Holywell, Swords, Saturday 5 February 2011
Today, Trevor Sargent and the Green team paid a visit to voters in Holywell, Swords. We asked Trevor what issues were coming up on the doorsteps.
Archive for the 'Swords' Category
Campaign Update – Day 4
Published 5 February, 2011 Election , Fingal news , Metro North , Politics , Swords ClosedCampaign Update – Day 2
Published 3 February, 2011 Community , Election , Politics , Swords ClosedTags: Election 2011
DISCUSSING THE NEW ECONOMY WHILE CANVASSING MALAHIDE, BALBRIGGAN AND SWORDS
Published 3 February, 2011 Balbriggan , Community , Election , Fingal news , Ireland , Malahide , Politics , Swords Closed3 February 2011
Most people agree our political system is not fit for purpose. The current personality driven elections are more likely to give us a healthy crop of Jackie Healy Rae type independents than a courageous visionary capable Government acting for the common good. A NUMBER ONE vote for the GREEN PARTY is a vote to replace this outdated system, a legacy of British rule, with a reduced Dáil of 120, half elected directly and half elected from a list of experts drawn up to reflect the policy platforms of the political parties contesting the election, in accordance with the percentage of support won by the respective party.
Likewise, the economic system is a legacy of an industrial revolution and consumer society which has just imploded leaving households and countries mired in debt. We must reflect to appreciate this is not an economy which should be re-created. We need a new fit-for-purpose economy which protects the ecological systems and community infrastructure on which all life on Earth depends.
What have we left behind, only a crisis caused in part by many of us spending money we did not have, on things we did not really need, to make impressions which will not last, on people we do not really know? We must, to keep afloat as a globally open economy, pay our bills over time, but let us take hope that the new economy espoused by the Green Party is designed to meet the need for resources, the need for family space and nurturing, the need for shared spaces and community development. A fit-for-purpose economy is a Green Economy. Already in Government,we can see it was Green initiatives which were creating the sustainable jobs and making Ireland more efficient and cost effective, and household bills more affordable. I’m thinking energy insulation grants, upgrading the grid to encourage renewable energy developments. Planning Act legislation which cuts down on transport costs and investment by PPP in the likes of Metro North and electric car initiatives which free us from the shackles of ever most scarce oil dependency.
This is a reflection of some of the conversations I was having in Balbriggan, Malahide and Swords canvassing today and at our campaign launch in Dublin – when I was not painting over unsightly graffiti as the picture shows.
Swords Ambulance Service saved, pending discussions
Published 22 December, 2010 Community , Fingal news , Swords ClosedTags: ambulance, Swords
22 December 2010
Sargent assists in negotiating reprieve for Swords Ambulance service.
Following discussions between the Minister for the Environment John Gormley T.D. and Dublin City Manager, John Tierney, a stay of execution on the Swords ambulance has been announced. Instead of a withdrawal date of 6 January, time has now been provided for discussions between the HSE and Dublin City Council. Between now and the end of January these talks will take place with a view to settling outstanding cost issues.
Commenting on the latest developments, Trevor Sargent T.D. said “This must be regarded as a significant breakthrough. The efforts of all community leaders and public representatives must now focus on finding the resources to maintain the critical emergency services. If costs are to be saved, we must face up to examining management and administrative overheads first. North County Dublin is the fastest growing area of population in the country and our emergency services need to keep up with this reality. I appreciate the expertise and commitment of the Dublin Fire Brigade team in Swords particularly John Kidd, Joe Watson and Tony McDonnell of the Irish Fire and Emergency Services Association, and I was glad to be in a position to be of practical help in creating the opportunity for the service to be saved.
I would also like to thank the Dublin City Manager for his willingness to examine all the options with a view to resolving this dilemma. I now hope that we can move quickly to resolve the question marks over this vital service and ensure its continued availability to the Fingal area” said Deputy Sargent.
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METRO NORTH ESSENTIAL TO ECONOMIC RECOVERY NATIONALLY, SARGENT TELLS OIREACHTAS TRANSPORT COMMITTEE
Published 18 December, 2010 Fingal news , Metro North , Swords ClosedTags: Metro North, transport
15 December 2010
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transort (CILT) carried out a worthwhile exercise in reviewing the previous Government’s Transport 21 plan or T21. The review found that 75% of spending went on roads, with little by comparison on bus provision. They found also that T21 had little awareness of the need to cut CO2 emissions in transport planning. CILT also recommended that PSO subsidies for air travel within Ireland be ended to help fund instead better land based public transport. CILT also sees a need for a full policy on carrying freight by rail. CILT also wants a fair and comprehensive system of road use charges, again to help fund and improve better public transport especially in areas not properly served by buses and trains at present.
