Fine Gael TD for Dublin West, Leo Varadkar, has given a guarded welcome to plans from Dublin Bus to re-organise the bus routes around Dublin 15. The changes are planned for implementation in July and form part of Dublin Bus’ cost-cutting and rationalisation plan.

Among the changes are:

• The 37 bus will now terminate at Wilton Terrace providing a direct bus service from Clonsilla, Carpenterstown and Castleknock through town to St Stephens Green and the Luas;
• The 70 bus will serve Dunboyne and Clonee and will travel straight down the N3 without going into Blanchardstown Centre and the Village;
• The various 39 bus routes will be merged in to two routes one will be more direct and other more frequent but more circuitous;
• The badly served area around Latchford and Manorfields will now be on the 39 bus route; and
• The 39 and 70 will cross town terminating at Wilton Terrace

All 38 buses will serve Castlecurragh (they won’t go through Mulhuddart Village anymore) and will run as far as UCD

There will be greater use of existing bus lanes and less routes and roads that have no bus lanes
Bus services will run seven days a week

‘The new bus route map and timetable will be welcomed by many commuters in Dublin 15 especially those who work in the southern part of the city around St Stephen’s Green, Merrion Square and the Grand Canal. . Residents of Clonee will welcome a more direct bus service to town but won’t be happy that they are being cut off from the Blanchardstown Centre. Some people are definitely going to have to work farther to catch the bus that they want.’

‘It seems that Dublin 15 is avoiding most of the cuts to services in other parts of the city but it is hard to see how a better service can be provided with ninety fewer buses in operation across the city. I believe the time has come to allow private operators to take over some of the routes currently controlled by Dublin Bus. This would allow Dublin Bus to provide a better and more frequent service on the routes they retain. It’s a shame to see so many buses, public and private, not been used. I would still like to see the 37 terminate at the Blanchardstown Centre in order provide a direct bus service to the Centre for residents of Castleknock and Carpenterstown’

On Monday, March 1st I will be hosting a public meeting in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown at 8pm.

One of the key priorities for Fine Gael in Dublin West, and for me since my election in 2007 has been the proper regulation of Residential Management Companies. I am one of the few TDs who lives in a Management Company development, so I have a personal interest in it too. Despite the explosion of the number of apartment complexes over the past decade, especially in Dublin 15, there is no proper legislation or regulations which govern these companies.

For more details on the Bill, I have set up a set on this site giving more details and seeking your feedback.

The 37 bus terminus on the Diswellstown road will be moved to Power City on the Blanchardstown Road South. The move will be welcomed by residents of the Luttrellstown and Riverwood areas who have been concerned for many years about the traffic hazard caused by parked buses on the Diswellstown Road terminus where there is no bus bay. It will also provide a better bus service between Castleknock and the Clonsilla and Moutview areas.

‘We have been calling for a new 37 bus terminus for years due to safety concerns about buses parked on Diswellstown Road. Responsibility for bus stops and terminuses rests with Dublin Bus and there have been many proposals to move the terminus in the past. By taking this initiative the council have responded to the local community and it’s hoped to have the terminus moved in time for Christmas subject to the co-operation of Dublin Bus.’

The current terminus is on the Diswellstown road where buses simply park along the road forcing traffic to overtake on a dangerous stretch of carriageway. A request in May 2008 by Dublin Bus to move the terminus to the Blanchardstown Centre failed to get approval from the Minister of Transport because of government policies which ban competition on bus routes. Dublin Bus was invited to apply again but no application was received.

The work on the Blanchardstown Road South will involve changing the road markings to allow a bus lane alongside Power City between the Ongar Road and the Clonsilla Road roundabouts with bus stops on either side of the road.

Department Admits Twelve Local Schools in ‘‘critical need of repair or urgent attention’

Eight Schools Spending more than €50,000 a year on Prefabs

Local Dublin West TD, Leo Varadkar has revealed Department of Education information which contains the list of all schools in Dublin 15 which require building works.

“The scale of the building problems facing Dublin 15 is chronic. Currently there are 12 separate schools being described by the Department as being in ‘critical need of repair or urgent attention’. In addition, there are three new schools projects in the pipeline, yet only one of these – the Hansfield NS school project is at the advanced Architectural Planning Stage. The other two projects, Tyrellstown Educate Together and Hansfield Community College are still stranded at the pre-architectural planning stage.”

Leo Varadkar continued “while these twelve schools are in urgent need of investment, the Department of Education is pouring hundreds of thousands of Euros each year down the drain by the renting of prefabs. Currently in Dublin 15, there are eight schools which making extensive use of prefabs – in each case at an annual cost of more than €50,000. In three cases, St. Mochta’s NS, St Brigid’s GNS, and Scoil Bhride BNS. This is dead money and could be put to much better use by providing permanent buildings for our children.”

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Kieran Dennison, one of the two Fine Gael candidates running in the Mulhuddart Ward later this year has launched his own website at kierandennison.com.

Adeola Ogunsina, who is one of the two Fine Gael candidates in the Mulhuddart Ward (along with Kieran Dennison) has launched his own website.

Leo Varadkar TD (Fine Gael) has welcomed a decision by Fingal County Council to grant planning permission for a new 24 classroom primary school in Ongar, Dublin 15.  The school will have its own general purpose room.  In addition, a 5050sqm community centre will be built as part of the school building with a large hall, community meeting rooms, offices, store rooms and a kitchen.  The new school buildings will accommodate St Benedict’s National School which currently operates from temporary buildings in Littlepace.  St Benedict’s is the catholic parish school for Ongar, Bramblefields, Latchford, Castlegrange and Manorfields.
  …[more]

Please find below a copy of a letter I sent out to residents in Mount Symon Lawn and Park, relating to a planning application lodged by Pontederia Limited. …[more]

Following on from a previous press release, the details of the proposed Porterstown Link Road are now available from the Fingal County Council website.  Drawings are also available from the Fingal County Council site here and here.

The plans can also be inspected in person at the Council’s offices in Blanchardstown until Monday the 18th February during the hours of 9:30 to 4:30 (including lunch) Monday to Friday. Submissions dealing with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area in which the development would be situated, may be made in writing to:- Tommie Mc Manus, Administrative Officer, Fingal County Council, Grove Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 to arrive no later than 4.30pm on Monday 3rd March, 2008.

Fine Gael TD for Dublin West, Leo Varadkar, has given a warm welcome to a planning application from the Department of Education and Science to build a 24 classroom primary school and community hall in Ongar.  The buildings will be located beside Castaheany Educate Together School which is currently under construction and will be accessed from Beechwood Green, the road linking Ongar House to the main Ongar Road.  The new school building will accommodate St Benedict’s National School which is currently based in Littlepace where it shares a site with Mary Mother of Hope National School and Castaheany Educate Together.  The development will also include a 5050 square metre hall which will be used by the school during the day and the community in the evening, at weekends and during school holidays.  The school will also have its own much smaller General Purpose Room. …[more]