Lucan News

100% IRISH OWNED12TH MARCH 2012 P.O. BOx 3430, TALLAGHT, DuBLIn 24 TEL: 451 3822 email: [email protected] web: www.newsgroup.ie

cont. page 2

Have you been injured in an accident on the road, in the workplace, as aresult of medical misadventure or in a public area? If so, you will beinterested to note that ROMAINE SCALLY & COMPANY SOLICITORS OF MAINSTREET, TALLAGHT, DUBLIN 24 TEL: 01 4599506, E-MAIL:[email protected], have now launched their new ACCIDENT HOTLINE(lo-call 1890 947076). For urgent advice and early appointments to discussyour accident please call this number where you will be assured professionaladvice to deal with your accident. With over 30 years experience dealingwith accident cases, we offer you the benefit of our advice to deal with allthe legal aspects of your accident and will on request process your claimefficiently and speedily.

CALL US NOw ON 1890 947076Romaine Scally & Company Solicitors are situated at Main Street, Tallaght,Dublin 24 and have a dedicated team of people specially trained in allaspects of the law surrounding accidents.

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Tallaght based charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) was the beneficiaryof a donation from the charity, The Hospital Saturday Fund, at a special eventin the Mansion House in Dublin recently.Pictured at the event were Michael Greene, Chairman and Founder and MarieGreene, Co-Founder and Trustee receiving the donation on behalf of CRY fromThe Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague, Vice-President of the HospitalSaturday Fund.

cry receives donation from hospital Saturday fund

free carbonmonoxide alarmSupplied & fitted With every domestic

job over €100 until end of march

Figures released fromthe CSO show thatunemployment inDublin Mid-West is at a17 month high. At theend of February there

were 9,073 people onthe live register. Whenadjusted to takeaccount of the transferof 1,062 claimants fromClondalkin to Tallaght

social welfare office inSeptember 2011 thetotal number of peoplesigning on fromClondalkin and Lucanexceeds 10,000. Sinn

unempLoyment at17 month high

Féin Dublin Mid-Westrepresentative Eoin ÓBroin has described thenews as “deeplytroubling” and calledfor “concerted actionby Government toreverse this trend.”Ó Broin said: “Whileunemploymentnumbers across thestate are droppingslightly live registerfigures for DublinMid-West have risen forthe fourth month in arow. When adjusted totake into account the1,062 claimantstransferred from to theTallaght social welfareoffice in September2011 the total number

Lucan news©

DEREK KEATING TD & PEACE COMMISSIONER66 BEECH PARK, LUCAN, CO. DUBLIN.

MOBILE: 087 285 7435 OFFICE: 01 618 4014EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.derekkeating.net

Derek keating tD“I am only atext, email orphone callaway”

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of people signing on inLucan and Clondalkinexceeds 10,000.“unemployment inDublin Mid-West is nowat a 17 month high.Despite a number ofhigh profile jobsannouncement by localGovernment TDs it isclear that theemployment situationin Clondalkin and Lucanis getting worse.“There is a need forconcerted action byGovernment to reversethis trend. Dublin Mid–West is at risk ofreturning to a 1980scycle of long term

inter-generationalunemployment leadingto greater levels ofemigration and socialdeprivation.“There is a need fortargeted measures toensure that Lucan andClondalkin are not leftbehind. This week theMinister for Educationannounced a €35million fund forreplacing rentedprefabs currently beingused by schools acrossthe country. DublinMid-West has 7 schoolswith a total of 22prefabs. Given theconcentration of

unempLoyment at 17 month high.....from page 1unemployedconstruction workerslocal Government TDsmust ensure that DublinMid-West secures asignificant allocationfrom this fund to

provide at least somerespite for those insearch of work.“There is also a needfor all relevant agenciesto come together in theform of a Dublin

Mid-West Jobs TaskForce, to put in place ameaningful plan tosecure investment forthose parts of theconstituency in greatestneed of employment.”

The Minister forResearch andInnovation, SeánSherlock, TD, warmlywelcomed thesignificantly increasedinterest shown in firstpreferences for scienceand computing coursesin the CAO applications

for the 2012/13academic year.

“It is very encouragingindeed to see anincrease of almost 20%in those choosingscience courses,including computing, astheir first preference

Surge in intereSt for Science anD computercourSeS a WeLcome DeVeLopment

subject” said MinisterSherlock.

The Minister added“Through the DiscoverScience andEngineering Programmein particular, we havebeen working hard toincrease the numbers ofstudents studying thephysical sciences bypromoting a positiveattitude to careers in

STEM and fostering agreater understandingof science and its valueto Irish society.”“This is being donethrough primary andsecond level students,and their teachers.Clearly it is payingdividends based on thelatest CAO applicationfigures, which show usthat over 55,700applicants wish to

pursue science/appliedsciences at 3rd levelnext autumn”.

“This is a win-winsituation for studentswho in the years tocome will then have theopportunity to followchallenging, rewardingand exciting careers ina range of scientificareas.”Minister Sherlock

concluded by saying “InJanuary theGovernment launchedan ICT Action Planaimed at responding tothe skills needs in ourburgeoning ICT sector,in both indigenous andforeign affiliatecompanies.”

“It is crucial that we doeverything we can toclose skills gaps to

ensure industry has asteady supply ofgraduates while at thesame time also helpingto tackle ourunemployment issue.The increased demandfor the sciences willcertainly go some wayto addressing both ofthese issues and willprovide the quality jobsof the future for thiseconomy.”

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The Minister for Educationhas confirmed to DeputyDerek Keating that a newPrimary School which willaccommodate 600 childrenwill be built and completedby 2013 under thepatronage of County DublinV.E.C. This announcement is basedon the fact that Lucan isone of the fastest growingareas in the country and theMinister is building 20 newschools throughout theState to address theincreasing pupil numbers. “This is an exciting time ineducation for Lucan” saidDeputy Derek Keating“especially when weconsider the state of thenational finances.

“The Minister informed methat a School EstablishmentCommittee reported to himoutlining that the CountyDublin V.E.C. under thedirection of its C.E.O., Dr.Marie Griffin, respondedwith evidence of such ademand and that they were

happy to become patronswhich will provide diversityin education. This new information, alongwith the fact that theCounty V.E.C. has appointeda Design Team for a newsecond level school, is anexciting time for the wholearea of Lucan.”Deputy Derek Keating, whofounded the Lucan SouthSecondary School ActionGroup, said “I am delightedto announce two newschools for the area underthe patronage of theV.E.C.”.

