-Fully support retaining current EMS service in Swords, Skerries and Balbriggan-
Local Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has expressed his support for the full retention of emergency services provided by Dublin Fire Brigade across the North County including Swords, Skerries and Balbriggan. The Deputy made his comments after securing a special Dáil debate this week with Fianna Fáil TDs, John Lahart and Sean Haughey on the future of Dublin Fire Brigade Ambulance Services. The Deputy said, “Dublin Fire Brigade has a long history of providing exemplary patient centred care across Dublin North. The plans revealed by the HSE which propose to remove the delivery of Dublin’s Ambulance Service from DFB and instead merge it with the National Ambulance Service, are deeply concerning. “Removing any element of DFB’s fire based EMS system will have an adverse effect on safeguarding those in our community. A direct funding mechanism should be designed to allow DFB to continue to operate all areas of DFB’s fire based EMS service. “We must enable staff and crew to maximise service delivery and continue to provide a full-time fire, rescue, and ambulance service which protects our whole community in Dublin North,” concluded the Deputy. The Clinic will be up and running from Tuesday 14th February, 11am to 1pm in the Donabate/Portrane Community Centre -
Local Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has said the establishment of a local Garda clinic in the Donabate/Portrane area, will play a crucial role in assuring our public and providing much needed support in the locality. Deputy O’Brien and Cllr. Adrian Henchy recently met with the local Garda Superintendent and Inspector to discuss crime and policing issues in North Dublin and the need to increase the Garda presence on the peninsula. “Sustained cuts to garda resources over the past four years, including the closure of the garda station in Rush, have impacted on the force's ability to effectively carry out their duties. Garda resources are limited in our area with a total compliment of 72 Gardaí assigned to Swords Garda station, this is down from 84 in 2010,” explained Deputy O’Brien. “During our recent meeting with Gardaí in which we discussed the concerns of constituents and the local neighbourhood watch group, we proposed to establish a clinic in the Donabate/Portrane area and operate it on a trial basis. “I am very pleased that the Gardaí have acted on our suggestion and the first Garda clinic took place today. “The Gardaí will be on hand during the clinic to sign and stamp forms and answer any queries or concerns. Members of the force will also bring along frequently used forms including driving licence applications, to help with details. “I will continue to fight for additional Garda resources in North County to protect our community and provide ease of mind to those that have fallen victim to crime in the locality,” concluded O’Brien. -HSE proposal to merge services could have negative impact on North County –
Local Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has expressed his support for the full retention of services provided by Dublin Fire Brigade across the city and particularly in Swords, Skerries and Balbriggan. The Deputy made his comments following a recent visit to Swords Fire Station with party colleagues Cllr Darragh Butler, Mayor of Fingal and Cllr Eoin O’Brien. “Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) has been providing crucial ambulance services to the citizens of the city and North County since 1898. They now operate with life-saving equipment and over 800 trained firefighter paramedics work to provide immediate medical assistance to members of public in need of treatment 24/7, 365 days a year. Staff must be lauded for their ability to respond to thousands of emergency calls across the capital every year,” added the Deputy. “I am deeply concerned by plans revealed by the HSE which propose to remove the delivery of Dublin’s ambulance service from Dublin Fire Brigade and instead merge the service with the National Ambulance Service. This proposal could have a huge negative impact on our area and the delivery of services from the DFB call centre must be retained. “I strongly oppose any move to withdraw resources during a period of increased responsibility and de-creasing budgets which make operating adequate services a near impossible task. “On my visit to the station In Swords, I reinforced my party’s support of DFB, DFB Ambulance and its entire staff and crew. “We must protect those in Swords Fire Station who provide a full-time fire, rescue, and ambulance service which serves our whole community,” concluded the Deputy. Fingal County Council Announce 2017 Artists’ Support Scheme for professional Fingal Artists9/2/2017
Fingal County Council is delighted to announce the 2017 Artists’ Support Scheme. This strand of funding allows professional artists to avail of an award towards travel/professional development opportunities, a residency, or towards the development of work.
