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‘Luas to airport’ call as Metro costs soar

An extension of the Luas line to Dublin Airport could be done quicker and cheaper than the MetroLink.

That’s according to Policy Consultant David Geary, who was speaking as an estimated €300 million has been spent on the MetroLink system, despite no construction having begun. MetroLink is to run between the swords and Charlemont areas of the capital, while also serving Dublin Airport.

Construction work is due to begin in 2025, with a view to it beginning operations in the early 2030s.

Mr Geary, who first floated the Luas idea on twitter, told newstalk he has got a big reaction.

“The proposal basically is to extend the Luas line from the Broadstone/Dit stop out to the airport along the Ballymun Road,” he said.

“That would extend the Luas service to Drumcondra, Glasnevin, DCU, santry, Ballymun and ultimately the airport.

“it makes sense, the Ballymun Road is a big wide road... so it’s a fairly simple route.

“it’s about 8kms long and it

would take 30 minutes to get from the airport into town”.

Mr Geary said while MetroLink is important, it is too far away.

“This is most likely going to be built a lot quicker than the Metro, probably delivered within the next seven or eight years,” he said. “That’s going to be five or 10 years at least before the Metro shows up”.

Mr Geary said the Luas plan would be a lot cheaper than MetroLink.

“The Metro is an important project long-term for the city, we’re going to have it for

centuries,” he said. “But it does look like the cost of the Metro is significantly higher now than what was originally proposed”.

Mr Geary said the cost to extend the Luas would be similar to what the Luas interconnector cost a number of years ago - between €400 million to €500 million.

“it’s 5% to 10% of the cost of what the Metro might cost, and small change in terms of what the cost overruns to the Metro are likely to be,” he said.

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Rosemary Vincent after receiving her Gaisce Gold Award from President Michael D Higgins. Pic Maxwells. See page 9

Plans for ‘town’ of 8,000 people

A PLAn to create a new “town” of up to 8,000 people on lands at Jamestown Business Park to the north of Finglas village is being considered by councillors.

The Jamestown Masterplan will govern the redevelopment of 43 hectares of industrial lands with the potential for 3,500-3,800 homes, a primary school and employment, cultural and community facilities. it would sit to the east of the planned Finglas Luas line.

More than half of the lands

in Jamestown, some 22 hectares, have been classified by the council as “immediately available” for regeneration, with the remaining lands expected to support their current industrial or employment uses over the medium- to long-term.

However, the council anticipates that applications for up to 2,300 homes could be granted over the lifetime of the city development plan which runs to 2028.

Overall, the lands have been planned out with a ratio of 65 per cent residential and

25 per cent employment or commercial development, with the remainder to be used for community, education and ancillary facilities.

While the planned residential element will be high density, it will not be high rise. The majority of apartments would be in blocks of four to six storeys, with housing of up to three storeys facing on to Jamestown road, McKee Avenue and st Margaret’s Court, where the developments will meet existing two-storey houses and bungalows.

Provision has been made for a small number of sevenand eight-storey blocks, away from existing housing, as well as some sites that could accommodate buildings in excess of eight storeys.

The Jamestown lands are one of four large-scale industrial sites identified by the council as key growth areas, due to their proximity to existing residential and suburban village or town centres. The Jamestown lands in particular will benefit from the extension of the Luas Green Line from

Cabra to Finglas, scheduled for completion post-2030, with two stops, st Margaret’s road and Charlestown.

Of the three other areas, two are also to the north of the city: the Dublin industrial estate near Glasnevin Cemetery and Malahide road industrial Park in Coolock. The third area involves lands along the naas road which have become part of the City edge project with south Dublin County Council.

Councillors two years ago agreed to change the zoning

of the Finglas lands from employment and enterprise to strategic development and regeneration to facilitate the development of the masterplan and prevent haphazard building on the key site. However, in the intervening period developers have already sought to capitalise on this zoning. The council last October initiated High Court action against An Bord Pleanála over its decision to grant a largescale build-to-rent scheme in the area against the council’s strong opposition.

