Castlegrange, Windmill (Clonsilla), Cruise Park (Tyrrelstown), Phoenix Park Racecourse, Barnwell Hansfield and Avondale (next to Parslickstown) will all have some level of exemption from paying the household charge according to www.householdcharge.ie

Councillor McGuinness described the exemptions as a “welcome acknowledgement of the conditions that residents in these Dublin 15 estates have to live under. It is important, however, that developers are pursued through Fingal County Council’s planning enforcement department to ensure residents see their estates fully completed. That’s what I will continue to do on behalf of Dublin 15 residents.”

Furthermore, McGuinness goes on to say, “Dublin 15 has seen an unprecedented growth in new homes over the past 10 years. Many of those who purchased homes during this time contributed to the State by way of considerable Stamp Duty costs. Brian Lenihan, in consideration of a potential property tax, never envisaged that they would be liable for such a charge.”

“The household charge is a blunt instrument in its current form and pressure needs to be mounted on Fine Gael and Labour to replace it with a fair and reasonable alternative to this cross-the-board taxation that hits the poorest and wealthiest in equal measure. Surprisingly, Enda Kenny, in 1994, said ‘It is morally wrong, unjust and unfair to tax a person’s home’.”

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITOR: please see a question placed down on the agenda for the next meeting of Fingal County Council;

To ask the manager to detail exactly who, in the following Dublin 15 estates, will not have to pay the household charge due to their unfinished status:
1. Castlegrange, Hansfield;
2. Plan Ref F02A/0358 (Windmill)
Porterstown
Clonsilla;
3. Plan Ref F04A/1584
Cruise Park
Tyrrelstown;
4. Plan Ref F04A/1655
Phoenix Park Racecourse
Ashtown;
5. Plan Ref F06A/1023
Barnwell, Hansfield
Ongar;
6. Plan Ref F08A/0683
Barnwell, Hansfield
Ongar;
7. Plan Ref ff28203 (Tyrrelstown Park Now Avondale)
Damastown Ave,
Mulhuddart, D15

McGuinness says, “Given the undoubtable economic changes that have been experienced in Ireland, it would very difficult to disagree with an applicant who claims they can not proceed with a project at present. Numerous other projects have secured agreement by Fingal County Council, as acknowledged during a recent meeting of Fingal County Council’s special policy committee on Planning, to have their term extended.

“What can be seen in this decision is a departure from the norm”, according to Councillor McGuinness. “This project in question was to be a significant residential development of 109 apartments (1 bed, 2 bed, and 3 bed) laid out in 6 “dormer type” blocks, 181 parking spaces both under and over ground, a creche and all other associated site works were planned for the site.

Councillor McGuinness suggests “the refusal in this case could be down to the council having no faith in the ability of Liam P. O’Farrell Developments Ltd. to bring this project to fruition. Numerous other outstanding works have received extensions in this part of Dublin 15, including developments near Barnwell Hansfield, but this could represent the council taking a different position is relation to outstanding residential developments in Dublin 15 and Fingal generally.

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITOR: Please find full decision reached by Fingal’s Planning Department below;

F06A/0706/E1

REFUSE EXT. OF DURATION OF PERMISSION

Decision Date: 26-Jan-2012

Applicant:
Liam P O’Farrell Developments Ltd

Location:
Allandale, Hansfield Road, Clonsilla, Dublin 15

Proposed Development:
Alterations to previously approved development (Reg Ref F04A/0226 & F05A/1608) at Allandale, Hansfield Road, Clonsilla, Dublin 15. Allandale House is a Protected Structure. The development as proposed will consist of the construction 109 no. bedroom apartments (10 no. 1 bed, 89 no. 2 bed and 10 no. 3 bed) laid out in 6 no. dormer type blocks ranging in height from 3 to 5 storeys on a site of 1.96 hectares (4.84 acres). Block 6 includes a 258.82 sq. m. creche facility to serve the development. Two storey rear extensions and dormer windows are proposed for 2 no. existing dwellings located in the northwest of the application site (Dwelling Nos. 1 & 2). Permission was previously refused at this location under Reg Ref F05A/1624. Permission is also to demolish an existing dwelling adjoining dwellings Nos. 1 & 2 and its replacement with a new 2 bed two storey dwelling. Allandale House is to be retained as a private residence within the development, with the existing entrance gates retained as a pedestrian access to the scheme. The development also includes a gate house to be used as office/security hut, 66 no. surface and 115 no. underground car parking spaces, ESB substation, children’s play area, 3860 sq. m. landscaped public open space, private gardens and balconies, landscaping, boundary treatments and planting works, access roads and all other ancillary drainage and site development works. Vehicular access to the proposed development is proposed from a new access from Hansfield Road.