Commenting on educationin Lucan between thenegotiations that I amdirectly involved in with theDepartment of Education inrelation to Archbishop RyanSenior & Junior Schools andthe assurance that I havebeen given for the retentionof 16 teachers and the factthat I have been a founderof the Lucan SecondarySchool Action Group whichis another exciting

development and now thenews that a new primaryschool for the Lucan areawill be built by 2013.Education is a major issuefor me as a local TD. When Iwas elected to LeinsterHouse in February 2011, Iraised three issues as beingmy agenda for the comingyears. They were the healthservice, education andmental health, includingsuicide and self harm.

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Brian Hayes, Minister of State at theDepartment of Finance with specialresponsibility for the Office of PublicWorks, announced this morning that the‘Free Day’ on the first Wednesday of everymonth is to continue in 2012.The Minister said: “I have decided tocontinue this initiative as it has provedhugely successful with almost 20,000additional people visiting our HistoricProperties and national Monuments in thelast six months of 2011, boosting localeconomies with increased numbers. Thetourism sector will be of criticalimportance to the re-establishment of

financial stability in this country in yearsto come. I am confident that the excellentarray of significant OPW heritage sites willcontribute to this process both throughtheir excellent visitor facilities and thevalue for money that they represent”.The Minister concluded: “I am delightedthat I can continue with this initiative inthese very challenging economic times anddue to the success of the ‘Free Day’ in2011 I would urge people to visitwww.heritageireland.ie to get the most upto date information on the various sites,many of which are very busy sites andespecially so on the free day.

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Labour CouncillorBreeda Bonner haswelcomed theformation of the newClondalkin Tidy Townscommittee andencouraged all theresidents of Clondalkinto get involved in thecommunity effort tomake Clondalkin morebeautiful. The formation of thecommittee comesfollowing a very wellattended meeting inthe civic offices inClondalkin, withresidents from manyareas of Clondalkin,with the estates ofMonastery, Floraville, StBrigid’s, John’s Park,Patrick’s Park andJohn’s Wood / ConventRoad well represented.

"I am delighted that thenew Clondalkin TidyTowns committee isgetting up and running,and that our communityis getting organised tohelp make Clondalkin amore beautiful place inwhich to live." "I was great to see suchinterest and enthusiasmat the meeting onTuesday night and it ishoped that the newcommittee will beginwork towards putting inan entry to the tidytowns competitionbefore the closing datein May." "Entry to thecompetition will givethe community a greatfocus to its work, but inthe meantime it hasbeen decided that work

Broadcaster MiriamO’Callaghan, Patron ofthe Children’s SunshineHome issued a call towomen of all ages, toput on their running orwalking shoes tosupport Ireland’s onlychildren’s hospice,LauraLynn House.Miriam is encouragingthe women of Dublin totake part in the FloraWomen’s Mini Marathonon the Bank HolidayMonday, 3rd June in aidof the charity.

The House, whichopened in September2011 at the Children’sSunshine Home inLeopardstown, ishoping that more than1,000 women will signup to the challenge andhelp them to raise morethan €60,000 throughthis year’s minimarathon. The fundswill be used to supportthe annual runningcosts of LauraLynnHouse, which amountto almost €1.3 million.

At present the Housereceives no financialstate support.

Anyone interested insupporting LauraLynnHouse can contact theChildren’s SunshineHome on 01 289 3151 orsign up atwww.sunshinehome.ie.

Pictured are MiriamO’Callaghan, Patron ofthe Children’s SunshineHome and IsabelO’Donoghue, aged 5

cLonDaLkin tiDy toWnS Set totake off aS committee formeD

will kick off with anumber of clean ups inthe Village area,starting on Tuesday13th March from6.30pm to 7.30 pm,with provisional datesset for the followingTuesday 20th and thenSaturday morning 24thMarch. Everyoneinterested is more thanwelcome to comealong. The group will bemeeting in Tuthills carpark and people shouldwear suitable clothesfor a busy clean upsession. "There is already a verygood feel good factorabout the communitygetting together toimprove the place wecall home, and I amcertain that morepeople will get involvedwhen word of the newcommittee spreads." "I am delighted that thelocal businesscommunity is happy tosupport the movement,as the ClondalkinChamber of Commercehas organised clean ups

in the past and are veryproud of the place inwhich they dobusiness." "It is very importantthat everyone knowsthat this is a crosscommunity effort andthat it will not bepoliticised by anybody.This body will be abovepolitics, but willhopefully have thesupport of everybody. Iwant to pay tribute tomy colleague Cllr TonyDelaney, for his interestand enthusiasm isgetting this up andrunning." "I very much hope thatthe clean up plannedfor Tuesday 13th will bethe start of somethingbig for Clondalkin. Ihave always held to theseanfhocal of "Ar nearta chéile a mhaireann nadaoine."

"I hope that all theresidents of Clondalkinget involved and worktogether for thebeautiful, historic placewe call home.”

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Fine Gael Dublin MidWest TD, DerekKeating, has welcomedthe publication of theDraft Heads of the newwhistleblowerlegislation by theMinister for PublicExpenditure andReform, BrendanHowlin. Deputy Keatingadded that the recentcase of Louise Baylisshad underlined theneed for this legislationto be brought forward.

“There is a clearcommitment in theProgramme forGovernment to

introducewhistleblowerlegislation, to addressthe shortfall in theexisting law which failsto provide sufficientprotection toemployees who exposewrongdoing. The urgentneed for this legislationwas further highlightedby the recent case ofLouise Bayliss. I have nodoubt that there aremany other similarcases; this proposednew legislation willsafeguard the workersinvolved, with theultimate aim ofprotecting the citizen.

“It is essential thatemployees who choseto speak out to uncovermalpractice, poorstandards orwrongdoing should notsuffer as aconsequence. If wewant to encourage anopen, transparentsociety, we mustempower ordinaryworkers to discloseinformation that is inthe public interest. Thisshould never bethwarted by theinterests of middlemanagement or aninefficient hierarchalstructure.

“The publication of theDraft Heads of theProtected Disclosure inthe Public Interest Bill2012 is a significantstep forward whichrepresents anothersegment of theGovernment’s reformagenda. The proposedlegislation will providewhistleblowerprotection in a uniformmanner for all sectorsof the economy, for thefirst time ever. “This is a seriouslyprogressive piece oflegislation, after yearsof inaction on this issuefrom the previous

propoSeD WhiStLeBLoWer LegiSLation WeLcomeDBayliss case highlighted need for stronger protection laws

To help drivers reduce their fuel costs, AA Ireland has teamed up with Topazto provide a new discount fuel card available to all its members. The neweasy to use swipe card guarantees 2 cent off a litre of petrol or diesel at anyof 320 Topaz service stations nationwide. Card users won’t have to worryabout carrying cash and will save money every time they fill up their tank. Pictured at the launch of the card were Trevor McNaughton, AA Patrol, NicolaHudson, Senior Marketing Manager AA Ireland and Laura Murphy, CommercialMarketing Manager, Topaz Ireland. For more information go tohttp://www.aaireland.ie/fuelcard.