New 102-bed nursing home opens doors in Balbriggan

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien tD, officially launched Moorehall Lodge Balbriggan recently.

The 102-bed nursing home offers long term residential care, short term care, respite care and dementia care and is built on the site of the former sea Mills Hosiery Factory located on Bath road.

With expansive views of the sea, it opened to residents in August. Already employing 64 people, 36 new roles are to be created in the coming months.

Welcoming Minister O’Brien to Moorehall Lodge Balbriggan were residents tony Martin and Helen Walsh. resident tony Martin said:

“i’ve been here for seven months, and i wasn’t very good when i came here, from the point of my memory. it’s all coming back and i feel much better now. i love watching the boats coming in every morning from my bedroom window and the food here is great. i really

enjoy the fish. i’m very happy here.”

Mayor of Fingal Cllr Adrian Henchy said:

“i welcome the opening of Moorehall Lodge Balbriggan and the fact that we now have a 102-bed nursing home in the town offering a wide portfolio of care to its residents as well as creating over 100 jobs. it reflects the confidence that has been created by Fingal County Council’s plans for Balbriggan as part of the Our Balbriggan rejuvenation Project and our commitment to invest over €100m in the town over the next few years.”

speaking at Moorehall Lodge Balbriggan, Minister O’Brien said: “it’s both a pleasure and a joy to join residents, staff, management and colleagues here today for the opening of Moorehall Lodge. The location is second to none with beautiful views across the irish sea. i highly commend this significant investment in Balbriggan.”

Minister Darragh O’Brien serves an ice cream at the opening of Moorehall Lodge

Two home carers chosen as finalists

Two North Dublin-based home carers have been honoured for their fantastic work in the community during a special day of celebrations at leading home care provider Comfort Keepers. Today, clients, community partners, staff, and carers at Comfort Keepers’ office in Santry celebrated Comfort Keepers’ National Day of Joy, titled Live the Joy, to help everyone find joy in everyday moments.

It was also a 25-year commemoration of Comfort Keepers’ brand, recognition for members of its care team who have been with the company for 10 years, a day to visit clients who have turned 100 years this year, or clients and carers who were celebrating a birthday, as well as the day the company announced its finalists for Comfort Keepers Carer of the Year 2023.

During the Day of Joy celebrations, Eucharia onyerindu from Cabra and Carol Gribbin from Coolock were announced as finalists for the Comfort Keepers Carer of the Year 2023 award for their dedication and passion for their work and for making a positive impact on their clients’ daily lives.

Following the selection based

on set criteria, Eucharia and Carol were chosen as two of 11 finalists in the running for the prestigious accolade of Comfort Keepers Carer of the Year 2023.

Collette Gleeson, Managing Director of Comfort Keepers Ireland, said:

“our teams all across the country are made up of amazing individuals providing outstanding support and uplifting, in-home care to the most vulnerable in our society and their families.

“Eucharia and Carol go above and beyond for her clients and is

a great representative for Comfort Keepers and our quality care.”

“our day of joy is a great opportunity for us to connect in person to all those who have been instrumental in our success in North Dublin and to celebrate 25 years of elevating the human spirit while providing rewarding careers to our carers. Most importantly, it provides an opportunity for us to honour the hard work and dedication of members of our incredible care team who have been spreading joy in their communities every

day and announce our Carer of the Year finalists.

“with the work we do with our carers, our valued clients, and their families, we understand the value of experiencing moments of joy every day to boost our overall health, mood and wellbeing.

“we wanted to use this day to encourage our wider Comfort Keepers’ community to rejoice in the moments we live forwhatever it takes to make us laugh, smile and create memories that will form and last a lifetime.”

Additionally, fellow carers/

Airport Luas call as costs soar

Continued from front page

Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell said while he would welcome any rail service to the airport, there is an issue with this plan.

“Regardless of the cost, the capacity is the big issue when it comes to commuters in north Dublin,” he said.

“The MetroLink will have a capacity of upward of 20,000 persons per direction per hour, with an estimate from the NTA of 53 million journeys in the first year of operation.