The announcement by Waterways Ireland of the 2012 upgrading of the Royal Canal Path between Porterstown and Clonsilla is very welcome. Now a commitment needs to be made by all the stakeholders, particularly at political level, to bring together the various interests to work together to ensure the full completion of the Path linking Dublin 15 with Dublin City Centre, according to Cllr David McGuinness.

Cllr McGuinness said, “During the by-election last October, I placed the development of the Royal Canal Path very much on the agenda. I firmly believe that the Path is an under-used local resource, which with some investment, could provide a fantastic facility in terms of commuting and recreation. This announcement by Waterways Ireland marks an important first step in achieving this goal.

I am now calling on the various stakeholders, including the National Transport Authority, Waterways Ireland, the Department of Transport and the two Local Authorities, to engage proactively in putting together a timetable for the development of the Path. This will ensure a link onwards from Keenan Bridge in Porterstown linking it with Coolmine, Castleknock and onwards through Ashtown to the City Centre.

Worryingly, a Dáil response supplied my colleague Timmy Dooley TD received this week (link below) on the issue of the Royal Canal Path showed a real lack of ambition by the Dept of Transport in terms of developing this local resource. I am calling on the Minister for Transport to place his full political support and influence behind this important project and ensure that it is realised – sooner rather than later – for the residents of Dublin 15.”

ENDS.

Note to Editor

See link to this week’s Parliamentary Answer to Timmy Dooley TD on this issue: http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/2012/01/25/00174.asp

Also, see some of the previous press coverage relating to the campaign to have the full Royal Canal Path upgraded:

http://e-edition.metroherald.ie/2011/10/03/4.html

http://www.dublinpeople.com/article.php?id=446&l=100

After just 11 months in Government it would seem that local Minister has taken to shooting the media messenger rather acknowledging that both Fine Gael and Labour have broken a long list of promises to the people of Dublin and Ireland. Now he must say which, if any, of our local papers in Dublin West are guilty of ‘cynicism’ after his comments carried in the Irish Times, according to Cllr David McGuinness.

Cllr McGuinness said, “In a clumsy attempt to shift blame from the Government in which he serves, Minister Varadkar has accused the media of ‘cynicism’ in the manner in which they report the Government. This is unfair and I would call on him to name any local media organisations he may feel are guilty of cynicism or not balanced in their reports.

What makes the whole accusation most nonsensical is the Minister’s unwillingness to acknowledge that Fine Gael did in fact make a range of promises last February which they have now broken. The people of Dublin West alone have seen broken promises in terms of Metro North, bed closures at Connolly Hospital, job creation, increased train and bus fares, and cuts to local disadvantaged schools.

Just because the Minister now doesn’t like the fact that the growing list of broken promises is becoming known to the people, should not mean that he resort to a cheap shot of shooting the media messenger.”

ENDS.

Note to Editor

See article containing Minister Varadkar’s comments:http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0127/1224310809208.html

Cllr David McGuinness has expressed surprise at the hostile and scaremongering tone in the latest policy proposal from Joan Burton’s Department in relation to the people in this locality who are unable to find work – many of whom have never experienced unemployment in their life.

Cllr McGuinness said, “I am joining the many voices in criticising one of our local Ministers for the reckless manner in which she is seeking headlines in her Ministerial duty by sabre rattling in relation to people on the Live Register.

Of course, we need to have strict controls within the social welfare system. This is something which we all agree upon, and many of these measures were put in place before Minister Burton came to office. However, it is pointless, even counterproductive, in frightening people who have no history of being unemployed.

I believe that it would be much more in the Minister’s line to focus on measures which help to create jobs for the 8,363 currently on the Live Register in Blanchardstown. The harsh reality for many people in this area is that Labour and Fine Gael have failed to deliver on their job creation promises.