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Government. Itprovides workers with anumber of disclosurechannels, should theywish to pass oninformation. Thelegislation means that aperson’s job cannot beput at risk if theychoose to speak out. Italso provides for asystem of redress for

workers who havesuffered as a result ofmaking a disclosure.

“This legislationeffectively puts theonus on employers toput an effective systemin place to deal withwhistleblowingcomplaints. This willhelp to encourage a

culture whereidentifying wrongdoingis something that isapplauded, rather thanswept under thecarpet. I hope that thisproposed legislationcan be passed into lawas quickly as possiblefor the benefit ofordinary workers andour wider society.”


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Active RetirementIreland (ARI) has calledon the Government tooffer somereassurances to olderpeople that theirbenefits will not bereduced or withdrawnas part of continuedcuts in Governmentspending.

ARI made the call afterit received a significantnumber of contactsfrom its membersaround the country,who became concernedabout the potential lossof benefits – such asfree travel and accessto a medical card –after a number ofmedia reportssuggested this wasbeing considered in

recent days. Reportsindicated that the IMFhas adopted the viewthat older people havebeen ‘largelyunaffected’ by theimpact of Governmentcuts.

According to MaureenKavanagh, CEO of ARI:“It is blatantmisinformation to saythat older people havebeen ‘unaffected’ byGovernment cuts. Thewithdrawal of servicesnationwide affects allgenerations equally,and older people inparticular have beentargeted directly bychanges to the WinterFuel Allowance and theclosure of care facilitiesaround the country.

With reports that theIMF is now looking tofurther cut benefitssuch as free travel andthe Household BenefitsPackage, some olderpeople are becomingincreasingly anxiousabout how they canmaintain theirlivelihood. For 84% ofpeople in receipt of aState Pension, thatsame pension is what iskeeping them out ofpoverty. The myth ofthe wealthy pensioneris damaging to the realolder people of Ireland,who have not come outof this recessionunscathed.

“For many of ourmembers, the FreeTravel Scheme is the

only way they caninteract with otherpeople socially and playa part in theircommunities. Any cutsto this scheme wouldbe detrimental to thefabric of society, ofwhich older people playsuch a vital role.

“An assurance fromGovernment that olderpeople will not becomea target again for cutswould be welcome. Itis very disconcerting forolder people thatrumours of potentialcuts to free travel andother importantschemes continue torumble around withoutany intervention by ourpolitical leaders,”added Ms. Kavanagh.

Aviva Health InsuranceIreland today launchedtheir new maternityguide entitled, YourBump to Baby Guide, asa free gift to Irishwomen in advance ofMother’s Day (March18th) and on foot ofnew research thatshows two thirds ofDublin mums relied ontheir own mothers andtheir partners equallyfor support and advicewhen they had theirfirst baby. Interestingly,almost a quarter ofDublin women said thattheir partner orhusband could havesupported them more.Aviva’s maternity guidesets out to arm womenwith practicalinformation onmaternity care optionsin Ireland with helpfulexpert advice for everystage of a woman’spregnancy. Lateststatistics show almost28,358 or 37% of babiesborn across Ireland’s 22maternity units werefrom Co. Dublin.

Aviva’s Your Bump toBaby Guide aims tofully prepare womenfor their pregnancywith jargon freeinformation ondeveloping a birthingplan, feeding andbathing your baby andcaring for yournewborn, plus real-life

Jake Church and Anikka Morris, both aged four, pictured at the launch ofAviva Health Insurance’s new maternity guide, Your Bump to Baby Guide, afree gift to Irish women in advance of Mother’s Day (March 18th)

actiVe retirement ireLanD caLLS forreaSSuranceS on BenefitS for oLDer peopLe

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on motherS for Supportbirth stories. It alsoclearly explainsmaternity benefits suchas Post natal HomeHelp, Doula and CordBlood Stem CellPreservation3 thatwomen are entitled toon their healthinsurance plan withAviva and details onhow to claim.Commenting at thelaunch, Dr naoimhKenny, GP on Aviva’sMedical Council said,“Preparing for the birthof a child is an excitingtime for any couple.However, Aviva’s

research shows that itcan also be a time ofuncertainty for manywomen who can feeloverwhelmed by theprospect of childbirthand the sheer volume ofpregnancy informationout there. Aviva’s YourBump to Baby Guide isthe first of its kind inIreland, outliningeverything you need toknow in a credible,concise manner andwithin a book that is sosmall it will fit in yourhandbag. The guideoffers women a sense ofempowerment as they

approach this new timein their life and I wouldurge anyone thinkingabout having a baby,who might be pregnantor perhaps raising ayoung family to get afree copy or pass it ontoa friend in a similarposition this Mother’sDay.”

To request a free copyof Aviva’s maternityguide, Your Bump toBaby Guide, go towww.avivahealth.ie, fillin your details and acopy will be posted toyou.


Five Educate Togetherschools in the LucanAdamstown area havecome together to formthe Lucan AdamstownTime Bank. This is thefirst step in establishinga community wide TimeBank.Time banking is ameans of exchangewhere time is thecurrency.Members ofthe Time Bank can earncredits by volunteering,sharing their skills andgiving their time. Forevery hour members‘deposit’ in a timebank, they gain a timecredit which they canspend at a time bankevent. Everyone’s timeis equal, so one hour ofmy time is equal to onehour of your time. Timebanks are just systemsof exchange and can beused in many ways.

On the day of thelaunch, pupils, teachersand parents got anopportunity to registeron an online system andbecome members ofthe Time Bank.The five schools have

each listed activitieswhere you can gaincredits and spendcredits both for thestudents, teachers andparents.

Activities to gaincredits include:Litter control in schoolgrounds and surrounds.Running the PSP (ParkSafe Programme)Maths for FunSchool GardenPower HourLanguage classesSpring Clean Day

Events where you canspend credits:Movie club for studentsDriver Theory classesuse of laptop, printerand photocopierPet farm toursTallaght StadiumticketsStudent/parent tour

The Mayor CaitríonaJones said “This TimeBank will make a bigdifference to life herein Lucan andAdamstown - gettingpeople involved inactivities - gaining and

spending credits. And Ican see the seed that isgerminating here todaygrowing, developingstrong roots andbranching into all areasof our community.” Shealso praised all of thoseinvolved saying “I amvery happy that SouthDublin County Councilwas involved in thisproject along with thesupport of DublinRegional Authority. Thisis a most innovativeproject and Icongratulate theEducate Togetherschools – the principals,teachers, parents andof course the pupils. Iam convinced that youare at the start of awonderful adventureand that you are settingexample for Irishsociety today.”The Mayor CaitrionaJones then presented agiant time credit torepresentatives of theschools.