“when you compare that to the capacity of Luas, you’re looking at in and around 5,600 on the Green Line.

“There’s a very, very large difference. I would also question the capacity of the Green Line to actually handle the level of traffic that the airport would generate - nevermind extending it to Swords”.

home support workers, Susan Doggett from Donabate, Suzanna Creaney from Raheny, Martin Stanley and Lynn Kavanagh from Baldoyle, Elaine Hale from Ballymun, Paula Cowzer from Rush, Carol Gribbin from Coolock, Michael Joseph Dempsey from Marino and Katie McMenamin, Head of Comfort Keepers Training Department Elevation Training received recognition awards for their 10 years of service with the company.

Mr Geary said ‘nobody’ believes the MetroLink will be delivered on time.

“I think we have to remember the current capacity on any rail line between the airport and the city centre is zero at the moment,” he said.

“The Metro is an important project... I think nobody in the country believes that it’s going to get delivered on time by 2034.

“Nobody believes it’s going to be within the budget that’s proposed at the moment.

Dart station ‘is covered in urine and cigs’

a Dart station in north Dublin is covered in urine, faeces, beer cans and cigarette butts line the stairwell as commuters travel to their destinations.

Clongriffin Dart Station, the next stop after Howth Junction, has been in operation since april 2010.

However, residents say after 13 years there is still limited access to the station via the temporary stairwell and escalator for residents living in Baldoyle, according to reports in the Irish Independent They claim the escalator is frequently broken and soaked with urine, while the stairwell is a hotspot for anti-social behaviour, deterring the public from using the train station.

Local resident Samantha O’Flanagan said: “It’s absolutely disgusting, there is consistently urine and faeces in it [the escalator]. There has been drug paraphernalia found in it, there is anti-social behaviour with teenage drinking.

“The lift is often not working. People can’t access it because

they can’t get up flights of stairs if they have buggies, mobility issues or wheelchair users.

“It’s not acceptable that they can’t access their Dart station.” an online petition, launched by Myrtle The Coast residents association, has reached more than 2,000 signatures calling for Irish rail to take over the structure and provide safe and permanent universal access to the train station.

The temporary structure, with a stairwell and lift from Baldoyle, is privately owned by richmond Homes, owner of a number of housing estates beside the station, and not in the ownership of the council or Irish rail.

However, Irish rail has said a meeting is scheduled next week to discuss plans to explore the possibility of taking over ownership from richmond Homes.

Local resident Christopher Blomfield (83), who uses a cane, said: “When I go to Dublin, it’s just horrible. I hate the lift because it smells. “Walking up the stairs is hard work, they

are not the easiest. It’s not a very friendly experience. I can manage to get up the stairs but as I get older it becomes more difficult.”

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Oisin Meaney was attempting to carry his bike up the four flights of stairs instead of using the urinesoaked escalator.

Elaine Verdon, another local resident, added: “at night time you wouldn’t come through here. It’s so dark within that stairwell, whereas you should be able to get the Dart at any time and be able to walk safely.

“Young people hang around here in the evening because it is really dark, it’s the perfect place to hide and do what you need. There is graffiti everywhere,” she added.

another resident, Caroline Engel-Purcell, said she doesn’t bring her children to the Dart station anymore due to the difficulty with access.

“You basically have to wait at the bottom for somebody to help you, ‘cause you can’t carry a kid in a buggy up flights of stairs,” she said.

Fred to take a big jump for Kilbarrack

Fred Tucker will do a parachute jump on September 24 with the Irish Parachute Club (Tandem Parachute Jump) to raise funds for Kilbarrack Coast Community Programme.

“It would be great if you could make a donation at my gofundme page or call me at 085 7681347 or email

fredericktucker99@gmail. com,” Fred said.

“I am amazed at the range of services that KCCP provides in the heart of the community in Kilbarrack.”

The reach Out Project works with 18 to 25-year-old cannabis users and polysubstance drug users.

Training and personal

development are considered as essential parts of recovery with a particular emphasis being placed on improving physical and psychological well-being. The aim is to help people address their specific issues, whatever that may be, and help them re-integrate into the community and progress on to more fulfilling lives.

