MAKE LOCAL WALKWAYS SAFE...

The issue of public safety is an emotive one and while not the direct responsibility of the local authorities, is nonetheless, an issue that concerns everyone. Recent television radio and press comments serve to support the call for additional Gardai to make the streets of our Capital safer for all. However Barry Conway (FF) believes that local authorities should also play their part in the fight against crime.

Crime induces fear and fear often manifests itself in a reluctance on the part of people, particularly women and elderly people, to venture out at night. In the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council area a number of ways have been outlined in recent months in which the local authority can help prevent crime in the area.

Badly lit and even totally unlit walkways pose a danger to life and in a recent quick tour of the Blackrock area, Barry Conway (F.F candidate for the Blackrock area) identified fourteen walkways which are poorly, inadequately or in some cases totally unlit. Mr Conway has prepared a report on these walkways and recently launched a campaign whereby people in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown area would identify badly lit walkways and through which pressure could be brought to bear on the local authority to improve the lighting in these areas for the Winter of 1999/2000 and beyond.

Mr Conway has argued that local authorities can take effective steps to prevent crime and to improve the public's sense of security, particularly at night. One such step, Mr Conway said "would be the provision of adequate lighting for public walkways. Many of these places, while innocuous by day are quite forbidding at night, even though they are located in the middle of popular neighbourhoods. Myself and my campaign team have recently toured the Blackrock electoral area and identified fourteen walkways which are poorly, inadequately, or in some cases totally unlit.

The fourteen areas we identified are (1) Path by bushes at Dornden Park, Booterstown. (2) Path through green at Trimleston. (3) Path between Grove Lawn and Grove Avenue Blackrock. (4) Path at side of church between Temple Road and Newtown Ave. (5) Paths through green at Temple Park Avenue, Blackrock. (6) Path around the obelisk at Rose Hill Blackrock. (7) Path between Rowanbyrn and Deansgrange Road. (8) Path between Fintan's Park and Kill Abbey. (9) Path between Kill Abbey and Deansgrange Road. (10) Path between Knocksinna Park and Bray Road. (11) Path between Foxrock Court and Bray Road. (12) Path between Foxrock Ave and Kill Lane. (13) Path between Pine Court and Springhill Avenue. (14) Path between Springhill Avenue and New Park Road."

This list is by no means exhaustive Mr Conway went on to say and "in making our tour it became apparent that there is an enormous discrepancy between lighting as provided fro vehicular traffic and lighting for pedestrians. When it comes to public lighting, the latter are certainly treated as second class citizens."

If you are aware of inadequate public lighting in your area Barry Conway would like to hear from you. He can be contacted at 10, Foxrock Avenue Foxrock Dublin 18 Telephone 2895823.

---

GILMORE CALLS FOR UPGRADE OF HOSPITAL

Deputy Gilmore says that Hospital services in South Dublin and North Wicklow are not adequate.

"This is one of the fastest growing areas of the country, but hospital services have not kept pace. Loughlinstown is still basically a small district hospital. Patients have to be transferred to the big city hospitals for major procedures. Given the congested state of city traffic, this has now become unacceptable. Loughlinstown should be upgraded to a major Regional Hospital to serve the South County Dublin and Wicklow catchments. Major hospitals are now located at Blanchardstown and Tallaght to serve the Northern and Western suburbs of the city, but still there is no major hospital to serve the Southern suburbs."

Deputy Gilmore raised the matter in the Dail recently. He was told that the Eastern Health Board is developing proposals for a comprehensive upgrading of the hospital and that officials of the Department of Health recently met with a delegation from the board and the hospital. The Minister for Health said that the proposals were being "processed by my Department, in consultation with the Eastern Health Board".

Deputy Gilmore says that he hopes that progress is made quickly to upgrade Loughlinstown Hospital. "The people of this general area are entitled to high quality hospital services close to where they live and without having to travel into the already overcrowded city hospitals."

---

DSPCA LAUNCH NEW VISA CARD

The Dublin Society For The Prevention of Cru-elty to Animals - the country's biggest Ani-mal Welfare Organisa-tion launched de-tails of a colourful new Visa Card on Wednesday March 24th.

The Dublin SPCA's partner in this innova-tive move is MBNA In-ternational Bank Lim-ited which is part of the MBNA Corporation based on St Stephen's Green in Dublin. The Dublin SPCA MBNA Visa Card is unique. Ev-erytime some-one ob-tains a Card, MBNA will make a donation to the Dublin SPCA on their be-half and then the bank will make a further donation every-time it is used. The money donated will be used to support the So-ci-ety's team of Inspec-tors who are on the road day and night. The new Dublin DSPCA Visa Card is avail-able as a Gold Card or a Picture Card which fea-tures a rescued Puppy and Kit-ten.

