Trevor Sargent

Doing his regular rounds, Minister Trevor Sargent TD called around to constituents in Balrothery last weekend. He brought news about the Fish & Farmers’ Market being now in the Combined Clubs Community Centre opposite the Bank of Ireland in nearby Balbriggan. This award winning market operates each Friday from 9am – 2pm. Next spring  it will return outdoors to George’s Square as the weather improves.

Minister Sargent also distributed updates on the restored train service, local recycling facilities, as well as kitchen garden plans and DVDs for local schools. For the fitter residents the low cost bike purchase scheme introduced by Government was of interest. Would-be cyclists can find out more from their local bike shop, not just from bike shops which their employer may recommend. More details on www.bikescheme.ie.

Speaking after his rounds, Minister Sargent said: ‘Balrothery has grown  enormously over the last decade, but still retains its medieval village charm and community spirit. The heritage centre, tennis courts, school, pub and now the new shop are all focal points for the ‘cupla focal’ where people gather.’

‘I’ve a few objectives after meeting residents throughout the village. On the road to Ardgillan Castle at Rosepark, some traffic calming is needed, especially after 3 collisions and a dog being knocked down and killed at the same location. Slow down motorists, please!’

‘In a number of gardens where boundary fences back on to fields, the rats are causing distress. My priority is to get permission from Fingal County Council for local authority householders to erect block walls to stop rats coming in to gardens.’

‘Domesticated animals such as dogs are causing problems too. Dogs barking at night  near my home is a real bugbear for me also. The sooner we can make the Green Party / Comhaontas Glas drafted noise legislation enforceable, the better. Minister for the Environment, John Gormley TD, tells me Government has agreed the heads of the new bill. It will be next year before it becomes law as the Planning Bill is ahead in the legislative queue. I’ll continue to push for this law to come in to effect. Meanwhile, the Garda and the DSPCA have certain powers. Contact my office if I can help on this one.’

‘Calling to one house on Knight’s Hill, I was met by ‘Whiskers’ Rooney, a pregnant gerbil, which was in the care of her young owner, Sinead Rooney and Mrs. Clodagh Rooney. Whiskers is a charmer and no trouble at all. The real issue here the bad parking on each corner at the entrance to Knight’s Hill. Note taken…ask Roads Department in Council for yellow lines at these corners to maintain access for residents. It is at times like this I really miss my friend, Joe Corr, who did such enormous good as a Green Party County Councillor. Joe is now Commercial Manager of Sporting Fingal and  has obviously brought lots of luck to Fingal’s favourite team. Having taken on Sligo Rovers and the worst of weather, Fingal beat both to take the FAI Cup. Who’d have predicted this time last year, we’d now,  after all that, be contesting the Europa League internationally as a premier league side. Comhghairdeas! Brilliant!

Meanwhile, more Council work for me as I’ve been asked to push for Cloch Choirneal and Coach Road Manor estates to be taken in charge. Also Balrothery Wood still has an unfinished entrance.

Individual hardship cases are a reality check wherever I go. The unofficial cost of schooling is starkly spelt out to me on a number of doors. I’ll be writing and talking with both Ministers for Education and Social and Family Affairs about this one during the week.’

Another inexplicable state of affairs is the way Swiss firm SR Technics at Dublin Airport shifted a very profitable Irish operation to Zurich. Now local SRT line maintenance staff are seeing Aer Lingus staff being trained up and expect Aer Lingus staff in due course to take their jobs. I need to speak urgently with Ministers for Transport and Enterprise about this situation and get back to those concerned.

As a former primary school teacher, I always welcome a chance to renew acquaintances at Balrothery National School. Before having a chat with a number of parents waiting outside to collect children, I dropped in to 5th class and their teacher Ms. Kay O’Mahony. These are the horticulturalists of the future who are developing food growing skills now, so we don’t go hungry or get sick when good food is too dear to import in years of oil scarcity which loom. We discussed the types of food being grown on farms in the area. Some local farmers like Andrew (who I met outside) and Sinead Cassin have children in the school. I told these young farmers about the DVD we brought out with Bord Bia on how to set up an organic food growing garden at school. I’ll drop them in a copy  of the DVD during the week …. meanwhile back to the Dail for an agriculture and flooding  debate on Tuesday evening and to be questioned about everything the Government is able to do to help on Thursday beginning 3.30pm (26.11.09). I expect visitors in the public gallery. If you wish to be there too, just call my office in the Department 01-6072362.