No. 1 VOTE Mick Finn CV Over the next few weeks, I will be calling around asking you for your No. 1 Vote. Education Career Experience Other candidates will tell you that I’ll be grand – that I’ll top the poll – and that Primary: St Marie’s of the Isle Senior Journalist Wesrmeath Independent, Athlone 1994 – 1998 I’ll have plenty of votes! Last time out, I Scoil Neasain, Sullivan’s Quay got the second highest  rst preference Senior journalist Irish Echo, Sydney, Australia 1998 vote, but ended up getting the fourth of Secondary: Coláiste Iognáid Rís, Deerpark CBS Editor Gaelic Sport Magazine, Dublin 1999  ve seats. As a non-party candidate out Third Level: University College on my own, I will need all the No. 1 votes Deputy Editor Irish Echo, Sydney, Australia 2000 – 2002 I can get to survive, so I am hoping you Bachelor of Arts (History & English) can give me your  rst preference or else Master of Science (Gov. & Public Policy) Project Manager GAA Designated Area Scheme, Cork 2006 – 2007 the highest possible number.

Dublin Institute of Technology Parliamentry Asst John Dennehy TD, Cork 2006 – 2007 As you know, to vote (including  rst- Diploma in Journalism Project Worker School Completion Programme, Cork 2007 – 2008 time voters) you will have to be on the register. Forms are available from me Councillor 2009 – or the franchise section of City Hall. Voters who are not able to attend at the Community Involvements polling station because of a medical or physical ailment can apply for a postal Greenmount Youth Initiative a project combating drug use in inner city southside vote; this has to be done a month or Secretary so before election day. Transport can be provided for anyone who needs a BOSS Project Refocus aimed at getting young people into education and/or work including areas such as Greenmount, lift to the polling station. I encourage Chairman the Lough, Turners Cross, Ballyphehane, Togher and others everybody to vote: if you do, you have a say in what’s going on. Edmund Rice Youth Club Bro’s Club in Deerpark CBS Secretary & Volunteer Heritage Part of campaign to get the Fort in Barrack Street opened up Secretary We Made This Design Team Helping Presentation Sisters to operate community development group at Evergreen St premises

Council Committees Housing · Planning & Development · Tourism & Recreation · Joint Policing · Cork Area Strategic Plan (CASP)

Ward Fund Allocations

Over the course of my  ve-year term, I have assisted local voluntary, community and sporting groups with the provision of so-called Ward Funds. The following are the groups I supported who were awarded funds from a €40,000 total over this time:

