Local Community News

community news100% IRISH OWNED1ST AuGuST 2012 P.O. BOx 3430, TALLAGHT, DuBLIN 24 TEL: 451 3822 email: [email protected] web: www.newsgroup.ie

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Dublin Mid West SinnFein representativeEoin O Broin hasdescribed Phil Hogan’sdecision to withhold €2million from SouthDublin County Council's2012 budget as“outrageous bully boytactics”. He said that“imposing more cuts onlocal government willhave a serious impacton the provision ofservices for hundreds ofthousands of families.”

O Broin said that “Theintroduction of theHousehold Charge was abad idea. It wasill-conceived, badlyimplemented and has

no public support. Thewhole issue has beenmishandled from thestart."Now the Fine GaelLabour Government areimposing deep cuts onCouncils across thecountry because of theimcompetence of theMinister forEnvironment PhilHogan.“Last December theDepartment of theEnvironment toldcouncils across thestate including SouthDublin COunty Councilwhat their 2012allocation from thelocal government fundwould be. Councils

agreed their annualestimates on this basis.At no stage werecouncils told that thisfunding was dependenton the collection of thehousehold charge.

“Now half way throughthe year Phil Hogan hastold Council's that he isgoing to withholdmillions of euro. In thecase of South Dublin heintends to cut up to €2million before the endof the year with aquarter of this beingcut immediately. Thiswill have a seriousimpact on the provisionof essential services forhundreds of thousands

of families. "It is not clear how thiscut will affect services.However it leavesCouncil officials andcouncillors from allparties in an impossibleposition. TheGovernment ispunishing Councils andcitizens for its own baddecisions.

"This is an utterdisgrace. The fact thatthis is happening afterthe Dáil has gone intorecess makes it evenworse. Phil Hogan hasenginered this move inorder to avoid Dailscrutiny of his decision.“Sinn Fein accept that

“outrageous bullyboy tactics”

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Tallaght based Sinn FéinTD Seán Crowe hasdescribed theGovernment’s failure toregulate legal moneylenders as a“dereliction of theirduty to protect peoplefrom exploitation."Deputy Crowe made hiscomments afterspeaking last week on aSinn Féin PrivateMembers’ Bill thatsought to cap by 40%the interest charged bylicensed moneylenders.

Deputy Crowe said:“Just this week thefindings of a policybriefing by SocialJustice Ireland showedthat the income ofIreland's pooresthouseholds fell by over18% in a single year,while the income of therichest rose by 4%.

“The Governmentclaims that introducinggreater regulation formoney lenders would

force some into illegalactivity. Surely it iswrong to do nothingbecause of a perceivedthreat of illegality. It ismy belief that some ofthe charges demandedby these legalmoneylenders arecriminal anyway. Howcan any company canjustify charging interestat 210% to people whoare often in the mostdesperate ofcircumstances, with noreal alternative meansof accessing money.“It is not good enoughfor GovernmentMinisters to tell us that17% of people in thiscountry do not haveaccess to a bankaccount while at thesame time not comingup with ways ofaddressing theirdifficulty.

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“outrageous bullyboy tactics” from page 1

the government has toraise public finance butFine Gael and Labourhave wrongly chosen goafter the mostvulnerable in society,who are more reliant onthe services providedby local government.If the Government

wants to raise moremoney for local servicesit should intorduce athird rate of tax of 48%on individual incomesover €100,000 per yearwhich would raise threetimes what theHousehold Chargewould raise.”

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they are being extortedyet again the reality forthose being exploited isthat they are oftenfearful of making theirsituation worse. Thefact that there has notbeen one successfulprosecution of a moneylender in the past 7years would suggesttheir fears are wellfounded.

“The failure of the

Government to regulatethe thriving moneylending business meansthe exploitation ofvulnerable people willcontinue. I knowfamilies first-hand fromthe circumstances ofmy own constituentsthe type of hardshipbeing imposed on hardpressed families who indesperation turn tothese moneylenders,legal or otherwise, to

pay for essential goodsand services.“The rejection of thisBill means Ireland’smoneylenders willremain some of theleast regulated inEurope and our citizenswill continue to beripped off and treatedas fools. Many will becaught in a spiral ofpoverty, a trap thatthey will findimpossible to escape.”

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dowds welcomes substantialgovernment funding for

special needs Housing

Labour TD Robert Dowds has welcomed theannouncement by Housing and Planning MinisterJan O’Sullivan that over €2.8 million will beinvested in South Dublin over the next two anda half years to provide new social housing units,particularly for people with special housingneeds.Between now and 2014 42 units will be acquiredor constructed in South Dublin. Both voluntarygroups and the local authority will be involvedin supplying the units.Commenting on the announcement Dowds said,“Labour has pledged to protect the mostvulnerable in our community and this fundingannouncement is testament to our commitmentto achieve that goal in the housing area. Thesubstantial funds involved will providelong-term, stable homes for elderly, homelessand people with special needs.”“Local voluntary groups will be involved inacquiring and building many of the units and Iwould like to pay tribute to their work in thisarea. The provision of units for people with aspecial housing need is an issue I have workedhard on and have raised with Minister O’Sullivanduring recent months. Today’s fundingannouncement will provide local families andindividuals with certainty and security into thefuture. There is still much work to be done toensure that these units come online, but I knowthere is a real will to get cracking on theseprojects now.“This housing initiative will also see investmentin construction, especially from 2013 on. Thiswill provide a much needed boost to the localeconomy.”

So the IMF wants to means test childbenefit. Do you think this will only affectthe wealthy? Think again. To makesignificant savings in the child benefitbudget, the cut off will have to be verylow to counteract the administrativecosts involved.The proposal would need "An army ofmeans-testers," according to MinisterJoan Burton.