Strange then after CILT highlights the need to cut CO2 to hear they want to stall Metro North in favour of the DART interconnector, as if that could be done economically!
Metro North has planning and in every sense has ‘left the station’. To halt it would sentence Swords, the Airport, and indeed Ireland to no Metro and no DART interconnector for years to come, while the whole focus of work changed against a backdrop of empty state coffers.
Metro North has the advantage of being a PPP so state money is not a major factor. It has a 2:1 cost benefit to the economy (acknowledged by CILT) so it attracts the private investors. The interconnector is still a concept needing to be tweaked, as, for example, it does not plan to link with Connolly Station at present! The interconnector may well be a worthwhile project (4:1 cost benefit says CILT), but not at the expense of Metro North. Easy to see that none of the CILT delegation at the Committee lived in Swords or its hinterland which has a faster growing popultion than anywhere else in Ireland, just ask the CSO or Fingal County Council.
SNOWY SWORDS CALM BEFORE THE BUDGET BLIZZARD – NOVEMBER 2010
Published 10 December, 2010 Election , Swords ClosedAmidst the raft of cancelled sports and social events, school closures and postponed Christmas parties, the Fingal Greens donned hiking boots and wooly hats to brave the icy cold and canvass door to door in Swords.
Not too far from Applewood Village, are the communities of Castleview and Ashton. The long open grassland space makes the entrance to this development wider than O’Connell Street, Dublin. The topography of it reminds me of the drumlins one sees in Co Cavan. However as drumlins go it is a well-manicured one.
Another feature of the landscape was the diverse array of snowmen. No sign of lumps of coal used as ‘eyes’, but quite a number of fresh looking carrots playing the part of ‘noses’ – sign of the times perhaps! The number of people answering their doors was fewer than usual, and the number who did answer in dressing gowns was greater than usual – a clear consequence of the frantic efforts people were going to to keep warm.
I do want to thank those who did find time to discuss the challenges being faced at present, locally and nationally. The work to save Swords Fire Brigade and Ambulance Service is uppermost on my mind. The top heavy management structure in this State is where savings can be made. In this way the frontline services can be supported, not cut. To compare us with Northern Ireland is sobering. Up north, there is one Chief Fire Officer and two Assistant Fire Officers. In this Republic there are 37 Chiefs and 120 Assistant Chief Fire Officers. Experts have told me that 3 regions rather than 37 as at present would be a more efficient and cost effective way to run the Fire Service in this State. The Minister for the Environmnent and Green Party Leader, John Gormley TD, is pursuing this reform. Please support the Green Party / An Comhaontas Glas in this campaign.
We are keen to remind constituents as well, that Metro North is still on track. What a bonus that would have been during this snowy spell of weather! The Greens in Government have been the strongest united party pushing this project at each stage. The North County needs it, the economy needs it and the Ireland of the future needs it when oil becomes unaffordable.
VISIT BY MINISTER FOR EQUALITY, MARY WHITE TD, TO DUBLIN NORTH
Published 1 December, 2010 Community , Fingal news , Swords Closed25 November 2010
My friend and Green Party / An Comhaontas Glas colleague Minister of State, Mary White TD, recently visited indoor and outdoor events in Dublin North, despite the inclement weather.
The Minister was Guest of Honour in County Hall, Swords, at the Integration Showcase, where 19 community groups throughout Fingal made brief presentations of their work. The Mayor, Cllr Ken Farrell and Fingal County Council Integration Officer, Ms Louise Edmonds and Assistant Manager, Mr Gilbert Power, welcomed the large gathering.
It was very interesting to hear from so many diverse communities. Thywill spoke for the Fingal Ethnic Network, along with Stephen from Sporting Fingal Community Trust. Elisha at 12 years of age spoke for the Swords/Baldoyle Youth Service. The Balbriggan Youth Service did a project on the local Sailors’ Grave. Pauline Mc Namee again from Balbriggan spoke about the Access, Provision and Training for Integration group. Roisin Devoy spoke for the Healthy Food Made Easy group while Michaela spoke for the Cross Care Migrant Project. There were presentations from Swords Failte Isteach, Skerries Failte Isteach, Home Start Swords and many more.
After that at 9pm, I drove ahead of the Minister’s car to bring her to Glebe North FC in Balbriggan. Here Minister White spoke to the teenagers who were preparing for the finals of their late night soccer tournament. This community initiative involving the Glebe North, the Council, Sporting Fingal and An Garda Síochána, has provided a much appreciated social and sporting focus for the large young population in Balbriggan.
Minister White impressed the young audience with her memories of playing for Ireland on international sports fields. It is likely that some of the young talented players in Balbriggan will be able to look back in years to come and recall where their international sporting careers began at tournaments like this.
