this subject was raised, the agreement of all of the four Dublin local authorities was required to prompt a plebiscite to elect a Dublin mayor. However, while the other three local authorities voted in favour of a plebiscite, Fingal County Council voted it down, thus scuppering the chance of an election. This caused some anger among local representatives, who felt that the people were entitled to be given the chance to elect a mayor. Others in Fingal County Council were unsure of the exact remit of the new mayor and what kind of powers he or she would have in determining the plans for
Priority Must Be Given To Donabate There’s an application to central Government for four large infrastructural projects from Fingal County Council as well as others from local authorities all over the country for consideration. Local senator, Dr James Reilly (FG) is calling for the project that brings the new road into Donabate and the building of a new, second bridge there to be given priority. Dr Reilly went on to outline his reasons why Donabate should be prioritised. “Firstly, the peninsula is choked at the bridge beside the railway station, with all the that is going on, including the building HGVs and buses have difficulty crossing the narrow of the new hospital and the number of people bridge over the railway in Donabate, the only entry now living in the area and the increasing busipoint into the town. ness activity there. There needs to be a second bridge here. Two buses cannot pass each other Reilly explained that, “One of the provisions in on the existing bridge, with nowhere for either this particular project is that at least 40 per of them to back up in the event of such an cent of the housing should be at an affordable occurrence,” he said. Senator Reilly price. This is very important; given the way Secondly, such an initiative would open up the house prices have spiralled recently. From a land around the peninsula, so that badly needed whole host of viewpoints, for those people living in housing can be built to allow many of the people living Donabate, this project is hugely important and for the there, to remain there. Freeing up of this land will wellbeing of both residents and businesses in the permit young people, when they decide to get community of Donabate and Portrane. At the moment, married, to be in a situation where they can remain in Donabate is being strangled and it needs to be freed the peninsula, thus adding greatly to community life from this,” he said. there. It’s important from a community point of view “I’m appealing to the Minister to give serious considthat people who settle there and start families and as eration to this project, which will relieve the huge they become more elderly, they will have their families pressure on the village and businesses there,” to support them, when the time comes,” he said. concluded Reilly.
By Patrick Finnegan Fingal. Would this new mayor be interested in the happenings in peripheral areas of the North County, particularly our precious rural area? This was too much for our county councillors, resulting in a rejection of the proposal. The County Leader spoke to the Oireachtas members, five TDs and two senators, representing North County Dublin to find out their opinion as to whether Fingal should support the notion of a Directly Elected Mayor for Dublin?. The opinions make for interesting reading. Already opinion is divided, with five in favour and two against an Elected Mayor for Dublin. Find out their views on page 18 & 19
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