City hotel dig unearths 1,000-year-old remains

Ab Out 100 skeletal remains from the Middle Ages have been unearthed during excavations for a northern ireland firm’s new hotel in Dublin.

burial sites dating back more than 1,000 years were found at Capel Street where an abbey, St Mary’s, once stood.

At least two of the remains are believed to date back to the early 11th Century.

The excavations have been commissioned by beannchor, which is building its new bullitt Dublin hotel on the site.

The abbey used by the Savigniac and Cistercian orders opened in the 12th Century.

Carbon dating of one of the discovered graves predates that by 100 years, indicating the presence of a Christian settlement on the site prior to St Mary’s being built.

The archaeological investigations at the site, which formerly housed boland’s bakery, also unearthed the foundations of buildings dating back to the 1600s.

The finds were discovered close to a former Presbyterian meeting house dating from 1667. Parts of a domestic house known as the ‘Dutch billies’ have also been found.

it was constructed in about 1700 by settlers who came to Dublin after William of Orange ascended to the thrones of England, Scotland and ireland in 1689.

incorporated into design

While the skeletal remains will be painstakingly excavated, cleaned and sent for further analysis, before ultimately being given to the national

Monuments Services, the other structures found during the examination of the site are set to be incorporated into the design of the new hotel complex.

beannchor Group, which runs high-profile hotels and bars in northern ireland, has undertaken similar restoration of historic buildings in the past, including belfast’s Merchant

member of

building with surviving ovens from the boland’s bakery dating from 1890 will be renovated and repurposed.

Edmond O’Donovan, director of excavations for Courtney Deery Heritage Consultancy (CDHC, said St Mary’s Abbey was ireland’s largest and most wealthy medieval abbey in its day.

“it was demolished after 1540 when the monastery was disbanded by Henry Viii and was later the site of a 17th Century Presbyterian meeting house. One of the things that was intriguing and exciting about the excavation is that we found an early burial or at least a number of burials that we suspect to be quite early.

President gives 25 awards to Dubs

PRESiDEnt Michael D Higgins recently presented 25 young people from Dublin with the Gaisce Gold Award in a ceremony at Áras an uachtaráin.

The ceremony will award 98 young people for their outstanding commitment to personal development and contribution to society. This year’s participants took on a range of activities and projects, from Meals on Wheels, to playing the bagpipes, learning a new language, participating in Parkruns and refining their leadership skills.

Hotel, which was a former bank.

it said the Dublin project is by far its biggest and most complex project to date. The 17th Century Presbyterian meeting house will be central to the development of a new bar and restaurant concept. The ‘Dutch billies’ house will also be preserved while a

Council honours Abbey architect

Dublin City Council has unveiled a plaque remembering Joseph Holloway (1861–1944), Architect and Theatre Critic, who designed the first Abbey Theatre born in Camden Street, where his father had a bakery, Holloway was educated at St Vincent’s in Castleknock.

Following the death of his father, in 1874, the family moved to 21 northumberland Road, where Holloway lived until his death in 1944.

After studying at the Dublin School of Art, in 1890 he joined O’Callaghan architects, in Kildare Street, Dublin.

Holloway’s most famous work was the remodelling of the Mechanics’ institute and Theatre on lower Abbey Street as the first Abbey Theatre, in December 1904.

He gave up architecture after the First World War, and, having a private income, he was able to devote himself to the theatre.

A great supporter of the theatre, he attended almost all rehearsals and first nights.

“We have one that’s carbon dated to the 11th Century and we have a second burial that was found with a diagnostic stick pin from the 11th Century. And that suggests that there was an earlier Christian and potentially monastic foundation here which predates the Savigniac and Cistercian Abbey.”

bill Wolsey, managing director of beannchor, said it was impossible to have foreseen what the project would entail at its outset in 2017.

Gaisce – The President’s Award, is a self-development programme for young people aged 14 -25 which has been proven to enhance confidence, resilience, and well-being through participation in personal, physical, community, and adventure challenges. This year’s Gold Awardees have committed two or more years to completing various challenges, resulting in a total of 37,000 hours spent achieving personal goals and volunteering within their communities.