Ballyphehane & District Pipe Band Evergreen FC Middle Parish Historical Society INDEPENDENT’S DAY Ballyphehane GAA Club Everton FC Middle Parish Youth Group Ballyphehane Ladies GAA Club Father Matthews Basketball Club Morning Star NS – Breakfast Club ELECTIONS and politicians are probably the I was elected in 2009 by the voters of the Ballyphehane/Togher CDP 5th Cork (Lough) Scouts ONE Ballyphehane Youth Café Gaeltaca Project REFOCUS last thing on people’s minds at the moment, South Central Ward to represent them as an Barrack Street Band Greenlawn Residents’ Association St Finbarr’s NHFC yet the local and European elections are upon Independent Voice in Cork City Council and Barrack St Neighbourhood Watch Greenmount NS – Breakfast Club School Completion Programme us and are set for May 22 or May 23. have tried to do so for the past  ve years. Casement FC Greenmount NS – Playgroup South Parish Community Association This is my  fth newsletter for the area and I Catholic Guides of Ireland Greenmount Rangers FC South Parish Historical Society While the powerlessness of councillors Chriost Ri Arts Group Greenmount Summer Scheme South Parish/Turners Cross Summer regret that due to limited resources (unlike Club Cheoil Ballyphehane Greenmount Youth Club Scheme has been extremely frustrating during my the political parties) I cannot produce Connaught Avenue Residents’ Assoc Greenmount Youth Initiative Spartan Boxing Club time in City Hall, I have decided to put my more. I also apologise if some areas Cork City FC Hawthorn Film Productions Togher AC name in the hat again in the hope Cork Youth Leagues Hyde Park Residents’ Association Togher Boxing Club did not receive the last issue Deerpark CBS - Parents Council Kilreen AFC Tramore FC that the type of work I’ve due to a distribution oversight Drama Festival Leeside Lough Boxing Club Turner’s Cross Men’s Group been doing – for individuals, Deerpark Residents’ Association Little Turners Playgroup We Made This on my part. Dolphin RFC Meitheal Mara – Presentation Convent groups and the city in general – is what people want. As However, I am always available an independent, non-party to call or meet with you to councillor, I have tried to work discuss issues of concern and for people and the voluntary to help resolve them. sectors and not get caught up in the charade of self-serving, party politics. Some of the work I have been involved in ... ACROSS THE WARD Lord Mayor’s Pay & Conference Expenses Flood of problems! Throughout my term, I supported and tabled calls for the Apart from a lot of individual case work (dealing with medical cards, social welfare entitlements, housing allocations & reduction of the Lord Mayor’s Salary (between €135,000 A few weeks after being elected maintenance, housing grants, road repairs, littering, advocacy for community and sporting groups etc), some of the other – €235,000 in pay, allowances and expenses) which is in 2009, we faced a huge crisis areas of local work I have been immersed in include: ridiculously high for a city the size of Cork. I was also one following the devastating ® ooding of over six or seven councillors who didn’t accept expenses the city and the water shortages that (except for a phone allowance to cover half my annual GREENMOUNT/DEERPARK/LOUGH/ followed. Apart from helping out the BALLYPHEHANE/TURNERS CROSS phone bill) or travel to conferences: that money could be residents worst a¯ ected in the Middle COLLEGE ROAD —CONTINUED˜ better spent. Parish and surrounding areas in the House to house ballot in areas where it was proposed to Assist Residents’ Associations & Community Groups immediate aftermath of the ® ooding, I also helped to get turn greens into parking; reversal of some ill-thought out water stations in place in Ballyphehane, Turners Cross, Public lighting renewal Gregg Road, the Lough, Greenmount, Budgets, Votes and Freedom of the City proposals and extension of the scheme where it was wanted Greenmount, the Lough and Evergreen and kept people Pouladu¯ up to date about what was happening by distribution of New safety measures at Ballyphehane I have largely voted against the council’s annual budgets, Closure of laneways, improving safety lea® ets. Responsibility for that ® ooding has yet to be taken. Park; also highlighting & combating especially when I felt that cuts and reductions undermined anti-social behaviour there Resurfacing of roadways (eg Noonan’s/St Finbarr’s Road, services. The council’s gross revenue expenditure for the The O° ce of Public Works is currently working on ® ood Donovan’s Road) 2014 Budget was – at €165m – better than expected, but defence measures to protect low-lying areas in the city Trying to address vandalism and still represented a cut of almost €30m from 2009 which centre and south parish that su¯ er during river ® ooding anti-social behaviour at St Joseph’s Assist residents near UCC on various can only have negative e¯ ects on services such as housing, (as happened over Christmas and New Year) and I have