Many or most working families could beaffected, creating poverty traps anddisincentives to work, just one reasonwhy PACuB is opposed to means testingchild benefit."Means testing will cost more than itsworth to implement and cause undue

hardship to struggling families all overIreland," says PACuB spokeswoman NiamhKelly. "We need to think very carefullybefore we make a rash decision on meanstesting. We need to remember thefollowing: Child benefit is the ONLY payment madetowards the future taxpayers; it is aninvestment in our country, and it showswe value all children equally. Irish childbenefit rates compare poorly with thosein many other Eu countries, wherefamilies also benefit from free education,health care and subsided child care,where children are recognised in the taxsystem: in Ireland you can get a tax breakif you have a race horse, but not if youhave a child.

At a time when child benefit has becomea vital lifeline to many and when the costof rearing children is increasing each year,when child care costs are still at an alltime high, it would be a backward anddetrimental move to introduce meanstesting, it will push working mothers outof work, children will be removed fromcreches, there will be less tax revenue forgovernment and longer dole queues.Means testing goes against the veryfoundations of child benefit when it wasfirst introduced CHILDREN'S ALLOWANCES(AMENDMENT) ACT, 1946."

PACuB believes that means testing couldmean zero child benefit for manyfamilies. And that is a very bad idea.

Zero cHild benefit: coming to a Home near you

Fine Gael Senator, Catherine Noone, hascalled for tougher measures to beintroduced to crack down on the problemof black market cigarettes, which iscosting the Exchequer an estimated €250million a year. “The fact that we’re losing a quarter of abillion euro a year through the illegalcigarette trade cannot be ignored.Retailers Against Smuggling say this illicittrade is also costing hundreds of jobs ayear due to the lost excise duties. At atime when we are forced to take somevery difficult decisions, we should do allwe can to tackle a trade that is deprivingthe Government of hundreds of millions

of euro in taxes. “We need to explore what toughermeasures could be implemented to crackdown on cigarette smuggling. Improvingscanning technology at our ports shouldbe considered; while this would involveinvestment by the State, it could reapsignificant rewards in terms of detection. “While everyone accepts that cigarettesmuggling is illegal, there also needs tobe a level of personal responsibility withthis issue. Buying cigarettes that youknow to be smuggled is tantamount tocomplying with illegal activity.Consideration should be given to finingpeople who are found to be purchasing

contraband cigarettes. If we fine peoplefor littering, then why not for avoidingthis tax? “Smoking costs society a huge amountevery year. The associated health risksput our health service under huge strain,killing thousands of people every year. Ontop of this, the illegal side of the tradecosts the State hundreds of millions a yearin lost tax revenues and contrabandcigarettes are known to pose significantlyhigher health risks. Comprehensivelytackling the cigarette black market wouldgive us more resources to invest in healthprevention measures and help morepeople kick the habit for good.”

tougHer measures needed to crackdown on black market cigarettes

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Responding to callsfrom the InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF) tocut the dole, medicalcards and child benefitlocal Sinn Féin TD SeánCrowe has argued thatcutting Welfare willactually enhancerecession conditionsand make it worse.

Deputy Crowe said “TheIMF representatives areplain wrong in theircalls for cuts to thedole, medical cards andchild benefit.

“It is ludicrous tosuggest that 'low exitrates' from the dole isthe fault of 'overgenerous' welfarepayments rather than

the bald facts thatthere are approxmatelyfifty jobseekers forevery single jobvacancy.

“In reality, the socialwelfare cuts made todate have furthershrunk demand in thelocal economy leadingto even more and morebusiness closures andjob losses.

"You only have to walkaround areas likeTallaght and see theboarded up shops, theempty factories units ortalk to business ownerswho are operating onthe last of their savingsto see the real impacton he local economy

"It is understandable formany trying to surviveon low incomes todirect their anger atthe IMF and these illconsidered remarks

“But people shouldalso direct their angerat this ineptGovernment. They arethe ones implementingthe policies ofdeprivation andhardship to theapplause of theireuropean ringmasters.

"The IMF is lining upthe ducks,but they areessentially telling theCoalition governmentwhat they want to hear.

"When Sinn Féin met

the Troika earlier thismonth it was madeclear that the reasonthey are suggestingsocial welfare cuts atall is because theGovernment haveactually chosen topursue deficit reductionwith spending cutsrather than by raisingrevenue from thewealthy.

"Cuts to Social Welfareand Child Benefit mayhappen following thislatest InternationalMonetory Fundstatement but itappears it will onlyhappen if it suits thefailed policies andwharped thinking of thecurrent Government."

cutting welfare will enHancerecession conditions

The Draft Newcastle Local Area Plan (LAP) went onpublic display on the 17th July 2012 and willremain on display until 3rd September 2012. TheLAP is a response to the changing economiccircumstances nationally and a recognition thatthe existing Newcastle LAP adopted in 2003required updating.A six week public consultation period previouslytook place at the beginning of the year which hashelped inform and shape the Draft Plan that iscurrently on display.

The main thrust of the Draft LAP is the provisionof a primary school adequate to cater for theneeds of the area at present, the proposedreduction in housing density to be permitted onthe existing residential zoned land, the provisionof a significant public park to the south of MainStreet and the reinstatement of the Main Street asthe primary Village core area. The LAP includesextensive policies to maintain the uniquecharacter of Newcastle’s archaeological andhistoric heritage and to develop a GreenInfrastructure Strategy for the area. AnEnvironmental Report has also been prepared as

part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment ofthe Proposed Local Area Plan. The proposed planhas also undergone Appropriate AssessmentScreening under the Habitats Directive(92/43/EEC). Further information can be found onwww.southdublin.ie and viewed at Tallaght Library,at County Hall Tallaght, Clondalkin Civic Officesand St. Finian’s Community Hall, Newcastle duringnormal opening hours (excluding public holidays).

Council staff has been available to answerqueries in relation to the Draft Local Area Planat St. Finian’s Community Hall, Newcastle on thefollowing dates and times:Tuesday 7th August 2012 4.00pm-7.00pmThursday 16th August 2012 1.00pm-4.00pmMonday 20th August 2012 4.00pm-7.00pm

Staff are also available every Wednesday afternoonbetween 2.00pm-4.00pm at County Hall, Tallaght,during the public consultation period to answerqueries in relation to the Draft LAP.

