Minister Opens Brand new Youth Café in Palmerstown

Local Fine Gael Minister, Frances Fitzgerald, was given a warm welcome in Palmerstown as she arrived to officially open their new Youth Café this week. The service which recently started operating out of the Palmerstown Sports and Community Centre was opened with financial support from her office, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

 

“It’s such an honour to be here in the heart of my constituency to open this fantastic new service for the area. It’s quite obvious that you have managed to create a fun and safe space for our young people in this well-used centre. Foroige’s Regional Youth Office, Claire Hutchinson, has put enormous effort in to establishing the Palmerstown youth club and I was delighted to make funding available for their latest project – the Palmerstown Youth Café,” said Minister Frances Fitzgerald at the launch.

“Over two years ago I conducted a door-to-door survey asking residents throughout Palmerstown if there was a need for a youth café. The response was overwhelming and I was delighted, in my new role as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, to be able to help that idea become a reality by allocating funding towards this project,” said Fitzgerald.

Minister Welcomes Investment of €170,000 in Bawnogue and Deansrath

Local Fine Gael T.D., Minister Frances Fitzgerald, has welcomed the allocation of €170,000 worth of funding to develop public amenities between Bawnogue, Deansrath and the Grand Canal.


“I am pleased to welcome an investment of €170,000 into the development of amenities in the Bawnogue and Deansrath area of Clondalkin,” said Minister Frances Fitzgerald at the announcement.


“The Green Route cycle and pedestrian route along the Grand Canal has proved a real positive for the communities of Clondalkin and Lucan. I am delighted that funding has been allocated for the provision of similar amenities that will link Deansrath and Bawnogue to the current route,” said Minister Frances Fitzgerald.

Minister Welcomes Approval of funding for Zebra Crossing in Lucan

Local Fine Gael T.D., Minister Frances Fitzgerald, has welcomed the allocation of €50,000 from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport for the installation of zebra crossings including one on Griffeen Avenue in Lucan.


“It is great that funding has now been allocated to the installation of a pedestrian crossing on Griffeen Avenue. €50,000 has been made available today by my colleague Minister Varadkar. Residents and public representatives alike have been calling for a crossing at this location for years now. Almost two years ago I started an online petition asking residents who supported the need to install a pedestrian crossing along this road to let their views be known. I would like to thank all of those who signed my petition and joined my campaign for this crossing. At long last, your efforts have paid off,” said Minister Frances Fitzgerald.


Minister Fitzgerald also commended her Council colleague Cllr. William Lavelle who has been campaigning on this issue kept this topic firmly on the Council’s agenda.

€55,000 in funding for South Dublin will help tackle litter and graffiti – Fitzgerald

Fine Gael TD and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, has welcomed funding totalling €55,000 for South Dublin County Council to help tackle the problem of litter and graffiti. The funding has been announced by the Minister for Environment, Phil Hogan, as part of the provision of more than €2 million in grants to local authorities nationwide. 

“Maintaining the appearance of our village and town centres in Clondalkin, Lucan, Palmerstown as well as Rathcoole and Newcastle, is not only important for the morale of people living in local communities, it is a key factor in driving economic growth and boosting tourism figures. The funding being provided by Minister Hogan will help local authorities to tackle littering through awareness raising, enforcement and the maintenance of tourist areas.

“A total of €55,000 has been allocated to the Council under the Anti-Litter and Anti-Graffiti Awareness Scheme. Using this money, local authorities will be able to select projects that promote greater public awareness and education in relation to litter and graffiti. This includes supporting voluntary initiatives run by community groups, which play such a vital role in the upkeep of our towns and villages. The recent work of local tidy town committees is the perfect example of this.

Credit Guarantee Bill will help small businesses in Lucan & Clondalkin to access credit and create jobs – Fitzgerald

Local Fine Gael T.D., Minister Frances Fitzgerald, has said that the Credit Guarantee Bill 2012, which has been published by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, will make it easier for small and medium businesses in Clondlakin, Lucan, Palmerstown, Rathcoole and Saggart to access credit and create jobs.

“Access to credit is the biggest single challenge facing businesses across south Dublin. Every week I meet local business people involved in the Clondalkin and Lucan Chambers who express their frustration and dismay at their inability to access credit from the banks. Small and medium businesses need a reliable stream of credit to function, particularly in the current difficult trading environment. The Credit Review Bill will directly tackle this problem,” said Frances Fitzgerald.