---

DUBLIN QUACKERS!

On March 13th Dublin went absolutely "Quackers" when the 2nd Goal Aidlink Championship Duck Race saw 100 of Ireland's fastest plastic ducks battle it out on the Liffey from O'Connell Bridge to Butt Bridge.

Sponsored by the National Toll Roads and promoted by FM104 with a live outside broadcast, the race was organised by the Blackrock College Transition Year Students for the second year running. Speaking at the race launch, Duck Race Co-Ordinator, John Gerard Kelly said " we are looking forward to a keen race, the ducks have been in heavy training for this event for the past year"

Competition was stiff and as the ducks passed the finishing line the winners were as follows...in first place, Quack Quack sponsored by AIB Investments, in second place Grumpy Murphy sponsored by Woodford Bourne, and in third place Bottomry sponsored by Kirwan Insurance Service Ltd.

The proceeds of the race go to Goal-Aidlink a third world agency focusing on emergency relief programme. Each duck was sponsored by a company, family or individual for the knock-down price of £100. There were three great prizes, a trip to London for two went to the first prize winner, second prize was a trip to the Abbeyglen Hotel and third prize was a meal for two in a top Dublin restaurant. In all around £11,000 was raised by the Duck Race...a great effort and a great result.

---

AGE ACTION IRELAND OPEN IN DUN LAOGHAIRE

This month Dun Laoghaire welcomed a new addition to its retail services with the opening of the Age Action Ireland Charity Shop in Georges Street. Age Action Ireland already has two successful shops in Dublin's Camden Street and Mary street and with the opening of the Dun Laoghaire outlet hopes are high that it too will be another success story.

"Our charity shops have a reputation for selling high quality second-hand goods at particularly reasonable prices" says John Toal Manager of the new shop in Dun Laoghaire. "We are only open a couple of weeks but already we have had a tremendous response from the local community. Our shops rely heavily on the generous support of the public in donating everything from clothes, shoes and curtains, jewellery and bric-a-brack. We also recycle any clothing not suitable for re-sale, so nothing goes to waste"

Age Action Ireland is a national charity working to improve the quality of life of the growing number of older people in Ireland. "There is almost half a million people over the age of 65 in Ireland, and the figure is set to increase dramatically over the next 20 years or so" says Tom Mc Guirk, Head of Information Services. "One of the great scientific, social and medical achievements of the last fifty years has undoubtedly been the increase in life expectancy. We can now expect to live on average to 75 or 80 years. We are fitter, more active and more independent than ever before. It is a real cause for celebration, particularly in this, the International Year Of Older Persons. Unfortunately, in Ireland there is still a tendency to speak about older people in terms of ill health or dependency or as passive recipients of social welfare benefits. But in Age Action Ireland we celebrate ageing and highlight the positive contributions older people have traditionally made and continue to make to society"

The charity shops are a vital source of fund-raising for Age Action Ireland and all proceeds go to fund its work with older people in Ireland, particularly in the areas of information, research and education. One of its key functions is in providing an information service to older people and others interested in ageing issues. The organisation prides itself in having established the first library in Ireland devoted to ageing and older people, which is now used by students and academics, healthcare professionals, voluntary organisations, the media and of course older people themselves.

Age Action Ireland is also heavily involved in research and development work, particularly in the areas of advocacy, reminiscence, housing and education. It is also a membership organisation and although it began life as a network of service providers, it is increasingly welcoming individuals to the fold. It was overwhelmed by the response to a recent appearance on RTE's Open House programme. " We received over 800 calls from older people throughout Ireland, wishing to learn more about our aims and activities, our publications, and looking to become members" says Tom Mc Guirk. " For retired or unwaged persons it is only £3.00 for a full year's membership, which is great value considering that members are entitled to unlimited access to all our services, free copies of our monthly magazine and other publications, and concessions at all our seminars and conferences".

Age Action Ireland puts great value on the work of its volunteers and is actively looking for more people to volunteer their time even for as little as a few hours a week.

If you would like more information about the aims and activities of Age Action Ireland, or membership details or would simply like to volunteer your time, please call into or telephone our shop on Georges Street Dun Laoghaire at 2808610, or alternatively contact Tom Mc Guirk at head office at 30 Lower Camden St Dublin 2 Tel 4756989.