Monthly Archives: May 2009

Kilteel / Eadestown Notes

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I was in Kilteel hall the other night for a candidate debate. Good event and pity there aren’t more of them around the constituency. Five of us attended (me, Willie, Tiernach, Paddy Mac and Tony Lawlor) and we all were given an opportunity to introduce ourselves at the outset. There followed a Q & A session and we discussed various local matters. Noone won or lost politically but it was a very worthwhile exercise to understand the local issues.

I’ve been canvassing the area for some time now so I had a reasonable grasp of the issues already. Roads, roads and broadband. Yep they’re the big ones. Roads such as the red big lane are in dire straits whilst the N7 improvements were a mixed blessing with the road from the turf bog lane down through Rathmore and Eadestown becoming an exceptionally busy rat run. Schools are an issue and I outlined my suggestion for a shared second level facility in “North Naas” i.e. between Sallins, Johnstown, Kill and of course Kilteel / Eadestown too.

I had already worked on getting broadband to the area with the exchange upgrade earlier this year. Well it turns out half the places aren’t covered and the school has to share with another line. A lot done, more to do me thinks. We’ll be back to this one, all going well next Friday.

Crime is also an issue as I knew from my canvass. A few unpleasant incidents recently.

Lot of things for me to get stuck into if I get that chance.

Two Mile House updates

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As per most areas I have prepared a list of items pertaining to Two Mile House and topics of interest there:

Footpath from outer areas into village – To enable residents to walk to school and shops in safety, I would support the provision of footpaths connecting each end of the village (including Dowdingstown Wood) with the village centre, school, church, pub etc.

Traffic Calming – The road past down the village street is on a steep incline and some traffic calming measures may improve road safety along here.

Broadband – I am aware that coverage in the village is not consistent and I have already been in discussions with Eircom on this – a number of exchanges are due for upgrade later this year.

Amenities – I support the provision of playgrounds and play centres across the constituency. I would be keen to explore what public amenities can be provided for Two Mile House. I would also support the preservation and public enjoyment of nearby natural amenities such as the canal harbour.

Estate Finishing – I would plan to work with the newer developments in village to ensure final finishing to residents satisfaction and progress handover to county council for taking in charge.

Parish Council and Local Groups – I believe it is essential that local representation involves local consultation and I have already engaged with Two Mile House parish council via a very constructive meeting last year on the area plan. I intend to continue such engagement if elected and I am available to meet with any local groups to discuss issues of relevance to Two Mile House.

Local Planning – The Two Mile House local area plan is due to be prepared this year. I consulted residents’ opinions last year on this and, as above, I would plan to engage with the community as the plan proceeds through final stages over the course of the year. (My own submission is here).

Caragh Manifesto

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I hope I’ve met most the good folk of Caragh by this stage but if not feel free to get in touch. Here is my list of updates and issues for the village:

Caragh NS: The school was included in September of last year as one of 25 projects which are to progress to tender and construction (RN: 18654A). The project involves the construction of a 15 classroom extension, GP hall and ancillary accommodation for the school. The project is currently progressing through the advanced stages of architectural planning

Estate Issues: I have raised compliance issues with council building control section particularly re Old Chapel Wood and Gingerstown Park estates, in relation to green space and access, and I am also pursuing works outstanding in a number of locations around the village such as drainage issues.

Drainage & Flooding – The road section near the railway bridge needs to be improved to prevent flooding issues. The flooding problem in this area has left the walls and footpaths at the Streams covered in dirt. This problem is also leading to potholes and road erosion. The recently installed water drains at the road edge also require rework and should be inset into the footpaths.

Footpath from Village to Donore/Mondello – The road to Stickens, Donore and Mondello can be dangerous for pedestrians, however, given their close proximity to the village shop, a footpath should be provided to serve these areas. Traffic calming in Donore is also needed along with resurfacing/rebuilding of the village road from the Liffey bridge through to Mondello.

Bus Service – Caragh needs a bus service to Naas and I am already engaging with private operators to progress this. I have proposed the creation of a Prosperous – Caragh – Naas route.

Broadband – Coverage in the village is not consistent and I have been in discussions with Eircom on this – the Caragh exchange is due for upgrade this year.

Playground – I support the provision of playgrounds and play centres right across the constituency. If elected, I would hope to identify a suitable playground site within Caragh village.

Showtime

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As ‘Mara’ famously said in May 07, (kickstarting the faltering national campaign), it’s “Showtime, folks!”..

And indeed it is. The posters are up, candidates are formally declared and we’re all at it like hammer and tongs. I crossed two county boundaries today out canvassing and twice had to check which constituency I was in.

Personally I love it. Politicking, out and about, meeting the people. There are dozens of people who have started off tearing strips off me and by the end of it we were shaking hands sharing a joke. They may not vote for me but I think I’ve earned some respect and I genuinely enjoy engaging and hearing the stories.

It’s as coal face as it gets. Stay tuned for more updates over the coming days…