ARCHIVES...PRE-GREYMATTER EDITIONS...CONTACT THE PAPER...MAILING LIST

---

Astounding Claim of £72 Million From Council

Dun Laoghaire councillors are united in their opposition to payment of an astounding claim for of up to £92 million compensation. This claim, amounting to between £70-92 million arises out of the compulsory road purchase order, involving lands at Carrickmines/Cherrywood which were in the ownership of the English registered Jackson’s Way company.

The land was bought for the construction of the South- Eastern Motorway, and the claim has been lodged in respect of 20 acres of the company's holding of 106 acres. The company's predecessors, Paisley Park Investments, paid less than £600,000 for the entire 106 acres in 1988.

The issue will be discussed at Thursday's meeting of the Council's Annual Estimates meeting. It is not just the astronomical sum involved which raises concern.

Jackson's Way Properties is under investigation by the Flood Tribunal. The tribunal is investigating allegations that the English registered company paid money to councillors in return for rezoning votes. The tribunal believes that the owners of Jackson Way Properties and Paisley Park are the same and have gone to elaborate lengths to conceal their identities.

Mr John Caldwell, the solicitor who was summoned to appear before the tribunal, but didn't turn up, appears to have been identified as the probable owner of Jackson Way. Mr Caldwell has now agreed to give evidence and will be questioned about the company next year.

Mr Jim Kennedy, the amusement park owner with links to Mr Liam Lawlor TD and the former assistant Dublin city and country manager Mr George Redmond, was involved in the purchase of the land by Paisley Park.

Last year, Jackson's Way's solicitor refused to name the company's owner, citing company confidentiality. However, in January, the High Court ordered this to be revealed. The company's solicitor appealed to the Supreme Court and reached a compromise agreement with the tribunal over the disclosure of company information.

Fine Gael's local government spokeswoman, Ms Olivia Mitchell said that the Jackson Way claim was "too much to stomach." Labour Councillor, Eamonn Gilmore also strongly condemned the claim. He said, "It is an outrageous demand and one that has to be rejected by the Council as there are no grounds whatsoever to justify paying it. This company has gone to great lengths to conceal who it's beneficial owner really is- so it is unthinkable that they should seek compensation from the tax payer, when they're not prepared to say who they are. This claim is actually for more money than the Council's annual budget." Progressive Democrats councillors, Victor Boyhan and Fiona O’Malley, also condemned the claim as "outrageous."

Councillor Fiona O'Malley said "The public interest will be best served by holding a meeting to discuss the details of this claim and the facts surrounding the re-zoning which took place and led directly to an increase in any compensation claim. Fourteen of the twenty-eight councillors currently serving on the Council were not members of the previous council and are very much in the dark on the details of this issue"

Councillor Boyhan said "I want to know what advice was given to the councillors by the officials in relation to this site and if this advice was adhered to. A special meeting on the issue will give the councillors involved an opportunity to defend their respective decisions and will blow away the cloud of intrigue and suspicion which hangs over this matter" The south eastern motorway is not now expected to be ready until the end of 2004.

Protest by Art and Design Students

The Dun Laoghaire Art, Design and Technology Student Union walked out of classes on the 13th of November in protest over what they say are problems with library and computer facilities. At 10.30 am the student body left the Institute and met at the College gates. The students did not return to College on that day.

Cathal Brennan, President DLIADT said," The integrity of our member's education is being compromised and we cannot, and will not tolerate it. Library opening hours and the computer facilities on campus have been a consistent problem in this Institute spanning several years. The library is the most essential facility a College can provide and every student in this Institute depends on this service. Last year, over 70% of the students signed a petition stating that the problems relating to the library and to computers were unacceptable. This led to a sit in protest in the library last February. The Union condemns the fact that nine months later these problems have not been resolved."

The membership of the union say they have decided to delay strike action until the 1st of December pending the successful resolution of the situation, but have warned they are considering a general student strike, if the problems are not resolved.

Conferring Ceremony at DIADT

Wednesday 21st of November was a special day for students at the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. Graduates from the School of Art, Design and Media and the first ever graduates from the new schools of Business and Humanities and Science and Technology were conferred with their awards at a ceremony at the Stillorgan Park Hotel.

The ceremony confirms the pre-eminent role of the Institute in art education in Ireland, and also the growing importance it's new faculties in non-arts subjects are assuming. Also the first winner of an imaginative new annual award, the Dart Digital Art Award was announced.

The DDAA is a celebration and acknowledgement by DART Commuter Rail of the successful partnership with IADT-DL which each year results in original art works by students of the Institute being exhibited on the DART carriages.

The award consisted of £1000 of European Rail travel vouchers to the most promising digital artist from the graduating class of 2001. The presentation was made by Mr Joe Beardmore , Marketing Manager of Suburban Rail to student Deidre Ambrose.

Dun Laoghaire Senior College Graduation

The graduation ceremony of Dun Laoghaire Senior College( Eblana Avenue) took place at The Royal Marine Hotel on Friday 16th November.

