dermot.lacey@labour.ie

Dublin Bay South – Pembroke

Councillor Dermot Lacey

Latest News

Community Forum AGM

Dublin Community TV, as part of a promotion for the Dublin Community Forum AGM that is taking place next Wednesday night, has produced some video interviews.

The Forum has invited the Chairpersons of each DCC Strategic Policy Committee to present a report on the work of the Committee and how the Forum might better involve itself. As Chairperson of the Housing, Community and Social Affairs SPC I was interviewed to outline my views on the role of the SPC and other issues.

You can view the interview below:

Dermot Lacey And Ciaran Moore Discussion from DCTV on Vimeo.

06/10/2011
Report to September Labour Party Constituency Council

City Council:

Following the Summer break the City Council resumed meetings on the 5^th September. Among the issues dealt with on the night were: The provision of Public toilet facilities, planning permission for the new National Children’s Hospital and waste collection service.

Housing, Social and Community affairs Strategic Policy Committee:

The City Council has now formally adopted the two new housing initiatives, “Choice based letting” and the new policy on allocation of housing voids. These should significantly speed up allocations and free up resources for other work. The next two areas to be addressed by the Committee include maintenance and the Community affairs remit. Work on the “demolish and rebuild” proposal for the Maisonettes in Donnybrook is also underway and it is hoped that a planning application will be ready within the next three to six months.

Business in the Community:

I have secured agreement to hold a meeting between the various traders organisations across Pembroke-Rathmines to see what levels of co-operation may be developed and the possible introduction of a BIDS type initiative in the area.

Herbert Park:

Herbert Park featured quite a lot in my work over the last few months. The Centenary Celebrations which I proposed saw a major day of activity in the Park on Sunday 21^st August. This showed what could be achieved and it is now being considered how this could be developed in the future. The Area Committee also recently agreed to a proposal from me for each councillor elected for the Area to plant a tree there marking the Centenary. The idea is that all future Councillors for the Area will also be invited to plant a tree on their election helping to create a permanent acknowledgement of the connection between the Park and the City Council. It was also agreed to place a seat at that spot honouring the memory of the late Joe Doyle former elected representative for the area.

Finance:

Preparation of the City Council Budget is now the overriding issue facing the Council. Along with Paddy Bourke I have been appointed by the Labour Group as our representatives on the Budget Committee. It will be an uphill battle to strike a balance between financial stability and protection of services. It would help if the Government defended the principle of local finance-raising, rather than using the IMF/ECB issue as an excuse for something that actually has an inherent value.

General:

Other issues being dealt with include the adoption and now implementation of the Sandymount Village Design Statement, creation of a Conservation Plan for the Poolbeg Peninsula and extension of the Dublin Bike Scheme. As mentioned above I tabled a comprehensive motion on behalf of the Labour Group in relation to the provision of Public Toilet facilities in Dublin. This was agreed by the Council.

As always I have continued to work with a wide variety of community and youth groups as well as the many Residents Associations across the ward. I also completed a substantial chapter on Local Government Reform for a book “Dublin’s Future” to be published in November.

20/09/2011
Sandymount Village Design Statement

Dublin City Council has launched the Sandymount Village Design Statement. This is a great opportunity for the local community to get involved in creating a vision for the future of the village. I highly recommend reading a copy of the report, which can be downloaded from the Dublin City Council website here (pdf).

If you would prefer to get a hard copy of the plan, you can contact Dublin City Council at southeastarea@dublincity.ie or phone 2227394.

14/09/2011
Closure of Ailesbury Gadens to Traffic

Following a request received from Iarnród Éireann, Dublin City Council is considering authorising the temporary closure of Ailesbury Gardens,Dublin 4 (from Sydney Parade Avenue to St Albans Park) for four consecutive Saturday nights/Sunday mornings on 17^th/18^th & 24^th/25^th September and 1^st/2^nd & 8^th/9^th October 2011 respectively from 22.00hrs each Saturday to 09.00 hrs each Sunday

The road closure is to facilitate a crane set-up to carry out a bridge lift.

In addition to the traffic management plan as detailed on the webpage below, pedestrian and local access will be maintained during the period of the closure.

http://www.dublincity.ie/ROADSANDTRAFFIC/SCHEDULEDDISRUPTIONS/Pages/ScheduledDisruptionsHome.aspx

Any person may lodge an objection, in writing, to Dublin City Council, Roads & Traffic Department, Block 2 Floor 6, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8.The closing time and date for receipt of objections is 12:00 midday on Tuesday 06^th September 2011. You can fax your objection(s) to (01) 2222 813.

29/08/2011
O’Cuiv Anti-Urban Populism a Nonsense and Hypocritical

Statement by Councillor Dermot Lacey, Labour Party, Dublin City Council

29th August 2011

“The comments from the Fianna Fail Deputy Leader, Eamon O’Cuiv, regarding the new Septic Tank levy reflects a deep anti urban bias – in particular an Anti Dublin bias and coming from a Politician whose term in office was sustained by the millions poured into the Exchequer by Urban, primarily Dublin home buyers are both hypocritical and nonsense,” according to Labour Councillor and former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Dermot Lacey.

Contrary to the nonsense uttered by Deputy O’Cuiv, the truth is, that urban dwellers through the more costly property transactions in Dublin and other Urban areas and other taxes effectively subsidised and continues to subsidise rural Ireland and not the other way round. Eamon O’Cuiv should be careful in case he gets what he wishes for – Equality of contribution and distribution.

I would welcome such equality for Dublin.

Perhaps if Dubliners were reimbursed for the millions – approximately E500million for the period in which Eamon O’Cuiv was a Government Minister – in Commercial Rates, which his Government refused to pay to Dublin City Council. Perhaps if Dublin City Council was reimbursed for the excess in Motor Tax accounts paid into the Local Government Fund and redistributed to the rest of Ireland and there is more, Eamon O’Cuiv would have some moral authority to complain. However he never spoke up for such equality then.

Instead in his continuing search for a role as some sort of Rural Chieftain this former resident of Dublin 4 seeks to promote a stupid and outdated divisiveness that does no one any good except those in search of the local vote and cheap populism. We need to have an honest debate in Ireland about how we finance our Local Government system. I have been seeking this for years. Deputy O’Cuiv was a Government Minister for most of that time – he did absolutely nothing about it. I have no wish to penalise rural dwellers and am in favour of a balanced taxation and service charge approach which is fair to all. Perhaps Deputy O’Cuiv could now, in opposition, at least put his mind to that task. Simple Populism is no alternative to real ideas -unfortunately it still seems to be what some Politicians are at.

29/08/2011
Herbert Park Family Day

Herbert Park in Ballsbridge will host a Family Day in August as part of the park’s centenary celebrations.

Details:

Sunday 21st August

1pm-5pm

Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

Details from Dublin City Council can be found here.

16/08/2011