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MOST NOTABLYthe criminals are pos-ing as either ESB orCouncil workers;some use the storythat they are checkingwater pressure. Add -it ionally, news thatdistributors of bagsfor charity collectionsdelivering at unusualhours of the night anddoors being ‘tried’during delivery havebeen reported in theGriffeen Estate inLucan as recently aslast weekend.

Councillor GussO’Connell is anxiousto ensure that peoplefeel safe and securein these difficulttimes which is beingmade more hazardousby con men who areready to prey on peo-ples fears and vulner-ability.

“Only for the vig-ilance of some peoplewho contacted theGardaí when they

noticed strangers act-ing suspiciously, wecould have had a lotmore burglaries.” St -at ed the Palmerstownbased IndependentCommunity Coun -cill or when contactedby the Local Newsthis week.

He reports thatresidents have ex -pressed concerns thatunscrupulous peopleare operating underthe guise of deliver-ing notices on the“collection of clothesfor charity”, givingthem an excuse toapproach the frontdoor. The fact thatthese leaflets aredropped during thenight is a cause ofreal concern andthere have been re -ports of doors being“tried” in the earlyhours when the letter-box was on the walland there was noneed for anyone on

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Gardaí and local officials havecalled for continued vigilance, as‘Bogus Callers’ claiming to workfor the council remain at large.This is part of a recent crimewave to hit the general Dublinarea and a growing number ofreports are now coming in fromPalmerstown and Lucan.

more leaflets dropp edthan there are collec-tions on the statedday which makes mevery suspicious.”

Cllr O’Connellfears another detri-mental effect of thesecrimes is the loss oftrust amongst neigh-bours and communi-ties, “We are losingthe ability to recog-nise each other andour ability to trusteach other.” CllrO’Connell, wor k ingclosely withPalm erstown

Community Council,wants to ensure thatall residents are caredfor and that thetremendous workalready being doneby so many volun-teers and voluntarygroups in the com -munity is supportedand en hanced.

Meals were del -ivered, snow was cl -eared from drivewaysand footpaths, someresidents were kept

up to date with thewater situation

and others

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were helped to feelless isolated. All inall, Community spiritwas str engthened. “Agood example of thevalue of having aComm unity Councilthat can act quickly,impartially and in amanner that supportsexisting voluntaryand statutory bodiesin an emergency,”concluded Cllr GussO’Connell.

The CommunityCouncil have distrib-uted leaflets aimed atenhancing communi-ty spirit and caringfor local residents byasking those who livealone to get in contactso they can avail of

the service of localvolunteers, or if youknow of someone liv-ing alone who couldbenefit from a visitand for anyone inter-ested in volunteeringto contact them bycalling 087 683 8254.

To date, theGardaí have appre-hended no suspectsand their investiga-tion has moved nofurther along. Remainon the lookout forthese suspects andreport any informa-tion that could helpthe Gardaí: Two malesuspects described asaged between 21 and26, and being wellspoken with Dublin

accents. An additional

Garda message issuedto The Local News isto “Remain vigilantand take your time,don’t be over anxiousto let someone in.There is no harm notletting an officialcaller in to be safe,they will under-stand.” And theywant people, particu-larly the elderly, toknow it is not a bur-den to call the Gardaí.“It is better to be safethan sorry. We wouldmuch prefer to pre-vent a crime than tovisit when you havebeen a victim, it is nota burden on us.”

legitimate business togo near the door.

Cllr O’Connelladvises householdersto give any surplusgoods to Vincent dePaul, or some otherlocal charity. “Weshould use everyopportunity to elim -inate the hazards ass -ociated with theseun solicited leafletdrops that take placein the dead of night,”says the IndependentCo m munity CllrO’C onnell. “Fromobservation, it seemsto me that there are

AFTER WEEKS of being sworn to secrecy RAW EDGE CREW can scream in excitement and de light as they tell the people of Ireland that they will be representing them on Sunday 31st

January in the Live Show Semi Finals of 'GOT TO DANCE', which has been showing on SKY 1 over the past few weeks. Pictured: Rachel Murphy from 'RAW EDGE CREW' who was

injured in a car crash! See page 2 for more.

RAW EDGE could win Sky’sGot To Dance!