Fire Brigade Service nationally is top-heavy with managers: cut non-operational costs to save Swords Dublin Fire brigade ambulance, says Trevor Sargent
“Swords Fire Station and the DFB emergency ambulance contracted to the HSE at Lissnehall are vital to the emergency services, not just in Fingal, but in Dublin City and parts of county Meath also”, said Trevor Sargent TD, speaking from his office in Rivermall, off Main Street in Swords.
Sargent recently carried out an investigation to assess how public money allocated to the fire and emergency services in this jurisdiction is spent. Whereas the Northern Ireland Fire Service has one Chief Fire Officer and two Assistant Fire Officers, the Republic has 37 Chiefs and 120 Assistant Chief Fire Officers. Over the years, the proportion of non-operational staff in the Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) and the HSE has grown too. In 1985 there were 10 civilian staff in the DFB. In 2010, in spite of new labour-saving computers, there are over 60 civilian staff in the DFB.
“If cuts are to be made, it is non-operational costs which must be reduced. In this way the threat over Swords emergency services can be lifted. In fact, Fingal and the Dublin region needs more fire brigades and ambulances, not less”, said Deputy Sargent.
“At present Fine Gael and Labour which run Dublin City Council are responsible for Swords Fire Station dn the DFB ambulance which is under contract to the HSE at Lissenhall, Swords. If savings are required, hands off operational staff and the DFB Swords ambulance. Savings can be made at DFB, starting with saloon cars which are not used for call-out duties”
“Nationally, it is time to learn how we can do more with less as they do in the Northern Ireland Fire Service. Fine Gael and Labour must tell DFB they can’t cut operation services when reducing their budget”, he concluded.
Trevor Sargent in Swords Fire Station control room with John Kidd, Chairperson and Convenor for Dublin Fire Brigade
At Swords Fire Station with Station Officer, John McNally
A day in the life…SCHOOL VISIT, DISABILITY SERVICES, ALCOHOLISM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS DÁIL MAKES FOR INTERESTING DAY.
Published 19 October, 2010 Balbriggan , Community , Food security , Garristown , Swords Closed19 October 2010
Started the day meeting parents and teachers at Garristown NS. Principal Mr Hugh Daly showed me the safer access for pupils proposed by the school as well as plans for 4 new classrooms over a welcome cup of coffee and some healthy slices of fruit in the staffroom, very tasty and impressive!
On then to launch of ‘Breaking the Barriers, an Overview of Disability Services and Supports in Fingal which was attended by the Fingal County Manager, Mr David O’Connor and Fingal Development Board Chair Cllr Kelleher and other key people, many who volunteer their time and talents. The launnch took place in Bewley’s Hotel, Baskin Lane and was addresses principally by Ms Ann Brophy, the Chair of the Fingal Disability / Accessibility Working Group. More info on the Fingal County Council website.
Into the Dail then first to Chair a meeting on Food Security to which members travelled from Monaghan, Laois and Wicklow with conference call to Leitrim. Later I chaired another Parliamentary Meeting as Green Party Whip.
Then out to Swords and the BASE centre in Brackenstown for a very good meeting for the public about the way Alcoholics Anonymous can help people with a drink addiction and their families. could not stay for whole meeting however as I had to get to Balbriggan Town Hall. Just got to the end of a public consultation organised by the Town Council and Public Realm group which yielded good ideas on community development.
As I headed home to iron a few shirts, I wondered had I missed something else that day given that regardless of my itinerary, I had not spotted any of my Oireachtas colleagues. No doubt I’ll find out the answer to that in the days to come.
Proposed Location for New Swords Supermarket “Inappropriate”
Published 13 September, 2010 Fingal news , Swords 2 CommentsTags: planning, Seatown Road
13 September 2010
Commenting on news that a site currently owned by St. Colmcille’s Parish on Seatown Road, Swords, is earmarked for the location of a new supermarket, Trevor Sargent TD said that he thought the choice of location was “highly inappropriate and totally unsuitable“
“While I welcome the increased choice that new supermarkets offer consumers, and certainly welcome the extra employment, I would be very concerned about this particular location. Seatown Road is already busy enough, serving three schools, three housing estates and acting as a connection between Swords and the N1 dual carriageway. It’s a very narrow road and is frequently congested already. The extra traffic that a new supermarket would bring would be simply too much.”
Deputy Sargent, whose constituency office is located in Swords, added that he was “fully behind” local residents, including those of Seatown Villas, the oldest housing estate in Swords, who had already voiced their objections. “Residents in the local estates are understandably concerned. A development like this at this location would be highly inappropriate. I hope that common sense will prevail and that planning permission will not be granted for this imposition.”
