Balbriggan Newsletter Spring 2012

Alan

Farrell TD Working for you in Balbriggan

www.alanfarrell.ie

Balbriggan Update

Provision of training in Balbriggan is still on the agenda for FÁS I was disappointed to learn that FÁS has discontinued training courses in Balbriggan and for this reason I raised this matter in the Dáil Chamber during a Topical Issue Debate with Minister of State for Training and Skills, Ciaran Cannon.

During this debate I highlighted that over the past two years FÁS has continued to reduce training provision in Balbriggan despite 5000 people per month signing on the live register in the area.

FÁS have indicated that a recent review of services in Dublin North showed that the courses provided in the Balbriggan area have not achieved critical performance measurements or value for money and therefore were not continued.

I was informed by the Minister that the FÁS centre in Baldoyle, which

has the responsibility for Dublin North is currently undergoing a review to identify training requirements that are in line with labour market demand.

While I agree that there is little point providing training courses which on completion lead to limited job prospects, however in light of the current situation in Balbriggan, it was my intention to receive an undertaking from the Minister that he will engage with FÁS officials specifically in relation to Balbriggan. This has been granted and in the Dáil chamber he spoke of his intention to ensure that that there will be training provision in Balbriggan in the future and that nobody in the area who seeks to have a high quality and appropriate level of training will be in any way disadvantaged.

Alan Farrell TD raising FÁS cuts in Topical Issues debate with Minister Cannon

I will ensure that the current withdrawal of training in Balbriggan is a temporary measure and that replacing out dated training courses with new market driven education will remain on the agenda both

within FÁS and the Department of Education and Skills.

For more information go to www.alanfarrell.ie

Funding announced for Balbriggan road improvements

Harry Reynolds Road to receive €800,000 upgrade

Fingal County Council has recently received an allocation of over €5.3 million from the Department of Transport for its Road Maintenance Fund.

This allocation specifically targets various projects and continuous works to improve the accessbility and conditions of the roads for drivers in Dublin North.

The Harry Reynolds Road in Balbriggan will receive an allocation of €800,000. This will bring the road carriageway and associated footpaths up to standard, while the planned addition of a slip road at the junction will ease traffic and alleviate tailbacks on the Naul road.

There has been €107,500 targeted towards small improvement projects such as the Pedestrian Crossing on the Drogheda Road and at St. Mologa’s school. The projects are essential to maintain pedestrian and access safety, particularly in and around school premises.

I welcome Fingal County Council’s decision to consider the proposal to finish 300 metres of road to provide better access to Castlemill Shopping Centre in order to move traffic away from the houses in the Moylaragh Estate. The safety issues relating to the current situation is of significant concern to residents, and for this reason I urge the council to consider the

Alan Farrell TD - Working for you in Balbriggan

See overleaf for New School Projects for Balbriggan

proposal as a matter of priority.

Further to this, an additional €4.2 million will be granted for safety improvements, restoration, discretionary grants, and surface dressing allocations. Investment in transport infrastructure must be first and foremost about safety.

Last year, The Department of Transport introduced significant legislation to improve road safety on a national level and are now investing in this as priority on a local level.

For more information go to www.alanfarrell.ie

Balbriggan School Updates Balbriggan is a growing town and we are working hard to ensure that all children in the area have a place in their local school. The Government has recently announced a Major School Building Project that will vastly increase student places in Dublin North by 2016, with a total of 16 allocations of funding for new facilities or building extensions in Dublin North alone. There are significant projects planned for Balbriggan to increase the number of school places dramatically by 2014, and to improve the conditions and capabilities of current establishments.

GS Bhaile Brigin and Brackenstown Educate Together - Refurbishment catchment area, will create further openings for students in the area to attend and extensions for GS Bhaile Brigín, Castlelands and Brackenstown Educate second level school locally.

Together primary schools were completed in November. This was part of the St. Michael’s School - A new facility will be built in Hackettstown in Skerries Government’s Rapid Delivery Programme in 2011 and I hope the students have for special needs education, with construction starting in 2016. This facility settled into their new and improved buildings. will ensure the provision St. Georges National School - The Phase two extension stage of St of vital special needs George’s National School on the Naul Road in Balbriggan has been completed. education in Dublin North.

