By Dermot Lacey
Well here we go – another year and Yes another “The Lacey Report”. I have found this a useful way to communicate my work as your Councillor. However if any of you have any ideas as to how I could improve the style or content please let me know – hopefully, we are all learning all the time.
I cannot start the year without highlighting the wonderful programme put together by the Culture Team in the Sandymount Community Centre. Taking place normally on the first Friday of the month the programme this year ranges from a jazz night, the works, poetry, plays and songs of W.B. Yeats, Ceol Cois Tra, and Songs Recitations and Diversion concluding in June with a talk on the life of Constance Markievicz. Get yourselves a programme from the Centre. You will not regret it.
A slow start to the year saw the first City Council meeting take place on Monday 6th. Among the items discussed was the media reports of new Bye-Laws to regulate on-street food services for those in need. While the media reports were premature in that no proposals have yet gone before Councillors I made my position clear that I would only vote for new arrangements provided they were better than the existing ones. We cannot punish the poor and hungry for the failures of our society.
My proposal that An Post would make available the existing and underused canteen and catering facilities to the rear of the GPO for the provision of such services was widely welcomed but not by An Post. I was disappointed at the shortsightedness of the An Post response particularly as their Chief Executive had been one of the proposers that these “on-street” service providers needed to be regulated.
Other items dealt with at the City Council meeting included the ongoing housing crisis and in our area the need to speed up the development of the Gullistan site in Rathmines and the former IGB site in Ringsend for Housing.
Saturday 11th January saw the Annual General Meeting of the Ballsbridge, Sandymount and Donnybrook Historical Society taking place in The Hive, Herbert Park. The outgoing Committee reported on events of the past year and plans for 2025. Knowing our local history I believe hugely helps in the appreciation of our place and I want to thank the great officer team of the society for keeping the history group going through good times and bad.
At the Area Committee I sought renegotiation of the agreements with the Aviva Stadium and the RDS in relation to street cleaning after events. I also sought specific action be taken in relation to the significant increase in the rat population in parts of the area. I have also been pushing the case for a permanent solution to the issues surrounding Scully’s Field in Milltown, and the case for a linear park along the Dodder between Clonskeagh and Milltown Bridges.
After many years of lobbying I was delighted to finally see the installation of an accessible entrance from the Beech Hill estate to UCD. The long-standing practice of juggling your way through the one-foot wide “hole in the wall” which inhibited bicycle, pram and wheelchair access is now at an end and will make the wonderful grounds of UCD more accessible to all. Sincere thanks to the Estates office and officials in UCD and Dublin City Council for making this possible.
In relation to the parking of Camper vans on a semi-permanent basis on the Sandymount promenade Dublin City Council have confirmed to me that the height barriers will be reinstated shortly. As a Camper Van user myself I am aware of the need for such facilities but these must be based on proper services and I am pursuing this through the relevant Dublin City Council Policy Committee.
I am constantly asked about the installation of Dublin City Council provided electric car charging points. I am pleased to confirm that the Council have now identified locations at Strand Road car park– near Sydney Parade, The Crescent in Donnybrook, Milltown Strand Terrace, Farmer Browns car park Clonskeagh Road and Bushy Park -near Rathdown Avenue. Work on these is expected to commence and become operational before the end of June and I will continue to monitor this to ensure delivery.
Finally in some Scout news Congratulations to Barbara Stone of the Leeson Park Scout Group on being awarded the Gold Service Award by Scouting Ireland. This award recognises her huge contribution to Scouting over many years and is well deserved. Big welcome also to Sean Brodie who has taken over as Group Leader of Donnybrook Scout Group. Sean takes over from Laura O’Connor and will lead the Group through its Centenary celebrations in 2027. Huge Thanks to Laura for magic contribution to the Group.
Coming up there are meetings of the Eastern and Midlands Regional Assembly, Board meetings of Ringsend, Ballsbridge, Rathmines and Liberties ETB Colleges, the City Centre Task Force and the Consultative Forum on the IGB site. My first meeting as a member of the EU Committee of the Regions is also due in February and I will report on all these in the next Lacey Report. In the meantime, as always, if there is any way that I can help, as a City Councillor or a Peace Commissioner, please do not hesitate to contact me.
