Tag Archives: Blanchardstown

Local Issues, Transport, Uncategorized

Impressive Attendance at Transport Meeting Shows Hunger for Improved Public Transport in Dublin 15

Deputy Joan Burton, Cllr. Michael O’Donovan and Cllr. Peggy Hamill yesterday hosted a public transport meeting in ‘The Paddocks’, Littlepace with over 70 members of the public in attendance. The meeting was addressed by representatives from the Rail Procurement Agency (Metro West), Iarnr?d Eireann and Dublin Bus. This was followed by a lively question and answer session with over 20 speakers from the floor.

Commuters were pleading for urgent action to be taken to tackle the ongoing problem of overcrowding on trains. Making all trains on the Maynooth line 8 carriage trains at peak time was seen as a priority, while Deputy Burton said that the medium term aim should be for 10 or 12 carriage trains like the DART and that she will continue campaigning for the upgrade of the Maynooth line to a full DART service. It was explained that the Government had not invested enough in new rolling stock, limiting the capacity of peak time trains.

People from the Ongar and Littlepace areas spoke of the need for the rail spur to Hansfield / Pace established as a matter of priority, even before the full length of the route to Dunboyne is opened. At the moment they have to walk a half hour or more to Clonsilla station.

There were many impassioned comments about the state of our bus service with people clearly frustrated with the long journey times to town. People feel like they live on the bus! Concerns were expressed about the proposed move of the 37 terminus to the Blanchardstown Town Centre. People spoke of the need for more express services to the city centre and the need to avoid traffic bottlenecks such as Blackhorse Avenue, Castleknock, Prussia St. and Aughrim St. Questions were posed about the Transport Minister’s decision to indefinitely postpone the purchase of 300 new buses, especially when there were Quality Bus Corridors in Dublin 15 that didn’t have enough buses to run on them to make them worthwhile.

People spoke about the bizarre situation where road space is being given up for bus corridors, but money is not being provided to run buses in them. There’s a clear lack of joined-up thinking there and this needs to change.

The representative from Dublin Bus spoke about improvements to Dublin 15 bus services which are expected to come on stream over the summer. All these services will be kept under review so that everyone in Dublin 15 can reap the benefit.

Speaking after the meeting, Deputy Burton said “These meetings are useful for gauging the public’s appetite for public transport. Based on the large and vocal attendance last night, hunger continues unabated for a reliable and accessible public transport system. While there have been some improvements recently, we have not seen anything like the investment necessary to meet the needs of a growing Dublin 15 population. More people would leave their cars at home if they felt they could rely on the bus being on time, being able to get a place on the train or get to the airport without going around the world.

“I was delighted to hear the Metro West project manager outline the timeline for putting this infrastructure in place, with 2015 being the target completion date. There are clearly issues to be overcome in terms of identifying a route that is acceptable to all those affected, but having a light-rail link to the airport will greatly add to the attractiveness of Dublin 15 as a business and employment location. I have called the Rail Procurement Agency to re-examine the possibility of shifting the route alignment to the West to serve areas like Ongar, Tyrellstown, and Littlepace which are currently underserved by public transport. I look forward to engaging with the RPA on behalf of local residents to ensure that all outstanding issues can be satisfactorily overcome.

“I will continue to press the Minister for Transport, Iarnród Eireann, the Rail Procurement Agency and Dublin Bus for an improved and integrated bus & rail system for the people of Dublin West. I would encourage any people wishing to highlight transport issues to get in touch with me by phone, email or letter.”

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Local Issues, Uncategorized

Joan Reports on Meeting with Garda Commissioner

Deputy Joan Burton met this week with the Garda Commissioner, Fachtna Murphy, and Assistant Commissioner for Dublin, Al McHugh, to discuss policing in the Dublin 15 area. High on the agenda were issues such as the need for more community police to tackle anti-social behaviour, breaches of traffic regulations by foreign registered cars and the police service for the Ongar area.

Deputy Burton commented: “I am glad to report that the planned reassignment of the Ongar area to the Blanchardstown Garda District, from the Lucan District, is to proceed as planned in April. This is something I have been lobbying strongly for, and people living in the Ongar area should be able to benefit from quicker Garda response times from April onwards as a result.”

“I was also delighted to hear that the Gardai are planning an information campaign which will be particularly targeted at people living in Ongar and surrounding areas, but which will hopefully be extended to cover other areas of Dublin 15.

