Planning Applications

The Grangegorman Development Agency is about to lodge two new planning applications. One is for a new Primary Care Health Centre and the other is for a Dublin Bus Car park which will be located under the replacement bus parking area at Broadstone. The GGDA are holding a drop in information evening on these planning applications on Wednesday the 19th of February between 3.30pm and 7.30pm in the GDA offices. In other news a vacancy has arisen for an elected resident representative on the Board. The GDA Act 2005 states that a new election to select a new resident member must be held and to that end the GDA Community Liaison Officer will be writing out to the registered resident and tenant groups to advise them of the election early next week. Mary

Saturday Recycling @ Grangegorman

For years I have worked to get Dublin City Council to open their waste depot in Grangegorman on Saturdays. I am pleased to inform you that from Saturday 15^th June the Recycling Centre will now open to the public from 10.00am to 4pm. Saturday opening will remain in place throughout the Summer months and the arrangements will be reviewed at the end of August.  I encourage everybody from the local area to use this free waste facility.  Mary

Grangegorman Road Works

The first phase of the Site Infrastructure and Public Realm aspect of the Grangegorman Project is due to get underway at the beginning of September. This major project covers the whole Grangegorman site and consists of the laying of all utility services, major earthworks and development of the public realm- paths, roads, green areas, lighting, seating, bike parking etc. As part of this contract it will be necessary to carry out several pieces of work on Grangegorman Road. The timing of each of these pieces of work has not yet been worked out but on Wednesday 19th June GDA staff members will be available in room 9 in the GDA offices from 4pm to 7pm to discuss the works and answer any questions people might have.  Mary

Grangegorman Demolition

The Grangegorman Development Authority has advised me that the Demolitions Contractor, McCallan Bros., is due to move onsite on Monday 27^thMay to carry out Tranche 1 of the demolition of several old buildings on the Grangegorman site.  Residents living close the campus had concerns regarding the location of a waste compund and I have raised this issue with Dublin City Council and the Grangegorman Development Authority.  Alternative options are being considered and I will continue to support the residents and the campus development so that an appropriate solution can be found.  Mary

Grangegorman Roadworks

The Grangegorman Development Authority has advised that Sierra the contractor will be carrying out Investigative Roadworks in the Grangegorman area commencing on Wednesday 3rd April 2013 in Grangegorman Lower. The work consists of opening up trial trenches on parts of the road at a time and then closing it again. The road will not be closed at any time, but there will be stop go systems in place. Once the work is complete on Grangegorman Lower the contractor will continue their investigative work along George’s Lane and then North King Street. Mary

Free Electrical Recycling

Following my previous request to Dublin City Council for a free electrical waste collection they recently advised me that WEEE Ireland will do a collection on Saturday 9th February from 10.00am-4pm in Naomh Fionbarra GAA Club. 

This is a great opportunity to get rid of that old kettle,toys, tv, radio or any household item with a plug or battery - FREE of Charge.  Mary

Community Grants Deadline

REMINDER DEADLINE APPROACHING

Dublin City Council is currently accepting applications for funding under their Community Grant Scheme. Key priorities for funding 2013 are community development, social inclusion, children and young people, digital inclusion, integration, marginalised groups and local issues.  To download an application please click here.  Please note that the closing date is 5pm Thursday the 31st January 2013. It is expected that successful groups would receive their award by end of May/beginning June 2012. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance. Mary

Car break-ins

I was woken early one morning recently by our friendly postman who noticed that our car had been broken-into over night.  Now to be totally honest they didn't actually "break-in" because the car had been left "unlocked" (don't ask who is to blame for that, needless to say I am admitting nothing).  They had gone through the car and because there was nothing of any real value the only thing they got was our driving licences.  I reported it to the Gardai and they confirmed that there has been a large number of such incidents in the area. 

May I humbly remind you not to leave any valuables in your car and report any suspcious activity in your area to the GARDAI @ Cabra 01 6667400 or @ Mountjoy 01 6668200 or @ Bridewell (01) 666 8200 or @ Store Street 01 666 8000.  Mary

Planning Applications

As a member of the Board of the Grangegorman Development Authority I welcome the recent applications to Dublin City Council for planning permission to commence works under the Strategic Development Zone process. As a City Councillor I have raised residents concerns with Dublin City Council regarding traffic and access and I am seeking a commitment from Dublin City Council that any permission granted addresses these legitimate concerns.

