RICHMONDCllr. NEALE

Newsletter Spring 2012

Your local Fine Gael team Cllr Neale Richmond, Cllr Tom Joyce, Peter Mathews TD, Olivia Mitchell TD, Minister Alan Shatter TD and Gay Mitchell MEP

€5 million in local roads funding Minister of Transport Leo Varadkar has announced that Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has been allocated €5,133,180 in grants for road improvement schemes.

This funding will enable the County Council to go ahead with much needed restoration, maintenance and improvement works.

€650,000 has been allocated to the Burton Hall Road scheme which will greatly benefit the traffic flow in Sandyford Business Estate. The Part 8 planning approval for this was passed by the County Council just this month.

In addition €100,000 has been allocated to the Leopardstown Link Road; this will be of further benefit to the Sandyford Business Estate as well as residents living close by.

Over €2 million has been allocated to road improvement across the County, there are many roads which will require attention and this funding will ensure the safety of these roads. €131,000 has also been allocated as part of the regional sign posting campaign.

Nearly €1 million has been allocated for road restoration and winter maintenance projects.

In the interests of transparency, I have decided to publish all my earnings as a Councillor for the year 2011, much as I did in 2010. The details of which were laid out to me by the Council’s financial department.

Travel & Subsistence for attendance at meetings makes up a large amount of the total figure, I will clarify though that these amounts are not claimed, there are no expense forms, rather we are given a payment automatically each month based on the amount of official Council meetings we attended as well as the location of these meetings.

Not accounted for here is an annual payment of €1,500 for attendance at meetings of the Dublin Regional Authority of which I am a member.

The salary of a Councillor is liable for tax, PRSI, Universal Social Charge and the pension levy although we do not receive pension entitlements.

Inside Guide• Holy Trinity NS gets go ahead for new school

• Marlay Park Update

• Stepaside All Weather Pitch

• Payments and Transparency

Contact Neale:23 Kingston Heights,Ballinteer, Dublin 16

Web: www.nealerichmond.ieEmail: neale.richmond@gmail.com Facebook: Cllr. Neale Richmond - Glencullen/Sandyford Twitter: @nealerichmond Mobile: 086 781 4514

Payments & transParency

• Total Mobile Phone Bill – €1,171.23

• Balance of Phone Bill paid by Councillor for 2011 – €585.61

• Amount of Mobile Phone bill paid for by the Council for 2011 – €585.62

• Travel & Subsistence for attendance at Meetings for 2011 (includes deductions such as LAMA annual membership fee,

Mobile Phone Bills and Mobile Phone Bill Review) – €5,021.56

• Salary 2011 (Gross Amount) – €16,724

• Leas Cathaoirleach Allowance (Paid from 1st Jan – 13th June 2011) – €3,643.95

• Travel & Subsistence for attendance at Conferences for 2011 – €506.71

• Conference Fees for 2011 – €160

• Education & Training Allowance 2011 – €0

• Broadband Expenses 2011 – €0

Total – €26,641.84

The average total amount for a Councillor in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown for 2011 was €27,631.89

Bogus charity collectorsAn Garda Siochana has asked local residents to be wary of bogus charity collectors calling to your door for donations. There have been a number of such incidents in the Ballinteer & Sandyford areas. If you are suspicious of any callers, ask to see ID and a charity collection permit. If they fail to produce these, call your local Garda station. Cabinteely: 01 666 5400 Dundrum: 01 666 5600 Stepaside: 01 666 5700

stePaside all Weather PitchIn late 2011 the Council identified quality issues with the surfacing of the All Weather pitches that are being constructed beside Stepaside Golf Club. These issues have now been resolved by the contractor and it is envisaged that work will be completed by mid April, subject to weather conditions being favourable in the meantime. A number of local sports clubs have expressed an interest in renting these new pitches and it is hoped arrangements can be made to facilitate this.

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23 Kingston Heights, Ballinteer, Dublin 16Mobile: 086 781 4514 Email: neale.richmond@gmail.com Web: www.nealerichmond.ie Facebook: Cllr. Neale Richmond - Glencullen/Sandyford Twitter: @nealerichmond

RICHMONDCllr. NEALE

NewsletterSpring 2012

holy trinity ns gets go ahead for neW school Following a lengthy campaign, the Minister of Education has confirmed that work on the construction of a permanent school for Holy Trinity NS in Leopardstown will begin this year.The move from prefabs to a permanent building will not only be a great relief to the school community but it will also save the state thousands of euro in the long run.

