April was a good month for meeting people in their gardens. With the weather dry if not warm and many families celebrating First Holy Communions, some gardens even made space for a rented bouncy castle!
Also noticeable was the work being done to replace broken footpaths, for example at Fullam Terrace. The harbour was looking better than usual with the absence of wrecks and the lighthouse freshly painted, a welcome sight to behold while I am waiting to catch the train to Leinster House in the morning.
However in Tara Court a number of residents pointed out how tree roots are lifting paths with the result that some people had tripped while walking. I’ve written to the Transportation Dept in the Council about this and await a response.
Wherever residents are renting, I was being asked often to check with the Housing Dept about Rental Assistance Schemes (RAS) or current places on housing list or consideration of health issues in evaluating housing needs. Again letters have all been written and sent off to the Council to ask for help on behalf of those needing it.
Some housing queries were more appropriate to the Planning Dept. Martello residents for example have gone through hell as a result of bad building standards and a lack of enforcement to hold the developer to account. I have already a large file on this sorry saga and still the developer has not made good the shoddy workmanship. My next port of call is the Minster for Sustainable Planning, Ciarán Cuffe TD, who I am asking to meet with some of the affected residents.
The residents of Westbrook Avenue on the other hand want to stop attention from unwanted visitors. Their cul-de-sac has pedestrian and indeed motorbike access gaps. Residents are convinced that burglaries, car theft and vandalism are made worse by these gaps. I am in touch with both Gardaí and the Council Transportation Dept to get these gaps closed. The walk to the town centre is the same distance whether the gaps are there or not so I do not anticipate any objection especially as residents have already petitioned all other residents affected.
Some issues I can take to Dáil Eireann. Health issues came up as did issues of competitiveness and job protection about which I have written to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. When I met the Principal of Balbriggan Community College at the school gates, he asked me to help with the campaign to build a purpose built Sports Hall with community meeting rooms. This excellent objective is worth fighting for given the contribution being offered by Fingal County Council. As a result I asked the Ceann Comhairle to allow me ask the Minister for Education and Skills to allow me debate the issue on the floor of Dáil Eireann. You can read the full debate here on the website.
