Category — Council News and Info

I welcome Fine Gaels proposals for amended Radical Overhaul of the Dail and the Seanad. The public perception of the two houses is that they are top heavy and that there is a urgent need for streamlining to reduce costs while increasing productivity and effectiveness. The Seanad is seen to be remote from the people with no real role or tangible benefit.

After months of haggling I managed to get the Design for Traffic Calming on the Rochestown Road on the agenda of the Area Roads and will post the minutes of same when they arrive in due course.

In a nutshell the design (which in fact was ready I understand in Dec. 2006) was duly shown to us. The design is from the entrance to the Douglas Court Shopping Centre to Rochestown Rise. It is proposed to have cycling lanes, footpaths, central road markings, dedicated bus lay by, and traffic lights at the top entrance to Maryborough Estate.

Subsequently, the Senior Engineer informed us that currently there are plans to lay the second phase of a watermain from Rochestown Inn to Wainsfort and that this may hold a portion of the work up. They also have to decide how the project is to be funded. The design will be put before Council soon and should be going out for public consultation following that. I have also placed this matter on the April Agenda to keep the pressure up.

In relation to the upgrading of Clarkes Hill (and footpaths etc), I have placed this matter on the Agenda for the March Area Roads Meeting and you can be assured I am vigorously pursuing this matter also. I regret that both these issues have taken so long to progress and find it highly regrettable and incomprehensible that these matters have taken so long to come before us despite numerous representation, debates, e-mails phone calls etc and badly reflects on the local government system.

I trust that this update in informative for you.

Regards Deirdre

Carrigaline Area Roads Committee – 16th February 2009

Update on Public Lighting Capital Programme 2005 – 2008

Carrigaline Area 1. 2008 Public Lighting Contract.

I am pleased to announce that Cork County  Council has gone to tender on a contract of nine separate public lighting schemes. The tender process has been completed and the Council expects to be able to award the contract in the very near future. This contract includes four separate schemes in the Carrigaline Electoral Area.

R611, Kilmoney Road to Pipers Cross

R851,ballycurreen Road

L-2460,adjacent to Alderbrook Estate

Carrigaloe Ferry to Monkstown.

If funding is available, the same procedure will be repeated for a second bundle of schemes to complete the current Capital Programme. The second Public Lighting Contract consists of 13 separate schemes. This contract includes four schemes in the Carrigaline Electoral Area.

Killumney Road,Tuairin Glas to An Caislean

R613, Church Road

L2454, Lehenaghmore road at Doughcloyne

South of Scairt Cross to Housing Estates

Individual Schemes

2. Monastery Road. ( These Lights have been erected).

3. Barry’s Road ( This scheme is under way).

4. Ballea Road.

This scheme has been awarded directly to ESB Contracts. The Civil works will be done by the Carrigaline Area Office depending on whether money will be available for the scheme.

Timber pole schemes.

All timber pole scheme contracts are awarded directly to ESB contracts as currently they are the only contractor trained to work on network wires. These schemes are ongoing.

Rochestown L2472, Coach Hill ( Order given to ESB. 3 no. 150W on new wooden poles. Residents’ objections have prevented installation)

Lehenaghmore L2454,( Lehenaghmore road, phase 1)

Scairt Cross L2462,

Welfare forms now available online for Jobseekers

I am pleased to announce that application forms for Jobseekers Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance are available for the first time to download from the Department of Social and Family Affairs website www.welfare.ie, by clicking on the “Recently Unemployed?” link.

This will mean that people who are making a repeat claim (i.e. renewing a claim that they had initially made within the past two years) can now download and complete the UP 6 form.  All other people can download and complete the UP1 form before going to their Social Welfare Office. 

Minister for Social & Family Affairs Mary Hanafin said this development “was part of a series of service improvement measures being brought in to help speed up the process for those who have lost their jobs or have been put on reduced working hours.  Having the forms available online means that one stage of the application process is taken out for men and women seeking their entitlements.  There is also a great deal of information on the welfare website which means that people can take time to read the forms and understand what’s required  before making their claim.

Being able to have the forms filled out in advance of arriving in the social welfare office and having the appropriate documents, such as P45 and photographic ID such as driver’s licence or passport, will help both the jobseeker and the offices processing claims.”

Minister Hanafin said that “in the last three months of 2008 staff in Social Welfare offices throughout the country processed 155,000 claims – that was an increase of 74% on the same period in the previous year. All our staff are very conscious of the pressures that members of the public are under when coming into the offices to claim jobseekers payments. 

