In the local Green Party’s submission to the Council, Kevin describes the suggestion by Tiros (for Shelbourne Developments) that “the provision of the development on the Shelbourne land alone as stipulated under Scenario A would not be in keeping with sustainable land use management principles, which seek, amongst other things, to make the most efficient use of costly serviced land and public transport infrastructure” as

simple greed on the part of the developer in seeking to build in excess of the maximum permitted units/densities of Scenario A; the scenario with just the Kildare Route Project implemented.

Shelbourne want to exceed the maximum permitted number of houses and apartments; they want to exceed the maximum permitted retail and commercial floor space, but only build half the permitted Creche space. It is simply unbelievable!

My main worry is that since the Council Officials have already agreed in pre-planning discussions that Shelbourne may exceed the maximum permitted levels, that they [the Council] cannot adjudicate impartially on the application.

The main points of the submission, which calls for the rejection of the application are:

• In the depressed economic climate, the application is pre-mature, and could adversely affect the viability of Adamstown
• The building heights are excessive and will overshadow and devalue existing properties
• The number and density of proposed residences is excessive
• The amount of proposed commercial and retail floor space is excessive
• It would cause increased traffic congestion on the already-congested local road network
• It would cause increased pressure on schools; two new second-level schools must be built prior to any development on the lands
• The location of the attenuation ponds near to existing housing estates could pose a flood-risk in the event of a significant storm event

In the event that the Council decide to grant permission, Kevin included the following points in the Party’s submission:

• The allotments must not be allowed to be located inside the Pylon Wayleave
• The developer should be required to fund the undergrounding of the Power-Lines
• The Council must engage in consultation with residents and obtain agreement prior to any opening of pedestrian ways into existing estates. Measures must be agreed by the Council and implemented prior to their opening to prevent estates from being used as “Park and Rides” by commuters
• Construction traffic must not be allowed to use Griffeen Avenue or the ORR. Instead, alternative “haul” routes must be provided.
• The attenuation ponds must be relocated away from existing housing
• The Council must provide four-bedroom affordable and social housing

The submission may be read here.

We believe that Moy Glas residents have a genuinely valid case for noise barriers. Both the Residents Association and ourselves have repeated told the Council that they must put in place these noise barriers in order to be in full compliance with An Bord Pleanala’s noise conditions. However, the Council continue to refuse. It is with great regret that the residents have had to refer the matter to the Ombudsman. Our letter sets out the detailed reasons as to why her intervention is necessary

said Kevin. A copy of our letter is available here.

Minister Gormley had already reduced the storage costs from €706,000 in 2006 to €204,000 last year. A task-force will now be established to determine how the contracts for storage can be terminated and the machines disposed of while returning to the taxpayers as much money as possible.

Many people have called for the machines to be used in schools. Sadly, they are so outdated — being based on 1980s technology — that they are of little use to schools. They should simply be recycled in the most environmentally friendly manner possible.

For my earlier submission to the Commission on Electronic Voting, see 2004-03-25 – Submission to the Commission on Electronic Voting.

• New planning regulations to combat light pollution
• New planning regulations requiring developers to provide district heating networks for single and cumulative developments in excess of 500 housing units
• New Planning regulations requiring developers to incorporate sustainable and renewable energy technologies into all housing developments
• Expansion and improvements in the design of the cycle network, and the refurbishment of existing cycling facilities
• Scrapping of the “Pedestrian Warrant” system for deciding on whether or not to introduce pedestrian facilities on busy roads. Instead, a proactive approach on the part of South Dublin County Council to facilitate pedestrians crossing busy roads, and to encourage walking as a means of getting out and about in the course of daily life (i.e. not just for leisure purposes)
• The introduction of recharging points, throughout South County Dublin, for Electric Vehicles (Cars, Motorcycles and Scooters) and Electric Bicycles to encourage people to buy these, and hence reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

“As a Lecturer and as a Father of a 6 year old girl, I know only too well the devastating effects the cuts are currently having, and will continue to have for years to come”, Dr. Farrell said.

Speaking at the Party’s ‘Candidate Showcase’ entitled ‘What Matters to Us?’, the 39 year old Lucan man stated that the Party has been acting like “the shy school boy who has, daily, given up his lunch to the bullies in the school yard, ever afraid to say ‘no’, for fear the big boys won’t play with us any more! The Party needs to engage in some inward reflection, and ask itself, do we really want this to be our legacy?

