I was on The Late Debate on RTÉ Radio 1 last Wednesday discussing the proposed post of Mayor of Dublin.  You can listen to the show from the RTÉ website here (mp3).

Report on 2009 Activities to the Labour Party’s Dublin South East AGM – January 2010

2009 has been one of the most dynamic years in a long time. Labour in Dublin built on our previous successes with no small contribution from Dublin South East. In Pembroke –Rathmines winning three seats was quite simply unprecedented and allied to Maria and Kevin winning in the South East Inner City was a tribute to the hard work of a lot of people over many years. Since June we have sought to deliver on many fronts on the City Council where Labour is indisputably leading the way. Work on the Council since June has centered on the Draft Development Plan and the adoption of the Budget for 2010.

Pembroke-Rathmines

In addition to getting to know the newer (for me) parts of the ward I was particularly delighted to see the Affordable/Social Houses in Beech Hill I initiated finally completed and that improvement works have continued in Herbert Park. Planning and traffic issues have dominated over the year with the former Jury’s/Berkely Court and RTE sites a major focus. It is increasingly clear to me that there must be fundamental reform of our planning laws to facilitate more pre-application dialogue. Devolution of traffic responsibility must be part of any genuine Local Government reform.

City Council

Following the elections I was re-appointed to the Dublin Regional Authority, the Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly and the VEC. I was also appointed to the Association of City and County Councils, the Commissioners of Irish Lights and the Protocol and Finance Committees of the City Council. I hope to be able to use all of these in pursuit of local and city wide improvements. I have continued my work as Chairperson of the South Inner City Local Drugs Task Force and more recently I have been invited to serve on the Board of the Royal Hospital Donnybrook Voluntary Housing Association. On the latter I am presently developing a very positive housing initiative and will report to the Council when there are further details.

Thanks

A lot of people gave me a lot of help over the year, thanks in the first place are due to Aidan Sweeny and Gerry Ashe who ran my re-election campaign, all the members in Pembroke –Rathmines and particularly my colleagues in the Donnybrook Branch who came out so often, deserve and get, my heartfelt thanks. Denise, Gerry and Ian in Leinster House who do far more than any of you will ever believe. Working with Ruairi, Mary, Oisin, Kevin and Maria makes life interesting to say the least and I believe together we have made a difference. Special “thanks” must go to Jill for her support. “One year on one page” – that was the request from the Executive – Thanks to you all. I believe it has been worth it. Hope you do too?

The arrangements for Christmas bin services have just been announced.

Black & Brown Bins
There will be no collection on Christmas Day.  Bins due to be collected on Christmas Day will instead be collected on Saturday 26th December.
There will also be no collection on New Year’s Day.  Bins due to be collected on New Year’s Day will instead by collected on Saturday 2nd January.  So, if you have a Friday collection, remember it’s moving to Saturday for the next two weeks.

Green Bins
At this time of year, many of us have more recyclable materials than usual.  All that wrapping paper and packaging from toys should be recycled too!  Because of this, we’ve arranged to allow you to put additional recyclable materials tidily beside your Green Bin once it’s full, and those will be collected too.  this service will last until 15th January to ensure you’ve plenty of time to clean up after the festivities!

Bottle Banks
Unmanned bottle banks will remain open over Christmas, and will be emptied on a regular basis.  Please remember not to leave rubbish lying around after you’ve put your bottles safely in the bin.  Bring the plastic bags or cardboard boxes back home for your Green Bin.

Bring Centres & Recycling Centres
Bring Centres, such as Herzog Park on Orwell Road, Rathgar, will have shorter opening hours during the Christmas season.  They will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, St Stephen’s Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.  On 27th & 28th December, they’ll be open from 10am to 4pm, and on 29th & 30th December, they’ll be open from 9am to 4pm.  On January 2nd, they’ll be open from 10am to 4pm, and will then revert to their normal hours.

Recycling Centres, such as the Pigeon House Road Depot in Ringsend, will be closed on the same days and will otherwise open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on Saturdays over the Christmas season.

