Cllr. Cian O'Callaghan

Council spends over 90 K on conferences and travel

2010-04-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

The evening herald today runs with a story on councillors in Fingal claiming over 90,000 euro in expenses for conferences and foreign travel:

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/councillors-notch-up-836490k-bill-on-freebie-foreign-trips-2135676.html

For the record I pay my own way to any conferences that I attend and I have never claimed a cent of expenses for attending any conference.

However these articles are problematic. They spread apathy about politics. They give the impression that all public reps are the same and are just in it for themselves. They give the impression that all conferences attended by councillors are attended as “junkets”. And more importantly these articles distract from the real crimes that are taking place in Ireland where billions of euro of public money is been given away for bailouts.

Most councillors have a genuine commitment to their local community and to public service. Many who attend conferences do so to further their understanding of issues so they can perform their duties as councillors. However if the wrong impression is being conveyed councillors must take responsibility for this. We live in a time when funding for vital community projects is not been provided. And yet some of our elected reps who are meant to lead are jet setting off around the world.

Yesterday Fingal councillors voted 13-8 to approve a trip for councillors to Brazil. This shows just how out of touch many of our elected representatives are. I voted against the trip and spoke against it. Fine Gael and Independents voted en bloc for this completely unnecessary trip.

At the meeting I suggested that there is plenty councillors can do closer to home if they wish to brush up on policy issues. There are excellent resources available in Ireland – on the internet, in publications and from conferences that are organised here. I attended an excellent conference on planning held by An Taisce several months ago and learned a great deal. There was no hotel, no flights, no complimentary dinners or travel expenses. It cost the tax payer zero cent – and as it turned out I was the only councillor in the county to attend!

Clongriffin Dart Station due to open (finally)

2010-04-07T04:45:00.000-07:00

The news in today's Irish Times that the new Dart Station at Clongriffin is due to open on April 19th is very welcome: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/commercialproperty/2010/0407/1224267823114.html

It is normal practice in Western European countries for schools, parks, train stations and other key pieces of community infrastructure to be delivered before residential units are built. This means that these facilities are available to new residents and families from the day that they move in. There is no good reason why the Irish government cannot change Irish planning law to ensure the same good practice in Ireland is compulsory.

Rumours that have been circulating there would be no access to the new Dart Station from the East or Baldoyle side of the station are unfounded and this has been confirmed to me in writing by the Chief Executive of Irish Rail Mr. Richard Fearn.

Council income and expenses for 2009

2010-03-31T08:05:00.000-07:00

I will be publishing details on an annual basis of the income and expenses that I receive from Fingal County Council on this website.

My expenses and income from Fingal County Council for 2009 is as follows:
Representational Payment: 9,735.81
Conferences and seminars: Nil
Annual Allowance: 3,591.36

This income and expenses put me joint lowest on the league table of councillors elected in June 2009 to Fingal County Council. Full details of the expenses and payments made to all councillors can be found at: http://www.fingalcoco.ie/YourLocalCouncil/LocalDemocracy/CouncillorsExpenditureElections09/

In contrast my meeting attendance record and number of items submitted to council meetings from June to December 2009 put me on joint top of the league:

Meeting attendance record: 100%
Number of items of business submitted to local area meetings in 2009: 101

11 storeys at Techrete refused by An Bord Pleanala

2010-03-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

It was with a sigh of relief that I read my letter from An Bord Pleanala refusing permission for up to 11 storeys on the former Techrete site.

Development at the former Techrete site in Howth will rejuvenate the approach to Howth harbour and will be very positive for the local area. However the news that the outrageous proposals for almost 1,000 additional cars, and 8 blocks of up to 11 storeys have been rejected now by both Fingal County Council and An Bord Pleanala is very welcome.

Glenkerrin homes should now submit revised plans and proposals that are realistic for this site. They should listen to the concerns and views of the local community. Of course developers tend not to listen to the local community but instead seek to maximise their return.

Fortunately the Fingal County Council draft development plan contains a 4 storey height restriction for the former Techrete site and this should help ensure a more balanced approach to development on this site. The draft development plan will come into effect from April 2011 following a public consultation process which is beginning now.

Brickfields and Seagrange Park rezoning defeated

2010-03-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

Fingal County Council voted unanimously today for my motion against the proposed re-zoning of Brickfields and a section of Seagrange Park for residential development.

Given the oversupply of residential zoning, the empyt housing units in Baldoyle and unfinished housing estates there was simply no case for zoning these lands for residential. Even if there was a need for more residential zoning, it would be simply unacceptable to zone these lands. The thin strip of land between the railway track and Seagrange Park is completely unsuitable for residential development.

I am further strongly oppossed to building housing on our public parks and on flood plains and I am delighted that my fellow councillors supported my motion.

Development Plan Howth and Sutton

2010-03-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Over the last 3 weeks we’ve had 8 meetings to discuss the draft development plan and over 30 hours of discussion. And we still aren’t finished!

