Keeping in Touch WORKING NATIONALLY AND LOCALLY FOR CHANGE DARNDALE, PRIORSWOOD AND KILMORE Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD Summer 2013 Ó RÍORDÁIN SECURES €3MILLION FOR CHILD AND FAMILY PROJECT 'PREPARING FOR LIFE' SUPPORTS FAMILIES IN BELCAMP, BONNYBROOK, DARNDALE, GLIN, KILMORE AND MOATVIEW
The Programme for Government, agreed in 2011, committed the Government to delivering on 10 area-based anti-poverty strategies across the country. Since then I have been working hard with the local 'Preparing for Life' project to ensure that it benefits from this commitment. My 11 years as a teacher and principal in Sheriff Street have taught me that early intervention and empowerment is the key to success.
Late last month the cabinet finally sanctioned funding of €3million to the 'Preparing for Life' group which ensures that they can continue their vital work over the coming years. The project supports families from pregnancy to when the child starts school and focuses on promoting child development and supporting effective parenting.
The project also:
I Supports 10 local early years settings to implement the Síolta Early Years Quality Framework
I Delivers Stress Control - community programme to promote & support better health
I Conducts an annual study on school readiness among the cohort of children starting school in the area
I Works alongside other early intervention/prevention sites to develop national networks
I Promotes and supports interagency co-operation to create Aodhán pictured with Minister Brendan Howlin after securing funding for the Preparing for better outcomes for families Life programme PROPOSED CLONSHAUGH TREATMENT PLANT Local residents have reacted strongly against the proposal by Fingal County Council to construct a large scale waste water treatment plant in Clonshaugh. The lack of consultation, coupled with the obvious concerns that residents have articulated have led to a huge level of frustration being articulated to my office. I raised these concerns on the floor of the Dáil a number of weeks ago with the Minister for Environment and Local Government. I will continue to work with local residents as well as Cllrs. Paddy Bourke and Brian McDowell in opposition to this proposal. Over July and early August the project underwent a public consultation and the project team intend to submit the application for planning approval for the project to An Bord Pleanála in early 2014. For further information on this issue please feel free to contact my office at the numbers below.
AODHÁN Dáil Office: 01 618 3209 e: [email protected] Ó RÍORDÁIN TD Constituency Office: 01 857 4020 @AodhanORiordain 0612 WORKING NATIONALLY AND LOCALLY FOR CHANGE
EMPLOYMENT EQUALITY CRIMINALISATION OF FORCED ACT LABOUR Together with a number of my Labour Party Alongside my colleague, Robert Dowds, I was involved in the Parliamentary colleagues, I published the Employment passing of the Criminal Law Human Trafficking Amendment Bill Equality (Amendment) Bill earlier this year. The Bill will in the Dáil, last June. In doing so, slavery was essentially amend Section 37 of the Employment Equality Act criminalised in Ireland, by finally defining Forced Labour and which currently undermines the rights of workers in re-enforcing it as a specific criminal offence. state-funded schools and hospitals under a religious patronage. Our amendment will ensure that no worker The Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland have dealt with over 180 can be discriminated against because of their private cases over the last number of years and during my speech I lives, which up until now, has led to a climate of fear to paid tribute to those victims. I am in awe of the courage shown exist in many of our schools and hospitals. Many LGBT by them, who despite being treated so poorly, showed such and civil liberty groups, as well as teacher unions, have appreciation for the change in the law and the new beginning welcomed this move. Launching the Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill for them in their new home. CONVENTION IN YOUR CLASSROOM I was delighted to bring my ‘Convention in Your Classroom’ project to local secondary schools over the last year. Based on the Constitutional Convention which is discussing possible amendments to the Constitution, my project gave transition year students the chance to air their views, and to visit the Dáil to discuss the issues with politicians from all political parties. Twelve Northside secondary schools took part in the project and the young people in all schools were very impressive.
EMPLOYMENT ROADSHOWS As your local TD, I am continuing to tackle the unemployment crisis on the Northside every day. Although nationally the unemployment rate has fallen slightly, this issue remains an absolute priority for me and for the Labour Party in Dublin. The issues of Youth Unemployment and Long-Term Unemployment are of particular importance. In April, I organised a Jobseeker’s Information Day in the MARINO TEACHER ACCESS NATIONAL ADULT LITERACY Northside Civic Centre. It was well attended and the feedback very positive. In the coming months I will host a number of PROGRAMME STRATEGY these events across the constituency. I have developed a programme with Northside Partnership Following a lengthy discussion and Marino Institute of Education to proactively encourage at Committee Stage of the students from Northside disadvantaged schools into the SOLAS bill in May, Minister primary teaching profession. Over 25 students from 9 DEIS Quinn pledged to review, and secondary schools are participating in the course which is later accept, my amendment focusing on improving their Irish standards as Higher Level which inserted a section into Irish is a requirement for entry into Primary School Teacher the Bill establishing a National Training. I am delighted to be in a position to assist these Strategy on Adult Literacy and students in achieving their ambitions. Numeracy. For a long time I have tried to highlight how Adult literacy is an endemic in our society with 23% of Irish adults facing some sort of reading or writing difficulties. By setting in stone a National Strategy, we have finally given a commitment to recognize it as a problem in Irish law. I want to thank the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) for their helping aiding my pursuit of this cause and I look forward to following up on this issue over the coming Dáil term and into the future. I think a long term approach at a national level is the only Aodhán with Labour Youth activists promoting the Youth way we can help those suffering from this problem to Guarantee overcome their difficulties.
Dáil Éireann: Leinster House, Dublin 2 YOUR LOCAL LABOUR TEAM t: 01 618 3209
Constituency Office: Working with 203 Philipsburgh Avenue, Marino, Dublin 3 t: 01 857 4020
@AodhanORiordain
Seán Kenny TD Cllr Paddy Bourke Cllr. Brian McDowell Emer Costello MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD Dublin Bay North 01 618 3744 087 2862558 087 222 1628 01 874 6109 [email protected] Working with Sean Kenny TD [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]