KEEPING IN TOUCH Joe Costello TD Autumn 2014 EXCITING NEW ERA FOR GRANGEGORMAN AS 1,000 STUDENTS ARRIVE IN SEPTEMBER September 2014 marks the arrival of the first cohort of students on the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) campus which is being constructed on the 73 acre site at Grangegorman, Dublin 7. As the local public representative and member of the Grangegorman Consultative Group, I worked with my colleagues, Minsters Brendan Howlin and Ruairi Quinn to ensure the inclusion of this €230 million project in the Government Stimulus package. With St Brendan’s Hospital relocated to the Phoenix Care Centre, the DIT campus development is well under way. Site infrastructure and public realm works are in progress. The six protected structures on the site are now being converted for educational use and will accommodate the first DIT students from the DIT School of Media and Fine Art who will arrive in September 2014. The DIT project is labour intensive and to ensure that the local community benefits from it, we have secured agreement for a 20% local employment clause. Over 2,000 construction jobs will be created over the next three years. The local labour charter will ensure that local people access employment from the project. Should you wish to register for local employment at Grangegorman send your curriculum vitae to the Local Employment Service, 42 Manor Street, Dublin 7 or email [email protected] Joe Costello TD at the Clock Tower, Grangegorman Often promised in the old days by Fianna Fail, particularly around election time, the world-class educational facility at Grangegorman is now finally being delivered by Labour in Government for the people of Dublin. GAELSCOIL BHARRA AR AGHAIDH! After nearly two decades of prefabs the children, parents and teachers of Gaelscoil Bharra, Cabra, are due to get the modern educational facilities they deserve. I constantly impressed on Labour Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn, the importance of delivering Gaelscoil Bharra for the people of Cabra. He included it in the Government's 2012-2017 Capital Investment Programme. The preparatory work has been carried out, and the project is due to progress to construction later this year. I will continue to work with our new Minister Jan O’Sullivan to ensure the timely delivery of Joe Costello as Minister for Trade and Development at Our World Irish Aid Awards the new school building. 2014 launch at Gaelscoil Bharra, Cabra Constituency Office: Phone: 01 618 3896 Joe Costello TD 338 North Circular Road, Phibsborough, Dublin 7 Email: [email protected] joecostellotd Dáil Éireann, Dublin 2 Web: joecostello.ie REVIEW OF PHIBSBOROUGH/MOUNTJOY LOCAL AREA PLAN A review is now underway of the Local Area Plan (LAP) for Phibsborough/Mountjoy. The plan is an important statutory document detailing how the Phibsborough/Mountjoy area should be developed and was originally drawn up after broad consultation with the local community in 2008. The Phibsborough/Mountjoy LAP remains a sound template on which to base the development of the Phibsborough/Mountjoy area. However, due to changes in circumstances since 2008, some amendments are required. The Local Area Plan will ensure that Phibsborough is developed on a planned basis, retaining its rich architectural heritage and residential character. In my submission to Dublin City Council on what the amended LAP should contain, I supported, the umbrella submission made by the Phibsborough, Shandon and Mountjoy Area Resident Associations. Furthermore, I argued that the amended LAP should include a plan to deal with the impact of the Grangegorman development on Phibsborough/Mountjoy; that the original plans for residential and educational facilities on the Printworks/Smurfit site should remain; that consideration should be given to including the Hendron’s site at Western Way/Dominick Street Upper within the boundaries of the LAP; that the development of a sustainable transport plan for the LAP area that promotes walking and cycling should be a priority; and that the public realm should be improved by traffic calming measures in residential areas, improved street layout and street furniture. Unfortunately, very little of the original LAP was implemented over the last six years. It is essential that the amended LAP include an implementation strategy to be carried out in consultation with the local community. DALYMOUNT PARK REDEVELOPMENT The proposals envisioned in the Local Area Plan for the relocation of Bohemian Football Club and for the redevelopment of Dalymount Park are now defunct. It is essential that a new plan for the Dalymount Park site facilitates the continuing use of Dalymount for professional soccer, involving Bohemians and Shelbourne, and for the development of community-based sporting activities. I am working with the various stakeholders who are seeking to secure the future of Dalymount Park. The discussions involve Bohemian FC, Dublin City Council, the FAI, NAMA, Dublin Institute of Technology and