“When speaking with the Garda Commissioner I stressed the need for more community Gardai to be assigned to the Dublin 15 area. We want dedicated Gardai to be allocated to all the local areas for a minimum of three years. This would allow them to get to know the community and would go some way towards addressing the problems of petty crime and anti-social behaviour affecting many local areas.

Speaking after the meeting, Deputy Burton added “I was glad to have the opportunity to put to the Garda Commissioner some of the concerns of Dublin 15 residents regarding policing in the area. Many of these are ongoing issues which I will continue to follow up at both local level and in the Dáil.”

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Local Issues, Uncategorized

Ongar to be Served by Blanchardstown Garda Station

The Office of the Garda Commissioner has advised Deputy Joan Burton that the Ongar area is to be re-assigned to the Blanchardstown Garda District from the Lucan District.

Welcoming the news, Deputy Burton commented: “This move in itself must be welcomed as a step in the right direction. Although this falls short of the extra resources that I feel are needed to deliver an adequate police service to the Ongar area, it is an important measure in terms of efficiently delivering existing resources to where they are needed.”

“The service of Ongar from the Lucan Garda station was an unsustainable anomaly and I’m glad to see that this is to be rectified. I would agree with the local Garda management that this move ‘will enhance the provision of policing services and facilitate ease of access for the residents to their local Garda station’.

“It should allow quicker Garda response times, essential for combating not only serious crime, but also much of the petty crime and anti-social behaviour which plagues the Ongar area.

“Down the line, we need to see the allocation of more community Gardai to Ongar and other areas of Dublin 15. I will also continue to press for the establishment of a permanent local Garda presence in Ongar and will be meeting with the Garda Commissioner to raise this matter.”

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Local Issues, Transport

Burton Welcomes Improvements to Dublin 15 Bus Services

Deputy Joan Burton has been advised by Dublin Bus that the terminus of the 37 bus route, currently on the Diswellstown road, is to be moved to the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre upon completion of the bus lanes on Blanchardstown Road South.

Welcoming the changes, Deputy Burton commented that “residents have been concerned for a number of years with buses parking on a narrow stretch of he Diswellstown road and the dangers posed to children, pedestrians and motorists. After years of taking their lives into their own hands trying to overtake the parked buses, residents will be relieved that the terminus is soon to be moved to a safer location.“

Dublin Bus has also promised to provide more frequent services to the Clonsilla train station from Latchford, where there is strong demand from newer residents to have a reliable service to the station.

Deputy Burton added that “this enhanced and integrated approach to public transport will enable more residents of the Latchford and surrounding estates to avoid being stuck in endless traffic jams by leaving their cars at home. With the entire Dublin 15 bus network currently under review, I hope this to be the first of many such improvements.”

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Employment & Economy, Local Issues

Goverment Must Intervene On Plans To Shed 900 Xerox Jobs

The disclosure that 900 jobs are likely to go at the Xerox plant in Blanchardstown would be a severe blow to West Dublin, an area that already suffered from significant job losses over recent years.

It is important to emphasise that these jobs have not yet gone and I believe that government intervention could still save a significant number of these positions. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheal Martin should immediately seek a meeting with the company to discuss the situation and to see what further assistance could be provided with a view to minimising the job losses.

Against the background of a worsening economic situation and with last month’s live register showing an increase of 12,000, we simply cannot afford to lose jobs on the scale now expected in Xerox.

We are now paying a high price for the loss of competitive advantage over recent years. Companies are suffering from the current 5% inflation rate and the failure of Fianna Fail to deliver in such areas as infrastructure and broadband and to control utility costs. These issues must be a priority for the new government and as should a commitment to revamp our approach to education and re-training so that our national skill set matches international demands.

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Local Issues

Burton Welcomes News that Funding for CT Scanner for Blanchardstown Hospital Approved

Deputy Burton welcomed the news today that the HSE have approved funding for a replacement CT scanner for Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown.

In response to queries from Deputy Burton, the HSE confirmed that an order has now been placed for the CT scanner.

Deputy Burton said, “I am delighted that there will soon be a CT scanner working on site in Connolly hospital and that sick patients will no longer have to travel off site through heavy traffic in order to have scans taken by medical teams in different hospitals.”

“I am continuing to purse the HSE for funding approval for an MRI scanner and the other vital pieces of modern diagnostic equipment that Connolly Hospital still needs. Connolly Hospital is the only teaching hospital in Dublin without these machines and the result is a poorer quality of care and difficult journeys for sick patients.”

