Phizzfest 2012

Organisers of Phizzfest have issued an “Open call” for performers, bands, writers, musicians, storytellers, players, comedians, artists and anyone who interested in continuing to make the festival a spectacular occasion.


Open Call Closing Date : Friday 30th March

Visual Art Closing Date : Friday 13th April

Phizzfest 2012 will take place from 1^st -9^th September 2012 in various locations in Phibsborough, Dublin 7

For more information go to www.phizzfest.ie

Labour & The City Manager

Labour in chahoots with City Manager to privatise bin collections.

Dublin City Manager has held secret meetings with Labour City Councillors regarding the privatisation of domestic bin collections in the city. Despite a request from Fianna Fail and Independent Councillors for a special meeting on this issue we were neither invited nor informed to meet the City Manager. How many other secret meetings have been held?

Furthermore Labour’s Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr Andrew Montague has prevaricated in responding to my request on behalf of Fianna Fail and Independent Councillors, for a special meeting of the City Council to address the real concerns. He has rejected our email request and is insisting that at least five councillors make a written request and has said he will only consider the request after the signatures have been verified!

It beggars belief in this day and age that the Lord Mayor of Dublin, a Councillor that promotes himself as modern technology champion would be peddling such a line. What is more bewildering is that the Lord Mayor does not himself see a need for a Special Meeting of the City Council to address the serious issues that have arisen and must be addressed. In any event, we have delivered the letter as demanded.

Clearly the Labour Lord Mayor and Labour group on the Council have been working very closely with the Manager to privatise the bin service in Dublin but they need to admit that they have made a right mess of the city. We are on day four of the switch over and still homeowners haven't received letters from DCC and/or Greyhound and bins remain uncollected.

We will continue to pursue this issue and I have today contacted the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee to consult with him on the issue. I will let you know when there is a further update. 

Mary

Bins - Special Meeting Request

In light of the serious issues that have arisen with DCC's withdrawal from the collection of domestic waste in Dublin City, last night with the support of the FF councillors and a number of Independent Councillors I formally requested the Lord Mayor to immediately convene a meeting with the CEO of Greyhound and the City Manager to address the following issues:

• Late notification to customers of DCC's withdrawal from the collection of Domestic Waste
• Up-front payment of €112 is unreasonable 
• Fixing of charges for only six months is unreasonable
• Payment arrangements 
• Clarification on continuation of the brown bin service 
• Tags collection
• Alternative operators in Dublin City (i.e. the Manager to identify what competitive operators/choice is available to homeowners in each area of Dublin city) 
• Details of the contract should be disclosed to the elected representatives 

I will update this site when the Lord Mayor replies.

Mary
Click HERE for later updates on this matter.

Domestic Bin Collections

From Monday January 16th 2012, after more 140 years, Dublin City Council will no longer be responsible for collecting domestic rubbish in the city.

Over the past few months I strenuously opposed DCC’s withdrawal from the domestic bin collection service but unfortunately the majority Labour/Fine Geal Councillors supported the City Manager’s plan.

I again raised my concerns with the City Manager on Monday this week and in response the Manager arranged to make information available today on the DCC website HERE.

I hope this information provides you with the information you need about your bin collections but if it doesn’t and you have any other questions please drop me an email and I will be happy to try to help.

Mary.
Click HERE for later updates on this matter.

Bin Collections

As and from next Monday 16th Jan 2012 Dublin City Council will no longer collect household rubbish in Dublin City. Dublin City Council, under the control of Labour and Fine Geal, awarded the contract for domestic bin collections to Greyhound.

I objected at City Council to Dublin City Council withdrawing from the collection of household rubbish in the City.

Under the new contract householders should receive a letter from Greyhound this week advising them of the new arrangements for their bin collections. Greyhound will be responsible for collection of green, grey and brown bins as well as tagged bags.

Greyhound will require householders to pay in advance for their bin collections. Greyhound has agreed to honour the waivers that were already in place with Dublin City Council so Households that were approved for a bin waiver in 2011 will continue to get the a waiver on the standing charge. There is no obligation on Greyhound to accept or grant any new waiver applications. Greyhound will require all customers to clear any arrears owing to Dublin City Council and will require customers to pay in advance for their collection service.

The City Manager has agreed to provide a detailed explanation of the new arrangements for bin collection over the next few days, when he does I will post them to my website.

Mary.
Click HERE for later updates on this matter.