Shandon Residents Association. I believe that Bohemians and Dalymount Park should be at the heart of the Phibsborough/Mountjoy Local Area Plan. KEEP CABRA OFFICE OPEN Dublin City Council is proposing to close down its Cabra Office, which is located at the 17 Shops on the New Cabra Road. The office was opened 15 years ago to provide a local service for the people of Cabra. Dublin City Council says that they are closing the office to save money. However, the closure will only save €40,000 annually and will deprive the entire Cabra, Navan Road and Stoneybatter areas of important information, advisory and support services locally, such as housing, traffic, flooding, litter, street cleaning, parks maintenance and community development. We must fight to keep the Cabra Office open. 16 SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN PROGRESS The Labour Party in Government is delivering on a wide range of new educational facilities for Dublin Central. Sixteen schools in Dublin Central have school construction projects completed or are in various stages of development. These projects range from renovation work to create new autism spectrum disorder units, to new classrooms to replace prefabs, to entirely new school buildings. The schools to benefit are listed below. I Gaelscoil Bharra, Cabra, Dublin 7 I Christ the King Boys’ NS, Cabra, Dublin 7 I St. John Bosco Junior Boys’ School, Navan Road, Dublin 7 I St. John Bosco Senior Boys’ School, Navan Road, Dublin 7 I Mary Help of Christians, Navan Road, Dublin 7 I Stanhope Street Convent Primary School, Dublin 7 I St. Gabriel NS, Cowper Street, Dublin 7 I St. Joseph’s and St. Mary’s schools, Deaf Village, Dublin 7 I North Dublin Muslim Primary School, Cabra, Dublin 7 I D7 Educate Together, Grangegorman, Dublin 7 I Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, Cabra, Dublin 7 I St. Catherine’s Infant School, Ratoath Road, Dublin 7 I Colaiste Mhuire, Dominick St, Dublin 1 I St. Laurence O’Toole Special School, Sheriff Street, Dublin 1 I Gardiner St. Convent NS, Dublin 1 I O’Connell CBS NS, Dublin 1 HOUSING BOOST FOR DUBLIN NEW HOUSING LAW WILL CENTRAL BENEFIT TENANTS Despite the shortage of funding, Labour in Government is working An important new housing law introduced by the Labour Party hard to provide much needed social housing in Dublin Central: this year will benefit many tenants in landlord accommodation and will also create a new tenant purchase scheme to enable I 53 housing units in Sean Treacy House, Dublin 1, were completed in Dublin City Council tenants to buy their homes. 2012 I 100 new housing units in Peadar Kearney House (Liberty House), The law will establish a new Housing Assistance Payment Railway Street, Dublin 1, will be opened in September 2014 (HAP) which will eventually replace the rent supplement scheme. Everybody on HAP can remain registered with Dublin I 100 senior citizen units are being completed in Fr Scully House, City Council for social housing, and their position on the Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, and will be opened before the end of housing list will not be affected. The Department of the 2014 Environment is drawing up guidelines for local authorities to I NAMA is providing 57 units for social housing in Dublin 1, 3 and 7 ensure this. I Dublin City Council has been given the necessary additional One of the serious flaws of the existing rent supplement funding to refurbish the vacant houses and flats in existing scheme is that tenants lose rent supplement if they take up a complexes and estates throughout the City in 2014/15 job. I know how frustrated so many people who come to my Other social and voluntary housing projects are being planned. They advice centres are that they cannot seek employment while include: getting rent supplement. I The redevelopment of Croke Villas, Dublin 3 I The conversion of four derelict houses on Ballybough Road, Dublin This will no longer be the case. Under the new legislation, all 3, into nine spacious family homes tenants will be able to work when in landlord accommodation and pay a “differential rent” to Dublin City Council, just as I A new senior citizens’ complex at Dunmanus Court, Cabra, Dublin 7 tenants who are in social housing do at present. As tenants will I Redevelopment of St Bricin’s Senior Citizens Complex, Dublin 7 be able to work, the new HAP scheme will remove a significant poverty trap. I 35 apartments at North King Street, Dublin 7 These measures are welcome and will help to reduce the housing and The new scheme is being piloted at present and will be homeless lists in Dublin Central. introduced in the Dublin City Council area in 2015. 4 NEW PRIMARY CARE CENTRES ON THE WAY The Labour Party in Government is working to reform our healthcare system. As part of these reforms, plans are now advanced for new Primary Care Centres: I The Summerhill Primary Care Centre, Dublin 1, will be located opposite the current Health Centre, but it will provide a much wider range of services to the local community.