Submissions on the Draft LAP must be made by4.00pm Monday 3rd September 2012.

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Local TD and Minister forChildren and Youth Affairs,Frances Fitzgerald TD, hasjoined her colleague,Councillor Tony Delaney, inobjecting to a newtakeaway on Tower Road.The proposed takeaway is tobe located in the old RoyalBank of Scotland premisesbeside Clondalkin Travel andDolcain Mall in the heart ofClondalkin Village.

“Clondalkin Village has noshortage of take awayoutlets with 17 already inoperation in the immediatevicinity. I am joining

Councillor Delaney inobjecting to thisdevelopment as it is ourbelief that anothertakeaway in the area wouldbe unsustainable, createlitter and potentialantisocial behaviour. I alsobelieve that having anothertakeaway so close toexisting primary schoolswould be a real issue,” saidFitzgerald.

Minister Fitzgerald has astrong track record inobjecting to takeawayslocated beside schoolshaving successfully objected

to a takeaway besideGriffeen Valley EducateTogether as well as recentlysupporting Hillcrestresidents in their objectionto a takeaway locatedbeside Scoil Mhuire, ArlieHeights in Lucan.“I recently opposed aplanning application for atake-away facility inHillcrest on the basis of itsproximity to the school andyouth services. Thisproposed takeaway is onlyyards away from St. John’sNational School as well asbeing close to schools in theVillage such as Moyle Park,

St. Joseph’s, Scoil Mhuire,Scoil Áine and Scoil Mhuire.I have been workingnationally to promote theneed not to locate newtakeaway facilities adjacentto schools in light of theobesity crisis facingchildren,” said Fitzgerald.

In the 2005 Department ofHealth’s Report of theNational Taskforce onObesity recognises that‘home and schoolenvironments that supporthealthy food choices forchildren’ present a probabledecreased risk to weight

gain and obesity whereas ‘heavy marketing ofenergy-dense foods andfast-food’ present aprobable high risk.

“In the Taskforce’s report,recommendation no. 7under ‘PhysicalEnvironment’ states that‘Local authorities shouldensure that their missionstatements, corporate plansand planning policies takeaccount of their impact onhealthy living,’. I haveobjected to the Councilunder this criteria as well asthe wider issues around

business in what is anhistoric area of ClondalkinVillage,” concludedFitzgerald.

Councillor Delaney echoedFitzgerald’s commentsstating “There is already anexcessive number oftakeaway outlets in thecentral area of ClondalkinVillage. I counted 17 withinTower Road, Orchard Road,Main Street and MonasteryRoad. This very high numberof existing fast food outletsand is a major contributoryfactor to the ongoing issueof litter in the Village.”

obJection to proposed clondalkin takeaway

The union of Students inIreland has warned of agrowing sense of despairamong Ireland’s youngpeople following the CSO’sannouncement that 39% of15-24 year olds areunemployed.The announcement comesas statistical proof thatIreland no longer offers itsyouth the opportunity theydeserve to becomeproductive members of

society. With increased cutsto investment in education,including savage cuts toboth undergraduate andpostgraduate grants, thegovernment seemsdetermined not to improvethe prospects of youngpeople.These statistics areparticularly indicative of thestark situation that manyare facing if they choose notto attend third level

education. Those who wouldhave gotten apprenticeshipsare now left with only twooptions: emigrate or sign onthe dole.uSI has consistently calledfor a reversal of cuts madeto the maintenance grant.These cuts, when combinedwith the increase in thestudent contributioncharge, have only served todisincentivise our youthfrom attaining a third level

education.uSI President John Loguesaid that “Young people arenot looking for an easy wayout of the employmentcrisis. They realise they willhave to work harder thanbefore with less to show forit. However, every crisis hasa tipping point and ours isthe growing sense of despairamong young people inIreland- a lack of confidenceand pride not seen since the

1980’s. If we don’t actquickly and decisively totackle youth unemploymentin this country, we areresigning our futuregenerations to an Ireland wethought we could neverreturn to.

The decision thegovernment has to make issimple - should Ireland be abetter country for the nextgeneration or will they be

the first generation in Irishhistory to have a worsequality of life than theirparents. If the answer is theformer, we have anopportunity amid crisis toprioritise the mostvulnerable at their time ofneed. Today, I challenge thegovernment to combat theproblem of youthunemployment and rebuildthe smart economy from theground up.”

growing sense of despair among youtH


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Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone, has called onschools to allow students to wear 'generic'uniforms which would enable hard pressedparents to make financial savings.Many schools stipulate that uniforms are sourcedfrom designated suppliers which are oftenmarkedly more expensive than the uniformsavailable in supermarkets.“With the beginning of the new school term onlyfive weeks away I am very concerned by theinsistence of many schools that students sourcetheir uniform from designated suppliers whichare often far more expensive than supermarketsand other retailers.“Many of these retailers supply affordablegeneric uniforms in a range of colours for around€10. The school logo can then be added to theuniform. In the last week, a large supermarketchain in Ireland has launched a school uniformthat costs €5. However in many schools theseuniforms are forbidden meaning parents have topay significantly more. “Parents of school-going children are placedunder significant financial pressure at this timeof year by the need to provide uniforms, booksand other school materials for their children. Ibelieve that, given the pressure many parents areunder, schools must allow students to wear thesegeneric uniforms in order to save money.“Money is tight for everybody and parents ofschool-going children are often particularly hardpressed. The availability of generic uniformsgives parents an opportunity to save over €50 perchild on a uniform – a not-insignificant amountfor many families. I would hope that schools willconsider this proposal, and I will raise the ideawith the Minister for Education also.”

