​Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs & Trade Darragh O’Brien TD has reiterated his call for Sinn Féin to publicly withdraw its support for the Maduro regime in Venezuela following further fatal protests in the country.

Deputy O’Brien said, “In recent months Venezuela has been rocked by protests against the Maduro regime, a regime which has overseen the collapse of the economy. Venezuelans are suffering from crippling food and medical shortages and also soaring inflation. To date, dozens of protesters have been killed and many more have been injured. The situation is dire and deteriorating rapidly yet Sinn Féin has thus far refused to condemn Maduro and his increasingly dictatorship-like regime.

“Sinn Féin’s blind support of Maduro and his failed policies is worrisome.  It has been reported that he is increasingly using the military to cling to power. As the country descends into a possible civil war, Sinn Fein’s silence on this issue speaks volumes. 

“I believe that it is high time that Sinn Féin practised rather than preached about the principles of democracy, and open and transparent Government. The party’s support of the Maduro regime undermines its credibility and calls into question its judgment and belief system”.

​Dublin Fingal Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has said that it is shameful that the Government continues to ignore Labour Court recommendations to ensure home help workers, who carry out a low-paid job on the front line of our health services, receive payment in lieu of pension entitlements.


The Deputy raised the matter in Dáil Éireann earlier this week saying, “The provision of quality home care services allow many older people stay in their homes and that service should be recognised by the State.


“This Government and the last have been in breach of two Labour Court recommendations whereby home help workers are due to be paid four and a half weeks pay per annum in lieu of pension entitlements.


“I have been raising this matter directly with successive Ministers for Health for over four years now and despite these are low-paid workers being owed money by the State, no effort has been made to rightfully pay what is due to them.


“Ensuring that they receive this payment allows us to recognise their vital contribution to the delivery of front-line care services in our country.


“It was recently announced by the Minister for Health, Simon Harris that the Government were unable to come to an arrangement for this payment under the Lansdowne Road agreement.


“I ask the Taoiseach, in his last weeks in office, to consider the crucial importance of Labour Court recommendations 19297 and 19299 and ask him to ensure that the hundreds of low-paid, front-line home help workers in the health service money the State owe them in lieu of pension entitlements,” concluded Deputy O’Brien.

Mycolleague Cllr Brian Dennehy and I have received a notice from Fingal County Council in relation to an order the council has made to  temporarily close a road in Rush, Co. Dublin, following an application from Jons Civil Engineering Company Ltd for the purpose of carrying out upgrade works to the existing foul sewer network on behalf of Irish Water as part of the Rush Waste Water Collection Project. 

The road will be closed on a phased basis from Monday 12th June 2017 until Monday 14th August 2017.

The road in question is:
Chapel Green, Rush.

Phase 1:
Chapel Green will be closed from its intersection with Channel Road/Sandy Road to the school side car park access. Chapel Green will remain open adjacent the Millbank Theatre providing access to St. Maur`s Church and the two car park accesses.

Phase 2:
Chapel Green will be closed from the school side access to the car park bollards opposite the Millbank Theatre. The school side access to the car park will remain closed until the pipeline has passed and will then be re-opened. Some bollards will be temporarily removed opposite the Millbank Theatre to allow for an additional access to the car park.

Phase 3:
Chapel Green will be closed from the bollards opposite the Millbank Theatre to the Whitestown Road junction adjacent to the Church. Access to the car park will alternate between the Church access and the temporary access at the bollards. The school side access will also be available throughout this period.

Access to Saint Maur`s Church will remain available throughout all phases.

Alternative routes available for vehicular traffic are as follows:

Phase 1:
Vehicles from the Channel Road direction can access Whitestown Road, Saint Maur`s Church or the car park via the one way system at Martin`s Shop turning right onto Chapel Green.

Vehicles from the Corrs Lane/Sandy Road direction can access the Whitestown Road, Saint Maur`s Church or the car park via the Sandy Road/ Upper Main Street Junction, turning left onto Upper Main Street and left onto Chapel Green adjacent the library.

Vehicles from the Skerries direction can access Saint Maur`s Church or the car park turning left at the Whitestown Road/Chapel Green junction adjacent to the library.

Vehicles from the Skerries direction can access Channel Road from Sandy Road.

Vehicles from the Lusk direction can access Saint Maur`s Church or the car park turning right at the Whitestown Road/ Chapel Green junction at the Millbank.

