CLONLIFFE & BALLYBOUGH MATTERS – March 2024

ORCHARD ROAD DEPOT – KEEPING YOU FULLY UPDATED

As YOUR local Councillor, I work hard to keep you updated of developments in the area. Since Dublin City Council first published details of the pre-planning application for the redevelopment of the Orchard Road depot, significant technical and policy changes in the Dublin City Development Plan have been adopted. These changes have had a knock-on impact for the potential redevelopment of the Orchard Road Depot site. Significantly, the number of homes to be provided has been reduced with the scale and density of the redevelopment also being changed. I expect there to be no more than 30 homes to be built. How the development would be accessed is also under review. Whether there should be any vehicular or pedestrian access from Tom Clarke House is also being considered? There is no clear timeframe, yet, for the initiation of a Part 8 planning application to Dublin City Council. Given the number of householders who sought an update from me in recent days, I am eager to share this information with you and provide some clarity on the proposed redevelopment of the Orchard Road Depot. 

 

GREENING BALLYBOUGH

I have worked with Ballybough Pride of Place to secure funding to deliver greening projects this year. In all, I secured €40,000 that will be spent on installing new planting and greenery along Ballybough Road. The Parks Department intends to use the existing build-outs on Spring Gardens Street and retrofit them to accommodate street tree planting. This work will improve and facilitate environmental services on the street. A contractor has been appointed for the replacement of the palisade fencing on the Sackville Place biodiversity garden. I have also asked the Parks Department to examine the potential to remove the railways on Luke Kelly Bridge and replace them with timber picket fencing and arrange for the area to be replanted in a similar way to other sites across the North-East Inner City. If you have any other suggestions about how and where greening projects can be advanced, please email me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com or WhatsApp me on 086 – 847 1720. 

 

STRENGTHENING CLONLIFFE & BALLYBOUGH COMMUNITY POLICING

The need for a more visible community Garda presence has been raised with me as I have spoken to residents over the last few weeks. The importance of such increased visibility was reiterated to me by Drumcondra Park residents following a spate of car vandalism incidents. Last Thursday, I met Superintendent Brennan from Fitzgibbon Street to impress upon him the importance of maximising the increased resources available, given that another 19 officers have been assigned to our area following their graduation from Templemore last week. This is on top of the 115 officers assigned to Dublin stations prior to Christmas. At present, there are 16 Garda officers and 3 Sergeants assigned to Community Policing divided across four separate teams serving the communities along Clonliffe Road and Ballybough. With additional recruits due to be assigned to the district across 2024, the Superintendent intends activating a dedicated Crime Prevention Unit which will further enhance the level and visibility of community policing locally. Strengthening community policing is a vital step to:

❖ Act as a deterrent for all anti-social and criminal behaviour,

❖ Improve local Garda visibility,

❖ Ensure those who attempt and engage in anti-social behaviour and criminal behaviour in the Clonliffe and Ballybough areas are identified and apprehended swiftly.

This initiative is an important step that will enhance the feeling of being safe, and secure on your own street and within your own neighbourhood.

BIKE BUNKER INITIATIVE

There continues to be much interest in the Bike Bunkers among Inner City householders. So many people registered their interest but failed to receive any reply, update or indication of what was happening with the initiative from the City Council. Throughout 2023, I worked to get to the bottom of what happened and help secure a plan that could enable a permanent scheme to be established and availed of by Dubliners. In September, the City Council finally agreed a plan to expand the Bike Bunkers scheme over the next three years, with at least 300 bike bunkers to be deployed. A minimum of €1.5m has been allocated by the City Council and officials are in the process of finalising tender documents to select a contractor who will run the scheme on their behalf. The procurement process will begin by Easter. If you would like more detailed information on the review of the initial trial and the reports considered by Councillors in September, please email me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com and I will share that information with you.

DECISIONS ARE MADE BY THOSE WHO SHOW UP!

Finally, with elections later this year, I am working to ensure local residents are registered to vote so that they can fully exercise their democratic right in those elections and vote for candidates active on the ground. You can register to vote here – https://www.electoralcommission.ie/referendums/check-the-register/. Remember, decisions are made by those who turn up. Make sure you are registered to vote and have the opportunity to have your say on who represents the Clonliffe and Ballybough area on Dublin City Council over the next five years.