Parents, teachers andpupils got anopportunity to registerfor the Lucan

Adamstown Time Bankonline at the event.Tom Moriarity, Principalof Adamstown CastleEducate Togetherschool- one of thefounding members ofthe Time Bank said“This is a wonderfulinnovative way ofsharing skills andresources. There aregains for everyone. Welook forward to theTime Bank spreadinginto the community.Already we can see thebenefits of sharing”

Schools involvedAdamstown CastleEducate Togethernational School

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Local Fine Gael TD andMinister of State, BrianHayes, has welcomedthe announcement bythe Minister forEducation, RuairíQuinn, that six schoolsin South Dublin, two ofwhich are based inDublin South West willreceive grant aids toreplace their existingprefab classrooms withpermanent structures. “I am delighted thattwo schools in Dublin

South West will finallybe able to buildpermanent,state-of-the-artclassrooms, after somany years of wasting ahuge amount of moneyrenting prefabclassrooms, which couldhave been put towardsother vital educationservices. “When I was Fine GaelEducation SpokespersonI consistently called forthis serious waste of

money which was spenton renting prefabs to beaddressed. Despite themassive amount ofspending that went onduring the boom, theprevious Governmentdid nothing to addressthis. Instead theycontinued rentingprefabs; in 2007 alone,715 new rentalcontracts were signed. “I am delighted thatthis Government is nowaddressing this problem

and 200 permanentstructures across thecountry will be builtthis year, which coversover a third of allschools who currentlyrent prefabs. A total of€35 million has beenallocated and it isestimated the 6,000pupils will benefit.“Since this Government

was formed, theMinister for Educationhas been focused onreforming oureducation system,despite constrainedresources. Today’sannouncement is anexample of identifyingwhere money is beingwasted. Buildingsustainable classrooms

will save approximately€5 million per year andcreate an estimated700 direct and 140indirect jobs.

“This announcement isnot part of thefive-year buildingprogramme which willbe announced in thecoming weeks. Today’s

initiative forms part ofthe Government’s €430million educationinfrastructure plan for2012. The investment inthe School BuildingProgramme this year,including thereplacement ofprefabs, will create anestimated 3,250 directand 650 indirect jobs.”

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The use of the SmallClaims Court providesan inexpensive, fastand easy way forconsumers to resolvedisputes without theexpense of employinga Solicitor.Apparently, its use ison the increase. In2010, just under 4,000applications weremade under the SmallClaims procedure.This is an increase of12.5% from 2009. Withgood odds of afavourable outcome(approx. 50%) it offersencouragement to anunhappy consumer toproceed with theirclaim.

A claim using the SmallClaims Court systemCANNOT ExCEED THEVALUE OF €2,000.00.Many people feel that

this is too low.However, there are noimmediate plans toincrease this limit.Consumer claims suchas for FAULTY GOODSor BADwORkMANSHIP arecommon. Alsocovered is MINORDAMAGE TOPROPERTY andNON-RETURN OFRENT DEPOSITS forcertain type of rentalproperties. i.e.holiday homes orapartments in whichthe Landlord alsoresides. Excludedfrom the procedureare claims arising froma hire-purchaseagreement, a breachof leasing agreementor debts.

Importantly, you musthave bought the goods

or services fromsomeone selling themin the course of abusiness. SinceJanuary 2010, theSmall Claims procedurehas been extended tocover claims by onebusiness againstanother business, onceit is within the€2,000.00 threshold.However, it does notapply to claims inrelation to agreementsto which theCONSUMER CREDITACT OF 1995 appliesor to breaches of leaseagreements and,importantly, it does notcover debt orliquidated damages.

MAkING A CLAIM

The Small ClaimsRegistrar, who isusually the DistrictCourt Clerk, processesthe claim. TheClaimant (that is theconsumer making theclaim) should contactthe District Courtoffice where theRespondent (i.e. theperson or company theclaim is being madeagainst) lives or carrieson its business.Otherwise contact theDistrict Court office ofthe area where theContract was made or,in the case of damagedproperty, where thedamage took place.

To make a claim, anapplication form mustbe completed. Thiscan be collected fromyour local DistrictCourt office ordownload online atwww.courts.ie. Inorder to complete anapplication, you musthave the details of theperson or company youare making the claim

against. It is notenough to just havethe name of the shop.You must find out thename of the shopowner. You can do thisby making aCOMPANIES SEARCH ora BUSINESS NAMESEARCH in theCompanies Registrationoffice. You should setout the facts of yourcase clearly and simplyand state the amountfor which you areclaiming. If you runinto difficulty, theRegistrar will be happyto help. Theapplication form mustbe accompanied by afee of €18.00 andlodged in the DistrictCourt.

A copy of thecompleted applicationform will be sent bythe Registrar to theRespondent. At thispoint, there arevarious choicesavailable to theRespondent (personyou are suing). Firstly,they can admit a claimand, in this casehe/she has threeoptions.

i) He/she may agree topay the amountclaimed immediately.

ii) He/she may consentto Judgment and willpay within 28 days ofthe Judgment beingmade in the smallClaims Court office.

iii) The Respondentmay also agree to payin installments withyour consent. However, theRespondent must replywithin 15 calendardays. If not, it willmean that theRespondent is deemed

to have admitted theclaim.

Secondly, theRespondent candispute the claim andhas 15 calendar days todo so. In this case, theRegistrar will try tonegotiate and settlethe dispute. If nosettlement can bereached, the matter isthen set down forCourt hearing.

Thirdly, an option opento the Respondent is to“counter-claim”,again, within 15calendar days. In thiscase, the Registrar willsend you a copy of theNOTICE OF DISPUTEand will try to settlethe matter. The SmallClaims Registrar maycall both parties tohis/her office for aninformal privatemeeting. He will askboth parties to outlinethe facts and he willquestion both theparties for clarity. Ifan agreement cannotbe reached, theRegistrar may thereand then fix a date,time and location for ahearing of the claimbefore a Judge of theDistrict Court.