This was the College's first formal graduation and students dressed in caps and gowns. The earlier afternoon ceremony saw 300 IT students graduate. A later ceremony, held at 5.00pm saw 400 Business, Interior and Landscape Design, Marketing, and Beautician/ Holistic Health students graduate. In previous years the ceremony was informal, but due to demands from students for greater recognition of their achievements, this year's ceremony was formal.

Special presentations were made to Muireann Nic Fheorais (Marketing Institute Foundation Student of the year) and Anna Meagher( Graduateship Student of the Year ) and award winner in three categories. Betty Coffey, Cathaoirleach DLRCC and Eimear Mc Auliff , Cathaoirleach DL VEC presented students with their parchments.

More Room At Stillorgan Park Hotel

The four star Stillorgan Park Hotel have officially launched their new £3 million addition to the hotel. They have added an additional 30 bedrooms to help cope with the increasing demands being placed on their accommodation capacity. The hotel now has 130 rooms.

The new bedrooms are decorated in a contemporary theme and are all air-conditioned and come with data/ fax lines to facilitate the busy executive and those wishing to connect to the Internet or send and receive faxes and Emails.

This latest extension to the hotel is the third phase of an ambitious four stage development plan that will see a dry leisure complex being included at a later date to further enhance the range of facilities available to guests. Having recently opened a state-of-the-art Conference and Banqueting Centre which holds 500 people in superb luxury, the addition of the extra bedrooms is a direct reflection of the success the hotel has enjoyed up to date.

'Development Levy Scandal 'Says Bhreathnach

"Lack of funding to local authorities has forced our County Council to transfer monies from the development levy account to the Council's revenue account to meet it's day to day expenses and balance the books," said Councillor Niamh Bhreathnach.

"I am appalled that this practice is allowed. It makes a connection between granting planning permissions and local authority funding that surely is not healthy. Councillors ask and are asked why particular permissions are granted, even when the local infrastructure is inadequate and suffers enormously during the construction phase. Is this the answer?"

She added, "In reply to a question addressed to the Planning Committee, in respect of recent developments in the Blackrock area it was intended to spend these monies on repairing local footpaths damaged during the building programme. I was informed that a total of £1.11 million has been levied in respect of development donations. However while footpaths have been demolished, we are informed that this £1.1 million will be lodged into the Council's revenue account, and these monies will not be used to fund maintenance work."

"She concluded," This pattern is being repeated across the county. Residents and their elected representatives are unhappy at the level of development taking place, having regard to the poor infrastructure in place. If granting these permissions results in filling the revenue coffers instead of the local potholes then residents will be suspicious and question motives."

New CD Benefits Booterstown Church and NCBI

Young tenor Paul Byrom, has just released his new CD, " I Hear You Calling." This collection of old favourites will raise money for Booterstown Church and the National Council for the Blind of Ireland.

Local Winner on Winning Streak

Mark Flynn, a bank Official from Convent Road Dun Laoghaire has won £15,550 on Winning Streak. The winning ticket was bought in Stop Press on Lower George's Street. Mark hopes to now concentrate on driving lessons and on buying a car.

Labour Proposes New Amenity Fund

The Labour Group on the Council has welcomed the all party support it received for it's policy motion, for setting up a new Amenity Fund. Labour Councillor Niamh Bhreathnach says, "With the introduction of the pay and display parking scheme, an extra source of income will become available to the Council. Rather than see this go towards the day to day expenditure of the Council, the Labour Group looked, through the policy motion mechanism, to instruct the Manager to establish an Amenity Fund with the income. This fund will finance projects as agreed by the Council."

Mulberry Market At Airfield

A new one stop shop for organic food and wine and unusual giftware, The Mulberry Market, has opened at Airfield Gardens in Dundrum. Why not spend a weekend taking in the gardens and visit this fine shop. The Mulberry Market is open from Tuesday to Saturday 10-5.00 and on Sundays from 12.00-5.00

Living In Euro Land

A day long dreamed off will be with us in less than six weeks- 1st January 2001, is Euro Changeover day. Some people are ready for it, but for others it will be as bewildering as going on holiday and never coming home. Those worried by the Euro changeover can readily find help from the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland.

If you missed receiving an informative booklet ( mailed out to all on the electoral register in October), phone the board for your copy. The Changeover also has a hugely informative website with a great deal of information on the change over: www.euro.ie This includes a Euro calculator, frequently asked questions and links to other useful sites,.

On January 1st 2002 (¤-day), Euro notes and coins will begin circulating There will be a dual circulation period, during which the use of Euro notes and coins will be increasing and the use of Irish notes and coins will be decreasing. By 9th February 2002 the changeover to the Euro will be complete and Irish pound notes and coins will be withdrawn

The designs for Euro notes were chosen by the European Monetary Institute (EMI), the forerunner of the European Central Bank, in December 1996, following an EU-wide design competition.

They were inspired by the theme "Ages and Styles of Europe". The winning design depicts the prevailing architectural style during seven ages in Europe's cultural history: Classical, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo, the age of iron and glass, and modern 20th Century architecture - and emphasises three main architectural elements: windows, gateways and bridges.