Cemetery; installation of CCTV issues; support CCTV installation roads, upkeep of parks and cemeteries, street cleaning etc. was of some help but continued been pushing for this work to be speeded up: people Addressing dereliction issues (Friars vigilance is necessary and businesses have had enough. A strategy is due to be Walk, Tower Street) ... promoting I have requested that the Freedom of the City be given out less, both to save money but also not to devalue the revealed in July. Launch and sponsorship of ‘One council painting schemes Award. I voted for the redevelopment of Pairc Uí Chaoimh Book, One Community’ reading projects in Ballyphehane The installation of CCTV on College Road to deter anti-social as a centre of excellence, but against the development of a schools; Green Flag-raising at local schools CCTV, litter, anti-social behaviour, dog fouling behaviour by students and others Scout Centre in a residential cul-de-sac o¯ Donovan’s Road. Assist local sports clubs with development proposals Introduction of Community Policing Unit in Lough area The ongoing problem of anti-social Road Resurfacing of various areas including Connolly Road/ behaviour in various areas of Cork Park, Lwr Pouladu¯ Road/Tramore Rd Housing and Roads City South Central occupied much of BARRACK STREET/ my time as a councillor. Issues such as Area Clean Ups & Bulky Goods Collections SOUTH & MIDDLE PARISHES/INNER CITY Housing allocations and drug use (including the discarding of maintenance proved very Assist Ballyphehane Community Association with various needles etc in public places), gra° ti Refurbishment of Barrack Street challenging areas to deal with, projects and underage drinking, dumping Upper and Lower, and parts of especially as responsibility and personation (con-men calling Assist Green Lawn/Tory Top Park residents groups with Bandon Road (one stretch to go!) for both rest with o° cials, to houses pretending to be from problems not councillors. Trying to get companies, council or Gardai) were Opening up of Elizabeth Fort as a boarded-up houses back into Meetings with Ballyphehane residents on local planning/ constantly raised by people, which took time to address tourist attraction circulation was prevented development issues and the preparation of submissions on and work on. The placement of CCTV by lack of funding. Having behalf of the ward councillors Renewal of Nano Nagle Bridge on College Road as well as in our suggested measures such parks and cemeteries (including St Resurfacing of Sharman Crawford as choice-based letting (where tenants will be given the Joseph’s and St Finbarr’s) has helped TOGHER St/Wandesford Quay option of accepting houses that may require work done by somewhat to address problems, themselves), I was happy to see this being taken on board Raising issues of dereliction and its impact on areas for 2014 and beyond. but – unfortunately – this continues Worked for the provision of new footpaths for Clashduv Park to be work in progress. Combating Support plans for renewal of Douglas Street, including dumping, litter and dog-fouling Resurfacing of Tramore Road Many people contacted me regarding road repairs over the making it one-way in certain areas presented major past  ve years and I have outlined in this newsletter some Tra° c Calming on Edward Walsh Road (eventually!) areas where I was successful in getting these carried out. challenges also, with some successes. Assist South Parish & Middle Parish Community Associations Helped with clean up of St Finbarr’s Cemetery Water pressure and drainage issues on Southern Road Elizabeth Fort/Convention Centre/New Parks National Issues – A&E, education and drugs GREENMOUNT/DEERPARK/LOUGH/ Lighting on Windmill Road/High Street I worked for the opening up of COLLEGE ROAD I joined in constructive Security/Safety issues at White Street Car Park campaigns against cuts Elizabeth Fort on Barrack Street Tra° c calming on Mount Sion Road, Greenmount, Tower as a tourist and educational to education and SNA’s, I Street, Deerpark Tackle anti-social behaviour lobbied against closure of attraction and was delighted to problem in city centre Area Clean ups – Mount Sion area, Greenmount Crescent the A&E unit of the South see the keys handed over by the peripheries OPW to the city In rmary Victoria Hospital Bulky Goods Collections – Deepark, Greenmount, Turners (appearing on RTE News) council in January Tra° c issues in Grattan St/ Cross and highlighted problems 2014. Hopefully that, along with a new Peter’s St/Washington Street convention centre for the city, a rejuvenated Gra° tti Removal in various areas with ambulance cover in Resolving road redesign Cork. I also highlighted the Fitzgerald’s Park and the Tramore Valley Tree pruning in various estates and locations Park will rejuvenate the fortunes of the city issues on Washington Street/ heroin crisis in Cork and urged a centre and its hinterlands. Lighting, water quality and continued upkeep of The Lough South Main Street collaborative approach to tackle the problem.