Once the date for thehearing has been set,you must attend. TheCourt environment isboth formal and publicand so you shouldfamiliarise yourselfwith the Courtpractices before thehearing. Remember tobring with you all thedocumentary evidencesupporting your claim.Evidence must be givenunder oath oraffirmation and youcan be cross-examinedby the Respondent or

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 Scallytheir legalrepresentatives. TheSmall Claims Registrarmay be present toassist you with thehearing but when thecase is called it is theCourt Registrar thatwill call you to thewitness box to giveevidence. You mayengage a Solicitor butthis will be at yourown cost, even if youare successful withyour claim. You mayengage a witness forthe hearing but ifexpenses are incurredyou will have to coverthese costs yourself.

If the matter isdecided in your favour,the Respondent will beallowed approx. 4weeks to pay theamount awarded bythe Court. If theRespondent does notpay, you can apply tothe Small ClaimsRegistrar to have theOrder of the Courtsent to you forExecution by thesheriff. There will bea fee to the Sheriffwhich will be refundedto you if the Sheriffsucceeds in executingthe Court Order/Decree. Theexecution of the CourtOrder is then a matterfor the Sheriff who willnotify the claimant. Itis important to note

that the Sheriff willnot always besuccessful in theexecution of CourtOrders. However,there can be benefitsto getting a Judgment.It can be the case thatthe Respondent doesnot have the funds topay at the presenttime butcircumstances canchange and the effectsof obtaining aJudgment is to giveyou the immediateopportunity to takethe appropriateenforcement action toget your money. If youobtain a Judgment,you will have the rightto take action torecover the debt for afurther 12 years fromthe date of Judgment.

ultimately, thedecision to go to Courtis a personal decisionbut there is littlesatisfaction to begained from winning acase if the Respondentis unable to pay aJudgment debt now orfor the foreseeablefuture. However, theprocedure allows youto make a small claimwith a minimum of redtape and at little cost.For more information,contact your localDistrict Court officesor go towww.courts.ie.

In this month’s edition of the paper,Romaine Scally Solicitor, of Romaine Scally& Company, Solicitors, Main Street,Tallaght, Dublin 24, Telephone 01-4599506email [email protected] advises readers howthey can use the SMALL CLAIMS COURT totheir advantage. We hope that readers findit useful.

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Wednesday 11TH aPrilNo Appointment is necessary.We look forward to answering your legalqueries in person.

Waste collectioncompany GreyhoundGreyhound has writtento the 18,000 waiverholders in South DublinCounty Councilinforming them thattheir waiver comes toan end on 31 March.The letter outlines a

number of paymentplans available only towaiver holders. Sinn Fein Dublin MidWest representativeEoin O Broin has saidthat, "householdscurrently on waiverssimply will be unable topay the charges being

demanded byGreyhound" and hascalled on centralGovernment to "step into provide the Councilwith sufficient funds tocontinue the waiversystem".O Broin said that"Greyhound has

informed bin waiverholders across SouthDublin County Councilthat their waiver comesto an end on 31 Marchof this year. They haveoffered them fourdifferent payment plansall of which will costhouseholds close to

€200 per year. "Given the levels offiancial stress in thesehousehodls many willsimply not be able topay this charge. Thiswill force families intomaking impossibledecisions whether topay for food, heat or

bin collections. It willlead to an increase infinancial hardship andpoverty.

"It will also lead to asignificant increase inillegal dumping, thecost of which will bebourn by the Council

and the taxpayer."The waiver systemshould never have beenabolished. I am callingon the Government tointervene and providethe Council withsufficent funds toenable the bin waiverto continue."

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Local Minister and TD,Frances Fitzgerald, haswelcomed the provisionof €2,728, 308 for SouthDublin County Council.This capital will directlyfund the improvementand adaptation ofprivate homes of olderpeople and people witha disability.

“These support grantshave a major impact onthe quality of life forthe recipients, and Ihave seen first-handhow these grants have

helped peoplethroughout SouthDublin County.” saidFitzgerald.

The allocation is part ofa capital provision of€67.75m to localauthorities across thecountry announced byMinister for Housing andPlanning, JanO’Sullivan. Announcingthe allocations, MinisterO’Sullivan said, “I amdelighted to be able tosecure this level offunding for the Housing

Adaptation GrantSchemes for OlderPeople and People witha Disability in spite ofthe severe constraintson the public financesin these challengingeconomic times”.

Last year almost 12,000grants were paid outunder these schemes bythe various localauthorities around thecountry. Grants of up to€30,000 are availablefor improvement worksand extensions to

facilitate a person witha disability. There isalso a specific grant forolder people whichprovides up to €10,500to assist householdersto have necessaryrepairs orimprovements carriedout to their homes. Inaddition, the MobilityAids Grants scheme canprovide up to €6,000 forworks to addressmobility problemsthrough the provision ofstairlifts andlevel-access showers

etc “Supportingindependent living isone of the key prioritiesof the Government’snew Housing Strategyfor People with aDisability. I amconfident that thisallocation will helpthose in need as well asshowing thisGovernment’scontinued commitmentto protecting the mostvulnerable in oursociety,” concludedFitzgerald.

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Fine Gael councillors fromSouth Dublin & FingalCounty Council metrecently to discuss therecreational and tourismpotential of Liffey ValleyThe meeting which was

held in Lucan Village wasconvened by Fine Gael’sLucan councillor WilliamLavelle.

Cllr. Lavelle stated: “Lastyear at the request of Fine

Gael leader Taoiseach EndaKenny, I convened the firstFine Gael Liffey ValleyForum. As a follow-up Iconvened this specialmeeting of local councillorsto seek to bring a fresh

impetus to Fine Gael policyon the Liffey Valley.“I have been consistentsupporter of thedevelopment of the LiffeyValley’s recreational andtourism amenity, especially

given the economic and jobcreation opportunities thatcould be harnessed forareas such as Lucan Village.But it is vital that any suchinitiative should continue toensure highest level of

protection for the Valley.“Our meeting agreed anumber of steps forwardand we will continue tomeet as an Action Group toseek progress these stepsover coming weeks.

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A significant proportion offirst time buyers havemortgage approval whilemost of them have saved upcash for a deposit accordingto a new survey by leadingIrish property websiteMyHome.ie.

According to the findings,one third of first timebuyers have receivedmortgage approval while afurther 36% are activelyseeking approval.

Seventy five per cent of firsttime buyers say they havethe required funds to pay adeposit while 60% of existinghomeowners say they havesufficient funds.The majority of the 1,800people surveyed stronglybelieve that house pricesare set to fall further in2012. ninety four per cent

of first time buyers believethey have further to gowhile 86% of homeownerssee them declining further.Despite this, half of firsttime buyers said they planon buying a property in thenext 12 months, while 42%remain undecided. nine percent said they wouldn’t bebuying.