I have consistently opposed further residential re-zonings and given the current over supply and the number of unfinished housing estates I have been appalled and shocked at the support for these proposed re-zonings from several but by no means all Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Indepedent councillors.

The development plan only comes up every 7 years and is one of the few areas where councillors have significant power. The importance of the development plan is understood by property developers and speculators who have been lobbying constantly over the last weeks looking for support for their speculative re-zonings.

Unfortunately despite everything that has happened in recent years the vast majority of motions tabled to date by councillors have been on behalf of individual landowners and property speculators.

All the motions I submitted (there was more than 60 of them) were tabled in the interests of good planning and the community. I won several improvements in policy in relation to the environment, walking and cycling.

The draft development plan will go on public display from mid April till June and will be subject to further changes following public consultation and input.

Here is a short summary of the main outcomes of the motions I submitted in relation to Howth and Sutton:

TechreteMy motion to limit development at the Techrete site to a maximum of 4 storeys was passed and this objective now forms part of the draft development plan. This objective will apply to planning permissions on the site from April 2011 onwards if this objective remains in the development plan following public consultation. This objective does not apply to the current planning application which was refused by the Council and is currently with An Bord Pleanala.

Howth Scouts
My motion to change the zoning of the Howth Scouts building to Community Infrastructure has been accepted and now forms part of the draft development plan. This means that this site will only be available for community purposes and not for commercial purposes.

West Pier and Urban Centre Strategy
The Howth Urban Centre Strategy has many welcome proposals but also some objectionable ideas. The strategy proposes an expansion into the sea on the West Pier to facilitate 4 storey residential development. Following two motions that I submitted the draft development plan no longer supports this proposal, though it doesn’t explicitly prevent it from happening either because the Council does not have planning jurisdiction over the sea.

Edros
The manager’s proposal to re-zone the former Edros site from open space to town centre remains in the draft development plan. Following representations from numerous local residents I submitted a motion to remove this proposed re-zoning. However this motion was narrowly defeated. This re-zoning now forms part of the draft development plan that will go on public display for consultation from mid April to early June. The zoning of town centre allows for commercial uses including shops, cafes, bars, offices as well as residential development.

View from Howth Terrace over Porto Fino
Following a motion I submitted the public view outside the Garda Station on Howth Terrace out into the harbour will now be fully recognised in the development plan. This will not have a bearing on the current planning application that is with An Bord Pleanala – but should help protect this view in terms of any future planning applications.

Santa Sabina
My motion to restrict residential development at Santa Sabina to a maximum of 3 storeys was passed. This restriction will come into effect from April 2011 and will not apply to the current planning application that is with An Bord Pleanala. The rest of the lands at Santa Sabina will be protected from residential development as the development plan proposes to change the zoning to community use only instead of residential.

OffingtonFollowing a motion I submitted the draft development plan now has a local objective for Offington to ensure that development is in keeping with “the layout, scale, design and character of existing development”.

Why is the Council proposing to zone amenity park lands for housing?

2010-02-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

The first draft of the Fingal Development Plan 2011-2017 proposes to re-zone Brickfields and a section of Seagrange Park, Baldoyle. The re-zoning if it proceeds will change the use of the land from open space and recreational amenity to residential.

The proposed re-zoning raises a number of questions.

Not least given the surpluse of zoned land in Baldoyle, the unfinished developments, the problems with dangerous hoarding on abandoned building sites and the security problems caused by vacant properties in the area why is there a need to re-zone amenity land for housing?

The Council by its own admission has 1,300 hectares of land zoned for development throughout Fingal. It seems to me that the best way to encourage completion of unfinished sites and occupancy of completed sites is to oppose the re-zoning of further land especially when part of this land is in use as a public park.

I have submitted a motion to the Council which will be debated in a few weeks seeking to remove this proposed re-zoning from the draft development plan.

Fingal budget seeks to hit low income households

2009-12-28T10:09:00.000-08:00

The Fingal Draft budget was delivered to councillors a couple of days before Christmas. The Council will meet on January 7^th to adopt, amend or reject the budget. If a budget is not adopted on or before January 27^th the Council will be abolished and the County Manager will run the Council directly under the direction of Central Government.

The draft budget proposes to abolish the bin tag waiver for low income households generating €1 million in additional revenue. The budget also proposes cuts in rates for commercial premises by 10.5% or €14 million. Business owners will further benefit from an anticipated 6% reduction in water charges.

This approach means that those who will be hit the hardest are the same people who can afford to pay the least. The very people who have been hit by cuts in social welfare in the recent national budget and by the non payment of the Christmas bonus will be hit again.

If the Council was in the red I would not support an approach which sought to make those with the least pay, while those with the most are insulated from cuts. However the Council is not bankrupt - indeed it is ending 2009 with a surplus of 1.5 million euro. The cost of the bin tag waiver is in the region of 1 million euro.

