Press Release - Clarity needed on opening of Powerstown Road allotments – O’Gorman

Published
by
roderic
on March 8, 2010
in Allotments, Community Issues and Environment
. 0 Comments

 

 

08/03/10

 

 

Green Party Dublin West representative, Roderic O’Gorman has called on Fingal County Council to clarify when it will open the newly developed allotments on the Powerstown Road.

 

“I’ve written to Fingal County Council asking them to clarify when they will be opening the newly developed allotments on the Powerstown Road. In a reply to a question asked by Cllr Joe Corr in April of last year, the County Manager indicated that the only works that remained to be completed at the site was for the ESB to connect the electricity supply. Almost a year later, the site still isn’t being used, even though most of the infrastructure is in place”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

 

“I realise that the Council is struggling with cutting costs at the moment. However, the reply from the County Manager stated that he then envisaged that the work would be completed in two months. The Council needs to clarify the nature of any extra work that needs to be done on the Powerstown site and give an estimation of when this will be completed and the allotments opened”.

 

 “During the Local Elections campaign, I regularly received queries from people interested in renting allotments from the Council. There is an increasing demand for this facility and the Council needs to act to meet this”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

 

 

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Press Release - Diswellstown decision from An Bord Pleanala deeply disappointing – O’Gorman

Published
by
roderic
on March 8, 2010
in Carpenterstown, Development Plan, Planning and Press Releases
. 0 Comments

 

02/03/10

 

Green Party Dublin West representative, Roderic O’Gorman has described as deeply disappointing the decision of An Bord Pleanala to grant permission for 438 houses and apartments in Diswellstown, Dublin 15.

 

“I’m hugely disappointed by the decision of An Bord Pleanala to reject my appeal against Fingal County Council’s grant of planning permission for 438 houses and apartments behind St Patricks NS in Diswellstown”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

 

“Over the last year and a half, I have been actively campaigning in the Carpenterstown area against this development. Like many residents, I submitted an objection to the original proposal. When Fingal County Council granted permission, I decided to make an appeal to An Bord Pleanala on behalf of the Dublin West Green Party”.

 

“My key reason for making this appeal was that I felt that Fingal County Council did not follow the Guidelines on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas. Specifically, I felt that the Council had not required the developer to specify where in the area the extra demand for school places created by the new development would be met. As we know, the nearby St Patricks NS has been under huge pressure with numbers for the last few years”.

 

“While both Fingal County Council and An Bord Pleanala placed a condition on the developer to keep free a piece of land in front of St Patricks NS for the schools future expansion, I still feel there was a failure to adequately consider the extra pressure that 438 new houses and apartments are going to put on the existing schools in the area. It seems that neither the Council nor An Bord Pleanala have learned the lesson that when the increase in housing outpaces the available school places, it creates huge problems for parents and major pressures on the existing schools”.

 

“We can only hope that due to the huge surplus of housing in the Dublin 15 area, the apartments and houses in Diswellstown will not be built in the lifetime of the planning permission”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

 

 

Ends

Press Release - O’Gorman pays tribute to Trevor Sargent

Published
by
roderic
on March 8, 2010
in Politics and Press Releases
. 0 Comments

 

 

01/03/10

 

 

Green Party Dublin West representative, Roderic O’Gorman has paid tribute to Trevor Sargent TD on his resignation as Minister for State for Food and Horticulture

 

“I’ve known Trevor Sargent since I was ten years old. During the 1992 General Election campaign he brought me out canvassing with him. I’m sure I wasn’t any use to him, but Trevor always likes to encourage anyone who has an interest in green issues”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

 

“Even in the action for which he had to resign, Trevor’s character shines through. He was attempting to help a man who had stood up to anti-social behaviour in his community and had been assaulted for his trouble. When it was highlighted that the actions Trevor took in contacting the Gardai were wrong, he immediately accepted responsibility and resigned with dignity. In donating his €45,000 retirement payout to the St. Vincent De Paul, Trevor showed that personal gain has never been a motivation for him”.

 

“I wouldn’t be involved in politics if it wasn’t for Trevor. He is an inspiration to me and to countless other Greens. I’m delighted that he is going to continue his work on behalf of the people of Dublin North and on behalf of the Green Party”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

 

 

Ends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O’Gorman welcomes announcement of school building projects for Dublin 15

Published
by
roderic
on February 16, 2010
in Castleknock, Education and Press Releases
. 0 Comments

 

 

Green Party Dublin 15 representative, Roderic O’Gorman has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Education that the go ahead has been given for Castleknock Community College and St Brigid’s NS, Castleknock to prepared tender documents for refurbishment and extension works.