However only 20% ofexisting homeowners areplanning to buy a property,38% say they won’t be whilethe largest group remainsthe undecideds on 42%.According to the survey twothirds of existinghomeowners and 52% of firsttime buyers do not believefinancial institutions arelending.While 65% of homeownersbelieve institutions are notlending, 43% believe

financial institutions areover regulated or overcautious when grantingmortgage approval.

First time buyers have amore positive view offinancial institutions withover half believing they arelending. However they aresplit evenly – 38% each - onwhether they are overregulated or over cautious.A quarter of those surveyedare unsure.

Angela Keegan, ManagingDirector of MyHome.ie saidthe findings showed thatavailability to mortgagefinance and consumerconfidence were the keyfactors influencingparticipation in the housingmarket.“Availability to finance wasthe number one factor for

first time buyers and wasalso in the top three forexisting homeowners. Thefact that so manyrespondents believe theinstitutions are overregulated or over cautiousreflects the widespreadfrustration felt byprospective buyers of beinglocked out of the market.unless access to finance isfreed up the level oftransactions will remain atlow levels. Respondents alsoclearly identifiedconfidence that the markethas bottomed out andconfidence in the overalleconomy as vital issues”Keegan said.While the over whelmingmajority of first time buyersbelieve house prices are setto fall further 37% believethey will fall moderately(between 5 to 10%) while

34% believe they will fallslightly (1 to 5%) and 20%believe they will fallsignificantly (10 to 15%).Homeowners had a verysimilar outlook with 35%believing they will fallmoderately, 34% that theywill fall slightly and 14%believing they will fallsignificantly.

Keegan said these figuresmight help explain why somany were still planning tobuy in the next 12 months.“First time buyers monitorthe market very closely andwhile most of them believeprices look set to fall by upto 10%, many may well befactoring in mortgageinterest relief measuresannounced in the Budget.The survey shows that the 3bed semi d remains thehouse of choice for

prospective buyers and webelieve this house type ingood locations will be thefirst to recover” Keegansaid.

Keegan also pointed out thatcertain urban areas wereshowing pressures on thesupply side. “While surveyslike this are useful tocapture national mood orsentiment the emergence ofa variety of micro marketsaround the country meansnational figures may not bealways reflect the situationon the ground. Estate agentsare seeking properties insome urban areas and pricesin these areas have notsoftened as much aselsewhere. The situationwith new developments inrural locations might be verydifferent,” Keeganconcluded.

Giveandbuy.ie, Ireland'sonline non-profitmarketplace that invitesusers to sell their unwantedhousehold and workplaceitems launched their appealto the Irish public to clearout their attics and garages,dust off the cobwebs anddonate their unwanteditems and gifts for thebenefit of Irish andinternational charities. Atthe launch, Lord Mayor,Andrew Montague donated anew computer which willraise funds for theGiveandBuy.ie’s associatedcharities which includeBarnardos, Our LadysHospice, Concern, OutreachMuldovia, Irish CancerSociety, and more recentlyBlackrock College KenyanSchool appeal.

Giveandbuy.ie’s call for a‘nationwide CharitableSpring Clean’ comes in lightof Deloitte’s startlingconsumer statistic thatduring 2011 alone anestimated €150 million eurowas spent in Ireland onunwanted presents. Thereare approximately 2,366*homeless people in Dublinevery night and for charitieslike the Peter McVerry Trustwho rely on donations and

GiveandBuy.ie, the Deloittefigure surpasses the cost ofproviding emergencyaccommodation for everyhomeless person in Dublinfor over three years .

Commenting on the benefitsthat the Irish public’sunwanted items could bringto Giveandbuy.ie’sassociated charities AidanCorless, Chairman of Giveand Buy said:“Giveandbuy.ie is appealingto the Irish public to join usin a ‘nationwide SpringClean.’ Most Irishhouseholds have some itemthat they never use sitting,catching dust that could beof value to somebody else.This in turn could be used tosupport our sponsoredcharities. The Deloittefigure on unwanted gifts isstartling when you compareit to what that money coulddo in helping the homelessin Dublin. On a smallermonetary scale, we can allmake a real difference. Forexample, that unused bikethat’s been sitting in thegarage for years wouldfetch 60 to 100 euro on thesite, that money could beused to house a homeless .The great aspect ofGiveandbuy.ie is that it not

only promotes recycling,it’s fundamentally free. Weare not asking the public togive us any money, onlytheir unwanted items. Evenin these recessionary timeswhere money is tight, itmeans that anyone cansupport a charity. Clearingout and donating yourunwanted items toGiveandbuy.ie costs nothingbut could really make a realdifference in so manypeople’s lives.”

Throughwww.giveandbuy.ie, thepublic can sell their surplusgoods or skills with 100% ofthe money going to charity.Giveandbuy.ie facilitatesboth sellers (givers) andbuyers of goods and servicesto come together to assistcharitable causes. It is afree innovative onlinemarket-place that doesn’tleave people digging in theirpockets but asks forunwanted items andprofessional services thatare of real value to others.

Commenting onGiveandBuy.ie, AidanCorless said:“When we startedgiveandbuy.ie in, it was inresponse to the fact that

Lord Mayor of Dublin Andrew Montague pictured at the launch of the Give and BuyNationwide Spring Clean campaign with Aidan Corless, Chairman of Give and Buy

haLf of firSt time BuyerS pLan to Buya property in the next 12 monthS

“caSh in the attic” giVe anD BuycaLL for nationWiDe Spring cLean

charity revenue hadplummeted due to therecession. People can nolonger afford to dig deep intheir pockets for charity.

You don’t need to have cashto make a difference. Mostpeople without realising ithave ‘value (cash) in theattic’ so to speak. The site

is really user friendly so whynot dust out the cobwebs,pick up a great deal andraise funds for charity atthe same time?”


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new research, conducted byAvonmore Heart Active, hasrevealed that consumingcholesterol reducingproducts is the most popularmethod employed by over40’s when managing theircholesterol, with almost70% consuming them. Butworryingly only 36% of thesepeople are using theproducts as recommendedand as a result are notreceiving the full benefits.In order to get the fullbenefits of plant sterols,the recommended amountof between 1.5g and 2.4gshould be consumed everyday.A high proportion of peoplesurveyed stated that theyfind it difficult toincorporate cholesterollowering food products intotheir daily diet, with halfstating that the productswere too expensive. 37% ofpeople simply forget toconsume them every day,while one in five find itdifficult to gauge thecorrect amount to consume.

Dr. nina Byrnes, GP and RTE

health expert, advises:“Studies show that plantsterols can reduce badcholesterol by up to 10%without affecting goodcholesterol levels. However,in order to get the fullbenefit of plant sterols, youshould consume therecommended amount of1.5g to 2.4g of plant sterolsdaily. If people are notconsuming therecommended amount ofplant sterols daily they maynot be getting the fullbeneficial effects and inessence, not getting themaximum cholesterollowering benefits for theireffort”.