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Local Issues, Uncategorized

Burton Calls for More Gardai and Resources to Combat Speeding in Dublin 15

The latest figures provided by the Minister for Justice in response to a parliamentary question from Deputy Burton reveal that that there are only 10 hand held speed detection devices allocated to the whole of the Dublin West Division of the Gardai, which includes the Blanchardstown, Lucan and Clondalkin areas.

(See attached parliamentary reply number 235)

Deputy Burton said, “The Dublin West Traffic Corps are covering a vast area with a huge population and ten mobile speed detection units is simply just not enough”.

“Not only are they responsible for enforcing speed limits on the M50, the N2, N3, N4 and the N7 but they are also the only means to address the unwelcome phenomenon of boy-racers who are becoming a blight on many local communities right across Dublin West.”

“These drivers are easily recognisable as they noisily rev up their car engines, excessively accelerate and race each other along residential streets doing brakes and wheelies.”

“This type of driving is a noise nuisance and a dangerous hazard for local residents and can lead to damage to property and terrible accidents.”

“I am calling on the Minister to allocate sufficient resources to the Dublin West Division Traffic Corps to allow them to properly police the main roads across their huge catchment area but also to allow them to address the issue of speeding in residential estates.”

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Local Issues

Private Hospital Plan Unravels : Connolly Plan Dropped

It is now clear that the Harney/Ahern plan to locate super private
clinics on the grounds of public hospitals is unravelling as each day
passe, according to Labour’s Joan Burton .

In the current confusion it appears that the suggested private hospital on the grounds of Connolly Hospital have been put on hold.

“I’m pleased to hear that” Joan Burton said. I’ve always thought it was a crazy proposal. Connolly has a clear Development Plan for the public hospital and all the energy of the HSE should be directed at securing the funding to proceed with this rather than pursuing this madcap private scheme.”

I suggest all the local TDs should now join together to support the public hospital plan as the true way forward that will benefit all patients and staff and I appeal to Minister Brian Lenihan to let it be known that he does not want to hear any more about a private hospital on the grounds.

Labour has already made it clear that we will scrap the
plan if returned to government after the general election. However, it
now seems unlikely that the plan will even survive as far as polling
day. Under the original plan there were to be ten sites; then this was
dropped to eight; now it appears that as few as four may be going to
tender over the coming weeks.The plan for one at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown appears to be among those that have been dropped.

The only reasonable interpretation that could be put on comments made by
the Chief Executive of the HSE, Professor Brendan Drumm on Morning
Ireland this morning, was that he has very serious reservations about
the plan – reservations that are widely shared by many health
professionals.

However, the most extraordinary aspect of the interview was his admission that Mary Harney had never consulted with him about what the government claims is a central plank in their overall hospital strategy.

This would appear to confirm our belief that this plan was never
intended as a serious effort to deal with the bed shortage in our acute
hospitals, but was rather entirely driven by the ideological agenda of
the PDs.

What is more, it is now clear that the government has still no idea of the potential cost of the super-private-clinic folly. In written parliamentary questions answered immediately before the Easter break,Minister Harney was unable to even make an estimate of the cost of the generous tax reliefs that will be made available to entice private developers to build these clinics.

Nor was she able to give an estimate of what revenue would accrue to the Exchequer from the transfer of these very valuable sites to private developers.

A government that has had an unprecedented record of flagrant waste of taxpayers’ money now appears about to plunge us into another financial black hole without having done even the basic sums.

Against the background of all these developments it would be politically and morally unacceptable for Minister Harney to force through the signing of even a limited number of contracts in advance of theelection. Mary Harney has no mandate for such a move. Let the people decide on this issue. They can choose between the Harney/Ahern plan to hand over valuable sites for super-private-clinics or the clear commitment made by Labour that an alternative government
will provide an additional 2,300 public hospital beds.

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Local Issues

Work on New Access to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown from the N3 Due to Start Within a Month

Deputy Joan Burton has been advised by the HSE that the construction of the new access road and bridge to Connolly Hospital is due to commence at the end of April 2007.

Construction will take approximately 10 to 11 months to complete and it is anticipated that the new road and bridge to Connolly Hospital will be opened by January February 2008.

Deputy Joan Burton said that she is delighted that the bridge is at last being provided, having been promised for almost 8 years at this point. It will provide much faster access for many users of Connolly Hospital to the hospital lands directly from the River Road roundabout.

Once the work on the bridge is completed any upgrading that is required to the village entrance to Connolly Hospital can then be completed.

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