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31st March 2015 • Volume 22, Issue 11 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. • Tel: 8•400•200 • info@northcountyleader.ie
North County Loses Out Again! DO THEY EVEN KNOW WE EXIST? The seemingly endless lack of vital services available to residents of the North County shows no sign of improving, and is now reaching breaking point. What has been described as frustrating has now turned to anger, and some local representatives who are convinced that this government has blinkers on when it comes to this area, have had enough. The latest incident which has added fuel to the fire is the refusal of the HSE to fill two front-line community drug worker posts in the North County. The North Dublin Community Care service, which is based in Swords provides support for children, adults and families who are suffering the impact of alcohol and drug use. Up until this point there was no response at all for families in crisis in this area.
REVIEW OF FINGAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN IS NOW UNDERWAY
By Patrick Finnegan This latest kick in the teeth for people living north of the airport comes hot on the heels of our report in last week’s edition of the County Leader, where we reported that the delivery of a world class transport service will take up to 10 years to deliver. Added to this is the fact that the last two Ministers for Health were elected by residents of the North County, yet Senator O’Brien the two main hospitals serving the area, Beaumont and Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda are consistently the two worst performing hospital in all of the INMO Trolley Watch figures. The HSE decision has evoked a stinging rebuke from opposition representatives in the area. Senator Darragh O’Brien (FF), the Chairman of the North Dublin Community Drug & Alcohol Taskforce, has accused the HSE of abandoning North County Dublin communities, by refusing the most basic
Pictured getting ready to take to the stage for Scoil Phádraic na Cailini, Donabate’s production of Fame Junior last week are pupils, Ella Martin, Eve Cottell, Ava Colgan, Holly O’Keeffe and Jill O’Mara - See Story on page 23
resources needed to support families affected by drug and alcohol abuse. He told the County Leader, “Last June we opened the North Dublin Community Care service. Up until this point there was no response at all for families in crisis in this area. We have a Case Manager, two Case Workers and an Adolescent Counsellor to cover the entire Clare Daly TD area. At a bare minimum we desperately need two new Case Workers,” he said. “The HSE’s outright refusal to fill these vital front-line posts exposes serious inequalities with the allocation of its resources. The North County Dublin region is by
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Fingal will be the focus of a global technology spotlight in May, when the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) Silicon Valley Global Technology Summit takes place here on 25th and 26th May. Hosted by Fingal County Council, Fingal Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Dublin City University (DCU) and the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB). The seventh ITLG annual summit will be hosted in venues throughout region. The ITLG delegation will include top executives from the global tech sector including Intel, DELL, Arvato and Disney among others This year, the event will be moderated by Forbes journalist and technology analyst, Paul Noglows, and the agenda will focus on key tech trends such as Big Data and Cloud, the ‘Internet of Things’ and wearable technology, the AgTech revolution as well as looking to the critical ingredients of the technology boom – education, investment and entrepreneurship. Tony Lambert, CEO, Fingal Dublin Chamber said, “Fingal is a thriving business region, with so much to offer the investment community as well as indigenous technology startups. From accessibility to the award-winning international Dublin Airport, to the superb connectivity and business infrastructure. We are delighted to welcome the Silicon Valley delegation of global business and technology leaders to Fingal this year and look forward to working closely with ITLG leaders to promote this Region in both Ireland and the USA.” Pictured at the launch of the ITLG Conference at Terminal 2, Dublin Airport are County Mayor, Cllr Mags Murray (left), with (from bottom), John Harnett (President ITLG), Paul Reid (Chief Executive, Fingal County Council), Tony Lambert (CEO Fingal Dublin Chamber) and Louise Phelan (PayPal)
far the largest geographical region in the capital. How can the HSE justify so few workers covering this entire region, when so many other areas are far better resourced? As the chair of the North Dublin Regional Drug & Alcohol Task Force it is impossible to escape the conclusion that the HSE is turning its back on North County Dublin.” Continued on page 17