I hope that 2024 has started well for you. The longer evenings are certainly welcome, while the colder weather is not! This is a short summary on some of the matters on which I have been working over the past few weeks which may be of interest to you. We have been out and about meeting folks in Lucan, Palmerstown, Balgaddy and North Clondalkin and I have really enjoyed engaging with people on the many local issues raised. Remember that theCommunity Grants for 2024are now open – if you would like advice on how to apply, please get in touch. As ever, please feel free to get in touch on any of the below matters, or follow my updates onFacebook,InstagramandTwitter. I look forward to seeing you over coming months.
Le gach dea-ghuí,
Shane /
Make your voice heard on Ballyowen Shopping Centre!
The management company operating Ballyowen Shopping Centre have submitted aplanning applicationto provide a single-storey extension and to change the use of one of the units. While progress in the centre is welcome, the maintenance and safety of the general area is of concern to many. I have asked the management company to respond in writing on two occasions to address local concerns about the safety of the centre, but none has been received. I will be making a submission on this current planning application to highlight those concerns and to have them addressed. You can do so too by making an observation before 15 February on application SD24A/0004 which you can viewhere.
Councillors visit Lucan Pool construction site
Earlier this month, local councillors were invited to attend a site visit at the Lucan Pool. We were asked not to take photographs but we received a briefing from the County Architect on the progress of the project. I have put together a brief report from my notes on my social media pages which you can access onFacebook,XorInstagram. The delays are incredibly frustrating but the facility is very impressive and will be a huge asset when it is open. We are due to meet with the pool operators in two weeks for a further progress report and I will provide an update after that.
2024 Footpath Repair and Roadworks Plan presented
Every year, the Council sets out its repair programme for footpath repair, cycle track maintenance and road resurfacing. You can see the full list of proposed workshere. I am pleased to see a number of areas which I raised feature on the list, including road resurfacing at the junction at Castle Road/R136 and in Foxborough, laneway repair behind Palmerstown Drive, footpath repair in Earlsfort, Woodfarm extension, Oakcourt and Palmerstown Woods. However, there are still areas which need investment which I will continue to raise with the Council. Provision has also been made for contingency funding to repair dangerous paths, following my representation – I have highlighted a number of areas for immediate attention.
Securing improvements to our public spaces
One of the priorities for me as a councillor is to secure investment in small projects which enhance our public space. I am pleased to see projects which I have campaigned for feature in the2024 Public Realm Improvement Plan, including seating in Ballyowen and Collinstown Parks, bulb planting on the Rochfort/Abbeydale roundabout, upgrade of paths and entrances to Hermitage Park and resurfacing of the ‘Black Path’. I have received a commitment that the roundabouts on St Loman’s Road at Ballyowen Lane and Mount Andrew/Liffey Valley Park will be examined for treatment works. I am pleased that a number of locations I requested feature in the Council’scurrent tree-planting programme, including Culmore Road, Colthurst and St Ronan’s estate.
Investment in Palmerstown Library pays off!
I was pleased tosee a large increasein the number of visitors to Palmerstown Library since I secured the introduction of additional opening hours – something which I have campaigned for consistently. This is a vindication of these investment. You can see the full range of activities in Palmerstown Libraryhere.
Ensuring safe crossings for pedestrians
Over the course of the past year, I have been contacted by residents who have asked for safety audits of various stretches of road, popular crossing points and of busy junctions, such as the R136 junction with Balgaddy Road, Turret Road and Collinstown Road. This is something where I have sought specific attention from the Council and I am pleased that they have committed to undertaking an assessment of various spots I have identified as you can see fromthe response to a recent question. If you have a location you would like to raise, please let me know by 22 February.
Progress update on the Silver Bridge
It has been wonderful to see the progress of the restoration of the Silver Bridge. Despite the fact that the bridge is in the ownership of Fingal County Council, I have been consistently keeping it to the top of South Dublin County Council’s priority list, as with this recentmotionI tabled. I secured funding in the Council budget to enable the purchase of lands to enable a pedestrian and cycleway. I will continue to put pressure on Fingal and South Dublin County Councils to collaborate to bring this beautiful piece of our heritage into use. If you would like to learn more, get in touch.
Securing improvements to our roads
The traffic signal sequence at the Castle Road/R136 junction is something which has been causing issues over the past while for motorists and it will be consistently reviewed and adjusted to optimise traffic flow following myrepresentationon the matter. Iwas delighted tosecure the undertaking of roadworks to alleviate consistent flooding at the R136/New Nangor Road junction following representations by users of this route. However, I have been in constant contact with the Council about the need for housing contractors to keep the roads adjacent to them clean, specifically the Fonthill Road. I was alsopleasedto see the long sought-after replacement of double yellow lines in Earlsfort Avenue and I have requested repainting of white lines in Colthurst and Rochfort estates.
Clarifying the facts about laneways in Palmerstown
One thing I committed to do was to seek clarity about the role of the Council with regard to the laneways in Palmerstown. While I was successful this year in securing the first substantial investment in repair of the laneway behind Palmerstown Drive, I am of the view that there should be clarity about the ownership of the laneways in Palmerstown and the Council’s responsibility for same. Following myrequest, the Council set out the positionhere.This states that ‘if if the public right of way over these laneways was to be extinguished, the registered owners would then have unencumbered title to the laneways concerned and they should then be considered to be private property.’
Barry Andrews to contest Dublin European Election
Congratulations to my friend and colleague Barry Andrews on his selection as a candidate for Dublin at the upcoming European Parliament election. Barry has been such a strong and progressive voice for Dublin at EU level and I will be working with all my colleagues to ensure his re-election to the European Parliament.
Finding Charlie’s Voice Conference on 24 February
I am honoured to have joined the board ofFinding Charlie’s Voice , an organisation I have admired for some time. They are hosting a conference ‘Hear our Voice’ on 24 February. It will be a morning of connected conversations about communication and communication needs on Saturday February 24th in the Lucan Spa Hotel. Full agenda is available here. Get your (free) ticketshere.
Would you like to join our team?
If you would like to influence Fianna Fáil policy, make your voice heard and support my work in delivering strong local representation for our community, let me know and please consider joining Fianna Fáil and delivering for our local community.
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