Joint Policing Committee

On September 23rd 2013 I chaired the quarterly meeting of the Dublin Central Joint Policing Committee in City Hall. At the meeting Gardai and Dublin City Council gave detailed reports on activity in Dublin Central during the previous quarter. Issues addressed at the meeting included anti-social behaviour on Fassaugh Avenue & St Laurence’s Place East, Traffic breaches at Doyle’s corner, homeless hostels in the Phibsborough area, mobile phone theft, traffic accidents in the Drumcondra area, empty units at St. Finbar’s Court, Neighborhood Watch, Off-licence test purchasing, staffing of Garda Drugs Unit, Halloween, Operation Assist, anti-social behavior, street crime, “better city for all” report, burglaries, Phoenix Park concerts, Neighborhood Watch, privately rented properties and many other items. The meeting was recorded and a webcast is available here.   The date of the next meeting is Monday 16th December 2013 @9.30am in City Hall. Please email me if there are any issues you would like addressed by the Joint Policing Committee. Mary

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

All-Ireland Final in Smithfield

I'm very pleased that Dublin City Council is providing a big screen at Smithfield Public Plaza, Smithfield, Dublin 7 for the public to enjoy this year’s All-Ireland Football Final.  Fans can enjoy pre-match entertainment from 1.15pm on Sunday before watching the game live on an RTE feed with full match commentary on the 48m2 screenfrom 3.30pm. A big thanks goes to the local residents, businesses, An Garda Síochána and transport providers without whose help this event would not be possible.The Smithfield event is free, family-friendly and alcohol-free. Fans will be able to purchase food from food stalls.  Dublin City Council is also asking people to use public transport to come to the city on the day, whether they are going to Croke Park or Smithfield. Dublin Bus and Luas will both be operating full services on the day. There is no special parking for the Smithfield event.
Mary

Culture Night

Today, Friday 20th September, Dublin City’s streets and cultural venues will be bustling again this year for Culture Night 2013 from 5pm until late.  There are lots of things to do both locally and throughout the Dublin City.  For a full list of things happening and places to see click here.  Some of Dublin City Council's offering for Culture Night include Dublin’s Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2, and Dublin’s City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin 2, is open between 5 and 10pm offering its visitors music courtesy of the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann and an new exhibition and show “Bare Feet and Bowler Hats”, capturing the Dublin of 1913 and presented by Liberties Heritage Association. The City Council Chamber and the permanent exhibition “The Story of the Capital” a multimedia exhibition tracing the history of the foundations of Dublin from Viking and Norman times until today, are also options for discerning visitors.  

Dublin City Council Arts Office, The LAB, Foley Street, Dublin 1 are presenting “Nine” an exhibition which aims to act as a point of discussion about what it means to grow up as a child in Ireland in the 21st century. The Lab is open between 5 and 10pm and it is focusing on activities for children and young adults which include creative print and model making workshops, also music and dance performances to name but a few.
Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane, Parnell Square North, will host an exciting night for all ages including art exhibitions, workshops and artists talks, drawing stations and tours of the building and the collections. Live music, film screenings and tai chi are also activities organised for the evening.
Try to use public transport and enjoy the evening !  Mary

Drumcondra & Glasnevin Local Policing Forum

As chair of the Dublin Central Joint Policing Committee I work with the Gardai, Dublin City Council and the local community to fight crime in our area. Since the closure of Whitehall Garda Station the Gardai operate a weekly clinic in Corpus Christi. Gardai and Dublin City Council attend the Drumcondra Glasnevin local policing forum that was established as part of the roll-out of local forums in Dublin Central under my chairpersonship. The next meeting of the Drumcondra Glasnevin Forum will take place in The Maples Hotel on Wednesday October 2nd @ 7.30pm. Anyone living in the area is invited to attend the forum to address issues of concern with the Gardai, Dublin City Council and your elected representatives.

Directly Elected Mayor

Earlier this year the Minister for the Environment published the governments’ plan for local Government, “putting people first”, which includes the proposal to ask the people of Dublin to vote in May 2014 for or against the introduction of a Directly Elected Mayor. 