Minister Fitzgerald to End Detention of 16 and 17 Year Olds in St. Patrick’s Institution

Local TD and Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald, has announced that capital funding of approximately €50 million has been secured to end the detention of 16 and 17 year old boys in St. Patrick’s Institution. The €50 million of capital funding over three years will fund six new detention units and associated education and training facilities and was a key commitment in the Fine Gael/Labour Programme for Government.

Speaking at the announcement, the Minister heralded the new facilities at Oberstown as a significant moment for Irish society stating; “Accommodating children in adult prison facilities is contrary to international standards in children’s rights and is something I am determined to end. This is a key investment in addressing the serious problems of Ireland’s most troubled teens. This development will allow us to place these young people in a secure environment that will offer them a second chance to be productive people who contribute to society.”

The detention of children in St. Patrick’s Institution, which is an adult prison, has been criticised for over 25 years by domestic and international observers as being inappropriate for the rehabilitation of children and addressing their complex needs.

Fitzgerald Opens Child Contact Service in Clondalkin

Local T.D, Minister Frances Fitzgerald, this week launched a new service for children whose parents are separated and who are unable to agree safe and appropriate arrangements for contact. The first-of-its kind in Ireland, the Child Contact Centre in Clondalkin’s Quarryvale is a service provided by Barnardos, Ireland’s leading independent children’s charity, and One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families. It is operating on a two year pilot in three locations in Dublin: Ballymun, Clondalkin and Tallaght.

“I was delighted to launch this fantastic new service in Clondalkin this week. I've long been a supporter of the work of the Quarryvale Family Resource Centre and am particularly pleased that this important new service is now available at this centre,” said Minister Frances Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald Launches Dublin West Child Care & Learning Services in Clondalkin

Minister Frances Fitzgerald this week launched the Dublin West Child Care and Learning Services and the Dublin South National Early Years Access Initiative at an event held in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel. The launch was attended by Mayor Jones and childcare providers from Lucan, Clondalkin and Tallaght.

Dublin West Child Care and Learning Services is a merger of four Community Childcare Services located in Clondalkin and Lucan. Staff from each of these four services, Kosy Kids in Deansrath, Limetree in Bawnogue, the Bush Centre in Foxdene and the community childcare facility in Quarryvale, were on hand to help celebrate the launch of the project.

Speech by Minister Frances Fitzgerald at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis 2012

In the past two decades alone, we’ve had 16 major statutory reports on child protection. We have seen horrors beyond imagining and we have reached a point where there is national consensus that we have to change. 
Almost everybody now, except for the really recalcitrant few, believe that we have to turn over a new leaf, we have to do things differently.

This was reflected in the Taoiseach’s decision to create a new Department of Children and Youth Affairs at senior cabinet level. It has been reflected by taking child protection away from the HSE, wherein it was lost, and by setting up a new agency; the Child and Family Support Agency.

 The problem that I see is that such action may make people believe that those steps have ‘solved’ the issue of child protection. They have not.

Not only is the issue not solved, in some cases we as a society are repeating the same mistake that Cloyne, Murphy and Ferns revealed us to have made before.

It’s time that, as a country, we open our eyes to what is happening every day in cities, towns, communities and families around the country.

Fitzgerald & Delaney Lodge Joint Submission on Boot Road to Bord Pleanala Critiquing Developers Claims

Local Fine Gael Minister Frances Fitzgerald and Councillor Tony Delaney have lodged a further detailed submission to An Bord Pleanla in relation to the decision on Boot Road. Their submission clearly critiques claims by the developers including their assertion that the site is adequately serviced by public transport.

Fitzgerald and Delaney previously described as ‘extremely disappointing’ the decision by the Bord not to allow an Oral Hearing into the Council’s decision to grant planning permission for the development of a five storey Primary Care Centre and an adjoining 80 bed nursing home on Boot Road, Clondalkin.

