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Educate Together Second Level

Educate Together Second Level

“A second-level educate together school for the Northside is something that is clearly needed. I am delighted to see that the City of Dublin Education and Training Board and Educate Together have come together to announce the are delighted to announce the opening this September of a new Community College in partnership with Educate Together. I have been a long time vocal supporter of the need for a second-level Educate Together school locally, and I welcome this initiative”.

“Over the last two years I have met with countless parents and hosted meetings in Leinster House between parents and Junior Minister for Education Damien English, as well as our Seanad spokesperson on education Jim D’Arcy. The collaborative approach with the CDETB is one which was identified as a possibility at an early stage – and I am glad that the resources have allowed this to come to fruition”.

“I want to express my personal gratitude to the hard work of the City of Dublin Education and Training Board, as well as the Educate Together committee who worked hard together to bring this forward. This outcome is tremendous news for the area – the second-level Educate Together school in Whitehall will no doubt receive great interest from parents”.

According to the Educate Together statement on the matter, the City of Dublin Education and Training Board will be the Patron of the College and Educate Together the Trustee Partner. Similarly, they say that the Community College is to be co-located in the building currently occupied by Plunket College, Swords Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9. They also state that the new College will open with an expected First Year intake of 75 students. Plunket College will continue to offer Repeat Leaving Certificate and Post-Leaving Certificate Programmes for both male and female students.

Speaking on the matter, Councillor Noel Rock said: “I have been a long time advocate of Educate Together getting a second level school in our area and this collaboration is a welcome piece of news”.

Councillor Rock added: “I do however feel there is more that can be done, and I look forward to building on this progress in the years ahead. The Dublin 9 area is still under active consideration for a brand new second-level school in the coming capital investment programme, and if elected to the Dail I intend to ensure this happens”.

A dedicated point of contact for parents/guardians interested in enrolling their daughter/son in Clonturk College will be established and further information in relation to this will issue before the end of January. This information will be published both on www.CDETB.ie and www.educatetogether.ie.    

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Christmas Tree Disposal 2016

Christmas Tree Disposal 2016

Dublin City Council are pleased to announce that the following Bring Centres will also open on Sunday 3rd 10th 17th January only from 10am – 4pm to facilitate the recycling of Christmas trees and additional Christmas packaging:
 Oscar Traynor Road, Coolock, Collins Avenue, Dublin 11

 
 Collins Avenue, Dublin 9 (opposite DCU entrance)
Monday – Saturday operating times are normal from January 4th onwards. 

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Register

Registering for Inclusion in the Draft Register of Electors

To be included in the Draft Register, please check the conditions listed below and if you are eligible, then complete a RFA voter registration form and return it to the Franchise Section, Dublin City Council, Block 4, Floor 1, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8, before 25th November.

Forms to complete for Inclusion in Draft Register

(Please note, form RFA must be printed out and fully completed, then posted (FREEPOST) to the Franchise Section, Dublin City Council, Block 4, Floor 1, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8, before 25th November.)
Opens the RFA voter regsitration form in a new window

Download the RFA voter registration form (PDF 231Kb)

Or, to request a copy, email franchise@dublincity.ie or call (01) 222 2222 (Dublin City Council Customer Services).

Note: You may be required to produce documentary evidence to support your eligibility to vote, e.g. a birth certificate, a certificate of naturalisation.

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Subsidising Big Developers A Bad Idea

Subsidising Big Developers A Bad Idea

Private rent index at all-time high, but subsidising big developers not the answer – Rock

Fine Gael Dublin North West General Election candidate Noel Rock today (Thursday) said that Minister Alan Kelly’s proposed solution to the housing situation isn’t the right approach

“This is a big subsidy to big developers and is effectively pilfering general taxation – paid by you and I – to prop up larger developers,” he stated.

“A far more sensible solution would be to simply reduce the levy which is imposed by each Council. This would mean general taxation isn’t squandered and given to developers, while the increase in the number of units being built would more than offset any reduction if applied correctly. In the aftermath of today’s figures, which reveal that private rents are at an all-time high, it’s clear that action needs to be taken. But the proposed action splashed across this morning’s Irish Independent is not the right approach.

