This essay is an updated version of a contribution to Dublin’s Future edited by Lorcan Sirr and published by The Liffey Press. I am grateful for the co-operation of both in publishing this.

The Fair City?

Dublin is often described as the ‘Fair City’ – but is it? Is it a city that treats its people fairly? Is it fairly run? Does it treat all its citizens fairly? Does it protect its culture, heritage and environment fairly and sensibly? Is it a democratic city? Is, as Winston Churchill put it, democracy the worst form of government – except for all the others? Or is democratic consultation and decision making central to the future of Dublin. Does any of this matter?

The answer, of course, is that yes, it does matter – or at least it matters to me. Dublin is my home. It always has been and I hope, it always will. It was and will again, be one of the finest cities of Europe. It is a great and beautiful city, ideally located between the scenic natural beauty of the Dublin Mountains and the incredibly clean and majestic Dublin Bay. It is a city with a great history and culture; it is a city of literature and with a genuine appreciation for the arts; above all it is a city and county with a resilient people still enthused by the notion of community. Unlike Margaret Thatcher, Dubliners do believe there is such a thing as society.  This is demonstrated every day of every week in the volume of community work, youth and sports activity and community activism actively engaged in by, and for, Dubliners.

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DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL LABOUR GROUP
Wednesday 18^th January 2012

LABOUR CITY COUNCILLORS TO TABLE MOTION ON GREYHOUND RUBBISH COLLECTION

The Dublin City Council Labour Group has today continued to express its disappointment at the behaviour of the Greyhound Waste Management Company and Dublin City Council management and will be raising the issue at the Finance and the Environment and Engineering Committees tomorrow. The Group will also be meeting with the Dublin City Manager and other senior officials to seek the necessary changes.

“We are deeply alarmed with the requirement of customers to pay an up-front fee of €100 in order to have the service provided. Councillors had not been told about this in advance. Given that we are in the post-Christmas period, not least recognising the financial difficulties which many are already experiencing, we are calling for a change in the ways which people can pay. The City Manager must renegotiate the terms of the agreement, and allow residents to pay the standing charge in stages rather than a once off “up front” payment. Also methods of payment like Standing order must be made available to customers.

“We are puzzled by Fianna Fail councillors’ sudden eagerness on this issue. They appear to have forgotten that it was their own party in 2004 which stripped away powers from City Councillors to deal with waste management issues like this. The time for hypocritical political posturing is gone, we are now asking for proper dialogue to occur to solve this issue.

“The Labour Party Group is dedicated to working for real Local Government Reform. As local representatives we are asking for Dublin City Council management to engage with us so that a better, more transparent and user friendly service can be offered to the citizens of Dublin. We have also arranged a delegation to meet the City Manager on the issue also tomorrow, and we are hopeful that a resolution can reached. “

ENDS

For Further Information Please Contact:
Councillor Dermot Lacey -0872646960

Report to Dublin South East Constituency Council – January 2012

City Council Budget 2012:

Following a period of intensive negotiation the City Council adopted a balanced Budget for the coming year at the Estimates meeting in November. This was passed by a significant majority and represented a considerable achievement by the Labour Group in both financial and political terms.

Local Government Funding:

Given the current comment on the new Household Charge and other Local Government related charges it is worth while setting out some of the relevant facts for members:

Since the opportunistic abolition of Domestic Rates, Local Government has been inadequately resourced and funded. None of the somewhat controversial alternatives introduced over the years have compensated for that decision. None of the current ones deal with them either.

According to official figures had Domestic Rates remained at comparable levels to those applying in 1977, Dublin City Council, last year would have collected E230million from that source alone. Instead, in lieu of that sum, the Council received approximately E50 million, through the Local Government Fund -a shortfall of E180million for 2011 alone.

Following a previous Government decision not to pay Commercial Rates on public properties, Dublin City Council is down a further E30million again for that year alone. The Council still has to provide services for those properties. These figures can be multiplied going nearly all the way back to the late 1970′s. Benchmarking, on which Local Government had absolutely no input in determining, will have cost the Council at least a further E76million.

If every household that should pay the Household Charge pays, the total income to the entire State would be approximately E160million – not even enough to make up the shortfall for Dublin. Of course contrary to media reports the Household charge does not necessarily go to the local Council – it goes into a national fund for redistribution.

The NPPR or second home tax raised about E11million for Dublin City. That would not even dent the sum lost from the Rates decision. The Fire Brigade call out income will add a further half a million at most.

Dublin Cycling Officer:

Along with most Councillors I opposed the plan to dispense with this position and we have now secured a six month stay of execution to identify ways to retain it.

Waste Collection Service:

As and from today, 16^th January, all domestic refuse collection will be carried out by private operators. Councillors voted against this but the powers on all waste matters now rests with the Management. There are a number of outstanding matters –particularly relating to the requirement for payment in advance that Councillors are still trying to resolve.