Capuchin Day Center

It was great that Pat Kenny used his radio programme on December 14, 2011 to highlight the great work done by Br Kevin, Teresa and all the staff and volunteers at the Capuchin Day Center on Bow Street. The work they do is truly inspirational. They feed approximately 600 people a day and give out over 1000 food parcels every Wednesday. Many of the people coming to the day center are homeless but increasingly there are also people attending who just can’t make ends meet. It has been a real honour for me to help Br Kevin and I was truly flattered that he wanted me to participate in the discussion on the show and raise the issues I have been raising for him at City Council. You can listen to the show on RTE by clicking HERE but most importantly you can make a donation to Br Kevin by clicking on www.homeless.ie. 

Mary.

Local Policing Forum

The next meeting of the Mountjoy and Phibsborough Policing Forum will be held on Tuesday 10th January 2012 in An Oige Hostel, Mountjoy Street, Dublin 1 @ 7.30pm.


Mary.

Citizens Info Cabra

I am delighted to support the opening of a Citizens Information service in the Family Resource Center on Dowth Avenue in Cabra.  Citizens Information is a free confidential independent advice service available to anyone living in the area.  They can give advice on issues relating to social welfare, housing, financial matters, housing, health services and other entitlements.  You can phone them on 01 838 4377 or call in to the office Mon, Weds, Thurs 9.30-5.00 or Fri 9.30-1pm and FLAC, Free Legal Advice, is there the last Tuesday of every month from 6.45pm.  Citizens Information Service is also available every Tuesday from 9.30 – 1pm in the Navan Road Social Welfare Offices. Mary.   

DCC Flooding Update

Since the flooding on the 24^th of October I have been following up with Dublin City Council regarding specific flooding events in our area.  At the DCC Engineering Strategic Policy Meeting held on December 15^th I addressed the issue and the RTE 1 news covered some of my comments.  You can watch the full meeting by clicking HERE. It was a long meeting but you can skip to my comments by using the index (1:47) or read my initial contribution below.

Areas in Dublin Central have been repeatedly flooded over the past decade dating from the Tolka flooding in 2002, 2005 and more recently 2008, 2009 and now again in 2011.

Accepting that the Manager says that no location in the city is free from flood risk and that the report identifies a minimum of 142 locations that were flooded on the 24^th of October I find the report to be too high level, too strategic and all to vague. It is significantly lacking in detail, solutions and timelines for action.

I have specific questions about East Wall, Glendhu park, Ashington, Cabra west, Cabra East, Phibsborough, Drumcondra, Glasnevin, East Wall, Ballybough, North Strand.  I have put those questions directly on email, I have raised those issues as questions to the City Manager,  I have put questions to area committee and city council meetings for written reply. 

The reports I have received are high-level and strategic in nature.   I have received replies that don't convey to me or residents that any real progress is being made.  At its worse I would consider the replies to have been a waste of what we are told are limited resources.

This forum of the SPC is not suitable for addressing local issues.  

The city council is refining its message on what it cannot do.  It cannot meet with residents. It cannot provide sandbags. It cannot solve the problem. The network is inadequate,insufficient resources are available,  it is the OPW, the DoE or some other bodies responsiblity etc.  More than anything, no pun intended, the overall effect of this approach is leaving me with a sinking feeling.

Over €120million has been spent over the last decade, the Tolka.  Another €100million will be made over the next decade. While this is less it is still very welcome and every effort must be made to ensure that Dublin City gets its fair share of those funds.

From a homeowners perspective in Dublin City today they do not feel that DCC is being responsive.   Clearly our approach is not working and we need to recognise this and address it.  Clearly there is a plethora of organisations dedicated to protect funding streams and hopefully the Government that has promised much change and greater efficiencies and economies will maybe take this issue of flooding and streamline the various organisations and channel all flooding and drainage activities in one body.

Dublin City Council has significant resources when it comes to long term strategic flooding and drainage expertise however we need to bridge the gap between that strategic long-term approach and the  real life events of ordinary homeowners and business owners in the city. 

We  have to do something to move DCC from appearing  like it is hiding behind big words, dense reports , legislation and convoluted procedures and instead move to establish a clear channel of communications between the city council and residents and business owners. 

Dublin City Council is the planning authority. Dublin City Council is the drainage provider.  Dublin City Council must take the lead on this issue. Dublin City Council needs to take action to establish a Dublin City Flood Forum now.

Finally, I wish to propose to this SPC that dealing with these matters at the SPC is wholly inappropriate and we should call on DCC to establish without any further delay Dublin City Flooding Forum.    DCC should make an application for funding for a Dublin City flooding fund immediately.

Fully accepting that mother nature will always have the power to overwhelm our efforts we need to be more proactive and the City Council needs to take a partnership approach with home and business owners in the city to protect their properties.

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Phibsborough Road Works

Dublin City Council has begun a programme of carriageway renewal works across the city which if you have driven or cycled on any of the work that has been completed I am sure you will agree it is a great job and makes a huge difference.