Windows and gateways form the principal element of the front face of each bank note and symbolise the spirit of openness and co-operation in the European Union. The twelve stars of the EU are also featured. The reverse face of each bank note shows a bridge typical of the respective age of European development.

The other main aspects that are depicted on the banknotes are: The name of the currency, EURO, which appears in both the Latin and the Greek alphabet; the flag of the European Union on the reverse of the banknote; the initials of the issuing authority in five variants; and the signature of the President of the ECB.

The banknotes increase in size as the denomination rises. Euro notes will be issued in seven denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro.

Be warned however there's no room for complacency. Several years ago, it was rumoured that huge counterfeit operations in the Mediterranean had already printed off BILLIONS of Euro notes in preparation for what could be the biggest counterfeit operation in history. Ask your bank or the Euro Board if you're not sure what the new notes look like.

Euro Changeover Board of Ireland (ECBI)
15 Lower Hatch Street,
Dublin 2.

Tel No: 01 - 639 6200
Fax No: 01 - 639 6201
LoCall: 1890 20 10 50

Dún Laoghaire Community Association

At the meeting of the Dún Laoghaire Community Association held on Tuesday 20th November 2001 in Farrell's Lounge, Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre, a proposal tabled by Michael Merrigan of the Genealogical Society of Ireland was considered by the residents attending this meeting.

Following a brief outline of the achievements of the Very Rev. Bartholomew Canon Sheridan, PP of St. Michael's from 1829 to c 1864, including the establishment of most of the town's Catholic institutions from orphanages and hospitals to schools and colleges, the meeting heard that the very many achievements of this great educator and defender of the rights of the poor in his vast south County Dublin parish stretching from Blackrock to Bray, Canon Sheridan, were totally forgotten. No memorial to this man who is the "father of Catholic education in south County Dublin" exists.

Therefore, the Community Association was asked to recognise this man by having a street off George's Street in Dún Laoghaire re-named in his honour. The street chosen was Sussex Street because as a thoroughfare, it is a symbolic link between the Dominican Covent, the former Christian Brothers' Schools, St. Michael's Hospital and the present parochial houses on Eblana Avenue. Indeed, Sussex Street contains the present Parochial Hall named for a much later successor of Canon Sheridan, the late Mgr. Boylan PP., and, of course, the street also has the headquarters of the Glasthule Dún Laoghaire Credit Union - an institution helping the community in Dún Laoghaire and, no doubt, one institution Canon Sheridan would have been proud of.

Following Michael Merrigan's presentation, the proposal was tabled as follows:-

Renaming of Sussex Street, Dún Laoghaire

Proposal: That, the DLCA in recognition of the considerable contribution to the foundation and development of many educational institutions in the Town and hinterland of Dún Laoghaire made by Bartholomew Canon Sheridan, that the Association seek the renaming of Sussex Street in Dún Laoghaire as "Sheridan Street" in honour of this indefatigable promoter of education for all in the community and that the County Council, therefore, be requested to facilitate this street name change under Section 192 of the Local Government Act, 2001.

Proposed by: Mr. Chris Wood, Mulgrave Tce., Dún Laoghaire
Seconded by: Ms. Sheila Lestrange, Wolfe Tone Ave., Dún Laoghaire

The proposal was adopted unanimously by the residents in attendance. The support of the County Council is now being sought.

Seventy More Road Deaths Predicted This Year
-Be Careful At Xmas

The tough driving safety advertisements which are being shown endlessly on TV have yet to show a real effect, as the number of road deaths still remains as high as ever. In fact dozens more deaths are still predicted to take place before Christmas.

Seventy young drivers will die on Irish roads before the year is out due to Government inaction, warned Fine Gael TD Denis Naughten Deputy, FG spokesman on public enterprise.

"Road death projections and current road carnage statistics, which show that young drivers now account for one in two deaths on Irish roads, indicate that this unnecessary and tragic loss of life will happen between now and the new year." he said

"The fact that last week the Chairman of the National Safety Council called for the Taoiseach to intervene on the issue clearly highlights the inability of the Minister for the Environment to address the carnage."

"Road fatalities among young motorists is spiralling out of control and it is high time that Government woke up to the horror which has seen nearly 2000 people killed since it took office."

He concluded, "If the number of accidents involving young drivers are to be successfully reduced there must be a direct correlation between safe driving and a reduction in the cost of insurance, which is clearly not the case at present."

"Young drivers have seen their premiums increase even though they have a clean record, which does not instil better driving behaviour. The Government must also introduce a programme of training, which allows young drivers to obtain discounts on their insurance to ensure that their driving skills are improved," he said.

 

---

Homepage Local Directory Brief History The Gallery Event Guide
Guest Book Local Maps Register your Business Contact Webmaster
Family History Riviera Accommodation Riviera Gift Shop Riviera News

IF YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT THIS SITE THROUGH A SEARCH ENGINE
AND ARE VIEWING THIS PAGE ON ITS OWN,
PLEASE GO TO OUR FRAMED HOMEPAGE
http://www.dun-laoghaire.com

---

 

27438