Meeting With Naas Traders – Naas Town Revival

James Lawless Naas TradersRecently I held a very productive meeting with a group of Naas traders during which I outlined that the revival of the town centre is one of my top priorities if elected to the council in May 2014

I came to live in Naas when it was a thriving town and as the county town I want to see it thrive again. Growing up above a shop myself, ​ ​I am very familiar with the retail environment and I know footfall is the lifeblood of any high street business. There are a variety of issues from planning issues to commercial rates to parking to an anchor tenant but I have always believed ‘where there is a will there is a way’ and I am determined to get stuck into these issues if I am elected this May.

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Call for Progress Report on Kildare Broadband

broadband cabinetI have ask for a progress report on the implementation of the National Broadband Plan and the Rural Broadband Scheme in County Kildare. So far there seems to be little evidence on the ground of any significant progress with these schemes and large areas of the county remain without access to a quality broadband service.

This is something I have been campaigning for locally for many years. The National Broadband Plan, published by the Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte in 2012, promised to ensure that high speed broadband was available to people all over the country. But so far it has not delivered. Kildare is being left far behind and many communities still don’t have access to a decent broadband service.

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15% Surge in Naas Area Burglaries Result of Cut Backs

There needs to be immediate action on the rapid rise of burglaries, thefts and related crimes in the Naas area during the past year. The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show that there were 958 reported burglaries at Naas Garda Station in 2013. That’s up 131 from 827 burglaries in the previous year.

With the closure of stations in rural communities around Naas in 2012, we’re seeing a rise in burglaries and theft in these parts. Residents in isolated areas and even in villages are becoming increasingly nervous in their homes.

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Pipers Hill NS to Co-Locate at New Craddockstown Site

Work has already started at the Craddockstown site.

Work has already started at the Craddockstown site.

There is welcome news on the announcement from Sean Ashe, head of the KWWETB, that he has sought permission from the Minister to re-home Naas Community School (otherwise known as Pipers Hill NS) into the new school building campus underway at Craddockstown. I’ve been closely following the development of new schools in the greater Naas area for some time now and this is a positive development.

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Taking in Charge Stalled by Irish Water Legal Fiasco

The water might be flowing, but taking-in-charge isn’t.

Taking in Charge of estates remains a hot topic around County Kildare as numerous estates are waiting for the Council to take them over so they can begin to avail of public services. In some cases estates are not even having their street lights repaired at present as the council is not legally responsible until an estate is formally taken in charge.

I have been campaigning on this issue for some time and have helped some estates get taken in charge in recent months. However, just when progress was being made, a new setback has arisen which will cause more delays.

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