Gaisce’s vision is an ireland where every young person, no matter their circumstances, has access to participate in the President’s Challenge.

Revenues at Dublin Bus reach €310m

REVEnuES at Dublin bus last year increased by 14pc to €310.2m as the number of customers journeys rose to 121.4 million.

However, higher costs at Dublin bus resulted in the transport firm recording a modest pre-tax loss of €611,000 compared with a pre-tax profit of €5.7m in 2021.

The company is the largest transport provider in ireland with a fleet of over 1,000 buses which follow 121 routes and the number of passenger journeys increased by 73pc rising from 70 million to 121.4 million as the business recovered from Covid-19.

The business recorded the pre-tax loss as the cost of fuel and lubricants increased from €23.97m to €27.3m as part of the material and services bill rising from €69.85m to €78.82m. Staff costs increased by 15pc from €200.77m to €231.57m. The loss also took account of a €118,000 cost concerning ‘restructuring and other employee related matters’.

On the challenges facing the company, chairman Gary Owens conceded that the highly competitive labour market “resulted in some services failing to operate due

to driver shortages”. He said: “The company has taken several additional steps to boost driver numbers and our employees are working hard to minimise the effect of driver recruitment challenges.”

Mr Owens stated that “the company had a very strong performance in 2022, while meeting the needs of our customers and delivering cost efficiencies and value for money”.

The bulk of Dublin bus’s income was made up of a Public Service Obligation (PSO) payment of €303.26m. in his report, chief executive billy Hann, who joined the business last December, has stated: “We are currently carrying an average of 457,000 customers per day, MondayFriday, meaning customer demand is approaching preCovid years.” Gross consultancy costs in 2022 totalled €1.5m that included a €38,000 spend on legal, €25,000 on industrial relations, €192,000 on public relations and marketing along with €1.14m on organisational strategy. numbers employed increased from 3,642 to 3,771. The staff costs included salary costs of €116.12m.

A

the archaeology team examines skeletal remains discovered during preparatory works for a new hotel in central Dublin

Mad, bad and sad ... but I still say Vive La France

MICHAEL WOLSEY

I LOVE France. I love the culture and the pride that preserves it. I love the language, although my capability has never got much above schoolboy level. I love the food and the care that is lavished on it by chefs, from the small café owner to the five-star celebrity. It is a country of startling contrasts where rugged coasts and stony foreshores give way to glorious sweeping beaches; surging mountain streams feed wide. sluggish lakes with flamingos feeding in their waters and deer grazing on the banks. It is a land of little villages where time stands still and of modern, sophisticated cities, linked by great roads and Europe’s best railway system. But the biggest contrast is provided by the people. They are sometimes said (by the English in particular) to be unfriendly . I have never found it so. French people are friendly but they expect certain rules to be observed. They have a natural reserve and an insistence on good manners that deserves respect.

A French shopkeeper will greet you with ‘bonjour’ before

commencing business. A waiter will bid you ‘au revoir’ as you leave. They will both address you as madame or monsieur and expect you to extend the same courtesy.

So how can people who take

such pride in formal good manners behave so badly when roused to protest?

When French fishermen are angry, they blockade ports, close down shipping lanes and hurl rotting fish onto the streets.

When French farmers protest, they barricade main roads, make bonfires from tractor tyres and dump animal carcasses on the town hall steps. When French air traffic controllers strike, as they seem

to do every summer, they close down flights all over Europe, disrupting business with which they have no quarrel and destroying the holidays of families, most of whom were not going to France and have no interest in the dispute.

And when French protestors take to the streets ... well, we’ve all seen what happens. They set those streets on fire. They wreck shops. they fight with the security forces.

We’ve seen it in protests over the shooting by police of a young motorist. We saw it in protests against raising the pension age. We saw it a few years ago in the Gilets Jaunes protests, and nobody seemed certain what they were about, not even the Yellow Vest wearers themselves.