 

FOOTPATH WORKS THIS WEEK AT BLOODY SUNDAY BRIDGE

Dublin City Council officials have informed that the eastern footpath along Bloody Sunday Bridge will be closed this week. The reason for this closure is to facilitate new connections to the local electricity network, following the works that took place earlier this year as part of the Royal Canal Greenway Phase 3 project. During this period, temporary traffic signals and pedestrian crossings will be established to manage traffic flow through the outbound traffic lane and to allow pedestrians to access the western footpath. There will not be enough space available to allow pedestrians past the works location without crossing the road. I understand the Council circulated an informational leaflet last week but if you did not receive the information, please get in touch with me by WhatsApp on 086 – 847 1720.

 

SHAMROCK TERRACE RECYCLING FACILITY – DEFINITIVE COMMITMENT ABOUT ITS FUTURE

Many householders across the area have been in touch with me again in recent days expressing concern about the Shamrock Terrace Recycling Centre, amid further rumours of its possible downgrading. On foot of these concerns, I wrote to Derek Kelly, DCC Executive Manager – Environment & Climate Change requesting “a clear and unequivocal statement from Waste Management that the Shamrock Terrace recycling centre is not under an threat of closure or downgrading and that Dublin City Council intends to maximise the level of services that can be provided at this facility going forward and that the staff located there would be DCC employees.” I am pleased to report that Mr. Kelly has confirmed in writing that “Waste Management Services have no plans to close, or downgrade in any way the services currently on offer at Shamrock Terrace Recycling Centre.” I obviously, much welcome this confirmation and I am pleased to provide this certainty to you. While officials consider potential actions to enhance existing services, I wanted, as YOUR local Councillor to get your views as to how you think Dublin City Council can further improve service levels at the Shamrock Terrace facility. So, I’d welcome your thoughts on the existing hours of operation, are there other services you would like to see provided, how we can encourage more households use the facility or any other suggestion you may have. Please email me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com your thoughts.

 

HSE ROLLS OUT MEASLES MMR VACCINE CATCH-UP PROGRAMME

As YOUR local Councillor and member of the HSE Regional Health Forum, I recently sought specific information from HSE officials about developing an awareness campaign against the threat posed by measles to children and young adults in particular. This week, I was pleased to be provided with details of the HSE’s new MMR vaccine catch up programme. Given how highly infectious measles is and can be an acute and serious infection, the only protection against it is vaccination. Two doses of MMR vaccine are needed and if a child or young adult is not fully protected then MMR vaccines can be obtained from your GP or HSE Vaccination Clinic, details of which are available here – https://www2.hse.ie/services/mmr-vaccine/vaccination-clinics/. The campaign focuses on delivering the MMR vaccine to key groups, who may have missed their vaccines in the past, including children, young adults and health and care workers. For more information, check out my dedicated information page on www.RayMcAdam.com.

 

CLONLIFFE & BALLYBOUGH TRAFFIC MATTERS

The Transportation Department of Dublin City Council is currently considering a number of traffic management and road safety improvement measures across the Clonliffe and Ballybough area. Proposals for a new Pedestrian Crossing along Ballybough is being assessed as is suggestions that traffic calming interventions be developed for Clonliffe Road. Requests for yellow boxes to be installed at various junctions along Ballybough Road, especially the junction with Kings Avenue, which I am closely liaising with residents on. The introduction of a 7.5 Tonne Limit on Whitworth Road is also being examined by Traffic Engineers. These requests are still at the initial stages of assessment and statutory consultation, but I am working hard to have them expedited as quickly as possible. If there are traffic related matters on your street which you would like me to follow up with City Council Traffic Engineers, please email me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com or WhatsApp me on 086 – 847 1720.

 

FREE BOOKS FOR JUNIOR CERT STUDENTS FROM SEPTEMBER 

Free schoolbooks will be available for junior cycle students in public secondary schools and special schools from September. This landmark scheme will help ease the financial burden facing familiesduring back-to-school time from September. It will offer free schoolbooks, and core classroom resources for all students in Junior Cycle years in secondary in the free scheme in the 2024/25 school year, which will help parents and guardians with the pressures of back-to-school costs every year. The announcement also delivers on Fine Gael’s commitment to have a first-class education system, which was contained in the Fine Gael 2020 General Election manifesto. As with the primary scheme, schools have the flexibility to use funding to purchase classroom resources to meet the specific learning needs of students once the cost of schoolbooks and core classroom resources are met. This flexibility is particularly important for students with special educational needs.