The first planning application  deals with the demolition, modification and refurbishment of buildings and change of use from Health to Education purposes. The deadline for submissions is January 24th 2013. You can view the application here.

The second planning application is again seeking permission for demolition, modification and refurbishment works to existing buildings including the "Top House", a protected structure. Full details of the planning application are available here. The deadline for making an observation is February 21st 2013. Please to not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance.  Mary

Trees

In early January 2013 initial preparation of the Grangegorman site for construction work commenced with the pruning and felling of some trees on the campus. The GDDA confirmed to me that "the trees to be removed are only those that have been identified in the planning permission for the site infrastructure and public realm. Other trees will be cut back to varying degrees, but this is to be carried out by arbourists and is being done as essential work for the health of the trees. This work will be concentrated around the playing fields and the location of the future St. Brendan’s Way (the new main street of the development). The direct felling and maintenance work is due to last until the beginning of March and after this the debris will be removed." The preservation of the natural habitat is key to achievement of a sustainable campus. Should you have any queries please drop me an email. Mary

Street Cleaning

Since Dublin City Council withdrew from the collection of domestic waste and the provision of a bin waiver in the city they also abandoned the policy of sweeping streets after bin collections.

I have raised this issue with the City Council because it is having a negative impact on the city's image.  It is really important that residential streets in our city are properly cleaned. All property owners are responsbile for the cleaning of paths in front of their own property.  I encourage residents to take pride in their area, to clean their paths and to monitor cleaning of their roads by Dublin City Council.  You can check Dublin City Councils schedule for cleaning your street by clicking here.  You can report areas in need of attention from Dublin City Council by calling the Litter Hotline 1800 248 348.  Mary

Grangegorman Public Realm

The Grangegorman Development Agency has applied to Dublin City Council for Planning permission for the construction of the public realm and site infrastructure and includes that part of the public thoroughfare Grangegorman Upper and Grangegorman Lower, all located within a 28.69 Hectares Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) at Grangegorman, Dublin 7.The application is for a 10 year Planning Permission. You can read the full application here.

Property Tax

Being in Government is rarely easy and governing in difficult financial circumstances is always going to be challenging. However what Roisin Shortall demonstrated last week is that being in Government is about making choices. At the end of the day, when this Government's blame game with Fianna Fail, the ECB, the IMF, other European leaders etc.is played out,  the uncomfortable truth for them is that the decisions they make are their own. 

I was opposed to the Household Charge and I believe this Governments proposal to introduce a value based property tax at this time is wrong. While the Government is considering the introduction of a value based property tax I am proposing a motion at the October 1st meeting of Dublin City Council opposing the introduction of a value based property tax on the grounds that it is unfair, anti-urban, undermines local government and is uncollectable.

I will be asking Councillors from all parties but especially the majority Labour Councillors to support the motion against the introduction of a value based property tax and to send a clear message to the government – the people of Dublin don’t want this tax and they can’t afford it. I hope the Labour councillors will stand with the people of this city and against their government masters in Fine Geal and oppose this tax.

The meeting starts at 6.45pm but it will probably be after 9pm before this motion is reached. You can watch the debate via live webcast here.
You can lend support for the motion by emailing your local councillor and asking them to support the motion as follows;

“The elected members of Dublin City Council are opposed to the introduction of a value based property tax. A property tax that is set, collected and spent centrally undermines local government. A value based property tax in the current unstable property market is unworkable and will disproportionately penalise homeowners in Dublin. A value based property tax that is not based on the "ability to pay" principle will be uncollectible. A value based property tax is unfair and anti-Dublin and the elected representatives of the people of Dublin call on the Government to respect their views and to abandon their plans for the introduction of a value based property tax.”

Mary

Ramp Repairs

There is a problem in the City with speed ramps deteriorating.  I have raised this issue in past and requested that ramps on Blackhorse Avenue, the Old Cabra Road and other parts of our area be repaired.  At the September 2012 meeting of Dublin City Council I asked the Manager to please advise when the ramps on Lindsay, Iona and Hollybank Roads will be repaired?   If there are ramps in your area that need repair please drop me an email and I will ask DCC to undertake the work. 

CITY MANAGER’S REPLY
Road Maintenance will temporarily dress the ramps outside house numbers 24, 46 & 60 on Lindsay Road and also house numbers 41 & 108 on Hollybank Road.