A mere 5% of the population possess a massive €100 Billion in assets. “To fund the education system properly, what is required is for the Greens to have the bottle to face off against Fianna Fáil, and tell them that the very wealthy—the people who got us into this economic mess in the first place—must start contributing their fair share.” he stated.

Full text of speech

“Chairperson, delegates, friends, the Green Party is well known for Environmental credentials. But, we are also a party of Social Justice.

Yet, in this time of economic crisis, we have resided over the most vicious cuts in our Education System. We have not resisted Fianna Fáil’s partiality for slash and burn. Instead, we have acted like the shy school boy who has, daily, given up his lunch to the bullies in the school yard, ever afraid to say “no”, for fear the big boys won’t play with us any more!

The emergency legislation introducing a so-called public sector “pension levy” is a further cut in education, for it pummels the morale of educators.

And yet, there appears to be no sign of any kind of levy on the wealthy Business Class who are largely responsible for getting us into this economic mess in the first place. Where is that emergency legislation?

In years to come, will the Green Party be known as collaborators in the systematic destruction of the Education System, or will we be known as the party who pulled the nation back from the brink, and laid the foundations for a secure and prosperous future?

Colleagues, the cuts must be reversed. And those who are responsible for the crisis, and who can most afford to pay must be levied.

Thank you.”

Two of his amendments have been accepted as ‘friendly amendments’ by the original proposers of the motion #6. They are that “All public and private sector employees’ actual income in excess of €150,000 must be subjected to a new tax rate of 65%’” and that “All public and private sector employees’ actual income in excess of €400,000 must be subject to a “Business Executive Pay Levy” of 95% of gross actual income”.

“Currently, the Government is discussing proposals for capping Executives’ Pay. But, a pay cap simply benefits the employer, whereas a ‘Business Executive Pay Levy’ benefits the state”, said Dr. Farrell. “There’s still an incentive (albeit a small one) to earn above €400,000 with my proposal. But, unlike a tax, a levy prevents the super-rich from sheltering their income prior to deductions, which up to now has allowed them to get away with contributing relatively little to the State’s finances, in contrast to the contribution made by ordinary people.”

Farrell has also proposed a third amendment, which will go for debate. For many years, Politicians, Senior Executive Public Servants and Judges, etc. have had their own special pay bodies, which have consistently made pay awards way above what the ordinary worker was being awarded. “We all remember the €38,000 pay increase awarded to the Taoiseach”, said Kevin. “I want the abolishment of special pay bodies for Politicians, Senior Executive Public Servants and Judges, etc. The Politicians set the terms of reference for these special pay bodies, so the awards are inevitably far too favourable!” he said. “All people should be judged by the same pay body, and the Politicians and Senior employees should not get higher awards”.

Motion 6 with amendments (b) and (c) accepted from Dublin Mid-West Greens – Kevin Farrell

Cuts in the Public Sector salaries must start with the bonuses paid to senior executives on top of their already large salaries. They are paid a salary to do their job. Frequently such bonuses result from improvements in productivity implemented by lower paid workers who get no bonuses. Therefore:
a) The maximum salary paid in Ireland in any organization should not exceed seven times the lowest full-time salary paid in Ireland by the same organization.
b) All public and private sector employees’ actual income in excess of €150,000 must be subjected to a new tax rate of 65%.
c) All public and private sector employees’ actual income in excess of €400,000 must be subject to a “Business Executive Pay Levy” of 95% of gross actual income.

Amendment 1 to motion 6 from Dublin Mid West Greens – Kevin Farrell

Delete a) and replace with:
“a) special pay bodies for senior Public Service executives, TDs and others must be abolished, and replaced by a common pay body for public and private sector workers, including Senior Executives, TDs, Senators, Judges, etc. All Public and Private Sector Senior Executives, TDs, Senators, Judges, etc. must be awarded percentage increases no greater than those awarded to ordinary workers under such a common pay body.”

• Proposal constitutes gross over-development of the site, particularly the high rise element which would be to the extreme detriment of residential amenity
• Significant elements of the application exceed ‘Local Centre’ zoning of the site, including retail and office space allocation
• Development will lead to even greater traffic congestion, and could impact the future possible enhancement of the N4/Kennelsfort Road junction
• Need for a comprehensive drainage study since the site floods frequently
• Offer of a local library is a communal bribe, suggested as a means to soften opposition to the proposals
• Need for a proper Local Area Plan for the site

Full submission available here: Green Party Objection – Old Vincent Byrne Site – SD09A/0021

While this threat did not engage the average Lucan resident due to its perceived distance, the reality is that the incinerator, once granted, would have had a major negative impact on our quality of life. Much tribute in stopping this is due to the work of RAID (Rathcoole Against Incinerator Dioxins). There were also hundreds of other submissions, including some from Lucan-based organisations such as Lucan Planning Council and FIG.

