£2.8m Dalkey Health Centre Opens

The recent opening of a £2.8m Health Centre and 50 bed Community Unit for the elderly in Dalkey coincided with the re-structuring of the old health authorities. The Eastern Regional Health Authority is now the body with responsibility for health and personal social services for the 1.3m people who live in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

The three new area Health Boards- The Northern Area Health Board, The East Coast Health Board and the South Western Area Health Board now replace the Eastern Health Board. The ERHA's responsibilities include planning, commissioning, and funding of services through service agreements with the three new Area Health Boards. It will also function as a watch-dog monitoring and evaluating the services provided by these agencies.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the new Dalkey Health Centre, Chairman of the outgoing Eastern Health Board, Alderman Ivor Callely said It is our vision that local communities will have healthier and improved quality of life as a result of developing a robust, quality-orientated, well supported and integrated health care service throughout the Eastern Region. A network of Community Units for the elderly and Health Centres have been built or refurbished over the past few years by the Eastern Health Board. These Community Units for the Elderly are part of the ten-year action plan by the Board to facilitate the spiralling elderly population.

Figures recently released show that currently there are over 125,000 persons over the age of 65 and more than 10,500 aged over 85 living in the EHB area. By the year 2011 projected figures show that this will rise to 176,000 people aged over 65 living in the area.

The new ERHA has come about because the previous organisational structures were considered no longer suitable for the influx of people into the area. The geographical spread of the East Coast Area Health Board-ranging from Dun Laoghaire in the north to Carnew in the south and from the east coast of Wicklow over to the borders of West Wicklow and Carlow- has brought a huge increase in population which in turn has led to increased pressure on existing health services. The challenge for the new East Coast Area Health Board is to deliver the health and personal social service needs of the population of the area in an integrated and seamless way, across all parts of the healthcare system. This will involve all service providers in the area-such as general practitioners, hospitals, community services, the mental health services, and services for the elderly-working in partnership to ensure easy access for patients to appropriate healthcare and social services.

The new Dalkey Health Care Centre is a bright modern facility that affords a sense of dignity and comfort badly needed in healthcare centres. The official opening ceremony was attended by Alderman Ivor Callely, Michael Walsh Programme Manager for Community Services, An Cathaoirleach Larry Butler, plus local TD.'s and County Councillors.

Council's Ballot On Pay Deal

As the March 15th Deadline approaches, Dun Laoghaire and South Dublin Councils look set to adopt the recommendations of IMPACT and accept the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. Details of the Programme were outlined recently at meetings in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown area.

IMPACT Deputy General Secretary Shay Cody has told local government workers in South Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Councils that acceptance of the new National Pay Deal will bring substantial improvements in living standards. He has called for a big turnout in the ballot which closes on March 15th, the date when the final decision will be made.

The union's South Dublin branch has approximately 600 members while the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown branch has around 450 members. IMPACT official Louise O'Donnell told a recent meeting of both branches The deal will mean increases of at least 25% through a combination of pay rises and tax cuts, while protecting and enhancing our public services. IMPACT which is Ireland's largest public sector trade union, has been balloting its 36,000 members on the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, after its central executive committee unanimously recommended the deal.

Commenting on the deal Mr Cody said IMPACT is recommending this deal because no other process is capable of delivering increases of 25% in less than three years, while protecting and developing employment and public services. In real terms what acceptance of the Programme For Prosperity and Fairness means is a pay rise of 5.5% in October 2000, a further 5.55 next year and four percent in 2002. It also commits the Government to tax cuts averaging an additional 10% with the tax benefits directed to those on low and average incomes.

When asked by members at the recent meeting of Dun Laoghaire/South Dublin branches how these tax cuts would affect tax cuts specified in Budget 2000, IMPACT Deputy General Secretary Shay Cody assured members that these would be in addition to the cuts already announced. Again when asked how the value of the deal on offer would fare in relation to inflation Mr Cody said the deal would not be eroded by inflation. January's four per cent inflation rate has rightly caused concern among IMPACT members. But he said Although the figures call for vigilance, they do not indicate an inflationary spiral ahead.

It is in the interests of workers to take action to control inflation, rather than simply responding to it. And the experience shows that can best be done within the context of national agreements. That's why the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has said it will invoke the monitoring mechanism in the new programme if the inflation figures do not come down as expected Mr Cody told the meeting. The response to the proposals for a new national pay deal at the meeting appeared positive but until March 15th the final decision will not be known.

Ballinteer Pupils Aim For Fame

When pupils of Ballinteer Community School were handed a challenge, design an outfit made exclusively from recycled products they accepted the challenge with enthusiasm. This was an opportunity to show just how creative they could be and their creation Futine will, without doubt, bring them into the final of this competition. Under the expert guidance of their home economics teacher Cathy Rowney Futine was created.

Schools from all over the country are participating in local and regional heats culminating in the grand final of the competition and Futine looks set to be at the very top for innovation, design and manufacture. Futine the Ballinteer pupils explain, is a combination of the French and Gaelic words for fire. In keeping with the rules of the competition Futine is made exclusively from recycled disposable products and the gown and backdrop commands the catwalk in a blaze of triumphant glory. The bodice is made from 441 scorching sprayed buttons. The pupils embroidered the combustible gown themselves. Old net curtains and old laddered nylon stockings, old vegetable sacks, polystyrene and aluminium -all were crafted and designed to create a fiery warrior-like gown complete with 12ft sweeping train.