Avonmore’s research hasrevealed that in general,the Irish population is“cholesterol aware”. 76%of people over 40 state thatthey have had theircholesterol level tested atleast once, and 43% of thesegetting it checked regularly.But with population surveyshighlighting that the vastmajority of ‘over 45’s’ (82%)do have raised cholesterol*,

Dr. Byrnes states that thisissue needs attention beforeit becomes a problem:“High cholesterol is awell-known risk factor forcardiovascular disease,which is Ireland’s numberone killer, causingapproximately 10,000deaths per year. Highcholesterol doesn’t give anysymptoms so it isrecommended that all thoseover 20 have theircholesterol checked at leastonce every five years andmore often if levels arehigh”.

Making changes to diet isthe first step people take tomanage their cholesterollevels. 45% of thosesurveyed cut down on foodshigh in saturated fat, 42%increased their consumptionof fruit and vegetables,while one third avoid eatingjunk food. Commenting onthe findings, Dr. nina said:“While it is good to see thata lot of people try to makegood food choices, it'simportant to remember thatthese changes need to be

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maintained for life in orderto keep cholesterol levels athealthy levels to help avoidheart disease, Ireland’sbiggest killer”.Avonmore is making iteasier to put plant sterolsinto the daily routine withthe introduction AvonmoreHeart Active Milk withadded plant sterols.Consuming just 2 – 3 250mlglasses of Avonmore HeartActive every day for 2 – 3weeks can help reducecholesterol by 7 – 10%. Sonow Irish consumers can getcholesterol-reducing plantsterols by simply switchingfrom regular milk to newAvonmore Heart Active.Whether it’s on its own, intea, coffee, cereal or incooking, you can get yourdaily plant sterols in just 2-3

glasses, with nocompromise on taste. The good news for thosewith high cholesterol is thatthe risk is modifiable,meaning we can all dosomething positive aboutour cholesterol levels. Dr.nina Byrnes said: “If you arediagnosed with highcholesterol, even ifmedication is prescribed foryou, lifestyle change is stillessential to help managecholesterol in the blood.And being healthy doesn’tmean being miserable or nolonger enjoying the foodsyou love. It means eating avaried balanced diet andleading an active lifestyle”.

Dr. nina’s Top Five Tips toreducing your cholesterol1. Reduce the amount of

saturated fat in your diet.These are the fats we findin animal meats, butter,cream, high fat cheese andlard.

2. Exercise daily to helpincrease your HDL (goodcholesterol) and lower LDL(bad cholesterol).

3. Maintain healthy weight,obesity increasescholesterol.

4. Introduce cholesterollowering plant sterols intoyour diet and increase yourintake of fruit andvegetables.

5. Avoid smoking or excessalcohol as these can bothlead to increasedcholesterol levels.

Fianna Fail local arearepresentative CharlieOConnor has welcomed theannouncement by RuairiQuinn TD Minister forEducation and Skills that StMarks national School inSpringfield Estate, Tallaghtis to receive funding toallow for the replacementof Prefabs with permanent

accommodation.He said it was an importntdevelopment given that theschool, first opened in 1973,now caters for almost 1200pupils and it is right that allpupils would benefit frompermenant accommodation.The fromer Dail Deputy fotthe area has asked theDepartment to confirm its

precise in the matter andhopes that the schoolauthorities would becontacted with the detailsas soon as possible.He also hoped that thedepartment would ensurethat the new classaccommodation wouldcover bothe the junior andsenior schools

o’connor WeLcomeS WorkSat SpringfieLD SchooL

The Musical YouthFoundation children’scharity is asking people tohelp it in its mission toprovide every child on theisland of Ireland with accessto a musical education bydonating any old, unused oreven damaged musicalinstruments they have.

As part of an exciting newproject designed to raiseawareness for the lifechanging benefits of musiceducation and the work theMusical Youth Foundation isdoing the charity is hopingpeople will dig out old,unused or even brokeninstruments that arecluttering up attics, garagesand under bed storagespace in order to donatethem to the charity.

Musical Youth FoundationFounder & CEO Chris Mahersays; “there are hundreds ifnot thousands of old,unused and unwantedinstruments clogging up

storage spaces all over theCountry and we’re askingpeople to help us give everychild on the island ofIreland the opportunity toaccess music education bysupporting our call forinstruments.” Maher wenton to say: “we promise tofind new homes for allinstruments donated andeveryone who donates willbe invited to a very specialTOP SECRET event takingplace as part of the 6thannual Dublin City SoulFestival from 24th to 27thof May 2012.”

The Musical YouthFoundation providesinstruments, weekly tuition,practice sessions andsupporting workshops in liveperformance, singing andsong writing as part of its“guitars for kids”programme which is runningin local community centre’sand schools in Dublin.The benefits of musiceducation stretch way

beyond the lessons, helpingto build a child’sconfidence, improveconcentration and teachthem the value of patienceand perseverance. Asidefrom being a very satisfyinghobby, music education isknown to help improve achild’s performance in theclassroom outside of musiceducation itself.

If you have an old guitarhiding under your bed or aukulele feeling lonely in acorner, please donate it tothe Musical YouthFoundation and let it feelthe love again. By donatingyour instruments you will behelping the Musical YouthFoundation to move closerto achieving its goal ofproviding every child on theisland of Ireland with accessto musical education.

If you have an instrumentthat you would like todonate, please [email protected].

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Local Minister FrancesFitzgerald hasannounced that grantapplications are nowbeing accepted fromchildcare providers for2012 capital funding.

“Any provider whocurrently participatesin the ECCE freepreschool year schemeor in the CETS or CCS iseligible to apply for agrant. The funding isavailable for remedial /maintenance /renovation work and/or equipment. Themaximum grantavailable is €50,000(inclusive of VAT),”

explained MinisterFitzgerald.

“I was delighted to beable to secure €6million funding for 2012to support continuingimprovement in thevery important earlychildhood sector. TheGovernment hasinvested some €1.3billion in earlychildhood over duringthe last decade, and Iwant to continue thedevelopment of thesector. We are verylucky to have in ourarea so many qualitychildcare providers andI will continue to work

to develop the sectorwith a particular focuson quality providers,”said Fitzgerald.

“A priority for this fundis to keep earlyeducation and childcareservices open that arein danger of closure dueto the physicalcondition of thebuilding and / oradequacy of services /facilities. Anyremaining funding willbe applied to improvingthe quality of theservice available tochildren.

