BRIDEWELL Policing Matters

Posted on December 10, 2018 by

This morning I chaired the last North Inner City Policing Committee meeting of 2018. It was a packed agenda in City Hall with the Smithfield Stoneybatter Business Association presenting as well as the regular report from the Garda Chief Superintendent and his senior management team in the Division.

Following the presentation by Greg Rouse, Chairman of the Smithfield Stoneybatter Business Association, the Gardaí confirmed the following:

⁃ A feasibility study is being finalized for the installation of new CCTV in Smithfield Square.

⁃ Dedicated Public Order patrols have been put in place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

⁃ Operation Pump remains in situ in Smithfield and across the north-west inner city with high visibility patrols to target drug dealing.

⁃ In recent months, 635 searches have occurred under the Misuse of Drugs legislation.

⁃ Premises with off licenses are being inspected in order to ensure that are in accordance with Liquor Licensing Laws.

⁃ Operation Thor patrols have been continuing across Stoneybatter including Kirwan Street, Ostman Place, Ard Righ Road, Ivan Street.

⁃ Similar patrols have been taking place in St. Michan’s House, Little Britain Street and Halston Street.

⁃ Bridewell Community Clinics are also continuing in Prussia Street, Brother Kevin’s, Oak House and Spirasi.

⁃ To date, 1203 Proactive Patrols have taken place across the last six months within the Bridewell district.

⁃ Burglary incidents are down 10% on 2017 figures.

⁃ Bridewell senior Garda management indicated its support for the closure of the laneway to the rear of homes on Ormond Square and parallel to Ormond Quay.

In addition to the 75 Garda allocated to the area since April 4th, another 17 officers started in the Dublin Central Division on December 3rd. A further 11 Sergeants and Inspectors have been deployed across the local policing districts.

A targeted Policing Plan for the festive period will also be put in place across the Bridewell District.

Please get in touch with me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com if you have any questions or queries arising from the details outlined above.

Posted in Arbour Hill, Church Street, Constitution Hill, Grangegorman, Markets, Montpelier, North Circular Road, Quays, Rathdown Road, Smithfield, Stoneybatter | Leave a comment

Update on the New City Library at Parnell Square

Posted on December 8, 2018 by

On 26th October 2018 an application was submitted to An Bord Pleanala for the development in accordance with Section 175 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended.

The Proposed Parnell Square Cultural Quarter Development, including the new Dublin City Library and Public Realm Works with a site area measuring c.0.99 hectares comprises in summary:
 – The adaptive re-use of Nos. 20-21 and Nos. 23-28 (former Colaiste Mhuire school, all Protected Structures) Parnell Square North for library and cultural use and ancillary restaurant.
 – The construction of a new 5-storey over basement extension with roof gardens (c.5,720 sq m gross floor area), for library and cultural use.
 – The total gross floor area of the existing and new buildings amounts to c.11,198 sq.m.
 – Improvement works to the public realm, including reconfiguration of vehicular roadway (2-lane), parking and set down areas, street furniture, street art and public lighting, widening of footpaths, and relocation of Dublin Bikes Station, at Parnell Square North, to facilitate a new public realm area in the area contained between Parnell Square West and East and the Garden of Remembrance.
 – Modifications to Bethesda Place and Frederick Lane North to facilitate access by service and emergency vehicles to Frederick Lane North.

Full details in relation to the proposed development and the EIAR (Environmental Impact Assessment Report are available to view here:
http://parnellsquare.ie/planning-application/

Posted in Arbour Hill, Broadstone, Church Street, City Centre, Constitution Hill, Dublin City Council, Markets, North Circular Road, Planning, Quays, Rathdown Road, Smithfield, Stoneybatter | Leave a comment

North Inner City Dads to benefit from paid paternity

Posted on December 7, 2018 by

North Inner City Dads are continuing to benefit from our Fine Gael Government’s paid paternity benefit scheme. In total, more than 51,000 paternity benefits have been awarded nationwide since the scheme was introduced in September 2016. This figure also includes 4,100 self-employed people.

The current rate of paternity leave is €240 weekly. As a result of changes made by local T.D. and Finance Minister, Paschal Donohoe, this rate will increase to €245 per week from the week beginning March 25th next. This will afford new Dads the opportunity to be more involved at the earliest stages of the your child’s’ development, which is important for the whole family.

If you are a prospective Dad, firstly congratulations to you and your partner! Secondly, you should sign up for Paid Paternity Leave. The application process is simple to follow. You will need a Public Services Card and if you are an employee, it will be necessary to give your employer four weeks notice in order to qualify for the Paid Paternity Leave benefit.

Dads who fulfill the PRSI requirements are eligible for Paternity Benefit when they take any two weeks of Paternity Leave within the first 26 weeks of their child’s life, or following adoption.

All the information you need is available online at www. Welfare.ie/PaternityBenefit.

Alternatively, you can contact me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com if you have any particular questions or queries and I’ll do my best to answer any enquiries you may have.

Posted in Arbour Hill, Ballybough, Church Street, City Centre, Clonliffe Road, Constitution Hill, East Wall, Fine Gael, Grangegorman, Markets, Montpelier, North Circular Road, North Strand, Pensions, Quays, Rathdown Road, Smithfield, Stoneybatter | Leave a comment

Where lies the East Wall Traffic Management Plan?

Posted on December 4, 2018 by

The Transportation Department of Dublin City Council has determined that it will seek to develop Neighbourhood Traffic Schemes across each of the administrative areas of the city. Officials have confirmed that East Wall continues to be an area that has been requested by myself and Minister Paschal Donohoe and they have agreed to consider and for subsequent implementation. In order for this to occur, the Engineers will bring forward proposals that will then have to secure the agreement of all Councillors. An initial report is expected to be submitted in the first half of 2019. We will work to ensure that report is prepared as quickly as possible. I am conscious of the difficulties East Wallers are having in securing safe parking and to access their homes and I will work with officials and residents to secure an effective traffic management plan that deals with existing problems and helps to make life that bit easier for East Wallers.

