15%
Those who voted JP Browne (FG)
Philip Lynam (SF)
Eoghan O’Brien (FF)
Anthony Lavin (FG)
Daire Ni Laoi (SF)
circulation in the North County
Adrian Henchy (FF)
Keith Redmond (FG)
Malachy Quinn (SF)
Your Quality Local Newspaper
Brian Dennehy (FF)
Eugene Coppinger (SP)
Barry Martin (PBP)
Joe Newman (NP)
Tony Murphy (NP)
Justin Sinnott (NP)
Grainne Maguire (NP)
Paul Mulville (NP)
Cian O’Callaghan (NP)
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30th September 2014 • Volume 21, Issue 35 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. • Tel: 8•400•200
15% Reduction After a robust debate at a Council meeting last week, councillors voted to cut the Local Property Tax (LPT) by 15 per cent next year. The 15 per cent was the maximum reduction allowed. Twenty four out of 25 of our local councillors from the Balbriggan, Swords and Malahide electoral areas were present at the meeting, (Independent councillor, Anne Devitt was absent). Out of the 24 present, 18 from the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein parties and some Independents voted for the full 15 per cent reduction, whilst six councillors from Labour, the Green Party and other Independents), voted for a 10 per cent reduction. According to Swords councillor, Joe
By Jennifer McShane Newman (NP), it was hugely important that the full 15 per cent reduction was voted in, so “that the local people see that they have councillors working in their interest.” “Local homeowners have been hit so
15%
Darragh Butler (FF)
hard over all the charges,” Newman said. “People have told me personally how they are struggling because of the LPT, I got a real sense of the true upset and despair that they were feeling, and I want to help alleviate that.” “It’s important that they, not only have a bit of relief from the charges, which the reduction should give them, but so that they really can see that some of their elected representatives are actively working towards change for the better, and that we are not simply just accepting
what is being handed out to us,” he explained. The Fianna Fail party, who hold majority in the County Council, have long spearheaded the LPT campaign and councillor, Darragh Butler told the County Leader that all members were also strongly in favour of the full 15 per cent reduction from the beginning. “Fianna Fáil gave a commitment to the electorate in the North County prior to the local elections, that we would seek a full reduction, to in some small way alleviate the tax burden that this Government has put
Those Who Voted
10% Ken Farrell (Lab)
Brian McDonagh (Lab)
Duncan Smith (Lab) David Healy (GP) Jimmy Guerin (NP) David O’Connor (NP)
on tour local citizens, so we were always going to vote for a full reduction,” he said. “I can confirm that Fingal County Council is in a position to pass on this reduction, which will cost approximately €6m, leaving the Council with a surplus (after the 20 per cent disbursement to equalisation fund) of nearly €2m, so it was in this regard that our decision was made,” Butler explained. According to Butler, the six members who voted for a 10 per cent reduction, Continued on page 20
Local Businesses Gear Up For Enterprise Week The much anticipated 5th annual Fingal Enterprise Week is just around the corner and this year’s event is expected to be bigger and better than ever. This is the most eagerly awaited event on the calendar for local businesses, as they avail of world class mentoring and advice from top business professionals. As usual, the week will be crammed with opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to network and boost their businesses, through a range of mentoring sessions. Fingal Enterprise Week takes place from Monday 6th October until Friday, 10th October at a variety of locations across the county. The recently formed Local Enterprise Board have joined forces with some of the world’s most respected companies for Enterprise Week, to enable business people to network, learn and seek out new business opportunities to make their businesses develop and grow. Fingal Enterprise Week 2014 is the biggest local Enterprise Week in the country and will inspire and connect small businesses through 16 exciting and dynamic business events, workshops and networking
opportunities. The events will cover key business topics, including technology, strategy, networking, finance, marketing and communications. On Monday, 6th October, the curtain-raiser for Fingal Enterprise Week will see one of the key technology events, ‘Future Tech Trends’, which takes place at the Gallery Suite at the Helix Theatre, DCU from 7.30am until 10am. Being able to understand and use technology is an essential part of business today. This year’s Fingal Enterprise Week will feature a number of unmissable technology events, focused on helping business owners keep up to date with developing trends and the best practices for online marketing and sales. Places are strictly limited at all events. Some events are already fully booked, others are nearly full and will close soon. So book now to avoid disappointment. Future Tech Trends features predictions from Google’s David O’Mahony, Andy O’Donoghue of Beaumex and John Beckett from Eirtight Technology; Continued on page 11
The Biggest Circulation Of Any North County Newspaper