- Increased resources needed to clamp down on illegal dumping and fly-tipping -
                 - Funding secured for Matt Lane and Gardeners Hill, Balriggan -  
Local Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has expressed concern that despite a Government initiative to tackle illegal dumping, rubbish is continuing to be left in public spaces and on roadsides throughout the North County.

In March, the Communications Minister launched the 2017 anti-dumping initiative; however a number of serious incidents have been reported to Deputy O’Brien since then.

“The scale of illegal dumping is growing increasingly severe across the North County. Our beautiful coastal landscape and beaches attract droves to the area but they are becoming blighted by fly-tipping,” explained Deputy O’Brien.


“Bags of rubbish and other household refuse are being dumped beside children’s playgrounds and widely used public spaces. All the while, dog fouling and cigarette butts continue to be matters of public health concern that affect families and the broader environment

“Minister Naughten recently spoke of a new €650,000 funded anti-dumping initiative, some of which will be specifically allocated to Matt Lane and Gardenders Hill in Balbriggan. This area is just one of many litter black spots across the county. 


"I very much welcome this funding however, my greatest worry is that despite this allocation I fear things are actually getting worse instead of seeing an overall improvement in the situation,,” he added.

“Surveillance is essential in clamping down on this issue and we need to increase the resources that are currently available to properly police illegal dumping across the two counties. Unless the necessary resources were allocated to implement the Minister’s plans, the problem will continue to persist.



“Initiatives and grand plans are all well and good, but we really need to see the resources allocated to the County Councils to ensure action on the ground. The relevant authorities have to enforce the waste laws and impose greater fines to deal with the problem.”

Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade, Darragh O’Brien TD has said that Transport Minister Shane Ross’s failure to meet with the Dublin Airport Authority to specifically discuss Brexit shows that he is not on top of his game as a Government Minister.


The Deputy made his comments in light of information he received through a Parliamentary Question which he tabled to the Department of Transport and which has revealed that Minister Ross has not met with the DAA for the purposes of discussing Britain’s exit from the European Union.


The Deputy commented, “I am appalled by the Minister’s hands-off approach to what is an existential threat for the DAA, the aviation industry and my own constituency of Dublin Fingal in particular.


“The Minister acknowledges in his own response that should the UK leave the single aviation market without a replacement agreement: ‘existing traffic rights could be negatively impacted, including the rights of Irish licensed airlines to fly between the UK and Ireland, the UK and the rest of the EU, within the UK, and between the UK and a range of other third countries’.


“Despite it being wholly apparent that Brexit will pose much difficulty for Dublin Airport, it is clear that Minister Ross is not treating it with anything like the attention it requires.


“The Minister’s laissez-faire approach towards Brexit is symptomatic of the Government’s failure to produce any plans for the sectors of the Irish economy which will be left most exposed to and affected by the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.


“Irish tourism is heavily reliant on the connectivity between Dublin and Britain. Almost 4.5m people flew between Irish and British capitals last year, while the Dublin-London route remains the second busiest in the world. Minister Ross needs to recognise how crucial it is that Ireland minimises the possible implications from Brexit on our country’s main transport hub.


“Almost a year has passed since the British Referendum vote to leave the EU and it Minister Ross has not engaged with the relevant bodies to address their concerns and ensure that they are adequately equipped to deal with the many challenges ahead,” concluded O’Brien.

Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade, Darragh O’Brien TD has called on Minister of State for European Affairs, Dara Murphy to take the opportunity at today’s General Affairs Council meeting being held in Brussels, to highlight Ireland’s concerns regarding Polish Government's commitment to the rule of law.

“Despite repeated warnings from European colleagues and international bodies; the Polish Government continues to undermine the rule of law," explained Deputy O'Brien.

“Their refusal to publish and implement the rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal and instead adopt additional legislation, appear to be part of a wider and worrying agenda where key freedoms are being restricted and the separation of powers is increasingly blurred.
 
“Today’s General Affairs Council meeting provides Ireland its first formal opportunity to raise the issue and send a strong message that respect for the rule of law and a legitimate legal system must be respected and upheld.

“I am growing increasingly concerned about nations within the European Union introducing domestic laws that are certainly against the spirit of the European Union and potentially violating the founding principles of the project. No member state can be allowed to disregard the values upon which the Union is based.

“While Brexit is clearly a very significant challenge facing the European Union, it is not the only threat. We must remain vigilant to the threats within and call them out when we see them.

“I am urging Minister Murphy to use the platform offered at today’s meeting to highlight our growing concerns regarding the threat to the rule of law in Poland and to confirm whether he has taken the opportunity.”

My colleague Cllr Brian Dennehy and I have received a notice from Fingal County Council in relation to an application the council has received from Jons Civil Engineering Company Ltd for permission to temporarily close a road in the Rush area 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. 

It is proposed that 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. Any person may lodge an objection in writing with the Senior Executive Officer, Operations
Unit, Fingal County Council, Grove Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, to arrive no later than 4.00p.m on Friday 19th May 2017.

Local Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has said that the North County must get its fair share of the €1 million in funding which has been allocated for the introduction of investment in community CCTV schemes.

Deputy O’Brien was commenting following confirmation from the Department of Justice and Equality that €1 million in funding will be made available to fund community based CCTV schemes to increase public safety.   

Deputy O’Brien said, “Over the past year I have heard from a number of Fingal based community groups who are crying out for funding to deal with and deter increasing anti-social behaviour and criminality. 

“I have been raising the importance of providing investment in CCTV systems along the road network and in urban centres, in Dáil Eireann for some time now. I am very conscious of the value that communities, especially communities in Fingal, place on CCTV.

“This funding is crucial in offering support to those in our community who wish to install and maintain CCTV security systems as a means of deterring anti-social behaviour and assisting in the detection of offenders.

“While I very much welcome the introduction of this scheme, our focus must remain on providing measures targeted at crime-prevention and that will only truly be achieved by effective policing on our streets. As we know, Garda numbers have been cut in the Dublin Fingal area by 20% over the past five years. Our community depends on Gardaí to feel safe in their communities and to uphold the rule of law.

“This Government must do more to assist communities affected by crime and burglary, particularly in Fingal and I will do my utmost to ensure that this scheme is introduced in full.
“The Minister must ensure that the North County, which desperately needs the support of CCTV schemes, gets its fair share of the funding allocated,” concluded O’Brien.