Vehicles from Lusk can access Channel Road/Sandy Road by turning right at the Whitestown Road/Upper Main Street junction with Sandy Road.

Phase 2: 
Vehicles from the Channel Road direction can access the Whitestown Road, Saint Maur`s Church or the car park via the one way system at Martin`s Shop turning right onto the Whitestown
Road and right onto Chapel Green adjacent to the library.

Vehicles from the Corrs Lane/Sandy Road direction can access the Whitestown Road, Saint Maur`s Church or the car park via the Sandy Road/ Upper Main Street Junction ,turning left onto Upper Main Street and left onto Chapel Green adjacent the library.

Vehicles from the Skerries direction can access Saint Maur`s Church or the car park turning left at the Whitestown Road/Chapel Green junction adjacent to the library.

Vehicles from the Skerries direction can access Channel Road from Sandy Road.

Vehicles from the Lusk direction can access Saint Maur`s Church or the car park turning right at the Whitestown Road/ Chapel Green junction adjacent to the library.

Vehicles from the Lusk direction can access Channel Road/Sandy Road from Whitestown Road by turning right at Chapel Green.

Phase 3:
Vehicles from the Channel Road direction can access the Whitestown Road, Saint Maur`s Church or the car park via the one way system at Martin`s Shop or the Sandy Road/Chapel Green
junction.

Vehicles from the Corrs Lane /Sandy Road direction can access the Whitestown Road, Saint Maur`s Church or the car park via the Sandy Road/ Upper Main Street Junction turning left onto Upper Main Street and taking a left turn onto Chapel Green at the Millbank.

Vehicles from the Skerries direction can access the car park via the Whitestown Road taking the left turn onto Chapel Green at the Millbank.

Vehicles from Skerries can access Channel Road via Sandy Road.

Vehicles from the Lusk direction can access the car park, Channel Road and Sandy Road via Whitestown Road turning right onto Chapel Green at the Millbank.

Local access for residents and businesses will be maintained at all times.

My colleague Cllr Darragh Butler and I have received a notice from Fingal County Council in relation to an application the council has received from Roadbridge Civil Engineering & Building Contractors for permission to temporarily close a road in the Dublin Airport area for the purpose of road construction. 

It is proposed that the road will be closed from 10pm on Friday 16th June 2017 to 6am on Monday 19th June 2017.

The road in question is: 

• St. Margaret’s By-pass Road

Alternative routes available for vehicular traffic are as follows:

Closure on R122 North Bound, No Through Road
• Diversion via R108 to L3132

Closure on R122 South Bound, No Through Road
• Diversion via L3132 to R108

Dunbro Lane
• No left turn from Dunbro Lane to M50
• Diversion via L3132 to R108

Toberburr Junction
• No right turn from Toberburr junction to St. Margaret’s Village
• Diversion via L3132 to R108

St. Margaret’s Village
• Diversion South Bound via R122 to R108
• R108 to L3132

Diversion signage will be in place for the duration of the closure.

Any person may lodge an objection in writing with the Senior Executive Officer, Balbriggan/Swords Operations Unit, Fingal County Council, Grove Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, to arrive no later than 10.00am on Friday 2nd June 2017. If you have any queries on making an objection within this time frame, please call 01-890 5595.

​Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Darragh O’Brien has expressed his solidarity with the people of Manchester and described last night’s act of terrorism carried out at an event in Manchester Arena as a despicable attack on innocents.


“I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and those who were injured, in last night's reprehensible attack in Manchester.

"While details continue to emerge this morning, all those who watch and listen to these details will struggle to comprehend the reckless evil behind the attack. To deliberately target and kill innocent young children is beyond comprehension.


"We express our deepest sympathy and solidarity with the people of Manchester as they try to deal with this devastation. "

As you may be aware, some customers (1,000 approx.) in the Fingal area are currently receiving email notifications on water outages in their area from the Water Services Department.

​Fingal Alerts : https://alerts.fingal.ie/en/ is currently being rolled out and will be used for communications going forward, replacing the current e-mail system to notify customers.

The Fingal Alert system uses a self-registration process and the customer has a choice of medium the communication is delivered in i.e. text, e-mail, and social media.

With the Fingal Alerts system customers will only receive alerts that are relevant and in proximity to their area(s) of choice (such as home and work).

Additional information about Fingal Alerts and how it works can be found by visiting the Council website www.fingal.ie and clicking on the banner “Fingal Alerts” or at https://alerts.fingal.ie/en/register .