Different reasons for discontent, but the same ridiculous over-reaction every time. I don’t know of any other democracy in Europe where people respond in this way. Yes, they go on strike everywhere; they march, they chant, they cause some disruption. But France is the only country where protestors set about the demolition of their own towns and cities.

This is not some new phenomenon. I was a teenager myself when, back in the late 1960s, the teenagers of France took to the streets, demanding education reform. Their protest started in a Paris suburb and led to riots and widespread destruction throughout the country. Commentators said it was the worst rioting since the Popular Front era of the 1930s. Historians traced the roots back further, to the nineteenth century Communards, to the student uprising that Victor Hugo made central to Les Misérables, and to the French Revolution itself. So maybe there is some unique trait in the French character that turns discontent into violent protest. I spoke ot the contradiction between the actions of many French people and their innate courtesy and good manners. Another contradiction is how the economy continues to survive, and even thrive, despite upheavals that would prove ruinous elsewhere. And how French people will put aside their differences to welcome a visitor.

Several times in recent years friends have suggested I should cancel a trip to France or a holiday there in case I get caught up in the latest outbreak of trouble.

I have ignored that advice and I will ignore it again this year when I visit an old pal who lives near Avignon.

In France they say, ‘après la pluie, le beau temps’ : after the rain, good weather. And so it always seems in this lovely, contradictory country where, as they also say, ‘impossible n’est pas français’.

Tianna, Zainab, Aqsa and Amirah at Dublin City Council’s and St Patrick’s Athletic Multicultural Family Fun Day in Richmond Park

Former Dublin Lord Mayor Ben Briscoe dies

TánaisTe Micheál Martin has expressed “great sadness” at the death of former Fianna Fáil TD Ben Briscoe.

He said Mr Briscoe served as a Fianna Fáil TD for 37 years from 1965 to 2002 and “is remembered fondly by all who served with him”.

Mr Martin said that Mr Briscoe was “popular across all parties because of his good humour and decency”.

He said that Mr Briscoe’s

“proudest achievement” was the year he spent as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1988-89.

The Tánaiste added: “Ben was the son of Bob Briscoe who was an important figure in ireland’s revolutionary struggle, a founder of Fianna Fáil, a member of Dáil Éireann for 34 years and one of the most famous ever holders of the office of Lord Mayor of Dublin.”

He was first elected to

Summer sizzler BBQ fest kicks off

GeT ready to indulge in a sizzling celebration of sun, sand, and mouth-watering food this summer as the Beach BBQ Festival makes its return to Bray’s spectacular seafront on July 22 and 23.

This family-friendly scorcher is set to be the ultimate summer party, offering an incredible selection of activities including a funfair, demos, games, DJ sets, mouth-watering BBQ & food trucks.

The festival promises an unforgettable taste experience combined with a vibrant outdoor party atmosphere.

From 11 am daily, a top-notch line-up of vendors will fire up their grills, serving up a delectable array of BBQ meats including burgers, sausages, kebabs, wings, veggie and vegan

dishes with sauces and sides that will tantalise your taste buds.

across the weekend thrillseekers of all ages will be entertained by an exciting funfair, DJs will spin top summer anthems, while over on the Demo stage food enthusiasts will have the opportunity to witness the culinary expertise of special guests who will showcase their top secrets, tips & techniques, no-holds-barred recipes and then you can sample their delicious meats.

For those looking to unleash their competitive spirit, the Beach BBQ Festival offers a range of thrilling summer games where participants have the chance to win exclusive festival merchandise.

Dáil Éireann for Fianna Fáil in the Dublin south-West constituency at the 1965 general election, succeeding his father Robert Briscoe who had been a TD for more than 30 years, and was also a former lord mayor. Mr Briscoe was part of Dublin’s Jewish community, and along with his father, Mervyn Taylor and alan shatter was among the best-known irish politicians with a Jewish background. He was elected at

the 1969 general election for Dublin south-Central, where he was re-elected in 1973, and again in the Dublin Rathmines West constituency at 1977 general election.

a subsequent boundary revision in advance of the 1981 general election abolished Dublin Rathmines West and divided the area between the neighbouring constituencies. Briscoe retired at the 2002 general election.