Meetings:

During the last month I attended regular meetings of the VEC and its sub-committees. I also attended and participated in Board meetings of the Rathmines–Pembroke Partnership and the Commissioners of Irish Lights, meetings of the Association of City and County Councils,  the Herbert Park Users Forum and the Lansdowne Stadium Project Monitoring Committee.

I also organised the “Report Back” meeting for residents affected by the Floods in Ballsbridge and Sandymount and attended a similar one organised in Rathgar.  I also arranged a meeting with the Planners for the Nutley Residents Association to deal with a number of local issues.

It’s always a good idea to plan ahead, so I wanted to let readers know about the various arrangements being made for Christmas waste collection in the area, and, looking even further ahead, for Christmas tree recycling!

As Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, there will be no change to normal black and brown bin collections.  You can check the scheduled collection days for your area at Dublin City Council’s Waste Calendar.

We know that Christmas can generate a lot of additional recyclable waste, so from Christmas until January 13th if you have additional dry paper waste that won’t fit in your Green Bin, please leave it tidily, safely and securely beside your Green Bin on collection day, and it will be removed.

Christmas Tree recycling will take place at several locations in Pembroke-Rathmines:

• Gulistan Terrace Bring Centre, Rathmines, Dublin 6
• Pigeon House Recycling Centre, Ringsend, Dubln 4
• Milltown Car Park, Dublin 6
• Martello Tower Car Park, Sandymount, Dublin 4

These locations will be open from January 3rd to 22nd during normal Bring Centre and Recycling Centre opening hours.

For full details, please see the information leaflet published by Dublin City Council (pdf).

Have an enjoyable Christmas and a great New Year.

What a year! A new Government, an additional Labour TD in Dublin South East, a new Labour Councillor in South East Inner City, a new Government and a Labour nominated President.

However, it was also a year in which the housing crisis continued to grow, our transport system remained inadequate and disjointed, bin collection services were withdrawn by Dublin City Council after over one hundred years and accountability in public services still an aspiration rather than a reality.

I have repeatedly said that a reformed Local Government system can transform Ireland. I believe that now, more than ever. While some of the noises are not overwhelmingly encouraging I remain optimistic that the argument can be won. Quite simply in my view it is impossible to have real Political Reform without Local Government Reform.

Pembroke-Rathmines

At local area level I continue to represent the Council on the Herbert Park Users Group, the Rathmines Pembroke and the Partnership Company and the Lansdowne Road Stadium Monitoring Committee. I also serve on the Royal Hospital Voluntary Housing Association. The saddest aspect of my work during the year was the appalling damage done to the homes of so many residents during the recent floods. We should be clear that at least some of that was the result of a lack of funds for proper drainage works, slowness of delivering on the necessary flood protection measures and the inadequacy of the Emergency Response structures.

I have involved myself in issues right across the area, campaigning for the enhancement of the Booterstown Marsh, seeking new uses for disused sites in Terenure. There have been traffic issues in Rathgar and planning ones in Sandymount. I have worked with the Traders Associations in Ranelagh and Donnybrook and the long standing, Sandymount and Merrion and the Nutley Residents Associations as well as newer ones in Pembroke Cottages and Heskin Court. It has been diverse and interesting.

City Council

At City level I continue my membership of the Dublin Regional Authority, the Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly and the VEC. Unusually, for Labour representation, I was re-elected to serve a second term on the Executive of the Association of City and County Councils in September and continue to serve as a Commissioner of Irish Lights and a member of the Protocol and Finance Committees of the City Council. I remain Chairperson of the South Inner City Local Drugs Task Force.

Housing:

Following the General Election I was elected to replace Eric Byrne as Chairperson of the Housing, Social and Community Affairs Strategic Policy Committee. In that capacity I have pushed through significant changes relating to a swifter allocation of Council accommodation, allocation of housing in low demand areas and we are beginning to look at the area of housing maintenance and homelessness policy. Locally the proposals to redevelop the Maisonettes at Beech Hill are moving forward and with look planning permission for a totally new development will be submitted soon. We have begun the process of reviewing the community grants system and the general interaction of the community section with Public Representatives and the Public.

Thanks

A lot of people gave me a lot of help, for which I am most grateful. To all the members and particularly my colleagues in the Donnybrook Branch “thank you”. Ciaran and Cathal, in Kevin Humphreys‘ office, and Denise, Ian and Neill in Ruairi Quinn’s office have all also been of great assistance.

Joined this year, by Gerry Ashe, in her new roles as a Councillor, Ruairi, Kevin Mary, Oisin and Maria collectively ensure that political life in South East is interesting and lively. Together, I believe we have done a good job – but there is a lot more to do. As ever Special “thanks” must go to Jill for her support.

Thanks to you all. It genuinely remains a huge honour to serve as an elected Labour Public Representative. I hope that together we have done a good job.