 

“I’m very pleased that the Minister has given approval to Castleknock Community College and St Bridgets NS, Castleknock to prepared tender documents for refurbishment and extension work. It’s great news for the schools involved. Parents and teachers have lobbied incredibly hard for these improvements and have suffered disappointments along the way”.

 

“The fact that the Department of Education has now given permission for the schools to draw up tender documents indicates that these projects are well on their way”.

 

“The Department of Education has also announced that both Tyrrelstown Educate Together and Mulhuddart NS will be given permission to appoint design teams to begin the process of designing brand new schools at Tyrrestown”.

 

The news on the schools in Dublin 15 were among 52 building and refurbishment projects announced. It is part of the Government’s €579 school building project.

 

“In government, the Green Party has consistently pushed the need to invest in education, particularly during the recession, as a way of securing our long term prosperity. Today’s announcements in Dublin 15 and across the country will benefit more than 23,500 students in terms of new or improved school facilities”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

 

 

Ends

Lessons must be learnt from Castleknock Planning Decision – O’Gorman

Published
by
roderic
on February 6, 2010
in Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Development Plan, Planning and Press Releases
. 0 Comments

 

 

06/02/10

 

 

Green Party Dublin West representative, Roderic O’Gorman has demanded that villages in Dublin 15 get protection from inappropriate development and that this be written into the new Fingal County Development Plan. He was speaking after the decision of An Bord Pleanala to grant planning permission for a large development in Castleknock village.

 

“Like everyone else in the area, I am hugely disappointed to see the decision of An Bord Pleanala to grant planning permission for a large development in Castleknock village. Along with local residents, I objected to the development and made a submission to the appeal to the Board. In light of the decision, I’m calling on our local councillors to ensure that villages such as Blanchardstown and Clonsilla are given specific protection from high rise buildings and that this is written into the new Fingal County Development Plan.”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

 

“What has happened in Castleknock should be a lesson to us all. Where there is undeveloped land close to the centre of a village, there needs to be specific local area objectives put into the new County Development, stating that buildings cannot be constructed over a certain height. Planning bodies like An Bord Pleanala will be bound by these and this will stop them granting permission for inappropriate developments”.

 

“I think our councillors let us down in the last Development Plan by not having the foresight to realise that open space, like the one in Castleknock, was clearly a magnet for big property developers, looking to squeeze as many buildings onto it as they could”.

 

“In Blanchardstown village, we already know there are proposals to allow high rise buildings of five or even six stories on sites like Superquinn and on the Bell pub. These were contained in a recent Draft Urban Strategy for the village. It is essential that our local councillors act to have local objectives inserted into the new Development Plan, stating that high rise will not be permitted here”.

 

“I’ll be keeping up pressure on our local representatives, to make sure that the same mistake that was made in Castleknock isn’t made again”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

 

 

Ends

 

 

Safety concerns over Blanchardstown Bus Stop – O’Gorman

Published
by
roderic
on February 1, 2010
in Blanchardstown, Press Releases and Transport
. 0 Comments

 

 

01/02/10

 

 

Green Party Dublin West representative, Roderic O’Gorman has called on Dublin Bus to clarify the situation with a bus stop in Blanchardstown village, after local residents suffered late night anti-social behaviour.

 

“I was recently contacted by residents of Blanchardstown Village regarding their concerns about the inbound bus stop in Blanchardstown Village on the Old Navan Road, opposite the Bell Pub. The residents outlined to me extensive disturbances that they have been suffering at night as a result of drunk people congregating at the bus stop. This includes late night noise, rubbish and people urinating on gates. In one case, a class bottle was thrown at a house, shattering beside a child’s bedroom window”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

 

“The residents have been contact with both Dublin Bus and the Gardai about the possibility of moving the bus stop to a nearby site, closer to the village, at the old taxi rank beside Abrakebabra. However, no definitive decision has been taken at this point”.

 

“I am calling on Dublin Bus to quickly clarify whether they are in a position to move the bus lane in question. It’s not right that local families should be disturbed to this extent in their own homes”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

 

 

Ends

 

Further Information

Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777

Cuts to council expenses at national level are welcome

Published
by
roderic
on January 18, 2010
in Politics
. 0 Comments

 

I am very pleased that the Minister for the Environment John Gormley TD has acted to put a cap on the amount of money being spent on trips abroad by councillors across the country. Recent freedom of Information requests and figures obtained by the Department of the Environment show extremely high amounts being claimed by certain local authorities.


For example, county councillors claimed on average €6,769, with the highest claim being on Longford County Council where the elected reps were claiming a whopping €12,333 average [see press release below]


In Fingal, the Sunday Tribune recently discovered that just over €52,000 was spent by councillors - at that time the highest figure in the country – on 40 trips.