Homeless figures up by more than 20%

HoMeLessness figures have reached a record high with 12,411 people accessing emergency accommodation last month.

The figures, released by the Department of Housing, is a 1.4% increase on the previous month during which the eviction ban was lifted.

The figures show that Dublin has the highest number of people registered as homeless at 9,160, including 2,802 children.

and nationally there are 3,699 children living in B&Bs, hotels, and temporary accommodation.

The figures don’t include asylum seekers, refugees, women in refuge centres and the so-called hidden homeless.

Minister for Housing

Darragh o’Brien said he was disappointed by the increase in homelessness this month, but “unfortunately not surprised”.

“We are increasing supply [of housing] across the country, that is having an impact. We’re exiting more people into permanent homes,” he said.

Mr o’Brien said the increase is “significantly less” than has been seen in recent months, and while that is

to be welcomed “that is no consolation for those who find themselves in emergency accommodation”.

Mr o’Brien acknowledged that some people entering emergency accommodation are coming from the private rental sector but said the decision to end the moratorium on evictions was “a difficult one but absolutely the correct one”.

in a statement, Peter McVerry Trust Ceo Francis Doherty said, to turn the corner, a close look is required at the type of social housing that is being delivered.

“[our] concern is that while

housing output grows, the type of homes being delivered doesn’t adequately reflect the needs of people impacted by homelessness or even the main need of people on the wider social housing waiting lists,” he said.

“almost 50% of the people in homelessness last month needed a one bed home, no other house type comes anywhere near that figure.

“This week if you looked at the total number of onebedroom homes to buy on the market on daft.ie or myhome. ie of any type or price there are just around 600 nationally.”

finglas Former Mayor inspects progress of new library

Former Lord mayor of Dublin, Caroline Conroy, has welcomed the progress being made on the new Finglas library which is nearing completion and set to open later this summer.  The new Library is located on Seamus ennis road, on the site of a former An Post sorting office, which was acquired by Dublin City Council in 2020.

The building is being upcycled and fully retrofitted to provide a vibrant new space for the community.

The new library will replace the existing service, which opened in 1980 and is located on the first floor of the Finglas Village Centre.  The existing library closed on June 24th and the new library will open as soon as final fit-out is complete.

Speaking at a site visit the Former Lord mayor of Dublin said, “I am delighted to see the progress on the new library which will be a

modern, universally accessible community space, and I look forward to seeing the exciting new services that the library will deliver for the people of Finglas. marking the end of my term as Lord mayor of Dublin I intend to donate a collection of books gifted to me during my time in office so that they can be read and enjoyed by the city’s library users. I am also pleased to see that the project approach has been to retain and upcycle an existing, vacant building instead of knocking it down and re-building, taking a low energy approach and contributing to Dublin City’s sustainability objectives.”

It is expected that the new library will welcome its first visitors later in the summer with an official opening event for the community in the Autumn.

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Teachers and students on Coláiste Íde’s air cabin crew course

Fingal council joins with ‘Think Before You Flush’

In a landmark collaboration, Fingal County Council has come together with other local authorities from coastal regions across Ireland to pledge their commitment to the “Think Before You Flush” campaign on all Blue Flag Beaches. This initiative aims to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of flushing instead of binning sanitary products on our natural environment including beaches and promote responsible waste management practices among beachgoers.

The “Think Before You Flush” campaign, operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Uisce Éireann, emphasises the importance of appropriate flushing behaviour and disposal of items including wipes and other sanitary products in the bin, even if they are labelled as flushable. Only the 3 Ps, pee, poo and paper should be flushed down the toilet. When items such as wipes and sanitary products are flushed down the toilet, they can cause

serious blockages in sewage systems, leading to sewage overflows and ultimately polluting coastal waters and beaches. Recognising the urgent need to protect Ireland’s remarkable coastal ecosystems, Fingal County Council has united with other coastal local authorities around Ireland in their commitment to spread awareness about the campaign and promote responsible waste disposal practices.