Indeed, I would agree that they have to date delayed recovery in the job market. When the Government came to office, projections by organisations such as the ESRI were for unemployment at this stage to be between 13 and 13.5%. However, unemployment still stands at 14.3%. Minister Burton and Varadkar must share some of the blame for this delay in job market recovery.

ENDS.

Excuses for delay based on ‘weather’ not plausible

Dublin West Fianna Fáil Councillor David McGuinness has slammed the delay in completing road resurfacing works in the Phoenix Park. An original plan, to last 12 weeks, started on October 3rd and is still ongoing causing widespread disruption to traffic within the park and in the communities that surround it. The information was provided to McGuinness by way of written response to a parliamentary question.

Councillor McGuinness says ‘I have been raising concerns relating to these works since September 2011 when I questioned Minister Varadkar’s regard for the local community in Dublin 15. The ongoing disruption to traffic in Castleknock and through the Phoenix Park is unacceptable and using the shocking claim that weather was a factor in these delays is disingenuous given that we have had one of the mildest winters in recent times.’

‘The failure of officials to include provision for an archeological site at the former Star Fort is reprehensible and should have been factored into considerations for this project,’ according to McGuinness.

‘The park will not be ready until Mid February at the earliest. This new date of completion represents an increase of at least 50% of the original time, Additional costs will now inevitable be incurred and this government have not displayed any regard to local residents or business as they have not informed either of the new arrangements. It is now time for Minister Varadkar and Hayes to address these concerns immediately,’ McGuinness concluded.

NOTE TO EDITOR:

Original press release: http://www.davidmcguinness.ie/mcguinness-questions-varadkar-consideration-of-castleknock-and-d15-commuters

See link to full written response and copy of Minister Hayes’ response.

http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-01-18.901.0

I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 to 102, inclusive, together.

An allocation of €3 million was provided by the Minister of Finance to the Office of Public Works in 2011 to fund reconstruction works to Chesterfield Avenue in the Phoenix Park. The scope of works for the project was developed in accordance with this level of available funding. The principal elements of cost that arise in this project relate to the main road works contract (contract award price - €1.63m ex VAT) and the waste disposal contract (subject to a separate tender to be undertaken shortly and accordingly the budget provision cannot be released at this point). Costs associated with Surveys, Consultant Civil Engineer Fees, Bord Gáis charges and VAT constitute the other elements of the project cost.

Following a formal tendering process, Clonmel Enterprises Ltd was appointed as the Main Contractor for these works, which included full responsibility for the Temporary Traffic Management Plan. The Contract Award Price of €1.63 million (excluding Vat) was the lowest and most economically advantageous of the tenders received. A Work Programme of 12 weeks duration was indicated at the commencement of these works with works confined to normal working day hours i.e. no late working or working at weekends. Works commenced on site on 3rd October 2011. Two main factors have impacted on this programme to date. Firstly, an archaeological area was encountered - two ponds on the site of the former Star Fort - which necessitated additional works to ensure compliance with all statutory requirements. As a result, the project did encounter a delay and cost arising from the additional works associated with this. A final determination of the amount of this cost has yet to be made.

The second factor is weather related. The contract for Chesterfield Avenue did not commence until the works on nearby Blackhorse Avenue were first completed. Accordingly, given the eventual later timing of these works, consideration of weather conditions and the avoidance of any potential risk to the desired road finish became a critical part of the management of the works. As a consequence, certain elements of work scheduled for December 2011 were deferred. Work on this major project is being completed as expeditiously as possible and, subject to weather conditions, it is expected that the road will fully re-open for traffic in mid February 2012. Every effort is being made to ensure that inconvenience for the residents of the Park, those living close to and also those using the Park is kept to a minimum.

“Motorists are now levied with increased motor tax, higher fuel costs, higher vehicle registration tax and additional carbon taxes since Varadkar took over as Minister for Transport, additional tolling, on the M50 and around the country, would have been a step too far for already pushed motorists,” said McGuinness.

McGuinness believes hard-pressed motorists can not find comfort in the public transportation services as “fares have increased on buses and trains and major infrastructural projects have been scrapped including Metro North and the electrification of the Maynooth line.”