Posted in Dublin City Council, East Wall, Transportation | Leave a comment

Submission on HSE planning application on Lisburn Street Health Centre.

Posted on November 28, 2018 by

Planning Department,

Dublin City Council,

Civic Offices,

Wood Quay,

Dublin 8.

27th November 2018.

To whom it may concern;

I write to offer my observations on the planning application submitted by the Health Services Executive (HSE) with regards the former Health Centre located at the junction of Coleraine Street and Lisburn Street as contained in 4238/18.

As having organised a Planning Information meeting for residents whose homes back into and are located next to the site at the heart of this planning application, I am conscious of the main concerns that householders have about the application. Firstly, residents are worried about the locating of another service within the Dublin 7 area. I share these concerns generally but with regards to this planning application, I recognise that permission is being sought for the refurbishment of an existing health facility which will continue to be used for health related purposes.

The second area of concern relates to the height of the proposed roof on the refurbished ground floor area to the rear. Chapter 16.2.2.3 of the Dublin City Development Plan 2016 – 2022 sets out the parameters upon which planning applications involving the alteration of or the extension to an existing building. In particular, it requires application to be “sensitively designed and detailed to respect the character….of adjoining” buildings. Indeed, the City Development Plan further states that these applications should not adversely affect neighbouring properties. With these objectives of the Development Plan in mind and following the Planning information meeting I organised for residents with City Council officials, I recommend that any planning permission granted by Dublin City Council in respect of the proposal lodged by the Health Services Executive should contain that requires only flat roofs to be built on the refurbished ground floor facilities to be provided.

I believe the Planning Department of Dublin City Council must ensure that the priorities or requirements set out in its own Development Plan are honoured so that the existing residents in the Markets area are not adversely or negatively impacted by this development.

Regards,

Ray McAdam

City Councillor – North Inner City

Fine Gael Leader, Dublin City Council

Posted in Church Street, City Centre, Constitution Hill, Markets, Planning, Quays | Leave a comment

NORTH INNER CITY POLICING PLAN 2019 – HAVE YOUR SAY

Posted on November 26, 2018 by

An Garda Síochána has commenced a consultation process in preparation for the development of the Garda Síochána Policing Plan 2019. This consultation process involves having a nationwide consultation where we reach out to as many service user groups as possible to obtain a wide and hopefully representative range of views on what areas the Gardaí should be focussing on next year. Previous consultation processes largely concentrated on the development of a national policing plan. This year we are looking for your input to support not just the development of our national Policing Plan but our local plans in respect of this Division.

Therefore, the Gardaí in Dublin Central are eager to secure your input and feedback in order to compile and formulate its policing plan for the Store Street, Mountjoy/Fitzbgibbon Street and Bridewell Policing districts. What priorities do you believe the Gardaí should be focusing on in our area? The deadline for which your submissions should be with the Gardaí is Tuesday, November 27th 2018. Your submissions should be lodged in writing by email to DMR.NorthCentral.Community@garda.ie or in writing to the Divisional Community Policing Office, Store Street Garda Station, Dublin 1.

Posted in Arbour Hill, Ballybough, Church Street, City Centre, Clonliffe Road, Constitution Hill, Drumcondra, East Wall, Garda, Grangegorman, Montpelier, North Circular Road, North Strand, North Wall, Quays, Rathdown Road, Smithfield, Stoneybatter | Leave a comment

FG Councillors vote AGAINST City Council Budget

Posted on November 21, 2018 by

Myself and my Fine Gael colleagues on Dublin City Council voted against the City Council Budget for 2019 at last night’s Budget meeting. We opposed the Budget primarily because the SF / Labour / Green / Independent coalition, despite securing approximately ten million euro in Commercial Rates buoyancy, wanted to stiff our local business with another four million in charges.

Following the 2014 Local Elections, Fine Gael walked away from joining a Governing Coalition on Dublin City Council because we could not be sure that your Local Property Tax would not be increased by Sinn Fein and their supporters in Labour and the Greens. Secondly, we would NOT countenance any increase in business charges given our role in cutting commercial rates between 2009 and 2014.

Despite this, we have taken a prudent approach to Council Budgets since 2014. We opposed the 2017 Budget as it included an increase in Commercial Rates. We supported the 2018 Budget because Sinn Fein and the partners in Labour and the Greens actually brought forward the draft Budget we presented the year before! However, with this year’s Budget, we said that we would not vote to increase charges for businesses in the city. We would not and could not support a hike in charges for those and small local businesses that are at the heart of Stoneybatter, East Wall and the North Strand for example.

Secondly, we could not support a Budget that was increasing waste charges on Council tenants while at the same time, reducing almost eight hundred thousand euro in spending on:

⁃ The operation of our Recycling Facilities

⁃ Litter Warden Service

⁃ Provision and improvement of Litter Bins

⁃ Enforcement of our Waste Regulations

⁃ Implementing Waste Management Plan

In 2019, Dubliners will be tasked with electing a new City Council. Fine Gael candidates for Dublin City Council will put forward our vision for the city over the next five years, including a Budgetary strategy that wont adopt a ‘Tax and Spend’ approach employed by Sinn Fein and their current coalition partners.

Posted in Arbour Hill, Ballybough, Church Street, City Centre, Clonliffe Road, Constitution Hill, Dublin City Council, East Wall, Fine Gael, Grangegorman, Montpelier, North Circular Road, North Strand, Planning, Quays, Rathdown Road, Stoneybatter | Leave a comment