FG continues to turn their back on Rush community

         - Failure to fulfil promises to improve growing urban centre in Rush -
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Local Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has said that the community in Rush, North County Dublin has been continually neglected by this Government and more must be done to ensure that progress is finally achieved on the projects which have been promised to date.


The Deputy made his comments in light of the information he has received through a number of Parliamentary Questions which were tabled by him in Dáil Eireann earlier this month.


“Throughout recent years, there has been much focus placed on the difficulties experienced in rural Ireland and that towns and villages beyond the M50 have been ignored. However, this theory serves only to underpin the gross neglect of the urban centre in Rush too,” he said.


“It may appear as though increased commitments are being made to Dublin projects but the reality is that there has been no progress achieved beyond the PR announcements and spin.


“A perfect example of this is the promise of a new school building for Gaelscoil Ros Eo which is located in the town; commitment was been made to this project on four different occasions yet we are no closer to its construction. Furthermore, plans for new school builds at St Joseph’s Secondary School and Rush National School appear to have been put on the back burner by this Government.


“Rush is an expanding area with a surrounding hinterland that captures almost 10,000 people ,and the unjust closure of the local Garda Station in 2012 has left the people of Rush dangerously exposed. It is important to remember too that Labour presided over that closure and they therefore cannot pretend to advocate for its re-opening now.


"While we continue to deal with a poor transport network across Fingal and the failure to deliver Metro North, there has been major deterioration in the maintenance of roads throughout the area including the road to the local GAA club.


“The closure of the only bank in the town has made it difficult for older people especially who rely heavily on community banking and who may not have access to online banking. The post office lies at the heart of many communities yet this too, may be under threat,” he added.
“Growing urban centres like Rush need a strategic plan to enable the region to achieve its full potential, as much as every other rural town or village outside Dublin. This plan must focus on massive investment in infrastructure to bring services such as public transport up to a high international standard.


“At a time when more and more are becoming alienated by this governments failure to follow through on its promises, they must re-focus on delivering vital public services on the ground.


“It is high time now for more action, less spin,” concluded Deputy O’Brien.