Masks were made to compliment the gown from plaster of paris and coca cola cans were melted down to create a metallic necklace Queen Maeve would have been proud to wear. A backdrop of flames licking upwards towards the ceiling is supported by slaves of the warrior queen and moves slowly behind her as she makes her way down the catwalk.

St. Patrick's Dramatic Society To Stage The Heiress

This award winning drama group from Dalkey are staging The Heiress, a stark and intensely moving story of divided loyalties and innocence betrayed, in Dalkey Heritage Centre/Town Hall from March 28th to April 1st. The play based on the novel Washington Square by Henry James, centres around painfully shy Catherine Sloper whose deepest desire is to please her stiff, dry and indifferent father that is until an unexpected suitor appears...

The two central roles will be played by Claire Cresswell and John Cresswell. Deirdre Burke and Meriel Kilroy play Mrs Penniman and Mrs Almond respectively. Brian Porter will play the bounder Morris Townsend. The cast also includes Carmel Mc Crea, Suzanne Hayes, Tara Murphy and Roy Beattie. The Heiress is directed by Joan Gregg.

This elegantly costumed production set in the late 19th century will be staged nightly in Dalkey Heritage Centre/Town Hall from Tuesday March 28th to Saturday April 1st inclusive. Tickets cost £6.00 and £3.00 concessions and are available at Gemma's Newsagents, Dalkey; From Telephone No 2807185 and at the door.

Major Urban Structure Plan For Dundrum

The new Urban Structure Plan for Dundrum was unveiled recently and has received widespread support among politicians and the public at large. The plan which is on public view for a period of four weeks has been prepared outlining the main land uses, circulation patterns and planning principles for the village. The plan offers for the first time a comprehensive development of lands, roads and buildings in the entire area. The original Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Development Plan (1998) set a number of specific objectives for Dundrum Town Centre. Included in these was an objective to ensure an appropriate mix of uses of the former PYE lands which include the Mill Pond area.

A planning application for the PYE lands was received on 15th Feb 2000 and work on the Ballinteer Road/ Wyckham By-Pass has already commenced. The Luas line to Sandyford is also expected to commence shortly. At a recent meeting of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council the development plans were presented containing amendments in line with areas that had caused concern to the County Council in the original plans. These amended plans were welcomed by all members of the County Council with some minor reservations. Commenting on the plan Olivia Mitchell T.D. said ³ This new plan was drawn up by the Council planners in conjunction with the owner of the Pye lands planning application. For the first time we have a comprehensive plan indication how the entire Dundrum area will look in the coming years and the objectives of the new plan will inform all future planning applications.

The area covered by the plan is bounded by the two LUAS stations which will serve Dundrum, one at the Taney junction and the other at Balally. It encompasses plans for the traffic flows, new pedestrian and cycle networks as well as the built environment. The Dundrum Town Centre is defined as the area between the LUAS line, the Dundrum Relief Road, The Taney Road/Upper Churchtown Road junction and the Wyckham By-Pass Route. It is mainly zoned for Town Centre uses, but with some parts zoned residential.

The new redeveloped town centre of Dundrum will be framed by a number of physical elements which will have a strong influence on its shape, growth and extent. These encompass the LUAS line and stations; the Wyckham By-Pass on the southern side and the proposed Wyckham By-Pass Extension to the south-east ; the river Slang and Dundrum Relief Route on the west; the existing Main St/Sandyford Road which forms the heart of the town centre and the Ballinteer Road/Upper Kilmacud Road which forms an important cross-roads with the Main street, the very heart ,as it were, of the Town Centre.

All in all this ambitious plan will, the planners state, bring a new and badly needed comprehensive re-development of the area to the people of Dundrum. Traffic will benefit from traffic calming measures being introduced directing a large proportion of the traffic away from the town centre and onto the new road system. This plan will ensure that an appropriate mix of uses is provided on the Pye lands, including recreational and tourism related uses, the development of which will respect the industrial and archaeological features on these lands. The Council is currently considering these proposals in relation to their effect on the shopping and commercial life and on the physical and social character of Dundrum Village.

Other elements currently under consideration by the Council, prior to giving the developers, Alice Developments (Castlethorn) an unequivocal go-ahead, are the provision of a pedestrian-friendly traffic calmed environment along Main Street; the provision of extensive off-street and underground car parking facilities; the provision of cycle facilities including a cycle network and cycle parking and the provision of leisure, entertainment, cultural and restaurant uses. Other elements in the plan take into account the conservation, preservation, and re-use of historic and interesting buildings and the provision of high quality landscaped open spaces especially to the west of the town centre.

Well Done Lorna

South Dublin Life & Leisure's very own diva, Lorna Hennessy from Sallynoggin, swept to victory in the quarter finals of the Sallynoggin Inn Song Contest on Tuesday 7th March. Lorna was the unanimous choice of the independent panel of judges and goes on to compete in the semi-finals later this month.

On behalf of Publisher Len Williams and all the staff at South Dublin Life & Leisure Newspaper Group Congratulations Lorna...we never had any doubt you could do it.