We are getting some of the benefit of this programme of works in our area. This weekend to allow for resurfacing on the Phibsborough Road a road closure will be put in place this Saturday 12th on the Phibsborough Road at the junction with the North Circular Road (Doyle’s Corner). This closure will start on Saturday at 21.30 and reopen on Sunday at 10.00, and close again on Sunday at 19.30 to reopen Monday by 06.00. Dublin City Council apologise in advance for the disturbance these works will cause but once the work is completed it will reduce noise levels considerably.

Mary.

Finglas Road Improvements

Work on the Finglas Road/Prospect Way road carriageway renewal begins on Thurs 27th of October, the entire road surface from Prospect Road to The Willows will be resurfaced over a 3 week period. Daily updates will be available HERE. All the best, Mary.

Connaught Street Dereliction

I continue to raise the issue of derelict properties on Connaught street, e.g. house numbers 7, 19, 21 and 83, with Dublin City Council. As a result of my representations over the past couple of years DCC Derelict Buildings, Dangerous Buildings, Legal department and the local area office are all engaged in trying to address the issue. A number of the properties have been entered onto the Derelict sites list and DCC is also pursuing negligent owners through the courts. The Dangerous Buildings section undertook some work to secure some properties and I have requested they undertake additional action to address the further dilapidation on some properties. Mary.

Dublin Bus Network Review

Following my representations on behalf of constituents, Dublin Bus informs me that it has revised its proposals for the Finglas East, Glasnevin and Drumcondra phase of Network Direct. The finalised details are now live on the Dublin Bus website and can be found by HERE.

Some of the key revisions include: 1) Route 13/a will be combined into a Route 13 which will serve Griffith Avenue; 2) Route 83 will serve The Dublin Airport Logistics Park, Tolka Estate and will operate down Church Street and onto The Quays; 3) Route 19a will be renamed Route 9. All the best, Mary.

Dublin Bus 11 Route Retained

The Dublin Bus Network review is continuing across the city and the arrival of “real time” information at local bus stops is making the service even more attractive. New timetables have been introduced on the 37, 38 and 39 routes as and from April 17, 2011. Following on from my previous representations Dublin Bus today confirmed to me that in response to feedback from the general public Route 11 is being retained. Its current route alignment will remain unchanged on the Northside and it will continue to serve the Clonskeagh entrance of UCD, Kilmacud Road and then continue onto Sandyford Industrial Estate. For all the latest information please go to www.dublinbus.ie

Green Bin Easter Monday

Please note that any Green Bin collection due on Mon 25th April (Easter Monday) will take place on Sat 23rd instead. All other collections as normal. See www.greenbin.ie.

For opening times of Bring Centres and Recycling Centres, click HERE. For more information contact DCC Cabra Area Office on (01) 2227400. All the best, Mary.

Tai Chai in Cabra

Senior Citizens, why not try out Tai Chi. These are gentle non-impact exercise classes which will improve flexibility and good health. Sample Class next Tuesday, 19th April at St Finbarrs GAA Club. All seniors welcome. For more information please contact Cabra Community Development Project on 085-1519972. Grand stretch in the evening, Mary.

Graduates, Snr Developers

Asset Control, a global provider of data technology for financial institutions, is to create 50 new jobs in Dublin with the expansion of its financial technology operation. Opportunities open to a mix of graduates and senior developers. Click HERE for more on the announcement. 

The company will shortly post specific opportunities HERE (none showing at present), but in the meantime get ahead of the queue by calling their Human Resources department at +31 (0)512 389 100 or emailing your CV to careers@asset-control.com. 

Best of luck, Mary.

Dublin Port Masterplan

Dublin Port Company has commenced a wide-ranging public consultation process to devise a Masterplan for the long-term development of Dublin Port. Click HERE to read the masterplan.

Dublin Port welcomes submissions from interested parties during the consultation process leading to the development of the Masterplan. The consultation period will run until end May.

All the best, Mary.

LinkedIn Dublin

LinkedIn, the most popular professional network across the globe, is to create 100 new jobs in Dublin. Click HERE for more on the announcement. To search for opportunities at LinkedIn click HERE and search under jobs in Ireland. Best of luck, Mary.

Eastpoint Jobs Fair

Following the huge success of EastPoint’s inaugural Jobs Fair in 2010, the second annual event is now taking place tomorrow, 25th March 2011. Recruitment agencies will also be onsite recruiting for one of the largest online companies in the world. The majority of roles are full time permanent with a small number of fixed term contract positions available. Also in attendance will be leading educational institutions and professional bodies offering post-grad courses and professional qualifications. Click HERE for all the info and best of luck, Mary.