North Strand MATTERS – February 2019

COUNCIL PLANS FOR READYMIX SITE REDEVELOPMENT – UPDATE
Further to my meeting with local residents, Parkside Residents Association members prior to Christmas as well as my follow-up since then, I sought an update from Dublin City Council on where plans currently stand with regards the Readymix site and existing Fire Station. Brendan Kenny, Deputy Chief Executive of Dublin City Council responded to my questioning at the North Inner City Area Committee meeting earlier this week. At that meeting, I asked him to provide indicative timelines for the lodging of planning, indicative costings and the potential number of homes to be built as part of the Council’s plans. The Deputy Chief Executive indicated that the Council is considering moving the existing fire station on this site to an alternative site on the Alfie Byrne Road. However, he stated that presently “there are early and tentative proposals and no details of costing, time scales or density levels are available”. It is my expectation that any substantial information will not be available until much later this year. If you are good enough to re-elect me to Dublin City Council on May 24th next, I will continue to work with you to monitor these plans and ensure your concerns are fully considered and addressed before any firm decisions are taken.

ACCESS TO APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME
The Access to Apprenticeship Programme is aimed at young men and women aged 16 to 24 living in Dublin who experience social and economic barriers. The Programme provides an opportunity for young people to;
• Sample a range of apprenticeships in; Construction, Engineering, Electrical, Motor and Aviation industries
• Prepare their CV and interview skill
• Undertake two weeks work experience
• Health & Safety and Safe Pass Certificate
• It is a 12 week full time course commencing in April 2019.
The purpose of the programme is to progress young people into apprenticeships. The closing date for applications is Friday the 8th of March 2019 at 1p.m. I strongly recommend starting the application as soon as possible as it could take some time to get the required documentation together. Once applications are completed please send them to;
• Therese Fitzgerald, Programme Officer Access to Apprenticeship, TU Dublin Bolton St (Formerly DIT Bolton St), Dublin 1, D01 K822.
For anyone interested in future intakes you can register your interest by following this link:
• http://www.dit.ie/colleges/collegeofengineeringbuiltenvironment/accesstoapprenticeship/
If you have any queries re the Access to Apprenticeship Programme or the application form please contact accesstoapprenticeship@dit.ie or ring (089) 219 3691.

FITZGIBBON STREET GARDA STATION – Construction Update
Further to my update in the autumn about the refurbishment and extension of Fitzgibbon Street Garda Station, I can confirm that steady progress continues to be made with the construction project. As you know the project is being advanced in two phases. The initial phase of enabling works is progressing well and is on schedule. It is expected that the second phase will begin in April. In excess of €8m is being provided by our Fine Gael-led Government so that the new station will be fully developed as a community oriented policing centre. Both Minister Paschal Donohoe and I will work on keeping you fully informed as to the progress being made in transforming Fitzgibbon Street Station into a modern fit for purpose local community policing facility. The importance of getting Fitzgibbon Street Station open again was underlined to me recently when meeting residents from Sean O’Casey Avenue, Charles Street and Emmet Street with local Gardaí to address continued problems with anti-social behaviour. Having the station open again with officers based at the heart of the north-east inner city, will be a significant reassurance to those putting up with mindless thuggery and anti-social behaviour.

SF CITY COUNCIL ALLIANCE CUTS FUNDING TO TACKLE LITTERING & ILLEGAL DUMPING
The Council’s Waste Bye Laws governing the presentation and collection of household and commercial waste were updated last month, details of which are available on http://www.RayMcAdam.com. While I welcome these new regulations, it is somewhat ironic that Sinn Fein, Labour, Green and Fianna Fáil Councillors called for more litter bins, better enforcement of waste regulations and improved clearing of bottle banks and bring centres. Why so? For these parties approved a City Council Budget for 2019 which cut the amount of money to be spent on the operation of our Recycling Facilities, our Litter Warden Service, the provision and improvement of Litter Bins, enforcement of our Waste Regulations as well as reducing the money available to implement the Waste Management Plan. Sinn Fein and their partners in Labour, Fianna Fáil and the Greens continue to speak out of both sides of their mouths on this issue. Tackling illegal dumping and littering requires a multi-facet response but the Sinn Fein Council Alliance in refusing to invest in the enforcement of waste regulations or the provision of new litter bins is not one of them. If re-elected with increased Fine Gael numbers, my party will work to ensure that litter and waste enforcement is properly resourced and that litter bins are located where we need them and that recycling facilities and bottle banks are cleared more efficiently.