We in the Green Party were also happy to be able to assist in the campaign. Despite some nasty, politically-motivated mud-slinging and a cynical misinformation campaign our work speaks for itself. The facts are that we had a presence at every hour of every day of the hearing and provided by far the most comprehensive and detailed written and oral submissions of any political party.

We must also thank the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley TD. Although he was legally unable to get involved in the planning process, his responses to our many queries provided us with valuable information outlining how the policy on incineration has changed since the Green Party entered Government. More details of the decision are available to anyone who wants a copy. In the meantime, we would like to say a big  THANK YOU to everyone who worked together to stop this incinerator. People power does work sometimes and everyone should be proud of themselves.

Fighting for you for a cleaner, greener environment,
Kevin Farrell

The Green Party’s Local Area Representative in Lucan and Palmerstown, Kevin Farrell, has welcomed the announcement by Ministers Eamon Ryan and John Gormley of €100 million worth of new grants that will help homeowners and people living in local authority housing to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through better insulation and energy systems.

Dr. Farrell said: “The new national insulation programme is worth €100 million to the economy, and has the potential to create hundreds of lasting, local jobs. Householders who take advantage of the scheme can expect to reduce their heating bills by up to €700 per year.

“The scheme will open to the public in March, and I urge homeowners – particularly those with older homes and big energy bills – to register their interest now with Sustainable Energy Ireland, www.sei.ie or telephone 1850 927000. They should also think about arranging a Building Energy Rating (BER) assessment, which will highlight the type of work that will bring about the best cost and energy savings.”

“In the current economic crisis, this step makes total sense. Energy efficiency has a huge potential for our economy, and better insulation will lead to warmer and more comfortable homes, lower gas and electricity bills and many more jobs in our communities. It will also help reduce our dependency on foreign oil and gas imports.

“The refurbishment of our local authority housing will also tackle the scourge of fuel poverty, particularly during cold weather. Money will not be wasted by heat escaping through the roof or up the chimney. Reducing energy use and CO2 emissions will also help us meet our climate change targets.

“This is a programme that benefits our economy, environment and householder at the same time.”

Grant levels are as follows:

Information:

Kevin’s Mobile/E-Mail: 087 929 56 23 / info@kevinfarrell.ie

]]> http://kevinfarrell.ie/farrell-welcomes-new-green-grants-which-will-create-4000-jobs-and-help-homeowners-save-money-through-better-insulation/feed 0 http://kevinfarrell.ie/educate-together-submit-6000-signature-petition-to-deptartment-of-education-and-science http://kevinfarrell.ie/educate-together-submit-6000-signature-petition-to-deptartment-of-education-and-science#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:32:23 +0000 Kevin Farrell http://kevinfarrell.ie/?p=171 As Spokesperson for the Lucan Task-Force for an Educate Together Second-Level School, and as a parent of a young child attending Griffeen Valley ETNS, Kevin has been working hard with his colleagues on the Task-Force and with Educate Together to have Ireland’s first such Second-Level School granted for Lucan.

With five Educate Together Primary Schools in Lucan, the area is ripe for an equivalent Second-Level School so that Parents can choose to continue to have their children educated in the ethos of their choice.

In December 2007, Educate Together applied for Second-Level Patronage to the Fianna Fail Minister for Education and Science. However, to date (28th January 2009), no substantive response has been forthcoming. Kevin recently attended the presentation of a 6,000 signature petition calling on Minister Batt O’Keeffe:

‘to register Educate Together as a patron of second-level schools as a matter of urgency, and to facilitate families who wish to exercise their right to choose a second-level school with Educate Together’s specific ethos.’

Educate Together representatives present second-level petition: Dr Carmel Mulcahy, Head of School of Education Studies, DCU, Paul Rowe, CEO, Educate Together, Dr Aidan Seery, Principal Investigator, School of Education, TCD, and Dr Kevin Farrell, spokesperson for the Lucan Taskforce for an Educate Together Second-level school

For more information on the Lucan Task-Force’s campaign, please contact Kevin, or see www.LucanET2.com.