call on scHools to allow'generic' uniforms

parents can save over €50 on eacH uniform

Sinn Féin CouncillorMatthew McDonagh hascriticised the new rentsupplement thresholdsthat has beenintroduced as part ofthe Budget 2012. Thenew thresholds willpunish the mostvulnerable in oursociety. Rentsupplement is suppliedto individuals living inprivate rentedaccommodation who donot have the financialresources to provide fortheir accommodation.The contribution costwill increase forindividuals and the newrent limit will bereduced for newclaimants whereas itwill apply to existingclaimants when theirclaims are reviewed.Cllr McDonagh said that“I am calling on thegovernment and thedepartment of socialwelfare to reconsiderthis measure that willfurther burden those

already facing financialdifficulties. Therestructuring of thisnew threshold isunethical, unfair andwill create furtherausterity. Thisrestructuring will forceindividuals to have tocontribute moretowards the cost oftheir rent, who cannotafford it.'This new measure willsee a single personhaving to pay theminimum contributionof €30 towards theirrent whereas theminimum amount that acouple will have to payis €35.”“It will also significantlyreduce the weeklyamount of rentsuppliment paid totenants. They will nowhave to go andrenegotiate their rentdownwards with theirlandlords. In realitymany will continue topay the full rent,making up the

difference from theexisting social welfarepayments.”“There wasapproximately 96,000individuals who availedof rent supplement in2011. This representsan increase of 61% from2005. It is evident fromthis that many arehaving difficultymeeting the cost oftheir accommodation.Rent supplement is ameans tested benefitthat is awarded tothose who are in needof it, thus consideringthat the percentage ofthose who have availedof it has increased,conveys the starkreality that many arehaving trouble meetingthe cost of theiraccommodation.Therefore the increasedcontribution demandedwill further hurt thosein need of thissupplement.”

“We in Sinn Féin have

rent suppliment tHresHoldmust be reversed

constantly beingoutlining progressivealternatives to suchissues. In 2011, €503million was spent onrent supplement. We donot believe that this isthe way forward. Wehave been arguing for

investment in socialhousing as a viable,progressive alternative.However, we willoppose the rentsupplement thresholdthat affects citizenswhile it is inexistence.”

MIRACLE PRAYER Dear Heart of Jesus in the pastI have asked for many favours. This time I askyou for a very special one. (Mention favour) Takeit, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within yourown broken heart where your Father sees it.Then in His merciful eyes it will become yourfavour and not mine. Amen. Say this prayer forthree days. Promise publication and favour willbe granted no matter how impossible. Neverknown to fail. M.B.

MIRACLE PRAYER Dear Heart of Jesus in the pastI have asked for many favours. This time I askyou for a very special one. (Mention favour)Takeit, dear Heart of Jesus, and place it within yourown broken heart where your Father sees it.Then in His merciful eyes it will become yourfavour and not mine. Amen. Say this prayer forthree days. Promise publication and favour willbe granted no matter how impossible. Neverknown to fail. J.R.

novena


“In the transport sector,€850 million will beinvested in upgradingthe national motorwayand primary routenetwork. Ireland’sfinancial difficulties inrecent years have madeit very difficult tosuccessfully award anymajor Public PrivatePartnership (PPP)contracts, with theresult that numerousprojects were stalled. “In the educationsector, €280 million willbe invested in building12 new or replacementschools as well as

consolidating DublinInstitute of Technologyinto one singleeducational facility atGrangegorman. Thisdevelopment alsorepresents anopportunity forsubstantialdevelopment andrejuvenation of animportant inner cityurban quarter in Dublin.

“In the health sector,€155 million will beinvested in building upto 20 Primary CareCentres across thecountry with more to

follow. Developing thenetwork of PrimaryCare Centres is a keycomponent of theProgramme forGovernment to reformthe health service,providing an essentialpoint of contact forpeople who need accessto health services in theyears ahead.

“In the justice sector,€190 million will beinvested in the StatePathology Laboratory,two new Gardadivisional headquartersand a number of

courthouses.“The projects includedin this package will bedelivered throughPublic PrivatePartnerships (PPP)securing value formoney for theExchequer whiledelivering on projectsthat will significantlybenefit towns and citiesacross the country.

“Creating jobs is thisGovernment’s numberone priority and I lookforward to seeing thebenefits thisannouncement brings.”

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Local Fine Gael TD andMinister of State, BrianHayes has welcomedthe announcement bythe Government of a€2.25 billion domesticinfrastructure stimulusprogramme which isdesigned to give theeconomy a boost andcreate much neededjobs across the country.

“I am delighted withthe announcementwhich will pump €2.25billion into the Irisheconomy, makingsignificant investmentsin roads and schoolsacross the country andcreating 13,000 jobs.

“This announcementrepresents an

important investmentin our future throughthe provision of topclass educationalfacilities, reform of ourhealthcare facilities,enhancing our roadswhich will improvetravel helping us totransport people andgoods more safely andefficiently.

€2.25 billion infrastructure stimulus programmeto create mucH needed Jobs welcomed

Cllr. William Lavelle, local councillor for Lucan hasjoined local residents in opposing controversialplans to open up gaps in the railings betweenFforster estate and the Outer Ring Road.Lavelle states: “I recently attended a meeting witha large number of Fforster residents opposed tothese proposals which are being proposed as partof a so-called ‘permeability’ project.“Residents in Fforster are very clear that do not

need permeability measures foisted on their estateto increase their levels of walking and cycling.Instead residents fear that these new gaps willbring unwelcome traffic into their estate,

especially late night spillover from the Mintnightclub located immediately opposite one of theproposed gaps.“Last year I successfully supported residents ofMoy Glas in opposing proposals to open-up railingsat Griffeen Avenue. Yet again I am supportingresidents against unwelcome proposals.

“I will be tabling a motion at the next full countycouncil meeting calling on the Manager to focus onimproving pedestrian and cycle safety along keyroutes to schools, not on projects which thecommunity does not want.

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Cllr. William Lavelle,Fine Gael councillor forLucan has welcomedthe result of an auditcarried out by SouthDublin County Councilof signage in the fiveareas of ArchitecturalConservation in theCounty i.e.,Rathfarnham,Clondalkin, Tallaght,Lucan and PalmerstownVillages.

The headline results ofthe audit werepresented at lastweek’s meeting ofSouth Dublin CountyCouncil.

