The Newspaper with the
BIGGEST circulation in the North County
We Deliver We deliver A registered newspaper at the G.P.O.
Your Quality Local Newspaper
4th June 2013 • Volume 20, Issue 20 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. • Tel: 8•400•200 • info@northcountyleader.ie
Welcome Reduction In Crime Rate There was great news for householders in the North County, and in particular residents of Malahide and Swords, as the County Leader is delighted to report that there has been a reduced rate of residential burglaries in both areas in the first quarter of this year. This was confirmed local TD, Alan Farrell (FG), who informed us of these figures. He told the County Leader, “Crime rates in Malahide and Swords are showing a marked improvement almost across the board, according to a report released by An Garda Síochána. The report shows a 30 per cent reduction in residential burglaries as well as reductions in incidents of car theft, public Alan Farrell TD disorder, assault, criminal damage and drug possession, have all taken place in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2012.” He mentioned some of the strategies that were used to reduce the crime rates. “Strategies involving smart policing, as well as the deployment of the community policing model have been part of An Garda Síochána’s Crime Prevention Measures. Operation ACER, which is designed to target known burglars has evidently had a large impact on residential burglary rates.” “I would like to compliment An Garda Síochána for their continued professionalism in protecting our towns, villages and citizens,” he continued. Tony Lambert These positive figures will also bode very well with local business owners, who can rest assured of the continued safety of their premises. CEO of Fingal Dublin Chamber, Tony Lambert, greatly welcomed this news, and said this would have a very positive impact on businesses around the area. Speaking to the County Leader, he said: “Fingal Dublin Chamber welcomes the recent report of certain decreased crimes in the Swords and Malahide areas. This is no doubt due to the diligence and hard work of An Garda Síochána. They, like everyone else in our society, have to deal with a lack of resources and increased responsibility.” “We would encourage the continuation of the policies that they have been using for the continued protection of both business and residential areas in the region.” Much thanks also has to be given to all our local community groups and residents associations, who work tirelessly together to ensure and maintain safety in our towns. While we must not get too complacent we need to work to ensure that crime rates continue to stay low, it’s clear that all
By Jennifer McShane their hard work and efforts play a huge part in the crime decrease. Chairperson of Malahide Tidy Towns, Gerry Rafferty was thrilled to hear the news as he told the County Leader that he frequently witnessed communities coming together to tackle such issues. He said it was a “testament to the true sense of community that exists in Malahide.” “It really is wonderful news,” he said. “It’s great to see the fruits of all the hard work. Tidy Towns works very closely with residents, schools and other community groups to try and tackle issues of crime, so it’s a relief to hear that we must be doing something right! We would like to thank the Gardai in Malahide in particular for their continuous efforts in helping us with graffiti around the town, as we have seen a marked improvement in this over the last while. This great news is the result of the dedicated community spirit that exists in the North County, which we hope will continue long into the future. “
Pictured at the national final of the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards are, Ken Murnaghan, (Regional Director, Ulster Bank), Suzanne Browne and Martina Craine of Swords company, Clevamama. See story on page 6
Reduced Quotas Destroying Local Fishing Veteran Skerries fisherman, Noel Wilde has spoken out about how the reduction in quotas is killing the prawn fishing industry on the East coast. He himself being a second generation fisherman whose son has now taken over the family business. In a frank interview with the County Leader, Wilde was critical about the role played by Fisheries Minister, Simon Coveney, who he says has done little
By Patrick Finnegan to revive the fishing industry here. “Our quota of prawns is now only 25 tons per month, compared to 50 or 60 tons for the summer months of June, July and August in recent years. We could catch our monthly quota in two weeks, which means we’re tied up for the remaining two weeks of the month with crews not being paid. You
Skerries fisherman, Noel Wilde.
are not allowed bring in any catch that exceeds your quota. Any surplus fish must be dumped at sea. As far as we’re concerned, Minister Coveney has done nothing to alleviate the problem along the East coast. Many east coast fishermen believe that he is primarily looking after the south and west coast fisherman, he being a Cork native himself. We’re on strict quotas for white fish here and we’re operating grids in our nets to let fish escape. As soon as the fish hits the bars of the grid, they escape, as do the prawns. This has greatly increased the supply of both white fish and prawns, but Noel believes that
Irish Sea fishermen only get a clap on the back for their efforts in conservation, and nothing else. “The new rule to come in, is that all fish must be landed and nothing will be dumped at sea, but you’ll only be paid for your quota. This will serve to bring the price of fish down. We’re not catching fish in the Irish Sea for the past four years or so,” he said. “We got nothing out of it for obeying the rules. There’s no change for fishermen in the Irish Sea.” When asked what he would like to see happening, he said, “Prawns are our mainstay. We’re looking for the quota to be brought back up to 50 or 60 tons at least for the summer months. Even with these quotas, we’d be tied up for a week or sometimes more.” In summer, there are plenty of prawns, as white fish are scarce. However, in winter prawns are scarce due to the abundance of white fish, which feed on prawns. It’s really hard to scrape a living and something needs to be done,” he concluded.