NORTH INNER CITY PROJECTS SECURE GOVERNMENT FUNDING
15 North Inner City clubs, organisations and projects have secured more than €143,000 in funding through our Fine Gael Government’s Community Enhancement Programme. Across the country, more than 3000 separate projects are benefitting from €12.5 million in funding. In the North Inner City, Minister Ring has confirmed to me that funding has been approved for groups including the Barbara Ward Clonliffe & Croke Park Community Centre, The Cavan Centre, the North Inner City Folklore Project, CASPr, Charleville Mall Art Group and the Ana Liffey Drug Project. This announcement is further evidence of Fine Gael’s commitment to supporting the communities of the North Inner City so that all our citizens can achieve their full potential across a wide range of areas.

CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION FOR DUBLIN
Dublin’s four local authorities have joined together to develop Climate Change Action Plans 2019-2024, which outline the actions they will take in response to the climate change challenges facing Dublin. Each Dublin Local Authority has developed a detailed plan outlining the actions they will take in mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. Dublin City Council’s Climate Change Action Plan identifies the main climate risks facing Dublin City and both the council’s and the city’s current levels of greenhouse gas emissions. It also outlines all the actions that are ongoing or planned within the council and these are grouped under five key areas – Energy & Buildings, Transport, Flood Resilience, Nature-Based Solutions, and Resource Management that collectively address the four targets of this plan:
• A 33% improvement in the Council’s energy efficiency by 2020
• A 40% reduction in the Council’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
• To make Dublin a climate resilient region, by reducing the impacts of future climate change-related events
• To actively engage and inform citizens on climate change
You can have your say on the City Council’s Climate Change Action Plan by making a submission online via http://www.dublinclimatechange.ie, by email at climateaction@dublincity.ie or by writing to Executive Manager, Environment and Transportation Department, Dublin City Council, Block 2, Floor 6, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. The closing date for receipt of submissions is Monday 25th March 2019.

NORTH STRAND PLANNING MATTERS
The former AIB building at corner of North Strand Road and Poplar Row is set to be demolished and replaced with a five storey mixed use development including commercial and retail units and 14 apartments. The residential will be a mix of one, two and three bedroom units. Permission by Dublin City Council was granted on November 1st last. Additional Information was sought by Dublin City Planners with regards to the potential redevelopment of the Lambe O’Connor site in November. The extra details were sought in respect of the Build to Rent legal agreement, zoning objectives, height, materials and the size and design of the proposal. The requested information has not yet been submitted to the Planning Department of Dublin City Council. The applicant, however, has six months from November 1st to submit that documentation. I will continue to monitor this proposal and report back to you as and when further information is shared with me.

DRAFT DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL PARKING BYE LAWS 2019
Councillors agreed at the February City Council meeting to initiate a public consultation on the draft Parking Bye Laws for 2019. The proposed amendments include:
• Fees for Pay and Display Parking
As the current charging structure hasn’t been reviewed since October 2008, it is proposed to increase the charges in the Yellow Zone (Monday to Saturday) to €3.20/hour and in the Red Zone to €2.70/hour. This is an increase of 9% and 11% respectively. To encourage motorists to use the Parking Tag App, it is proposed to only increase the Yellow Zone Charge to €3.10/hour and the Red Zone Charge to €2.60/hour for Parking Tag users. It is also proposed to introduce a charge for Coach Parking in the City, in designated Coach Parking Bays. This rate is to be set at €9 per hour. All other charges will remain unchanged.
• Permit Quota for converted houses
It is proposed to lower the quota for dwellings not formally in multiple units to 1 permit per premises.
• Display of Residents Parking Permits and Visitors Permits
It is proposed to include for, when the technology allows, a virtual parking permit system for Residential and Visitors Permits.
• Drawing of Tariff Zones
It is proposed to widen certain boundaries of the Green, Red and Yellow Zone to reflect the change in demand in these areas.
Submissions should be made in writing to Mr. Dermot Stevenson, Parking Enforcement Officer, Environment and Transportation Department, Block 2, Floor 6, Civic Offices, Fishamble Street, Dublin 8. The deadline for submissions to be received by Dublin City Council is Friday, March 22nd at 4.30pm.

COMMUNITY GRANTS 2019
I am happy to report that €41,125 worth of Community Grants will be made to projects and organizations across the North Inner City. These grants are designed to provide assistance to local areas and help support community development projects. Local groups set to benefit from these Grants in 2019 including The Five Lamps Arts Festival, North William Street Parents’ Group, James Larkin Community Group. Full details will be available on http://www.RayMcAdam.com from Monday.