In response to theaudit, SDCC is now toremove 22 superfluoussigns and to repair orreplace 24 damagedsigns. A further sevenprivate signs are to be

examined to ascertainwhat action can betaken.

At the council meeting,the Director of Servicesfor Roads Ms. TeresaWalsh advised that thecouncil intended thatwork will startimmediately and bescheduled throughoutthe summer months.

This signage audit

came about on foot of aconcerted effort by Cllr.William Lavellesupported by twocommunity groups inLucan Village: LucanTidy Towns and LucanPlanning Council

Commenting on theproblem of superfluoussignage, William stated:“Councils are quick toput-up new signage, inparticular road signageand normally for goodreason. Howevercouncils have been veryslow to removeoutdated, damaged orsuperfluous signagewhich can then

accumulate aseyesores. Inpicturesque villagessuch as Lucan, signagecan detractsignificantly from thevisual attractiveness ofthe area.Outlining the steps he

had pursued which ledto this development:William stated: “In May2010, followingdiscussions withmembers of the LucanPlanning Council, Iproposed and securedcouncil agreement forinclusion of anobjective in the newCounty DevelopmentPlan requiring an audit

of signage and otherurban clutter, startingin our county’s fivearchitecturalconservation areas,including Lucan Village.

“In January of this year,I went on a walkaboutwith members of theLucan Village TidyTowns groups toidentify work prioritiesfor 2012. The TidyTowns membershighlighted out-datedand haphazard signageas a key issue to beaddressed. On foot ofthis walkabout, I tableda motion at the nextcouncil meeting seeking

to action thedevelopment planobjective for an audit.My motion was passedand councilmanagement respondedpositively.

Cllr. William Lavelleconcluded: “I amdelighted that myefforts, supported byboth Lucan Tidy Townsand Lucan PlanningCouncil, will now resultin signage beingremoved, repaired orreplaced which I hopewill ultimatelycontribute to makingour village moreattractive.

soutH dublin county council to remove superfluous ordamaged signage following audit of five village areas

The Irish Computer Society (ICS) haswelcomed the announcement fromthe government of theimplementation of a working groupwhich will consider ways toimplement the Forfás report findingswhich show that 2500 jobs couldpotentially be created in the gamessector by 2014.

The ICS view this as a key opportunityto further expand and develop asector that has proven to be ofparticular growing interest tostudents in Ireland in recent years.The Inspire initiatives run by the ICSencourages students to learn about,and develop an interest in, the worldof science and technology.under the ICS Inspire umbrella, ICShave two initiatives to help promoteIT to students. Scratch(http://www.scratch.ie/) is anintroduction to softwaredevelopment, for students of allages. Interest in this area has seen a

dramatic increase in recent monthswith 186 entries in this year’sNational Scratch Competition, fromboth primary and secondarystudents. Choose IT(http://www.chooseit.ie ) is aninitiative to highlight the positiveaspects of a career in IT.

“The computing field has weatheredthe economic storm better than mostand there continues to be strongdemand for graduates. Therefore,continuing to promote awareness ofinitiatives like the Inspire range iscrucial as these programmes givestudents practical experience of theskills required in this interesting,well-rewarded and growingprofession. The implementation ofthis working group will alsoencourage more participationamongst students knowing they candirect these skills towards a viablecareer path” said Jim Friars, CEO ofthe Irish Computer Society.

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develop tHe games sector in ireland


Local TD and Ministerfor Children and YouthAffairs, FrancesFitzgerald, haswelcomed theannouncement made byAn Taoiseach EndaKenny, that Rowlagh isset for a new healthcentre. The new healthcentre has beenidentified under theGovernment's €2billionStimulus Plan whichaims to create morejobs through publicinfrastructure.

"Rowlagh Health Centreis a fantastic resource

for North Clondalkinhowever there havebeen maintenanceproblems in recentyears," said MinisterFitzgerald. “under thisnew Stimulus Plan,Rowlagh could seeimproved facilities aswell as the projectbringing much neededjobs into theconstruction area". The proposeddevelopment inRowlagh is one of 35Primary Care Centresidentified by theMinister for Health,James Reilly TD. Of

these, 20 will becommissioned subjectto agreement betweenthe local GPs and theHSE on active local GPinvolvement in thecentres. The twentywill be offered to themarket in bundles often. The remainder willbe considered for laterphases of the PublicPrivate PartnershipProgramme.

“Developing thenetwork of PrimaryCare Centres is a keycommitment in theProgramme for

Government. It wasalso a central plank ofFine Gael’s reformprogramme for thehealth service, whichwas developed inOpposition and is nowbeing pursued inGovernment by MinisterJames Reilly and hiscolleague MinisterRoisin Shorthall.Primary Care Centres,

like the new one to beprovided in Rowlagh,will be the first point ofcontact for people whoneed to access healthservices in the yearsahead. In a developedPrimary Care system, asenvisaged by theGovernment, up to 95%of people’s day-to-dayhealth and social careneeds can be provided

in a communitysetting,” saidFitzgerald.

“A focus on PrimaryCare not only benefitspatients, it will alsobenefit the taxpayer. Byallowing patients withchronic conditions suchas diabetes, stroke andasthma, to be treatednear or at their homes,

we can save the healthservice millions of euroby preventing hospitalstays.

“I look forward to thedevelopment of thenew Primary CareCentre in Rowlagh, andto seeing the benefits itbrings the localcommunity,” concludedFitzgerald.

plans for new primary care centre in nortH clondalkin welcomed

Fianna Fáil Seanad Leader and Spokesperson onFinance, Senator Darragh O’Brien, has called onthe Minister for Transport to confirm if there willbe price increases at CIE this year.