This draft budget is an unfair attack on low income households – households who have already suffered from recent government cuts. I will be voting against this draft budget unless this unjust and unnecessary measure is reversed.

Seagrange Park Baldoyle

2009-12-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

At the December Howth Malahide Council meeting I tabled a motion calling for increased lighting in Seagrange Park, Baldoyle. In particular there is a lack of lighting to serve the path between Parkvale and Bayside Dart Station. A large number of residents are reliant on this route as they walk home from the Dart Station. It is very important that it is well lit during Winter months in particular. The Council management in response have agreed to examine the current provision of lighting to see if additional lights are needed.

At a recent public meeting of the Joint Policing Committee that I chaired which took place in the Racecourse Inn, Baldoyle this issue of anti social behaviour in the park was discussed. The Gardai requested that the Council cut back shrubbery in the park to curb anti social activity in a number of locations. I am happy to report that the Council’s parks department have carried out this work.

The active lobbying of local residents associations resulted in a number of improvements to Seagrange Park in the last couple of years. These include the installation of the playground, lighting, benches, trees and the multi purpose sports unit for teenagers. It is vital that this work is completed to ensure that Seagrange Park thrives as a local amenity.

When the lights go out

2009-11-20T04:17:00.000-08:00

Residents in West Malahide have suffered a number of power outages as a result of faults in the ESB Network. Since Sunday 15 November there have been 3 power cuts leaving residents in the dark and without any electricity supply for durations of up to two hours.

In response to this problem I have contacted the chief executive of the ESB. The ESB have offered their apologies to local residents and I have been assured that they are taking a number of steps to address the situation as a matter of priority.

Firstly the ESB have repaired the equipment that experienced faults.

Secondly they are currently undertaking a patrol of all the overhead MV lines and ground mounted transformers in the area .

Finally a new line and large new cables will be extended into the area to reinforce the network. While some of this work may take a little time to complete the ESB assure me it will be undertaken as a matter of priority.

Fingal Council supports Howth Scouts

2009-11-18T05:57:00.000-08:00

At the last meeting of Fingal County Council I tabled an emergency motion in support of the Howth Sea Scouts. The attempts by the government to evict them from the premises that they fundraised for and built on the West Pier in Howth are outrageous.

The emergency motion was passed unanimously and all five local councillors and also independent councillor Dave O Connor spoke in support.

The motion reads as follows:
That Fingal County Council calls on the government to intervene to halt the eviction of the Howth Sea Scouts from their building in Howth harbour which they fundraised and paid for and have occupied for the last 22 years

Bridgefield Car Park Malahide

2009-11-18T05:47:00.001-08:00

On October 15^th at a meeting of the Fingal Malahide Howth Area Committee proposals were brought by Council management to put on public display plans to remove a playing pitch used by St Sylvester’s GAA club and to replace it with an extended car park while introducing pay and display at the rate of one euro an hour.

I opposed the bringing forward of these proposals on the grounds that there had been no consultation with St Sylvester’s GAA club and that the proposal to remove open amenity space and replace it with pay for parking was regressive and would damage irreversibly an amenity for local children and residents.

I received support in my opposition from my Labour colleague Cllr. Peter Coyle. However as the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael councillors were in support of initiating the planning process for this proposal by putting it on public display we were unable to stop this planning process been initiated.

Following a public outcry against these proposals I welcome the u-turn by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael councillors in recent weeks. However it is regrettable that they did not support me in blocking the initiation of the planning process for this pay and display car park in October. If they had supported my stance at the time we could have saved scarce Council resources which are been wasted with this public display process as well as the time and energy of local people who are worried that this destruction of our open space might go ahead.

Thanks

2009-07-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

Firstly I just want to say a big thankyou to everyone who voted for me in the elections on June 5th and to everyone who supported our campaign.

I've set up this blog as a means of keeping people up to date on what work I am doing at a Council level.

If you have any views, comments, questions, suggestions or ideas I would love to hear from you. Just ring or text me at 086 286 6631 or email me at cian.ocallaghan at votelabour.ie

Cleaner Beaches

2009-07-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

The June bank holiday weekend was one of the finest of the summer to date. It was the kind of weekend when anyone with good sense headed to their nearest beach. Others, myself included, campaigned door to door with just days to go till election day.

The government this year has reduced funding to Fingal Council by a stagerring 10%. So as the sun beamed down the Council was under pressure to implement cuts. Bins weren't placed on beaches and what bins were near beaches weren't emptied. Our local beaches then made headline news for all the wrong reasons as the rubbish piles grew high.

I raised this as a priority at my first full Council meeting and submitted a motion calling on the manager to ensure that there is never a repeat of this situation. In response the Council management have increased the number of bins on beaches and increased the frequency at which they are emptied.

With local jobs and tourism already under pressure it is vital that the Council maintain basic services to keep our beaches, parks and communities clean.