Marlay Park worksWorks carried out in the Past 12 months• Boundary wall and railings at Grange

road overflow car park and stabilising of existing demesne wall.

• Earthworks and installation of ‘Celestial Mountain’ sculpture on hill by playground.

• Footpath improvements

• Avenue tree planting

• Install signage for shared cycle way

• Provision of new bins and seating.

• Refurbish toilet facilities at Grange Road car park.

• Resurfacing of toddler playground (replace gravel with bark chippings).

• Control of invasive species in large pond

develoPment Works for the next 12 months• Final landscaping of ‘Celestial Mountain’

sculpture by playground.

• Continue Avenue tree planting during winter months.

• New gates at Grange Rd side entrance opposite La Touche Court.

• Installation of toilet facilities at Children’s playground.

• Refurbish building at tennis courts to create temporary dressing rooms.

• Completion of Grange Road overflow car park.

• Commence construction of Golf Pavilion.

• Ongoing control of invasive species in large pond.

litter in marlay ParkDun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has agreed to drastically alter their litter policy for Marlay Park following repeated calls from Cllr Neale Richmond to address the growing litter problem in Marlay Park.

Over the course of summer 2011, Marlay Park enjoyed an increased number of visitors and hosted a large number of events; sadly this came with an increase in litter. This was also the first full summer where the new playground has been in action.

Previously the Council employed two staff who worked full time picking up litter and emptying the thirty bins that are dotted around the park at least once a day. However, the increased number of visitors and the increased number of seats and benches installed in the park has seen the litter problem rise, with many bins seemingly always full.

Prior to Christmas, the Council agreed to a new litter plan which will see known litter black spots receive increased attention while all parks staff will now be involved in litter management within the park.

schools Patronage The Department of Education’s consultation period in relation to the patronage of new schools concluded in January. The Department has indicated that one new secondary school and two new primary schools will be built in the wider Ballinteer/Stepaside area by 2017.

A number of local bodies have made submissions to the Department including Educate Together. County Dublin VEC has also proposed to house a Gaelcholaiste at their campus in Dundrum.

The Council is working alongside the Department to identify possible locations and arrangements for these new schools and a report will be due soon.

Patrúnacht scoileanna Tá deireadh le tréimshe idirbheartaíochta na Roinne Oideachais do phatrúnacht scoileanna nua, críochnaithe ó Mhí Eanáir. Tá sé tugtha le fios ag an Roinn go dtógfar meánscoil nua amháin agus dhá bhunscoil nua I n-abhantrach Ballinteer/Stepaside faoin bhlian 2017.

Tá roinnt eagrais áitiúla tar éis aighneachtaí a sheoladh chuig an Roinn, ina measc “Educate Together”. Tá Coiste Gairmoideachais Chontae Bhaile Átha Chliath taréis a dhearbhú comh maith go néagróidh said Gaelcholáiste ar a láthair I nDún Druma.

Tá an Chomhairle Chontae ag obair leis an Roinn ag iarraidh suíomhanna oiriúnacha a aithint agus socruithe a dhéanamh dos na scoileanna nua seo agus beidh tuairisc ar fail go luath uatha.

clean uP daysAs we enter into spring many residents associations, community groups and tidy towns groups will be organising clean up days. If you would like to organise one should day for your area, please let Neale know and he will request the Council to provide bags, pickers, gloves and rubbish collection.

rosemont relocation Before Christmas I had the pleasure of turning the sod at the site of the relocated Rosemont Secondary School on the Enniskerry Road. I was joined by An Cathaoirleach Cllr John Bailey as well as by a large number of pupils, parents, staff, teachers, alumni and local residents. The building work at the school is progressing rapidly and the new school will be open in September.

Neale with An Cathaoirleach Cllr John Bailey & Margaret Kelly, Principal of Rosemont at the turning of the sod for the school’s new home in Sandyford.

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