“This Childcare Capital

Funding Programme isspecific to 2012 andmust be spent withinthis year. A very tightturn around ofapplications will be keyto ensuring that thisfunding can be investedas a support to this vitalsector. All applicationsfor funding must bemade on-line only onPobal’s website fromnow until Tuesday 20thMarch. The terms andconditions of theChildcare CapitalFunding Programme2012 can be found onPobal’s website,www.Pobal.ie,”concluded Fitzgerald.

neW market to Be LauncheD at Long miLe centreSome of Ireland's most successful retail and food businesses started life at a local market and nowthere's an exciting new market due to open in the coming weeks, which will be part of the well knownLongmile Centre on the Longmile Road and will be called the Longmile Market. This will be Ireland’s largest indoor market and will be opening on Sunday the 11th of March and everySaturday and Sunday thereafter. It will be home to up to 90 traders! The Longmile Market providesan excellent, high profile business opportunity for anyone wishing to open a market stall or lookingfor a car boot sale opportunity. It will be anchored by a top quality Farmers Market. These haverecently become very popular with consumers and always attract significant footfall.If you are interested in a stall or a space you can e-mail [email protected] or call 0862217834.

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Cllr. William Lavelle, FineGael councillor for Lucanhas welcomed confirmationthat South Dublin CountyCouncil is to install adogs-area in Griffeen ValleyPark before the Summer.In response to Cllr. Lavelle’slatest question to today’s

meeting of South DublinCounty Council, it wasconfirmed that “it isproposed to proceed withthis project in the comingmonths and it is expected tohave the facility in placeand operational by May”Cllr. Lavelle stated: “For the

past year I have beenpressing for installation of adogs-area in Griffeen ValleyPark. I have received a largelevel of support from Lucandog-owners and I am happyto see that a firm date hasfinally been indicated forthis project.

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Fine Gael Senator for DublinSouth West, Cáit Keane, haswelcomed theannouncement that theunvouched IndependentOireachtas Members’allowance is to bereviewed.

“I welcome the news thatthe Government isreviewing the unvouchedLeader’s Allowance that isclaimed by Independentmembers of the Oireachtas.In the interest of makingthe political funding processmore transparent, I believethat it’s necessary to ensurethat all political partyallowances, including thoseallocated to Independents,are accounted for.

“The Electoral AmendmentPolitical Funding Bill whichdeals with corporatedonations and other areasof political funding wasdebated at CommitteeStage in the Seanad thisweek. However, it should benoted that allowances ofIndependent members lieswithin the remit of theDepartment of PublicExpenditure and Reform. “So while I commend thesentiment of theamendment put forward tothe Bill by IndependentGroup in the Seanad, itcould not be carried in thecontext of the Electoral(Amendment) (PoliticalFunding) Bill. I would alsonote that the Minister for

the Environment, PhilHogan, said the concernsraised about funding paid toIndependents would beexamined.

“The unvouched payment isworth more than €41,000 ayear to Independent TDsand over €23,000 toIndependent Senators. Ithink it sends out the wrongmessage that this level offunding would be providedby the State, without therequirement for theIndependent members ofthe Houses to explain how itis spent. “I would encourage theGovernment to ensure thatthis issue is examinedwithout delay.”

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Minister for Childrenand Youth Affairs,Frances Fitzgerald, hasofficially launched aminibus service forCuMAS. The local FineGael T.D. made fundingavailable for thepurchase of the busthrough herDepartment’s allocationof national lotteryfunding.

“I am delighted to behere on this sunnyspring day to officiallyopen a new service forCuMAS. This mini-busmeans that morefamilies will be able toaccess the servicesprovided by thisproject. I have alwaysbeen supportive ofCuMAS and the workthat you do in ourcommunity and ampleased to have beenable to help you securethe funding to purchasethis minibus. I know it

will make a hugedifference to thefamilies you work soclosely with. It’s greatto be joined here todayby members of the localschool choir who haveadded a real sense ofoccasion to the event,”said Minister Fitzgeraldat the official launch ofthe bus.The CuMAS project,which empowersfamilies from theClondalkin area andaims to reduce the risksof drug misuse in youngpeople throughout thearea, will be using theminibus to facilitatechildren and familieswho wish to accesstheir service. Staff andclients were joined byMinister Fitzgerald andmembers of St. Peter ofthe Apostle’s schoolchoir to celebrate theoccasion.

“I am very familiar

with the work carriedout by CuMAS who Iknow provideinvaluable support tomany families in ourlocal area. In the past Ihave worked closelywith grandparents fromthis group who arefull-time care givers totheir children and havemet several of theyoung people whobenefit from theprogrammes they run,”continued Fitzgerald.“One of the mainproblems CuMAS facesis being able to reachout to those who needtheir service the most.Quite often this meansproviding transport toand from the centre tofacilitate accessibilityto their programmes.Meeting this need hasmeant the allocation ofthe projects resourcesto transportation. I ampleased that nowCuMAS will be able to

provide a dedicatedtransport system fortheir clients and thatresources, which hadbeen taken up bybringing children andfamilies to and from thecentre, can bere-directed into theservice,” saidFitzgerald.

“I am delighted thatMinister Fitzgeraldsanctioned funding tocover the cost of thepurchase of minibus forour project and sopleased she could joinus to celebrate theoccasion. The bus willbe a real benefit to thefamilies we work with,”said Margaret Dalton,Project Co-ordinator atCuMAS in Clondalkin.“It will be invaluable tous both financially andtime-wise and willallow us to collectchildren from bothnorth and South West

fitzgeraLD makeS grant of €20,000 aVaiLaBLe forthe purchaSe of a mini-BuS for LocaL SerViceS

Clondalkin to come totheir individual andgroup work. It will alsobe used by parents,grandparents and othergroups in the local areato maximise its use. upuntil now CuMAS hashad to dedicate anenormous amount oftime and money totransporting people sothey can access ourservice; this bus will beof huge benefit both tothe project and to the

families it willfacilitate,” saidMargaret Dalton.

Minister Fitzgeraldsanctioned fundingtowards the purchase ofa mini-bus as part ofthe Department ofChildren & Youth Affairs2011 Lottery FundingAllocation. She did soon the condition thatthe minibus be madeavailable to other LocalDrugs Task Force and

Young Peoples Facilitiesand Services Fundprojects in theCloindalkin area inorder to maximise itsbenefits to thecommunity.“I have always beensupportive of localcommunity groups andlook forward tocontinuing to work withand support the groupsthroughoutClondalkin,” concludedFitzgerald.

Minister Fitzgerald pictured with staff and musicians from St Peter the Apostle NS

SaLe extenDeD

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