Christmas Tree Recycling
Finally, that will bring us up to December 8th, and it’ll be time to take down the tree.  Free Christmas Tree recycling will be available from 2nd to 20th January.  Opening hours will be the same as our normal bring centre hours.  The locations in our area are:

• Gulistan Terrace, Rathmines
• Milltown Car Park, Milltown Road
• Martello Tower Car Park, Strand Road, Sandymount

You can get the full rundown of all this information, and more details if required, at DublinWaste.ie.

Have a happy Christmas.

It’s been far too long since I posted here and when I look back through my diary I see what an amazingly active period it has been.

At Labour Party level we have see the successful conclusion of the Lisbon Referendum campaign, the first meeting of the new Central Council and the continued leadership of the Opposition of Eamonn Gilmore.

Locally I have met with residents groups in Harolds Cross, Milltown, Rathgar, Donnybrook and Rathmines and attended the Annual General Meeting of the Sandymount and Merrion Residents Association. The latter is always a good opportunity to meet old friends and review events since the year before. This year the madness of the division of Sandymount into two electoral areas was evidenced by the potential presence of fourteen elected representatives. I also attended the first AGM of the revitalized Beech Hill Community Association and congratulate the new Committee on doing such a good job.

Successes locally included the amazing Ranelagh Arts Festival and the completion of the new Social and Affordable Housing scheme in Beech Hill. As Chairperson of the School Committee I was very proud of the young people from St. Josephs Junior Education Centre in Milltown who did so well in their Junior Certificate. Given the difficulties these young people from the Traveller community experience in their daily lives this was a great personal achievement

Issues locally include the proposed rezoning of the car park at O’Sheas’ Pub in Clonskeagh to facilitate an Affordable Housing Scheme, the on –going saga of parking in St. Alban’s Park, the redevelopment of the Rathmines Swimming Pool and the implementation of the Rathmines Local Area Plan and the completion of the Rathgar Plan.

The proposed rezoning of the RTE lands is also a major issue and like my fellow Public Representatives for the area I have sought provision of a new site for St. Mary’s Belmont Avenue as part of the “community gain” element of any final agreement. This will be dealt with in the context of the new City Development Plan for which I am presently preparing a range of submissions.

In my work as Chairperson of the South Inner City Local Drugs Task Force I have continued to work with a large number of community groups across the area in the struggle for a better way of life for all affected by drugs –including the very professional launch of the Merchants Quay Project Annual Report. I also attended the annual “Getting a Grip” Conference on the issue in Killarney where I tackled the Minister for Drugs, John Curran TD on the high jacking by Government of Lottery Funds for purposes other than for which they were intended – i.e. community use.

In the media recently I have received coverage in the Sunday Business Post on housing matters, the Evening Herald and Southside on the redevelopment of the RTE lands, the Irish Times on Local Government reform. I have also been recently interviewed on both Dublin South Radio and NEAR FM. Last week I participated in a lively discussion on The Right Hook on the issue of Trade Union Leaders salaries and the role of Social Partnership.

Along side all of this, after five years membership of St. Mary’s Tennis Club I am finally taking lessons. Don’t think it’s a question of Wimbledon here I come but it is good to be out and enjoying the fun of the game.

The Editor,

Letters Page,

The Sunday Business Post.

Dear Editor,

What a pity that Jennifer O’Connell (SPB 18th October) should reduce a reasonably balanced piece about the need for good planning to a typically mean-spirited attack on those living in Council housing.

Thanks to the foresight of my predecessors as Dublin City Councillors my parents had the opportunity to secure a Council house and myself and my brothers and sisters a family home. That was more than fifty years ago. I don’t think that, we as a family have wreaked havoc on the area since. When I married myself and my wife, bought a house built by Dublin Corporation in, at that time, primarily a Council housing estate. Over the half century since the estate was built it has been a good place to raise many families and it is a good place to raise my children. The only other house I have lived in was The Mansion House in Dawson Street – surely one of the best Council provided homes in the country.

Yes, we need good planning and yes we need to provide a good mixture of housing types. Perhaps also we need to revert to an Ireland that saw housing as a human need rather than an investment opportunity.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Dermot Lacey