Official website of Trevor Sargent, Green Party
Friday, 18 February, 2011
In between canvassing in Skerries and Swords, Trevor took the time to visit his Swords constituency office and catch up on some paperwork. Here’s a glimpse into the “back room” of the campaign were so much time is spent following up on issues that have been raised on the canvass; and what a variety of issues there is!
Friday, 18 February 2011
First things first on a Friday, I set up tea and coffee making facilities for the stallholders and helpers at Balbriggan Fish and Farmers’ Market. We expect Stephanie Moe from Bord Bia to drop by see the market as it was the first Dublin market to be awarded the Bord Bia Good Paractise Certificate.
Trevor Sargent meeting parents and teachers on the Naul Road site of Coláiste Ghlór na Mara.
Had a meeting then with some parents with buggies and teachers at the new site which will soon hopefully see construction of the first All-Irish Post Primary Secondary School serving the Dublin North / South Louth hinterland. At present there are eight primary schools, mainly Gaelscoileanna who have 460 pupils graduating who want to continue their education through Irish at this new school, Coláiste Ghlór na Mara. I have spoken with the Tánaiste/Minister’s advisor again this morning and I know the Tánaiste is ‘actively considering’ the request made for recognition and an immediate go-ahead as we have the site, the pupils and a temporary school building available right away. I expect to be talking to the Tánaiste again about this later today.
Then back to the market to buy some fresh food and ask stallholders how they are getting on. Off to Skerries then, where I got a warm Skerries welcome. We discussed everything from getting a zebra crossing to the challenges of ex-SRT staff to development work in Africa to apprenticeships to fitting hand rails and showers to farmers’ markets to services for people with Parkinson’s Disease etc.
Home for a bite to eat before heading to the Constituency to design another leaflet before the evening canvass this time in Swords. Better bring the brolly and the heavy brogues as there is the look of rain in that sky. I doubt we will be appreciating the light of a full moon tonight.
Thursday, 17 February, 2011
We catch up with Trevor as he canvasses in Skerries. We ask him what his day has been like and he gives us a fascinating glimpse into the life of a campaigning candidate. Not for the faint-hearted!
Thursday, 17 February, 2011
Another early rise to meet commuters in Skerries boarding trains going south and going north as well as those coming to school or to work in Skerries. Glad to be joined by helpers such as Zoe, Frank, Diarmuid and George when the numbers were large and everyone was in a hurry. Had a good few chats with those who had a little more time to talk.
Trevor Sargent pays a viisit to Donabate Community College
Then dropped in to Donabate Community College to meet Principal Ms Olive Laffoy, the Green Team Leaders., to congratulate two Young Scientist entries and the brains behind them, as well as speak with a CSPE class I had previously shown around Leinster House. The lovely coffee and biscuits was much appreciated too.
On to Swords then for a canvass during which I was in contact with the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills about securing recognition and a go-ahead for Coláiste Ghlór na Mara, an Irish medium secondary school to serve the Gaelscoileanna and other pupils with a love of Irish in the North County Dublin area.
A brief stop for a bowl of soup for canvassers in Adam’s Apple Cafe and Restaurant, a great place to meet in Applewood, Swords. On then for a meeting with Balbriggan Chamber of Commerce and then an evening canvass in Skerries. Fingers crossed for no more rain this evening.
Wednesday, 16 February, 2011
Speaking from Balbiggan, Trevor Sargent describes some of the work he has been doing locally, in partcular developing safe routes to school in nearby Balrothery.
Wednesday, 17 February, 2011
Meetings in the morning about unresolved planning enforcement issues which are infuriating in the way the builders and planning authority have made the lives of residents a hell. I have huge file from fighting on behalf of the residents which involved getting a meeting for residents with the Minister for Sustainable Planning, Ciaran Cuffe TD.. I’ll try again to get satisfaction for the residents affected.
Then on to south Balbriggan and Balrothery. Glad to see the safe route needed for Balrothery NS pupils is making progress. A few months ago, I asked the Council’s Mairead Phelan to meet parents, teachers and parents when school was finishing to take a walk towards Balbriggan Golf Club with the children and a few parents. Apart from all concerned getting complimentary high-visibility vests, the plan to widen the path is now almost complete. The school will now be consulted and the work carried out over the summer holidays.