“We believe that the developers latest response exaggerates the suitability of the site for a centre like this. Their response claims that between the bus routes and Metro service the site on Boot Road is adequately served by public transport. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Plans for the Metro suspended, cutbacks on Dublin Bus routes have curtailed the services and no public transport links exist between this site and north Clondalkin or big residential areas such as Woodford. This site is far from ideal as a location for a service like this and our latest submission lodged this morning aims to show just that,” said Minister Frances Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald Welcomes Decision on Foxborough Planning Application as Victory for the Community

Local T.D and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, has welcomed the decision by South Dublin County Council to refuse planning permission for the construction of a separate entrance and deli at the Centra premises in Foxborough. Cllrs. William Lavelle and Emer Higgins have also welcomed the decision and congratulated local residents on a successful campaign.

“I feel that this is the right decision for local residents,” said Fitzgerald.

“This planning application would more than likely have evolved into a takeaway. Such a facility would have led to an increase in late night noise and traffic in this residential area and an increase in anti social behaviour and late night loitering at this location,” said Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald welcomes industry decision on children’s clothing guidelines

Local T.D. and Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, has welcomed the decision by the industry group Retail Ireland, to prepare guidelines on the responsible retailing of childrenswear.

“At my initiation, the industry group Retail Ireland, have announced that they will prepare guidelines on the responsible retailing of childrenswear. This is an issue that is of concern to many parents throughout Lucan and I have been working on this for some time,” said Minister Fitzgerald.

Last month Minister Fitzgerald wrote to Irish fashion retailers inviting the sector to prepare guidelines to address growing concerns over the sexualisation of childhood and body-image, in particular among young girls.

Minister Fitzgerald Launches Growing Up In Ireland - New report on Children’s Social And Emotional Well-Being

Local Fine Gael Minister, Frances Fitzgerald, has launched the latest Growing Up in Ireland – The National Longitudinal Study of Children report on how families matter for children’s social and emotional well-being.

Growing up in Ireland - How Families Matter for Social and Emotional Outcomes of 9-Year-Old Children explores how children in Ireland are faring in terms of their social and emotional well-being.

“This report examines the links between what goes on within the family, and children’s social and emotional development. The report looks at the influence of parenting, the quality of the parent-child relationship, parental depression and marital satisfaction and the extent to which children’s outcomes differ according to family structure and social-class background,” said Minister Frances Fitzgerald who invited An Taoiseach Enda Kenny to the launch so he could be presented with the findings of the report.

Fitzgerald Welcomes Update on New Primary School for Lucan in 2013

Frances in one of the damp classrooms in St Andrews NS

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, has welcomed news that Lucan is set to receive a new VEC primary school in 2013. This news comes at a time when ongoing works have begun at Gealscoil Eiscir Riada and progress is being made with respect to planned developments at Scoil Mhuire Woodview, St. Andrews N.S. and Esker Educate Together.

“I have spent years campaigning for extra resources for Lucan schools and am delighted that progress is being made by this Government. I welcome the announcement that a brand new VEC primary school is expected to open in Lucan in 2013, this comes at a time when progress is being made for a number of existing primary schools in the area, showing our commitment to provide school places in Lucan. This new school will be a positive addition to our community which already supplies so many top-quality primacy schools for children and parents throughout Lucan,” said Minister Fitzgerald.

Minister Fitzgerald was joined by local representatives in welcoming this news, which was part of a wider announcement by the Minister for Education Rurai Quinn, who revealed plans to create 20 new second level and 20 new primary schools in the next 6 years.

Fitzgerald Presents Cheque to Children’s Hospital on behalf of Siopa Lara

Minister Frances Fitzgerald was on hand to officially present a cheque on behalf of Siopa Lara to the Children’s Medical and Research Foundation. The funds, totally €3,230 were raised by Lara Darby of Siopa Lara at a recent fashion show held in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel.

Siopa Lara boutique is based in the Bawnogue Enterprise Centre and Lara asked that the funds be allocated towards Meningitis Research.

“Over the last year or so we have seen Lara Darby become a real influence in Clondalkin – and I don’t just mean in terms of fashion,” said Minister Frances Fitzgerald.

“Lara opened her popular boutique almost a year ago and I was delighted to officially perform the opening for her. Since then she has organised two successful fashion shows for worthy causes and I was delighted to lend my support to her Christmas fashion show which has just contributed over €3,000 to the Children’s Medical and Research Foundation,” said Minister Frances Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald Cuts the Ribbon on CUMAS Bus

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, officially launched a minibus service for CUMAS this week. The local Fine Gael T.D. made funding available for the purchase of the bus through her Department’s allocation of national lottery funding.