“I am now calling on Minister Varadkar to give public transport users and motorists a break. Scrapping tolling plans is a start but fails to deal with the current difficulties faced by these groups.”

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITOR:

Please see link below in relation to Minister Varadkar’s announcement;
http://www.thejournal.ie/varadkar-says-no-new-tolls-on-irish-roads-330642-Jan2012/

Cllr McGuinness said “On Newstalk yesterday morning, Dr Reilly clearly said:
“There will be other Emergency Departments which will change to Urgent Care Centres, but I’m not going to say which ones at this point in time”
In this comment, Dr Reilly has clearly signalled that possibly up to 10 other hospitals nationwide will see their A&E’s downgraded, similar to what has happened in Roscommon. I am asking Leo Varadkar and Joan Burton to now seek immediate clarification that our local A&E in Connolly Hospital is not one of those A&E Departments under consideration.

During the recent by-election, Government representatives, including Ministers Varadkar, Burton and Reilly, were at pains to say that there would be no downgrading. Embarrassingly for them, even while they were making these commitments, the HSE announced significant bed closures at Connolly Hospital.

It has been clear for some time that the Connolly’s A&E was being considered for downgrading. I am now asking Minister’s Varadkar and Burton to get confirmation that our hospital is not on Minister Reilly’s ‘list’ that is currently being considered.
ENDS.
Note to Editor
Please see link to Dr Reilly’s interview on Newstalk (17/1/12)
http://www.newstalk.ie//2012/news/health-minister-more-ae-downgrades-for-hospitals/

The Government’s decision to increase the standard rate of Vat by 2% in last December’s budget will cost Fingal County Council circa €2 million in 2012, according to Dublin West Fianna Fáil Councillor David McGuinness. The figures were broken down from a Dáil reply to Deputy Michael McGrath.

McGuinness estimates that the cumulative impact of the Vat increase across the Dublin local authorities of Fingal, Dublin City, South Dublin and Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Councils could exceed €8m in 2012.

“This hidden cut will inevitably affect the level of service being delivered to the general public in Dublin. The estimated €8m cost to the councils arising from the Vat increase is additional to the cuts in the local government fund of a further 10% announced in the budget and passed during council-2012 budget meetings. This will mean less money will be available for essential community services.

Based on the Dublin regional Councils’ relative sizes, the overall additional cost to local authorities around the country would exceed €20m.

McGuinness believes “that frontloading the Vat increase entirely into 2012 was a mistake. It will have a detrimental impact on businesses in the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre and other Dublin 15 businesses: the same businesses that local authorities are relying on to supplement the government’s drastic cuts to the local government fund. The impact of the Vat increase in 2012 will have a far greater impact than has been acknowledged by Government to date.”

The proposal by Fine Gael to the Constituency Commission to cut Dublin West from a 4 to a 3 seat constituency makes no sense and local Minister Leo Varadkar must immediately clarify whether he was consulted on this proposal, according to Cllr David McGuinness.

Cllr McGuinness said “It simply defies logic that our growing community would now see its political representation cut. It also defies logic, that Fine Gael themselves set out in their submission to the Constituency Commission, that Minister Varadkar’s Party answer to political representation for a growing population is to cut it.

The fact of the matter is that our community here in Dublin West has expanded significantly over the last decade. The figures contained in the Census 2011 Preliminary Results clearly show that Fingal has grown by 13.8% since 2006. Alone here in Dublin West we have two of the top 10 fastest growing Electoral Divisions nationally – Blanchardstwon/Blakestown and The Ward. In this context, the proposal by Fine Gael simply does not make sense.

I would now call on Minister Varadkar to clarify whether he was aware of this Fine Gael proposal to cut the number of local TDs. Following this clarification, I would ask Minister Varadkar to insist that his Party write to the Chairman of the Constituency Commission to withdraw this proposal.

ENDS.

Note to Editors

See Fine Gael submission to Constituency Commission:

http://www.constituency-commission.ie/docs/11.426%20-%20Fine%20Gael%20Party%20-%20Dail%20and%20European%20constituencies.pdf

See Census 2011 Preliminary Findings released in June 2011:

http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/census/documents/Prelim%20complete.pdf