The Lord Mayors, on behalf of the City and County Councillors of the four Dublin local authorities, are launching a public consultation today that invites the general public to have their say on the proposal for a Directly Elected Mayor for Dublin. I welcome the public consultation and encourage all Dubliners to have their say on this issue. 

The public consultation begins on Monday 16th of September 2013 and the closing date for making a submission is on or before Saturday, 12th October, 2013. Members of the general public can make a submission on-line at www.mayor4dublin.ie or make a written submission at their Local Library or City Council Office. The survey asks if people want to have a Directly Elected Mayor for Dublin and if so what kind of powers they think the Mayor should have.  

For Dublin to compete in the global market for jobs, investment and tourism we need strong local government and strong local political leadership. Having lived in New York City for many years I know first hand how cities can really benefit from strong and effective local government.  

A directly elected Mayor for Dublin could provide strong leadership on important issues for the greater Dublin area but if introduced without real reform of the current local authorities it will be nothing more than a government puppet. 

Unfortunately this Governments proposals for Local Government reform are shaping up to be a real missed opportunity for Dublin. 

This public consultation process is a great opportunity for the people of Dublin to demand strong and effective local government for the capital city and to reject the Governments crazy plan to increase the number of Councillors in Dublin from 131 to 183. Already Dublin has too many Councillors. Currently in the four local authorities there are 131 Councillors representing a population of approximately 1.3m. New York City with a population of more than 8million people has 51 City Councillors and a highly effective local government.  

I look forward to the results of the public consultation, hopefully this will not turn out to be just another empty PR exercise and the Government will actually take on board feedback from the people of Dublin .    Mary

"First Fix Free"

Earlier this year Minister Hogan promised homeowners that, in advance of the introduction of domestic water metering, the government would pay to repair leaks on the homeowner’s side. 

Dublin City Council has confirmed to me that the installation of domestic water meters will commence in Dublin this month. Dublin City Council was however unable to provide any information or any details of the “First Fix Free” repair scheme promised to homeowners by Minister Hogan. It is unacceptable that in the coming weeks Irish Water will commence installation of water meters to 160,000 homes in Dublin yet there are no details available to homeowners on the promised “First Fix Free” repair scheme.  

I think people can be forgiven for thinking that Minister Hogan’s promise to fix any leaks found for free is going to turn into just another, in a long line of, broken promises. The Minister can if he chooses dispel people’s doubts by confirming his commitment to fix leaks for free and by immediately publishing information on how he will do it. Mary

Smithfield Horse Fair

Dublin City Council will hold the Smithfield Horse Fair this Sunday 1st September from 9am to 1.30pm. This is the second Horse Fair to be held under new byelaws adopted by Dublin City Council at the start of the year. The fair now takes place twice a year, on the first Sundays in March and September.  As well as the traditional display of horses, Dublin City Council’s Arts Office and Libraries Service are also planning music and story-telling. Mary

Killala Road Swale

Following the flooding of homes on Dingle and Carnlough Road and Drumcliff Drive in 2011 I worked with residents and Dublin City Council to improve drainage and reduce the risk of flooding in the area. As part of this Dublin City Council undertook improvement works to the road drainage system in the area and built two swales on the greens on Drumcliff and Killala road to take overflow water.

Since the swale on killala Road was constructed last summer I have raised a number of issues with Dublin City Council regarding the swale which they have attempted to rectify. Unfortunately the heavy rain in July this year proved that the swale is still not functioning properly and I have again brought this to the attention of the head of drainage at Dublin City Council.

I highlighted the many problems with the swale including that large volumes of water have remained within the swale for a number of days after normal rainfall, that the base of the swale has remained water logged for several months now and is totally unsuitable for children to play in.

Following my request last week Dublin City Council removed rubbish that had accumulated in the swale and

have given me a commitment that structural work will be undertaken to fix the swale properly.