Senator O’Brien was responding to the cabinetapproval of a €36 million injection of funds into CIEbecause of a deficit in the state-run company. Hesaid that hard pressed commuters have alreadyfaced big hikes in fares this year, and should notbe squeezed any further.Senator O’Brien commented: “It is all well andgood for Minister Leo Varadkar to give €36 millionto CIE to plug a hole in its books, but a lot ofquestions need to be answered. Iarnród Éireann,Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus have all reportedfalling passenger numbers, yet the Minister hasallowed massive price hikes."Despite acknowledging that increased pricesmeans less passenger numbers, the Ministerrefuses to rule out further prices increases in CIE

this year. I find that incredible. “The €36 million cash injection will result in cutsto other areas within his department. Yet theMinister refused to reveal what areas will beaffected. This is not acceptable. Communitygroups depending on such funding need certaintyand the Minister needs to stop evading thequestions. I would be particularly concerned ifsports capital funding is delayed to plug a hole inCIE's books.”Senator O’Brien also pointed out that the Ministerhas done a u-turn on price increases since heentered Government: “When he was in opposition Minister Varadkar hitout at fare increases; this seems to have changednow he is in Government. “This whole episode has revealed a lack ofplanning, and a lack of understanding of the mostbasic economics. The Minister must acknowledgethat commuters have been squeezed enough, andhe must rule out any further fare hikes."

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Q. My wife and I have only onechild. The mortgage on our family homehas been paid off and currently it isworth about €450,000.00 even in thepresent reduced climate. However, wealso have a holiday home in wexfordworth about €250,000.00 and my wifeinherited her own mother’s propertywhich is currently let. My wife and Ialso run a small business. Naturally, wehave made wills leaving everything toour daughter. However, we areconcerned about the amount of tax shemay have to pay as, she is currentlyunemployed. we have heard that othercountries such as Portugal have noInheritance Tax for close familymembers. what is the present position?

A. In recent years, Ireland’sInheritance Tax regime has become lessand less favourable prompting manymore comfortably off citizens to considerdrastic measures to minimize future taxbills for their families. However,considering escaping the Irish InheritanceTax regime is not as straightforward aspeople believe.

Ireland used to have relativelycushy Inheritance Tax set-ups. Asrecently as 2008, the tax rate was just20% and children got to inherit more than€500,000.00 tax free from their parents.Now, the rate has risen to 30% andoffspring will face a tax bill if theyreceive assets worth more than€250,000.00. Of course, it is still a lesspunitive system than that in the u.Kwhere the rate is 40%.

Furthermore, asset values have tumbledin Ireland and SURVIVING SPOUSES arestill COMPLETELY EXEMPT FROM TAX ONINHERITANCES left to them by theirdeceased husband or wife. Nonetheless,for those with significant assets,countries such as Portugal, where thereis no Inheritance Tax for close familymembers, start to look interesting.

However, not only is movingoverseas an extreme measure but, it maynot work. Avoiding Irish Inheritance Taxis easier said than done.

Irish Gift, or Inheritance Tax willapply if the person making thegift/inheritance is resident or ordinarilyresident (which means that you havebeen resident here in excess of threeyears in Ireland) or if the personreceiving the asset is resident orordinarily resident in Ireland, or if thegift or inheritance is situated in Ireland.So, if a couple move to Portugal but theirchild or children remain in Ireland, theplan will not work. The children will

The Legal Column

Romaine Scally is the principal in the firm of ROMAINE SCALLY AND COMPANY SOLICITORSMain Street Tallaght, Dublin 24 TEL 4599506 FAX 4599510 email: [email protected]

by Romaine Scally

In this month’s edition of the paper,Romaine Scally Solicitor, of RomaineScally & Company, Solicitors, MainStreet, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Telephone01-4599506 email [email protected] the question of InheritanceTax.

remain liable to Irish Tax on assetsthey receive from their parents. Evenif the whole family relocates, if thechildren are gifted or left an assetlocated in Ireland, for example landor a farm, then this will also fall intothe Irish Tax net. The parents couldof course sell the Irish land (possiblyincurring Capital Gains Tax) and thengift the cash proceeds to theirchildren once they have all movedoutside of Ireland for more than threeyears but, this requires a hugeamount of planning and structuring.It is also worth bearing in mind thatwhile the Portuguese Tax system iscurrently designed to attractwealthier people, there is noguarantee that the country’s taxclimate will not become considerablyless attractive in the coming years.The Portuguese Economy is not in anybetter state than our own so, taxchanges are probably inevitable.

It is worth pointing out thatthere are a number of possibleoptions and exemptions in relation toInheritance Tax which parents may beable to take advantage of. Forexample, Gift and Inheritance TaxReliefs for business and agriculturalassets have remained in place,despite recommendations from theCommission on Taxation to makethem less generous. It may be a goodtime for parents to considertransferring business assets to thenext generation because asset valuesare at such a low point in this country.Also, the Irish rate of gift tax couldkeep rising. The current rate of 30%is still relatively low compared toother European Countries. During the1990s it went as high as 40% here inIreland.

Owners of family businessesshould also be aware of changes

coming down the line in relation toretirement relief. until now, a personwho had reached the age of 55 andsatisfied a number of conditions couldtransfer the family business to their childwithout being liable to any Capital GainsTax. However, this year’s Finance Billintroduced a change whereby themaximum value a person aged 66 or overcan transfer to their child under thisscheme is to be capped at €3,000.000.00.There is a window between now and theend of 2013 to make those decisions asthe new rules will not take effect untilJanuary 1st 2014.

Aside from business relatedrelief, there are also a number of smallersteps people can take in terms ofSuccession planning. Instead of leavingall of their assets to their child orchildren, they could consider splitting thebenefits among the wider family to useup various tax thresholds. So for instancea parent could leave each of theirchildren a tax free Inheritance of€250,000.00 and then split the remaininginheritance between grandchildren whocan receive about €33,000.00 eachwithout incurring a tax bill. Also,consider availing of the annual €3,000.00gift tax exemption. It may not sound likea lot but, if for example a husband andwife both give €3,000.00 (so a total of€6,000.00) to each of their 4 childreneach year for 10 years, they will havepassed €240,000.00 to their offspring taxfree. These smaller things all add up.