We moved then to the centre of Balbriggan and ended up in a lovely new cafe and restaurant called ‘Preserved’ on Dublin Street near George’s Square. This business grew from the stall in Balbriggan Fish and Farmers’ Market run by Karl Rogers, his father Michael and business partner Shane Mc Carthy. Having sussed what flavours of soups, pastries, savoury dishes etc went down well with Balbriggan folk and visitors, the talented chefs opened a premises to develop their business further.
It was a pleasure to see my vision of what the Market each Friday morning on the Square in Balbriggan could do. Likewise when I began Irish classes in the Bracken Court Hotel, I had a vision this could lead to establishing a local Gaelscoil. I called a public meeting to get a Coiste Bunaithe elected to make this vision a reality. Gaelscoil Bhaile Brigin and the other Gaelscoileanna in Dublin North are now so successful that tonight there is another public meeting to progress the establishment of a secondary Irish medium Gaelcholáiste Ghlór na Mara. I am very impressed by the calibre of volunteers who are doing the heavy lifting in this project and hopefully this latest vision will become a reality before long as well.
Off now to canvass more of Ros Eo this evening, before that public meeting in Halla and Bhaile, Baile Brigín.
Tuesday, 15 February, 2011.
Tuesday began with a two hour session meeting commuters outside Malahide Train Station beginning at a frosty dark hour of 7am. We handed out a four page comprehensive update on work and progress with various transport projects from extending the DART to Balbriggan to Metro to the cycle and walkway across the Malahide estuary.
Afterwards, attended a Carers’ Association meeting for election candidates as one of three who turned up. Darragh and Clare were there too but where were the Labour and Fine Gael candidates? Maybe they feel they are already elected! They missed a very informative presentation and useful discussion. The message to me was carers also need to be cared for. Their responsibilities take a toll in many ways and Government needs to support them for the sake of their own health but also because they save huge costs for the state by preventing mass-hospitalisation of elderly and infirm citizens.
Many many people I have worked with in Kinsealy Melrose area. Sadly others like Liam Rogers as a community leader and Rosaleen O’Toole as a marvellous event organizer for young people in the area, have now passed on at tragically young ages in each case. Their legacies live on however and the building work in the new Scoil an Duinnínigh and the soon to start work on the new Community Centre will provide the long-awaited facilities this community needs.
When a church group come to my Swords clinic and separately the community representatives, I thought these groups could achieve more if we all worked together for the common good. I am especially happy, therefore, that the co-operation of the community and a new church congregation Swords Baptist Church now working together are providing a shared facility which reflects tolerance, vision and a mutually beneficial resulting building for all concerned. John O’Brien in Fingal County Council tells me the public consultation six-week period is due to start soon so keep an eye on the local press or on www.fingalcoco.ie to have your say on this important development.
Tuesday, 15 February, 2011
On the site of what will shortly be the new school building for Scoil an Duinninigh in Kinsealy, Trevor Sargent gives an update on the progress of the new building.
Monday, 14 February, 2011
We join Trevor in Lusk, where he and the Green team are calling on residents in Chapel Farm. It’s a very cold night, but, thankfully, dry. One issue that has been raised repeatedly in the area is the lack of a secondary school.
Monday, 14 February 2011.
Swords Manor and Lusk are the areas today for the candidate to meet as many people as are at home to answer the door. Many matters relating to Fingal County Council are raised, such as footpath shortcomings to Swords village from Swords Manor, the long awaited Community Centre plans for this Brackenstown area and a badly planned wall in the Ormaond estate which encourages trespass of a private back garden. All these individual concerns will be personally followed up. The sooner the Green Party has an elected councillor for the area, the more we can do to address these and other local authority responsibilities.
Meanwhile, the future of our young people depends on this generation taking the right and often unpopular decisions now to incentivise moves towards a sustainalbe society. When the railways were built, people were afraid and objected, likewise when the Luas was being planned and now with the Green Party’s work to deliver the Metro to Swords, there are opponents of the Green Party who object. I do hope I will get enough NUMBER ONE votes to have a MANDATE FOR METRO.
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