The ramps on Iona Road are acceptable.

These works will be carried out within 6-8 weeks.

Contact: Ronan Connolly, Road Maintenance

Tel: 222 2576 

Smithfield (NWIC) Local Policing Forum

The next meeting of the North West Inner City Policing Forum will be held on Wednesday the 5th of September 2012 in the Holy Family Parish Centre, 13 Prussia Street, Dublin 7. This meeting will be held from 7.00pm to 9.00pm.  All members of the local area are invited to come along and address any issues relating to crime or local services with the Gardai and Dublin City Council. Mary

Grangegorman Community Representation

When the previous government set-up the Grangegorman Development Authority it provided for local community membership of the Authority.  There are dedicated positions for members of the local community on the Board of the Grangegorman Development Authority and on the Consultative Group.  These positions are filled through a local election process.  The positions are up for renewal this autumn and I encourage interested members from the local community to get involved and consider contesting the elections.  All the information is available here.  I am very happy to answer any queries about the project and/or the community representative role so please do not hesitate to contact me.  Mary

Luas for Cabra and Grangegorman

Today An Bord Pleanala granted planning permission for Luas BXD to Grangegorman. It will connect the existing two Luas lines and extend the service to Cabra, via Grangegorman. This is great news for Dublin, Grangegorman and Cabra and removes one of the final obstacles to the project. Now it is up to the Government to provide the funding for what will be a labour intensive project that will deliver quality transport and local employment. If the Government approve funding initial works can commence next year and passenger services could start in 2017.

The 6km BXD line will extend the Green Line from St Stephen's Green through the city centre where it will link up with the Red Line at the junction of O'Connell St and Abbey St. It will then go to Broombridge near Cabra where it will link up with the Maynooth commuter rail line. A stop is also planned for the new DIT campus at Grangegorman which will be home to more than 10,000 DIT students when up and running.

Last year the project had suffered a terrible blow when the Government had cut capital funding but recognising their earlier mistake they recently reversed their decision and included more than €100m for Grangegorman in their recent stimulus package. The campus design was always based on public transport and ABPs decision to grant permission for Luas BXD is extremely important for the success of the project. Mary

DIT Sports Center Bannow Road

I support the planning application from DIT for a new sports and recreation facility in the old Hannay site on Bannow Road at Broombridge. The facility will be operated by DIT and include a gym, café, sports shop, all weather pitch, car and coach parking. It will be open to other groups and members of the local community to use. Planning permission is pending from DCC and if you wish to review details of the application please click here.  Please do not hesitate to contact me about this or any other matter.  Mary

Grangegorman Gets Green Light

It is not often I get to congratulate Labour and Fine Geal but as a member of the board of Grangegorman I welcome the Government’s action to correct their damaging decision of last year to cut capital funding for the Grangegorman development.

When, in November 2011, the Government announced a cut of more than €700million to the capital budget for 2012 it not only undermined important employment generating projects like Grangegorman but also greatly undermined confidence of potential private investors in the Irish market.

Now they have recognised their mistake and resolved to correct it by funding the DIT element of the Grangegorman project as part of their recently announced, and long overdue, stimulus plan.  This is welcome news for the students and staff of DIT as well as the local area.

The previous Government provided funding for the establishment of the Grangegorman Development Authority, of which I am a board member, creation of a Master Plan and design and construction of the new HSE Mental Health facility which is due to be complete by the end of the year. Once the new mental health facility is ready conservation work can begin on some of the listed buildings to adapt them for use by the Dublin Institute of Technology. The first students are due on site in September 2014.

This work will be labour intensive and I have worked to ensure local employment opportunities are maximised. A skills register has been set up for construction workers who would like to be part of these projects. The Local Employment Service is administering this register. If you wish to be added to the skills register please send your CV to the Local Employment Service, 42 Manor Street, Dublin 7. Or you can e-mail them at gmoore@nwicles.ie. Please note that this register is only for construction related skills at this time. While other jobs will be coming on stream as the Grangegorman project progresses, a register for other sectors has not yet been established.  Please do not hesitate to contact me about this or any other issue.  Mary

Z15 Land Zonings



The City Manager has advised me that on June 15th 2012 submissions were heard by the Judge from both sides in relation to the Z15 (Institutional)Land Zonings but the Judge deferred giving his order until the 25th June.

I will keep you posted of any updates as they develop. Mary