Under this collaborative effort, participating councils will display Think Before You Flush signage on Blue Flag Beaches, offering clear instructions on appropriate flushing behaviour, highlighting the main items people incorrectly flush down their toilets (the ‘Dirty Dozen’) and encouraging visitors to use designated sanitary waste bins. By partnering with Clean Coasts and Uisce Éireann’s Think Before You Flush campaign, Fingal County Council aims to foster a culture of environmental responsibility.

Mayor inspects library progress

Cotinued from front page Dublin City Librarian, Mairead Owens said, “This project is delivering on the ambition to provide a new community library for the people of Finglas with free, open and universally accessible space for all.  The new library should also contribute

positively to the regeneration strategy for Finglas village in a way that will assist the transformation of the centre of Finglas through the creation of a strong civic focal point for the area.”

The project includes external landscaping to the front of the library.  Louise Cotter of project architects Cotter and naessens

said, “The front lawn has been reconfigured to provide a pocket park with a new seating hub and a gently sloped pathway set in landscaped grounds.

“The access solution proposed is integrated into a landscape proposal whereby a gentle approach is threaded through the green space.”

Coláiste Íde: You’re here, we care, so let’s connect

Though Coláiste Íde was always an inclusive College of Further Education, even we were unprepared for the impact Covid had on our learners. Their lives were affected beyond recognition. our current multidisciplinary team model needed to radically respond to keep our learners engaged, so we developed a new initiative You’re here, We Care, So Let’s Connect

During Covid many of our learners disconnected, became isolated and lonely, losing their sense of direction and what possibilities the world might offer them. In setting up this team we drew on best practice from second and third level and healthcare models to establish a multidisciplinary team where staffs’ expertise and interests could be used to work with learners so that they are always connected to the college team. We are a team who meet weekly ensuring that our service to our learners is connected, consistent, and

caring. All team members’ offices have a visual pink door so learners know where they can connect with any member of the team this means that learners are encouraged to connect with the team when they need it without judgement in a safe environment. often learners don’t know where to go but by having this in the college it is a recognisable safe place where they can go to get help and support.

Since we started our new initiative we have noticed an increase in learner retention and engagement with the service especially with our vulnerable or challenged learners.

We keep our students in the now, empower them to believe in themselves and make informed choices for a meaningful future.

In addition to a student support centre where students

are supported in their academic work, we added a multi-sensory room to this suite where learners can relax and regulate their nervous system. The room is constantly used in a ‘drop-in’ capacity and is another point of reference in the college where learners who are overwhelmed can connect with team members or simply ‘chill out’. We are the only College of Further Education in the City of Dublin ETB who have this

facility. We recognised that with the increase in mental health issues of our learners that we needed to have an onsite professional counselling service as part of this new initiative, which is not normally found in colleges of Further Education. We offer our learners one-toone professional counselling by a fully accredited counsellor and psychotherapist where the focus is to support our learners to increase their mental health and wellbeing, thus enable them to stay engaged in their learning journey.

As a college we recognised that though the team members were psychologically aware of the learner’s needs who presented to them, many of our staff felt unable to support learners who had mental health issues, though they were willing to learn.

The significance in our initiative is firstly at our weekly meetings the Principal, who is psychologically qualified, was prepared to upskill the members of the team in

mental health issues such as schizophrenia, depression etc. This knowledge was then delivered to other staff at staff meetings and in small inservice groups. This peer-topeer support empowered all staff members enabling them to approach learners to discuss mental health issues. The success of this is that it is in-house training and is changing the culture around mental health issues in the college.

The impact of providing these new support initiatives for our learners is that they are fully aware that this college will do everything in its power to ensure that they reach their full potential. our new learner support initiatives and revised personnel structures ensures that we support our learners and they know it. They recognise that their care and wellbeing is our highest priority. It’s a culture which embodies You’re here, We Care, So Let’s Connect.

We take a look back at extracts from old newspapers to see what was in the news this month in years gone by

Freemans Jrn , 13/07/1867

Evening Her 07/07/1938