When it comes to planning forretirement, people need to mindthemselves rather than prioritizing theirchildren. Many people are retiring withless wealth than they had expected so itis key that they get an understanding ofhow much they need to fund themselvesin retirement and not to make gifts orprovide for children or grandchildrenmore than they can afford to do so.

The Family ResourceCentres National Forum(FRCNF) has cautionedthe Government againstintroducing a meanstest for Child Benefitand has suggested theintroduction of a tax onthe benefit as analternative.Reacting to the IMF’ssuggestion of a meanstest for Child Benefit,Packie Kelly,spokesperson for theFRCNF, said: “Theintroduction of a meanstest would be a veryblunt instrument. Itwould create newpoverty traps and act asa potential barrier toemployment for some

groups. A moreprogressive andtargeted approach toreducing Exchequerspend on Child Benefitwould be theapplication of taxation.This way, theuniversality of thepayment would remainintact; however, thosemost in need of thepayment – includingunemployed people andlow-paid families –would still continue toreceive it.“So far, the approach tosavings in Child Benefithas been to reduce thelevel of payment for allfamilies, regardless ofincome levels. This has

left families at thebottom rung of theladder bearing thebrunt of the pain. Theloss of a few euro eachmonth hascompromised people’sability to pay forhousehold bills, clothesand food. Meanwhile,families on higherincomes have – I wouldsuggest – barely noticedthe recent budgetaryreductions.

“The Child Benefitpayment simply shouldnot be reduced anyfurther in forthcomingbudgets: low-incomefamilies – and thechildren in these

families – need to beprotected. Equally,means-testing thepayment will leavesome families at risk.

“A system of taxationnow needs to beconsidered, both in thecontext of the IMF’ssuggestion and in termsof protecting ChildBenefit payments forfamilies who need it. Asystem of dealing withChild Benefit throughthe tax code would notonly be the mostequitable, but wouldalso be easier toadminister than ameans test,” addedPackie Kelly.

taxation of cHild benefit – not meanstesting – sHould be considered: frcnfSinn Féin Education Spokesperson

Seán Crowe has welcomed thecomments from the specialrapporteur on child protection andchild law Geoffrey Shannon whocriticised the State’s refusal toaccept responsibility for theMagdalene Laundry issue.

Deputy Crowe said: “GeoffreyShannon’s scathing criticism of theGovernment for failing to acceptresponsibility for the plight of thewomen of the Magdalene Laundriesis a timely reminder of the State’sfailings to protect its citizens.

“It comes a week after the passingof the Residential InstitutionsStatutory Fund Bill when Sinn Féinamendments calling for theestablishment of separate redressboards for the Magdalene Womenand the survivors of Bethany Home

were rejected by Education MinisterRuairí Quinn.

“I fully agree with Mr Shannon’sassessment of the women and girlsin the Magdalene Laundries whosetreatment can be constituted asslavery as defined under the 1930Forced Labour Convention of theInternational Labour Organisation,which Ireland signed in 1931. Therealso should be a criminal probe intothe Magdalene Laundries; anunequivocal apology on behalf ofthe State and a properly resourcedsystem of redress to compensateand help the surviving women.

“In view of Geoffrey Shannon'scriticism it is time for theGovernment to act now and helpthose who were treated like slavesin places that were supposed to besafe havens and places of care.”

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The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI)has welcomed the findings of the nationalpoll conducted by IPSOS/MRBI for theHealth Research Board which indicatesstrong public support for action byGovernment to address alcohol misuse in


euROLINk... WHAT’S HAPPeNINGIN THe euROPeAN PARLIAmeNT

Dublin media student wins a bright startin Brussels

A young Dublin student has scooped topprize in a journalism competition organisedby the European Parliament Office inIreland. David Yip (25), who’s justcompleted a year-long journalism course atGriffith College, came first in the annual EuCommunication Challenge with aninformative and well-written piece on theAnti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement(ACTA).

The article entitled “ACTA explained” waspublished in Griffiti, the student magazinerun by Griffith College. The award-winningpiece wins David an all-expenses-paid tripto Brussels later this year to take part in aseminar for working journalists in theEuropean Parliament buildings.

Speaking after his win, David said he was“overjoyed” to get the chance to meet andwork with other journalists, MEPs and

policy-makers in the heart of the Eubuildings in Brussels.

The Brussels seminar is well-timed forDavid, as he is about to begin a Mastersprogramme in journalism at DCu.Commenting on his winning article, he saidhe wanted to write up an neutral,informative piece on the controversial ACTAdeal which was rejected by the EuropeanParliament earlier this month.

“I felt no one had explained well what ACTAwould entail for the average internet user. Icovered the protest marches that took placein Dublin and across Europe in February andMarch of this year. I also simplified thetenets of ACTA, pointing out for examplethat cover songs and mix tapes would havebeen illegal under the deal.”

The Eu Communication Challenge workshopand competition are annual activities aimedat 3rd level journalism and media students.They aim to help would-be journalistscommunicate an Eu-related issue in eitherprint, radio or TV form, in a clear andunderstandable manner.

Government warned to extend visawaiver or lose Olympic tourists

Ireland’s restrictive visa waiver programmecould cost the tourism sector millions in lostrevenue unless it is urgently extendedduring the upcoming Olympics, it wasclaimed this week.

Irish MEPs have urged the government togrant a temporary extension of the

programme to make it easier for non-Euvisitors attending the London Games totravel to Ireland.

Labour MEP Phil Prendergast warned thatunder the current programme, onlytravellers from 16 countries who enter theuK on a tourist visa can come to Irelandwithout needing to apply for another visa.

“Many of the people travelling to the Gamescome from countries not covered by our visawaiver programme, which means it’scumbersome for them to obtain a visa andthey will be less likely to visit here,” said MsPrendergast, who said she was not seekingcomplicated legislation changes.

“What I want is a temporary extension ofthe visa waiver programme. It is somethingwhich could be achieved in a tight timeframe with simply a stroke of the pen, andthe Irish tourism sector could benefitenormously. It’s a no-brainer,” she said.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael MEP Jim Higginspledged to use his new role on a key Eutourism body to work towards extending thevisa waiver scheme, to make it easier fornon-Eu visitors to travel to Ireland.The Fine Gael MEP has been officiallyappointed to the European Parliament’s newTaskforce on Tourism, part of theCommittee on Transport and Tourism.