The objective of the Artists’ Support Scheme is to support individual professional artists from Fingal to develop their artistic practice. The purpose of the award is to provide artists with the time and resources to think, research, reflect and engage with their artistic practice. The award is open to practising artists at all stages in their professional careers working in music, visual art, drama, literature & dance. To be eligible to apply, applicants must: have been born, have studied, or currently reside in the Fingal administrative area. Speaking about the award, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council Paul Reid said “I am pleased to announce this funding scheme, which assists artists to develop their professional careers. The Council awarded 29 artists through this scheme last year and continues to nurture artistic excellence in Fingal.” Commenting on the award, Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Darragh Butler said “As a strong supporter of the Arts, I am confident this scheme is of great benefit to artists from and living in Fingal, working across all art forms”. The funding is for projects/initiatives which will take place between 1 June - 31 December 2017. Closing date for receipt of applications is 24th March, 2017 at 4pm. For further information and application forms please see www.fingalarts.ie or www.fingal.ie Contact: denise.reddy@fingal.ie or rory.obyrne@fingal.ie Tel: 01 890 5099 - Fingal TD raises issue in Dáil with Minister -
Local TD, Darragh O’Brien has said that a Bill introduced in the Dáil this week by Fianna Fáil will provide greater pension protection for employees and ensure that solvent employers are not able to walk away from their obligations in relation to defined benefit pension schemes. The Fianna Fáil bill, Pensions (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2017 will provide for an appeals mechanism where a pension scheme is being wound up by its trustees so that workers affected have a chance to protect their interests. It also specifies conditions for the winding up of defined benefit pension schemes. Speaking on the legislation in the Dáil on Tuesday, Deputy O’Brien said, “Over the past number of years, we have seen many large, financially solvent companies, wind up their pension schemes, and jeopardise the future pension payments of their workers. Unfortunately, the Government has done nothing to prevent this. "Indeed, Government policy has in some cases facilitated it. For example, as a result of Fine Gael and Labour's State Airports (Shannon Group) Act 2014, retired members of the superannuation scheme (IASS) lost six weeks of their annuity and long-standing deferred members lost up to 60% of their pension entitlements. "This Fianna Fáil Bill has the capacity to go some way towards undoing some of the actions taken over the last five years. “Having worked in the pensions sector for 15 years before entering politics, I intend to continue on this course of trying to protect workers' and pension scheme members' rights and trying to ensure that unscrupulous employers will not remove people's pension rights and the benefits they have built up over time. I also intend to continue fighting for redress for people such as the airport who lost up to 60% of their pension benefits. “The massive ramifications faced by these 15,000 families across the country must not be inflicted on any more pension scheme members. I remain committed to fighting on this issue, providing more protection and rowing back on some of the retrograde steps that were taken over the past five years," Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade, Darragh O’Brien TD has condemned the escalation in settlement activity and the passing of a bill which retroactively legalises thousands of settler homes built on private Palestinian land. ”I am deeply concerned about the escalation in settlement activity and the passing of a bill which retroactively legalises what are illegal settlements, explained O'Brien. "This cynical and divisive move by the Israeli Government is an affront to the efforts being made by the international community to find a sustainable and viable solution to the conflict in the Middle East.Furthermore, it is putting a two-state solution in serious jeopardy. “Whilst transgressions have been committed on both sides, the approval of 6,000 settlement homes in the occupied Palestinian territories in the past fortnight alone significantly diminishes the prospects of Arab-Israeli peace. It also calls into question Israel’s genuine commitment to lasting peace in the region. "Bringing forward a law, which Israel’s own Attorney General has deemed unconstitutional and which he will not defend it in the Supreme Court, only serves to inflame tensions in the region. "The latest developments and the actions of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Government are disheartening and are unfortunately moving us further away from finding a solution to this ongoing conflict,” concluded Deputy O’Brien. |
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