I will continue to work to ensure that Dublin City Council fixes the swale properly and the residents of Killala Road can enjoy the green as they have for generations and at the same time help to reduce the risk of flooding for other homeowners in Cabra. Mary

Granby Park

From August 22nd to September 22nd 2013 a vacant site on Dominick Street has been transformed into an urban pop-up park.  This empty site has been transformed into an imaginative, creative, free public space for everyone to enjoy.  Granby Park is a great addition to our city and our area.  Upstart, the non-profit voluntary arts collective, behind the project are looking for volunteers to help-out as Park Assistants.  For more information about becoming a Park Assistant send an email to helpout@upstart.ie.  Mary

Pay & Display Parking

Dublin City Council Parking Enforcement has confirmed that the Pay and Display

and Permit Parking Schemes for Iona Park, Iona Crescent and Iona Drive will come into effect on Monday, 2nd September, 2013. Mary

Free Mediation Service

Madiation Northside is a free service whose main objective is to assist the local community in resolving conflicts and finding a safer way to live and work together. It was founded by the Northside Community Law centre in 2004, and became also part of the Court’s initiative pilot project in 2010. From its begining Mediation Northside has relied on the support of volunteer community mediators properly trained to mediate disputes.  The service is available free to anyone living in the Northside area  to help them deal with different types of disputes including parental mediation, neighbourhood disputes, conflict coaching, elder mediation and many other. For any further information about the services offered by the Mediation Northside, please contact: Mediation Northside, Northside Civic Centre, Bunratty Road, Coolock, Dublin 17. Tel: +353-1-8482988 or click here.  Mary 

 

Homeless Services

Dublin City Council recently announced that both the Central Placement Service (CPS) and the Homeless Allocation Section of Dublin City Council, have been relocated from 160 Capel Street to Parkgate Hall, 6-9 Conygham Road, Dublin 9.  The new office is open Monday to Friday 10am – 12noon / 2pm – 4pm. 

If you are homeless, rough sleeping or at risk of homelessness, you need to contact or call into the office directly at 6 -9 Conyngham Road Parkgate Hall, Dublin 8 OR by telephoning the 24 Hour Homeless Helpline on 1800 707 707.  Mary

Broombridge

I have consistently worked to get Irish Rail to improve their train station at Broombridge. Along with members of the local community, the local Gardai, Dublin City Council and the local youth services I am delighted that Irish Rail recently agreed to work with us to resolve the problems connected to Broombridge Station.  The main issues concern the appearance and the security of the station platform. Irish Rail has agreed to undertake some improvements such as installing new public lighting, the replacing of old dangerous furniture with new more robust furniture and engaging Cabra 4 Youth to design creative art work on the entrance. The RPA are being asked to clear and improve the appearance of the adjacent site they are using for the Luas cross city. Within the coming weeks we should start to see a more attractive looking station. The Gardai have already prosecuted some individuals for criminal activity and a new and upgraded CCTV system should help increase safety at the station. I will continue to work to make Broombridge a train station where everyone feels safe and comfortable to use the train service. Please report any anti-social behaviour in or around Broombridge Train Station by phoning 999.    Mary

 

Violet Hill & Griffith Parks

Violet Hill’s beautiful meadow style park and Griffith Park, both with the Tolka river running through, are lovely places to spend time and great amenities for our community. Unfortunately when the good weather started the parks were subject to anti-social behaviour and vandalism. Cllr Mary Fitzpatrick raised the issue with the Gardai and Dublin City Council’s parks department and arranged to have the fire debris in Violet Hill Park cleaned-up and the damage repaired. Following Cllr Fitzpatrick’s representations Garda foot and bike patrols were dedicated to the parks and signs erected by Dublin City Council asking people to respect the park and to report any anti-social behaviour in the park to the Gardai. Please report any anti-social behaviour in the parks to the Gardai on 999. Mary

Reilly’s Bridge Fly-over

Irish Rail recently announced that work to replace Reillys Bridge on Ratoath Road with a new bridge spanning the railway line and canal is to commence this month and should be completed at the start of 2015. Irish Rail will liaise with the community for the duration of the works and local residents and businesses can contact them by locall phone number 1890253555 and email communityliaison@irishrail.ie . Mary