“I am delighted to be here on this sunny spring day to officially open a new service for CUMAS. This mini-bus means that more families will be able to access the services provided by this project. I have always been supportive of CUMAS and the work that you do in our community and am pleased to have been able to help you secure the funding to purchase this minibus. I know it will make a huge difference to the families you work so closely with. It’s great to be joined here today by members of the local school choir who have added a real sense of occasion to the event,” said Minister Fitzgerald at the official launch of the bus.

The CUMAS project, which empowers families from the Clondalkin area and aims to reduce the risks of drug misuse in young people throughout the area, will be using the minibus to facilitate children and families who wish to access their service. Staff and clients were joined by Minister Fitzgerald and members of St. Peter of the Apostle’s School Orchestra to celebrate the occasion.

 “I am very familiar with the work carried out by CUMAS who I know provide invaluable support to many families in our local area. In the past I have worked closely with grandparents from this group who are full-time care givers to their children and have met several of the young people who benefit from the programmes they run,” continued Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald Encourages People to Use their Cúpla Focail

Local TD and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, is dusting off her cúpla focail for this year’s Seachtain na Gaeilge. Running from the 3rd to the 17th of March, Seachain na Gaeilge has developed into a festival which aims to promote and support the use of the Irish language around the community.

“Seachtain na Gaeilge is a great boost to the language and can focus us all on using whatever Irish we have. We have an incredibly vibrant Irish–speaking community with Gaelscoileanna across Clondalkin, Lucan and Rathcoole as well the fantastic cultural centre, Áras Chrónáin,” said Fitzgerald.

In support of Seachtain na Gaeilge, Frances’s office, in the heart of Clondalkin, is turning itself Irish for the duration of the festival.

“During Seactain na Gaeilge, I will try to use the cúpla focal I have and my secretary Méagan will be taking phone calls and appointments either through Irish or English. We have already put up signs as Gaeilge around our Clondalkin office and have quick conversation guides available, which we will be encouraging people to take home with them,” said Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald Welcomes over €2.7 million for House Adaption Grants for Older People and People with Disabilities

Government awards €2,728,308 to South Dublin County Council for 2012

Local Minister and TD, Frances Fitzgerald, has welcomed the provision of €2,728, 308 for South Dublin County Council. This capital will directly fund the improvement and adaptation of private homes of older people and people with a disability.

“These support grants have a major impact on the quality of life for the recipients, and I have seen first-hand how these grants have helped people throughout Clondalkin and Lucan,” said Fitzgerald.

The allocation is part of a capital provision of €67.75m to local authorities across the country announced by Minister for Housing and Planning, Jan O’Sullivan. Announcing the allocations, Minister O’Sullivan said, “I am delighted to be able to secure this level of funding for the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability in spite of the severe constraints on the public finances in these challenging economic times”.

Pathways to Work represents common sense approach to supporting local jobseekers - Fitzgerald

Govt spend on supporting jobseekers has increased by €95 million to €977 million

Local Fine Gael TD and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, has welcomed the Government’s new Pathways to Work initiative which aims to help 75,000 long term unemployed people move into the workforce by 2015.

“A large number of people across Clondalkin, Lucan, Newcatle, Rathcoole and Palmerstown have been affected by unemployment, either directly or through a friend or family member who has lost their job. Pathways to Work aims to stop the slide of people into long term unemployment (over 12 months) and to ensure that as many job opportunities as possible are filled by people who are on the live register. The State will engage with every jobseeker to make sure that their first day out of a job is also their first step on the pathway back to work,” said Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald Welcomes €98mil investment in local business centre

Microsoft announce €98mil investment in Clondalkin and the creation of 400 construction jobs and 30 highly skilled jobs at new data centre in Grangecastle

Local Minister Frances Fitzgerald has welcomed the announcement by Microsoft, of a €98mil investment in a new data centre to be located in Grangecastle, Clondalkin. The move will create 400 construction jobs at the 112,000 square foot site, as well as 50-70 long term highly skilled positions. Fitzgerald recently gave a commitment to businesses in Grangecastle that Ireland’s attractive corporation tax rate would be maintained.

“This investment shows huge confidence in our skilled industry and will be a significant boost to the local economy. The creation of 400 construction jobs is a welcome move that will have a major impact on families throughout our area. It will also result in an increase in spin-off trade for local shops and services,” said Minister Fitzgerald