Scoil Chormaic Community School - Big plans have been approved for A further 9 buildings will Scoil Chormaic Community School. Pupils present and future can look forward be provided or extended to plans for an initial 16 classroom school planned for Flemington by 2014, throughout Dublin North while further plans have been officially approved for larger accommodation for school provision, which of a further 24 classroom building, with construction starting in 2015/2016. will further decrease the Eventually, there will be two new permanent school buildings in Balbriggan demand on primary and post primary places in with a total classroom number of 40.

Balbriggan.

Nationally, New Second Level School - The seal of approval was given by the At least 15,000 direct Department of Education in 2011 for a new second level Gealcholáiste in jobs and 3,000 indirect Balbriggan. This is due to be complete before 2014 and will house 1,000 jobs will be created students from the area. Patronage is yet to be decided, however closing date during the construction for submissions from interested parties was the end of February 2012 and a phase over the next five decision will be made before the end of this school term.

For more years.

Balbriggan Community College - Works to extend the Community information go to Alan Farrell TD outside St. George’s National School, College on Chapel Street will commence in 2014/2015. This work, along with www.alanfarrell.ie after the completion of The Phase Two Extension the building of subsequent secondary schools both inside and outside this

School Grants

Pyrite - Update

Parents of students and prospective students in St. Peter and Paul Secondary School and St Teresa’s national school will be pleased to hear that they have been awarded a grant by the Department of Education to replace existing prefabricated units with alternative permanent accommodation.

I know that this will mean a lot to parents and teachers, many of whom were not comfortable with the situation of teaching children in prefab units, many of which had sub-standard conditions relating to temperature control and damp. This is an enormous investment by the Department of Education, ending a policy of renting expensive short term solutions at a high cost to the taxpayer and to our education. For more information go to www.alanfarrell.ie

Residents of approximately 20,000 homes in North Dublin affected by pyrite are currently awaiting the recommendations from the Pyrite Panel, established by Minister Phil Hogan late last year.

This task force is the first attempt by any government to address this issue, and on taking my seat in the Dáil I, along with my colleagues, made strong representations to the Minister to ensure that our government engaged with issues facing pyrite affected homes.

As the owner of a pyrite affected home, I understand the worries and concerns that are facing those who are affected, and I have been engaging regularly with both the Minister and the Pyrite Panel on various issues that I believe need to be addressed.

The Pyrite Panel is due to deliver their report before the end of Spring 2012.

In the meantime I have requested that the panel consider an exemption from the Household Charge for pyrite affected homes, and further recommendations in terms of the renewal of building insurance, and full access for these homes to amenities such as gas and electricity.

I await the recommendations of the Pyrite Panel in due course, however in the meantime I would advise all homeowners in pyrite affected estates to engage with their solicitor on this crucial matter. For more information go to www.alanfarrell.ie

Social Welfare Unit

0612

I have recently tabled a set of Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton TD looking to ascertain why people from Dublin North looking for specific welfare supplements, such as rent allowance, are required to go into the office of the Arrears Support Unit on Gardiner Street to process their application.

On foot of these enquiries, I can confirm that extra social welfare services have been requested

by Minister Burton to the Office of Public Works to allow for further accommodation for social welfare services in Dublin North, with Balbriggan being one of two areas proposed.

In my most recent parliamentary question issued at the end of February, the Minister has confirmed that the OPW are currently examining options in Balbriggan and Swords as a matter of priority, taking into account the operational needs of the Department, the service needs of the local community while also demonstrating value for money to the taxpayer.

Application and approval can sometimes be a complicated process with the need to provide various documentation and it is essential that community welfare offices are located nearby to make this process easier and accessible.

In the meantime, those in receipt of the payment can apply for funds to be posted to their home or post office, or to be lodged into their accounts to reduce the need for frequent visits to the city centre.

Alan Farrell TD

Balbriggan Clinic

If you wish to meet with me you can come along to my clinic on the first Thursday of each month in Balbriggan Town Hall from 7.15 - 7.45pm

Your Local Fine Gael Team:

Chairperson, Internal Committee for Public Expenditure and Reform

Dáil Éireann, Leinster House Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 6184008 alan.farrell@oir.ie www.alanfarrell.ie www.twitter.com/alanfarrell

James Reilly TD Minister for Health Tel: 01 890 1300

james.reilly@oireachtas.ie

Alan Farrell TD - Working for you in Balbriggan

Cllr Tom O’Leary Balbriggan Ward Tel: 087-2411626

tom.oleary@fingalcoco.ie

Cllr Larry Dunne Balbriggan Town Council Tel: 01–8414356 larry.dunne@balbriggan.ie