MEPs push for EU-wide animal welfarelaw

The disparate legislation covering animalwelfare in each Eu member state could be

pulled together to form a single standard,under a new resolution approved by theEuropean Parliament.

MEPs in Strasbourg called for a unified setof welfare rules to improve compliance andensure a level-playing field for all Europeanfarmers. They said the framework shouldcover all farmed animals, including dairycows, plus stray cats, dogs and otherdomestic pets, which are not currentlyprotected by any Eu law.

Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness, whosupported the motion, said it wasparticularly important to apply equivalentwelfare standards to all imported animalproducts, so that Eu farmers can competefairly with non-Eu counterparts.

“The Eu has to include discussions on itswelfare standards in any trade negotiationswith countries outside the bloc, so that wedon’t end up compromising welfare fortrade. We do have high welfare standards,so it is only right that third countries shouldadapt to those standards, rather than ushaving to lower our standards in order tocompete,” said Ms McGuinness.

MEPs also asked the European Commissionto consider creating a new label for meatproducts, “slaughter without stunning”, tohelp consumers make a more informedchoice.

The proposed legislation also provides forsevere penalties to be imposed on memberstates that fail to enforce animal welfarerules.

David Yip (25) scooped top prize in ajournalism competition organised by theEuropean Parliament Office in Ireland

“time now please” strong public support for action bygovernment to address national drink problem

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Ireland. It is clear that there is strong andgrowing public support for the range ofmeasures proposed by the NationalSubstance Misuse Group, of which NYCI wasa member, last January.

“NYCI has been campaigning for a numberof years to address alcohol misuse amongyoung people under 18 years. We haveamong the highest levels of alcoholconsumption by those under 18 years inEurope, with 1 in 5 under 18s being a weeklydrinker. All the national and internationalevidence demonstrates that policies whichaddress price, availability and promotioncan reduce the quantity and frequency ofdrinking by young people under 18,” saidJames Doorley, NYCI Assistant Director.

“We have consistently called for theintroduction of a minimum price,restrictions on the availability and sale ofalcohol and stringent limits on theadvertising and marketing of alcohol. Thissurvey indicates that not only is there strongevidence to back up these measures but alsonow significant public support,” continuedMr Doorley.

The survey finds:Ø 85% state that alcohol consumption in

Ireland is too highØ 78% believe the Government has aresponsibility to implement public healthmeasures to address high alcoholconsumptionØ 58% believe the Government is not doingenough to address alcohol related harmØ 58% support the introduction of aminimum priceØ 65% agree that number of outlets sellingalcohol has increased in last 10 yearsØ 47% support reduction in the number ofoutlets selling alcoholØ 76% support the introduction of awatershed on TV prohibiting alcoholadvertising before 9pmØ 57% support banning all outdooradvertising of alcohol

“The past 15 years have seen numerouscommittees and dozens of reports whichhave all largely recommended the samereasonable measures to reduce and bettermanage alcohol consumption in Ireland.These reports have been stymied by thepowerful drinks industry, who have pouredmillions into lobbying and marketing, and bypolitical handwringing and inaction. “Successive Governments have allowed thevested interests in the drinks industry todictate alcohol policy. It is clear that the

majority of the public support reasonablemeasures to address alcohol misuse andprotect young people from alcohol relatedharm and are unhappy with the lack ofaction by the State.”

“The current Government has therecommendations of the National SubstanceMisuse Strategy on its desk. Now is the timeto wrest control of alcohol policy from thedrinks industry and put the health and wellbeing of the public ahead of the profits ofthe vested interests,” concluded Mr Doorley.

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Ciarán Duffy, Saggart, Dublin pictured at theFootiefocus.ie Soccer Roadshow, in associationwith Tesco Mobile.The Roadshow, which took place in the RSC lastweek, is travelling across Ireland this summerusing the latest technology to assess the footballskills of players aged 9-15. Youngsters from allover the Waterford region were put through theirpaces by coaches who tested and developeddifferent aspects of the participant’s game, witha number of winners getting the opportunity totrain at the famous Liverpool F.C. Academy. Formore details visit www.footiefocus.ie.

saggart lad sHow off football skills

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The Minister for Jobs,Enterprise andInnovation, Mr RichardBruton TD, hasannounced theestablishment byEnterprise Ireland of a€250K CompetitiveFeasibility Fund aimedat stimulating highpotential businessstart-ups by femaleentrepreneurs. Thefund will be open forapplications until 4th ofSeptember 2012.

The FemaleEntrepreneurshipCompetitive FeasibilityFund is designed toassist femaleentrepreneurs toinvestigate the viabilityof a new growthorientated businessthat can succeed inglobal markets. The focus is ondeveloping newbusinesses that canmove beyond thedomestic market anddemonstrate realpotential forinternationalisation.

Making theannouncement,Minister Bruton said: “A key part of theGovernment’s plan forjobs and growth isencouraging morebusinesses to start-up,grow, and create jobs.In Ireland we currentlyhave a relatively lowlevel of femaleentrepreneurs, so bytargeting a substantialincrease in that numberwe can make a realdifference to theoverall level ofentrepreneurial activityin Ireland. “The announcementthat we are targetingthis €250,000 fundspecifically at start-upcompanies led bywomen is a start inaddressing thischallenge. TheTaoiseach has set theambition of makingIreland the best smallcountry in the world inwhich to do business by2016 – ensuring thatmore women getinvolved in starting

businesses is a key partof this”.

Further EnterpriseIreland initiatives andsupports for emergingfemale led enterprises

will be announced via anational awarenesscampaign over thecoming months.

Full details of the Fundincluding the

Application Form areavailable on theEnterprise Ireland website:www.enterprise-ireland.com/femaleentrepreneurship

new €250k fund to stimulate businessstart-ups by female entrepreneurs

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