To further help speed up processing claims, four Central Decisions Units are also being set up in Dublin city centre, Sligo, Finglas and Carrick-on-Shannon, each of which will have 10 staff processing and deciding on claims.  They will be able to process claims from offices in various regions which are experiencing an increased claimload and backlogs in processing.

We are looking at implementing a range of initiatives and are continually reviewing our claims processing system to help us deal with the unprecedented increase in claims for jobseekers payments.”

Dear Constituent, Hereunder you will find copy of letter sent to the County Engineer in relation to the long awaited Scheme for Rochestown Road. I am putting real pressure on Council for Action. Feel free to post a comment below if you want to register your opinion. I will continue to update …..

Dear Noel, Further to my motion of Monday last in connection with the laying of the Water Main phase two Rochestown Inn to Wainsfort I wish to reiterate that I am very concerned at the long delay in delivering the Traffic Scheme for the Rochestown Road Belgard Downs to Rochestown Rise.

You will no doubt be aware that I have raised this matter continually over the past two to three years. Finally last year I was informed that works could not begin (despite the design having been completed over 18 months earlier) as there was a water main to be installed (Phase two) from the Rochestown Inn to Wainsfort. Despite my raising the issue continually over the previous months I was only informed last year that a scheme had been drawn up for the watermain but the roads officials werent aware of it. I have serious concerns at this situation it seems incredible that in all the times I raised the matter and despite the fact that the design had long been completed no one could inform me that the true situation was that no work would be done pending the phase two installation of the watermain. I have to say that this falls far short of the appropriate standard from council and highly regrettable.

On last Monday I was informed that there was now some doubt about the completion of the Phase two of the Watermain due to the economic downturn and a decision wouldnt be made until the Spring. This again delays work on the Traffic Scheme on the Rochestown Road and such a delay is totally unacceptable to me and to the residents pedestrian and motorists who use the Rochestown Road many times a day. I have asked Engineers to at least proceed with resurfacing works (please examine yourself and you will agree the condition of the road is well below standard. John Forde Area Engineer recently met with Residents of Rochestown Rise and myself to discuss the installation of a median or other traffic calming to ensure the safety of residents and many children to the Bus Stops at the entrance to their estate. John made a sugesstion which was acceptable to the residents but he needed to discuss with John Lapthorne and his officials.

I have again spoken to the Residents and I urge you to proceed with the scheme Belgard Downs to Rochestown Rise forthwith. In fact, I would strongly urge you to design another phase to the scheme from Rochestown Rise to Rochestown Inn. Many houses find it extremely difficult to exit their houses due to the volume and speed of traffic. At the very least a footpath needs to be installed immediately from Rochestown Rise to meet the footpath by the entrance to Maryborough Estate to ensure pedestrian safety.

I am aware that over 1M in developments charges were levied on a Developer in Rochestown and to my knowledge if these monies were not committed (if not spent) the money would be returned. These mones must fund improvements long overdue in the Area. I would like a full breakdown of how the money has been spent and allocated. I am also urging you to immediately carryout upgrading works from Clarkes Hill via Garryduff, Moneygourney to meet Maryborough Hill as footpaths need to be installed here and road widening and in particular the bad ‘blind’ corner between Moneygourney and Maryborough Hill need urgent action before a serious accident occurs.

In short I wish to make the strongest representation to you and your fellow officials for the following:
Footpath installed immediately from Rochestown Rise to Maryborough on the Rochestown Road .
Proceed with the traffic calming and resurfacing on the Rochestown Road (Preferrably from the Fingerpost Roundabout to Rochestown Rise)
Initiate a design for traffic calming from the Rochestown Rise to Rochestown Inn
Commence some immediate road widening and foootpath installation and upgrading of junctions on Clarkes Hill.

I would appreciate an urgent response to this letter.

Many thanks,

Regards,

Deirdre

Hello to all my constituents, family, friends and colleagues, and indeed to the wider world. Welcome to my new website www.deirdreforde.ie.

As you will probably see my team and I are currently in the process of building and filling up these pages with useful information, updates, links and all relevant news about me, my constituency and the work I do for you. We hope to have it up and running by the end of this month (January 09).

It provides a great way for me to stay in touch with you as well as keeping you up to date with the work I am doing for you in the area. I will provide regular updates on Council business and relevant and helpful information about Cork County Council, social and affordable housing, roads and works, government updates and the upcoming local and European elections.

Feel free to comment on any of my posts (I love to hear your views) or to contact me at any time through this website.

In the mean time, thank you for visiting and check back soon for more updates on the work I do for you.

Deirdre.