Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister Varadkar this week visited a growing business in Dublin North West, Joe Duffy Motors, who are now one of the biggest employers in Finglas with 400 staff, and a brand new business in Drumcondra, the Lovely Food Company, which opened last year.
These two businesses typify the kind of thing we should be striving to encourage: entrepreneurs and job creators. We have been fortunate in D9 and D11 to have great, resilient entrepreneurs who have worked through a difficult five years and are now striving towards new opportunities. We intend to continue to ensure the job creation environment is healthy.
General Election Update
Why should I vote for Noel Rock?
– I was the only Councillor on Dublin City Council who did not claim any expenses. The average Councillor took home €12,000 in unreceipted, unvouched expenses. I was the only Councillor of any party to reject these, and to work to bring about reform here: I don’t believe any politician should receive expenses without receipts and proper transparency. Others talk a lot about political reform, but I embrace it, and keep my promises.
– We need a voice at the Government table to ensure we get the investment we need in the years ahead. Three opposition voices simply won’t get our area the investment we need and, according to the pundits, including RTE, I am in contention with the second Sinn Fein candidate for the final seat in this constituency, with the Social Democrat candidate and the first Sinn Fein candidate poised to take the first two seats.
The last five years were about restoring the economy, the next five years must be about restoring fairness, and restoring investment.
The hard fought gains of the last five years will allow the next Government to do more of the kind of things we want to do: a fairer deal for parents, a fairer deal for pensioners, more investment in transport, in crime prevention, in education, in healthcare and in our local amenities.
We need a voice at the table. We need to make sure we get the investment we need. For that, we need a voice in Government. I hope you will trust me with your Number 1 vote tomorrow.
New Burglary Act Tough On Crime
Fine Gael General Election candidate for Dublin North West, Noel Rock, has said that the new Burglary Act will help keep repeat burglars off the streets in the Dublin City and improve the safety of our community.
“I believe we need to be tough on crime. This week, I am glad to see the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald, announced that the Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Act 2015 has come into operation. This is an important new act and means that bail can now be denied to repeat offenders.
“The problem of repeat burglaries is an issue for many people across this great city. Statistics provided by the Garda Síochána show that 75% of burglaries are committed by 25% of burglars. This important Act allows for bail to be denied, and consecutive sentences to be given, to repeat burglars. It’s my hope that the act will reduce crime rates across Dublin and will be a key weapon in the battle against crime.
“People should not feel afraid to go out or feel like prisoners in their own homes. This is a common sense, and long overdue, piece of legislation. This legislation is targeting repeat burglars. This Act will help to keep repeat burglars off the streets and to improve the safety of our communities.
“The new Burglary Act also provides an important additional layer of support to Gardaí in implementing Operation Thor. These new provisions for tougher sentences and stricter bail for repeat offenders will now be available when persons charged as part of Operation Thor come before the courts. Operation Thor, which was launched in November 2015, is a multi-strand national anti-crime and anti-burglary operation. It involves a broad range of activities to tackle crime, particularly burglaries.
“This Government has reopened Templemore after it was closed by Fianna Fáil; €46 million has been allocated for Garda vehicles, many of which will be high-power vehicles for targeted operations; €18 million is being provided for the refurbishment of Garda stations and €205 million has been invested in new technology for An Garda Síochána. This is part of an unprecedented allocation of €875 million in capital funding for the Justice sector.
“The economic recovery, brought about by the policies of this Government and the hard work of the Irish people, means we can now invest more in key public services, Fine Gael has a long term plan to keep the recovery going. Our plan will deliver more and better new jobs and will allow us to continue targeted investment in areas like crime prevention.”
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.
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.
Dublin Bus frequency should increase in line with DART
In December I sought an urgent review into Dublin Bus schedules, as frequent overcrowding on peak time services contrast starkly with a newly-announced increase in DART services, which will now arrive every ten minutes instead of every 15 minutes, from early 2016.
When services reach Glasnevin, Drumcondra or Finglas South in the morning, people are finding that the buses are full and simply can’t pick any more people up.
Our area doesn’t have the DART, the LUAS, or any second mode of public transport, so it’s clear an increase in peak time bus services is badly needed here. And while the Metro announcement is broadly welcomed, it is many years away.
While full buses are a sure sign of a recovering economy as more people go to work, they also serve as a daily reminder that we need more capacity.
I note Irish Rail has published a consultation document in December, which proposes to increase DART weekday frequency from every 15 minutes to every 10 minutes from early 2016. I am calling on Dublin Bus to begin a process to bring about a similar increase in capacity on the routes that clearly need it.
The increase in DART capacity, in response to continuing passenger growth, is warmly welcomed – but it’s clear that for areas where the DART simply isn’t an option, we must be urgently working to increase capacity on bus routes during weekdays at peak times.
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.
Disappointment as vital D9/D11 secondary school left on reserve list
Fine Gael General Election candidate for Dublin North West has spoken of “huge frustration and disappointment in the community” as the badly-needed new secondary school for the Dublin North West area has been relegated to a secondary list in new school building projects programme, which was announced today (Tuesday).
“Obviously investment in education is to be welcomed. However, Dublin North West, across Dublin 9 and Dublin 11, has a very clear need for a new second-level school. Therefore, it is disappointing that we are only going to be kept under ongoing review according to the latest list,” Councillor Rock stated.
“I am calling on the Minister for Education to look at this decision again, as all measurement indicators very clearly show that this area is in dire need of a new secondary school, with petitions by over 3,000 parents also testifying to this need.
“I am bitterly disappointed for the parents of those who were hoping for a big announcement today. It clearly underscores the need for this area to have a strong Government voice at the table, to fight for this area and to battle to get this project brought over the line,” the Councillor concluded.