First Fix Free

Minister Hogan still working out the details of "first fix free"

The introduction of water charges and domestic water meters is something a lot of people are very concerned about.  Water is a an extremely valuable natural resource and we must protect it.  I am opposed to the Governments approach with regards to the introduction of domestic water metering.  Their decision to go after hard pressed homeowners first is unfair.  The Government should be first prioritizing the security of supply and fixing the existing leaks before asking people to pay for an unreliable and leaky water network.   In June 2013 Minister Hogan promised the Government would pay to fix leaks found in homes. Irish Water and Dublin City Council have both told me they have no  information on Minister Hogans promise to pay to fix leaks in peoples homes.  At the September 2013 meeting of Dublin City Council I called on Minister Hogan to tell people how they can get access to his promised "first fix free" scheme.    I have called on Minister Hogan to provide people with information on his promised "first fix free" policy but his office has advised me that he is still working on it.  It seems like a lot of this Governments previous promises, their "first fix free" promise is another empty promise. I also asked the City Manager to provide me with a report on how many domestic units Dublin City Council surveyed for the purposes of the installation of domestic water meters, how many of the units surveyed were found to have leaks and if the leaks were on the home-owner side or supply side. I have also asked what arrangements are in place for “first leak free” service to home-owners.   The Manager advised me that "Dublin City Council, Water Services Division, has surveyed approximately 60,000 domestic units as of 4th September 2013. The purpose of the survey is only to identify the location of existing stop cock covers on public water supplies to residential properties. No leak location is carried out during the survey. The surveyor does report where there is water in or adjacent to the stopcock/ boundary box. This may indicate the possibility of a leak but is not in itself sufficient to confirm actual leakage. All matters relating to the proposed metering or meter installation contract, including the possibility of a “first leak free” policy, are being managed by Irish Water directly."  Irish Water will start installing domestic water meters later this month in Dublin City.  Mary

Dunmanus Court

At the September 2013 meeting of Dublin City Council I requested /Dublin City Council to clean-up the vacant site in front of Dunmanus Court on the grounds of Precious Blood Church. I have also asked the Manager to arrange to prune the trees that create a significant shadow on the homes of the residents of Dunmanus Court. I have been advised that the City Council has recently arranged for the cleaning up of rubbish from this vacant site and is in the process of arranging to have a number of trees and shrubs along the perimeter of Dunmanus Court pruned. Hopefully this will reduce their impact on the residents in Dunmanus Court. The contact for this work is Evelyn Hanlon, Housing & Residential Services, Tel: 222 5153.  Mary

Pelletstown Local Area Plan

The final draft of the Ashtown – Pelletstown Local Area Plan will be on display to the general public for four weeks from 23rd of September to the 21st October 2013 in the Dublin City Council Area Office, Cabra Road, Dublin 7.  Submissions should be made in writing by the 21st of October 2013 to Dublin City Council, Planning Department, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8 or by email to localareaplan@dublincity.ie , or by completing Comment Sheet at the display. It can also be viewed at Dublin City Council's Finglas Area Office as well as Finglas and Cabra Libraries and on the Dublin City Council website.  Mary

North Strand

In September I asked the Dublin City Council to arrange for the repair of the road and footpaths on Bayview Avenue, North Strand, which are in a poor condition. The Manager advised me that “Currently Road Maintenance staff are reconstructing several sections of footpaths on Bayview Avenue. No decision can be made in relation to what works can be carried out in 2014 until next years budget is agreed”. I will continue to follow-up on this issue and try to have it included in future works programmes for the area. The contact for this work is Adrian Corrigan, Roads Maintenance, Tel: 222 2562.

Please Vote No on Oct 4th 2013

By asking people to Vote YES, on October 4th,  Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Fein are asking for people to go far beyond abolition of the Seanad.

By asking people to vote YES the Government are asking the Irish people to do two things:
1. abolish the Seanad.
2. remove all reference to the Seanad from the constitution.

One such reference is contained within Article 27 which mentions “both Houses of the Oireachtas”. Article 27 is entitled “Reference of Bills to the People”. It gives power to the people of Ireland to express their views on a piece of legislation which contains “a proposal of such national importance that the will of the people thereon ought to be ascertained.”

So rather than propose an amendment to this Article, the Government would have us remove an Article of fundamental importance in its totality.

This is clearly an attempt to grab power not from other parts of the Oireachtas but from the people. Article 27 and article 47.2, which the Government is also seeking to delete, invest in the people real power to veto legislation that contains proposals of national importance.

In Government Fine Gael has demonstrated absolute intolerance of any criticism. They have craftily manipulated and maneuvered and when all else failed expelled all dissenting voices.

Their disdain for democracy does not deserve to be rewarded with greater dictatorial powers. Sinn Fein’s collusion with Fine Gael on this issue is motivated entirely by their ambition for dictatorial type powers if they get into government in the future.

We should demand real reform. Please Vote No on October 4th 2013.

Mary