“The crisis is clear across multiple levels: residential prices are surging, Generation Rent are being squeezed by huge rent increases, social housing demand far outstrips supply – and the underlying solution is clear no matter your politics: we need more supply of housing. This is the most pressing issue facing this Government.

“I am hopeful that Budget 2016 on Tuesday will offer clarity and certainty to the great many people out there who are feeling the pinch of a lack of supply of housing, be it through not being able to buy, getting priced out of rent or not being able to access suitable social housing. I don’t believe a handout to big developers would solve this situation, and believe a much more holistic solution is needed,” Councillor Rock concluded.

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LAP

The Phibsborough Draft Local Area Plan has been published and is available below.

I would appreciate any feedback on this document, and will be distributing my own feedback to the Council in coming weeks. I will be meeting with Council officials to raise concerns and discuss the Draft Plan on June 11th.

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1,000 Full Time Jobs Created Per Week

1,000 Full Time Jobs Created Per Week

Unemployment levels fall to 9.8% – 104,000 jobs created since 2012

The unemployment rate has dropped below 10%, to 9.8%, Fine Gael Councillor Noel Rock has reported. Figures for the month of April were released today (Thursday) by the Central Statistics Office.

“Unemployment figures have consistently fallen month-on-month since the Government launched its Action Plan for Jobs in early 2012,” he stated. “In 2012, a target of creating 100,000 new jobs by 2016 was set, which was thought to be very ambitious at that time,” the Councillor explained. “Today, the CSO has confirmed that (on a seasonally adjusted basis) an additional 104,600 jobs have been created since then. This is really positive news.

“However, I’m still aware that while this is a major milestone on the way back to full employment, there are still far too many people out of work and that we must do more to ensure everyone who wants to a job can have one.

“Reducing unemployment from 10% to 5% will be twice as difficult as cutting it from 15% to 10%, requiring us to redouble our efforts in reforming welfare to make work pay and providing the unemployed with the training and other supports needed to return to work.

“We need to go on creating 40,000 new jobs every year for the next few years in order to reach sustainable full employment. When we reach this target of 2.1m jobs in the economy by 2018, which is the plan, we will have replaced all the jobs lost during the recession with new more sustainable jobs.”

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Ballymun Shopping Centre Update

Ballymun Shopping Centre Update

I have been keeping on top of the City Council for the last few months concerning the Shopping Centre in order to ensure that residents in our area are kept up to date. Please find below their latest statement to me on the matter:

The Dublin City Development Plan 2011-2017 contains a list of 16 LAP’s to be prepared, one of which is for Ballymun. With the wind down of Ballymun Regeneration Ltd, it is considered an opportune time to prepare such a Plan, and as such the Planning Department has sought approval from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government for the temporary recruitment of a Planner in order to allow this work to commence.

The Plan will set out proposals for all remaining sites and infrastructural requirements for Ballymun. The City Council completed the acquisition of the Shopping Centre in December 2014 with a number of tenants remaining in
situ. Negotiations are ongoing to achieve vacant possession to enable re-development taking place on a cleared site.

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New primary school on the way for Drumcondra

New primary school on the way for Drumcondra

Children in Drumcondra are set to get a new primary school in 2016, Fine Gael Councillor Noel Rock has reported.
“Seven new primary schools are to be created around the country this year and next year and I’m delighted to report that one of those schools will be in our area,” Councillor Rock stated.
“Parents and children in Drumcondra/Glasnevin/Marino will have the choice of an additional school in their area in 2016. This area has a high population of young families and deserves the very best facilities.
“As well as being good news for residents of these areas, basic construction costs for the seven new schools nationwide will be in the region of €24m. This level of investment by the State will support some 240 direct jobs and 48 indirect jobs,” the Councillor continued.
Since 2011, 20 new primary schools have opened around the country. When developed, these new schools will cater for almost 3,000 pupils. A patronage determination process for the 2016 schools will be carried out later this year.
“The announcement of two new primary schools in the area gives further cause for consideration of an Educate Together second level school as a cause for priority. From my work with the campaign, I’m all too aware that the level of interest in such a school is huge. Over 2,000 Northside parents signed a petition calling for this last year, so I can assume that this campaign will gain even greater momentum when a new potential feeder school comes on-stream,” Councillor Rock concluded.

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