#EastWall Matters – April 2024

SHAMROCK TERRACE RECYCLING FACILITY – FUTURE SECURED!

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.

RUSSELL AVENUE PLAYGROUND IMPROVEMENT SCHEME – UPDATE

Dublin City Council held a further round of public consultation for local residents on plans to upgrade and enhance the Russell Avenue playground.  I attended the consultation session, just as I did back in November and was delighted with the positive feedback provided by residents. There were a lot of constructive suggestions made as well, which I will ensure are taken into consideration. I have been making the case for Dublin City Council to finalise the scale of works, the timeframe for completion of same and certainty around funding. I anticipate Councillors will have this information at our May meeting and I will be pushing for the works to start as quickly as possible thereafter. If you would a copy of the indicative drawings of the revised proposals, please email me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com.

WEED REMOVAL WORKS 2024

Last summer, too many streets across East Wall and the North Inner City resembled country meadows due to the growth of weeds. I have been repeatedly urging Dublin City Council to spray weeds, much earlier in the year annually. I am pleased to report that New Way Spray to kill the weeds beginning on April 15th next. Further sprays will be carried out in June, August and October. The Central Area Office of Dublin City Council has secured a new Weedhex machine that will also enable further weeding to take place.

TACKLING ILLEGAL USE OF E-BIKES, SCRAMBLERS AND E-SCOOTERS

The Gardai, over the last six weeks, have successfully targeted the illegal use of motorbikes and scramblers, as part of new legislation introduced by the Government. The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 has enabled the Gardai to seize 11 scrambler bikes, 2 E-Scooters, 10 Electric Bikes, 2 stolen High-Powered Motorbikes, and one Quad Bike. Some of the vehicles seized were being used to transport drugs as well as being used to commit dangerous driving and anti-social behaviour. These targeted operations are being led by Garda officers focused on effectively tackling criminality associated with the use of the machines. The Assistant Garda Commissioner with responsibility for Dublin has reassured me that this initiative will continue across the spring and into the summer in order to remove these vehicles involved with either criminal activity or dangerous driving. For more information on the Garda activity in respect of this problem, please get in touch with me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com.

DELIVERING ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A GROWING EAST WALL

With the population of East Wall set to increase by as much as 50% in the next two to three years, it is essential in my view to ensure that essential community infrastructure is in place to cater for that increase. Dublin City Council is currently examining the potential for new services locally, including the possibility of new library services that can be utilised by local residents. As YOUR local Councillor, I am determined to ensure that the provisions in the new Dublin City Development Plan for the East Wall Strategic Development Regeneration Area are maximised so that additional school places can be provided, enhanced primary healthcare facilities are planned effectively and we better manage traffic speeds and volumes in and around East Wall. 

IMPROVING FAIRVIEW PARK PUBLIC LIGHTING

When I spoke with many of you last month about my plan to make Fairview Park safer and more secure, the need for improved public lighting in the park was raised. While I was glad that many of you who frequent Fairview Park have experienced the improved visible Garda presence, reiterated to me the feeling that it was simply too dark and poorly lit, especially during the autumn and winter months. The next stage in my efforts to enhance the appearance of Fairview Park and provide a greater sense of safety inside it, is to secure improved public lighting there. I have asked the Parks Department of Dublin City Council and the Public Lighting Section to examine where additional lighting columns can be installed and how the existing lighting levels can be improved. If you would like further information on how, I believe, Fairview Park can be made safer and better of all users, please email me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com or WhatsApp me on 086 – 847 1720.

WEST ROAD FOOTPATH UPGRADE WORKS

As YOUR local Councillor, I have been working with officials to secure funding to enable the Roads Maintenance Department to complete the outstanding footpath upgrade works along West Road, following engagement with individual householders. These works will see the stretch of West Road between East Wall Road and Moy Elta Road completed this year. I can now confirm that €76,440 has been allocated towards the cost of upgrading footpaths along West Road, on foot of my work on the matter. A contractor will be selected across the summer with the actual works to take place in the second half of 2024.

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.

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 East Wall on Dublin City Council over the next five years.

EXTRA COMMUNITY FUNDING DELIVERED FOR EAST WALL

As YOUR local Councillor, I worked to secure additional funding in East Wall through the Councillors’ Discretionary programme 2024. As part of that initiative, I am delivering:

• €10,000 towards greening measures for the Abercorn Road and Church Street East neighbourhood.
• €25,000 towards the delivery of Greening East Wall.
• €5,000 towards the relocation of the existing Bottle Bank and Clothes bank on East Road.

Across the coming weeks, officials from the Dublin Central Area Office of Dublin City Council to liaise with local residents’ groups and community associations and projects to implement these initiatives.

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 families during 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.

GREENING EAST WALL

While I have been working on getting the Council to advance much needed improvements and greening interventions since 2021 with regards to Russell Avenue, I am determined to deliver on Greening East Wall. I can also reaffirm to you, just as I outlined in my January newsletter in East Wall, that the Greening Strategy for the neighbourhood is being prepared. This is on foot of the work I have done over the last number of years, including my successful securing of a dedicated East Wall Environmental Improvement Plan. The tree canopy coverage in the area is not sufficient, appalling so and that is why I have been arguing for more trees to be planted but also how we can deliver traffic calming and speed reduction interventions with greenery. Indeed, in February, I made the case to the new Chief Executive of Dublin City Council that across the next Council term, we should aim to plant 1 million trees in the city. I am disappointed that the Tree Officer has failed to get behind the initiative, but it is one that I hope the public will back across the coming weeks, so with a renewed Council mandate in the Local Elections, I can work to deliver such an ambitious goal. Ultimately, I believe that’s what we need to be ambitious, especially when you consider that we only have a total tree canopy of 10.37%, which includes the Phoenix Park.