While no doubt some of these trips have value, at a time when the Council is cutting back on vital services, surely the first reductions should be in the area of travel expenses for conferences? A number of local authorities were not making the necessary reductions, which is why John Gormley has taken this action.


The high level of claims being made for so many conferences raises the wider question of the need to reform the huge range of committees and policy groups that spring up around councils. The directly elected Mayor of Dublin, combined with the proposals contained in the soon to be published White Paper on Local Government, will bring us closer to a slimmed down and more effective system of local government in this country.

 

 

Expenditure by Councillors on Conferences

The maximum limits are –

·      Counties and cities - €4,700

·      Boroughs and certain large towns that were formerly UDCs - €3,000

·     Towns that were formerly UDCs and certain large former town commissioners - €2,000

·      Towns that were formerly town commissioners - €1,000

Where the expenditure of a local authority is currently below the maximum limit, any increase in expenditure will be prohibited.

The limits will be imposed by way of Regulations made by the Minister.

 

Councillors’ travel and subsistence rates, in keeping with all public servants, were reduced by 25% in early 2009. This cut will in itself reduce the cost to local authorities of sending Councillors to conferences.

General guidance stresses:  

·         That the limits are maxima, i.e. local authorities will be encouraged to adopt the utmost care and prudence in providing for and incurring expenditure, particularly in the current difficult budgetary and economic circumstances 

·         While the limits are not to be interpreted as giving each councillor an individual entitlement to expenditure up to that average amount.  

·         The general need for a greater level of discretion, oversight and control to be applied by local authorities to expenditure on attendance at conferences and seminars. This would cover the points raised by the Associations in their submission, including –  

§  the choice of events to be attended 

§  increased focus on the use of the allocation for education and training type activities as opposed to conferences and seminars

§  proper practice by councillors in relation to attendance at events 

§  the strict adherence by councillors to their requirement to report back to their council following events.

 

Details for each type of local authority

County Councils

Position in 2009 Budget

Average expenditure per councillor - €6,769, ranging from €3,588 (Kilkenny) to €12,333 (Longford), and with two other local authorities having an average in excess of €10,000, i.e. Carlow and Cork 

City Councils

Average expenditure per councillor - €5,454, the range being from €2,780 (Dublin) to €12,558 (Limerick) 

Data received from all 5 city councils

City Councils 

Average per councillor – 2009 (€)

Cork

7,061

Dublin

2,780

Galway

4,467

Limerick

12,558

Waterford

4,333

County/City Councils combined

Average expenditure per councillor - €6,576

Boroughs and certain large towns (former UDCs)

Average expenditure per councillor - €4,591, the range being from €1,700 (Kilkenny) to €9,964 (Sligo).

Data received from all 5 boroughs                                                                                                                                                                                   

Borough Councils

Average per councillor – 2009 (€)

Clonmel

4,833

Drogheda

2,416

Kilkenny

1,700

Sligo

9,964

Wexford

4,042

 

Towns (former UDCs)

Average expenditure per councillor - €3,288, ranging from €89 (Trim) to €13,333 (Longford).   The other town councils exceeding €5,000 are Carlow (€6,433), Letterkenny (€7,500) and Mallow (€6,944).

It is suggested that this limit would also apply to the town councils (former town commissioners) of Droichead Nua (average expenditure per councillor in 2009 - €1,432), Greystones (€674), Leixlip (€556), Portlaoise (€111), Shannon (€1,056), and Balbriggan and Mullingar (data not available), to maintain consistency with the banding of towns used for the purposes of determining the Annual Expenses Allowances paid to councillors.

Town Councils (former Town Commissioners)

Data received from 13 of 26 towns, three key ones being as follows:  

Towns (former Town Commissioners)

Average per councillor – 2009 (€)

Droichead Nua

1,432

Greystones

674

Leixlip

556

For the remaining 10 former town commissions, the average provision per councillor is €626, the range being from €56 (Mountmellick) to €1,076 (Edenderry).

 

 

 

O’Gorman welcomes announcement of reinstatement of cervical vaccine programme

Published
by
roderic
on January 18, 2010
in Press Releases
. 0 Comments

 

18/01/09

 


Green Party Dublin West representative, Roderic O’Gorman has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Health that the cervical cancer vaccine will be made available to over 30,000 girls in first year of secondary school.

 
“I’m delighted that the Minister has decided to proceed with the roll-out of this programme. The decision taken last year to delay its implementation was a mistaken one in my belief. While the vaccine is not an absolute defence against cervical cancer, its 75% effectiveness rate, combined with the 95% effectiveness rate of the screening programme, should see a major decrease in deaths from disease into the future”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

 
“This announcment combined with that regarding the roll out of a new Colon Cancer screening programme, emphasises that significant moves that this Government continues to take in the fight against cancer”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

 

 

Ends