2 THE LOCAL NEWS

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Raw Edge could win Sky’s Got To Dance!

AFTER WEEKSof being sworn tosecrecy RAW EDGECREW can scream inexcitement and de -light as they tellthe people of Irelandthat they will be rep-resenting them onSunday 31st Januaryin the Live ShowSemi Finals of 'GOTTO DANCE', whichhas been showing onSKY 1 over the pastfew weeks.

Even their Stu -dents from Fit Kids/Fit Teens Dance Clubhad to wait untilSundays Prog ram -me(17th Jan) to seetheir Instructors bat-tle it out to take thefinal place in theSemi Finals with achance of winning£100,000 sterling inthe grand Finalwhich will be held onValentines Day. Theyare the only Irish Actto reach the LiveShows and delightedJudges-Ashley Banjofrom Diversity (win-ners of Britains GotTalent), KimberlyWyatt (PussycatDolls) and AdamGarcia (CoyoteUgly).

Out of thousandsof 'Hopefuls' onlyeighteen Acts made itto the Live Shows.

A difficulty forRaw Edge is the novotes accepted fromIreland syndrome,which is going to bedifficult to over-coome and leavresthe group at a distinct

disadvantage. RAW EDGE CR -

EW(Rachel Murphy,Ciara Moran, DonnaMoran, Adrian Wal -deck, Sly Sode andMatthew William -son) first bouncedonto our TV screenswhen they wowedShane Lynch (Boyz -one) who mentoredthem on last years'All Ireland TalentShow'. He describedthem as "Worldclass".

They since addednew outstanding Dan -cers-Martin Jazzin,Aidean Byrne and

'G'. They have alsomade app ear ances on'Podge and Rodge','Ballet Chancers'andrec ently 'The App -ren tice'. They havepr oudly representedIreland in 'The WorldHip Hop Champion -ships' in the U.S.Aand 'BreakdanceChampionships' inGermany and havealso coached theiryoung Students fromFit Kids/Fit Teens tovictory in 'The AllIreland Hip Hop/Breakdance Champ -ion ships' with theircreative choreogra-

phy. Fit Kids/FitTeens Founder-Jac -inta Cassidy couldn'tbe prouder of theCrew. Having taughtsome of them sincethey were three yearsold, they fondly callher 'Mother Edge'.

" T h e y ’ r esuch talented anddynamic Dancers"she said. "They are aninspiration to theyoung people whoflock to their weeklyDance Classes"."This is the opportu-nity of a lifetime forthem and they sodeserve it". " They

are always so proudto represent Ireland".

The Crews tri-umph is tingedthough with the sad-ness that one of it'sfounding members-Rachel Murphy willnot be taking to theStage with her Crewon the 31st January asshe was seriouslyinjured in a CarCrash. Rachel will becheering from thewings as her Crew tryto win the hearts ofthe British and Irishpublic and the allimportant 'Votes'!

A jubilent 'RAW EDGE CREW' who will represent Ireland on 31st January in 'GOT TO DANCE' on Sky TV! L to R: Ciara Moran, Rachel Murphy, 'Sly', Martin Jazzin, Donna Moran, 'G', Matthew Williamson,

Aidean Byrne and Adrian Waldeck.

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THE LOCAL NEWS 3

New year… new youThis is the first of aseries of articles onhealth and wellbeingby Rachel Gaffey,who runs herownwellness studio inMeath Street

AT THE START ofevery year, people allover the world begina fresh start. Peopleprepare to leave thepast behind them andlook forward tobecoming the bestversion of themselvesthey can be. A NewYear's resolution is acommitment that anindividual makes to aproject or the reform-ing of a habit, or alifestyle change thatis generally interpret-ed as good for them.The name comesfrom the fact thatthese commitmentsnormally go intoeffect on New Year'sDay.

The most popularNew Year’s resolu-tion each year is to:Improve health: loseweight, exercisemore, eat better, drinkless alcohol, quit sm -oking, reduce stress,take better care ofoneself.

For the first fewweeks of Januarygyms are full of eager

new members, peoplecan be seen out walk-ing the streets withintent, diet magazinesand fitness supple-ments are a commonfeature in our nationalpress. Supermarketsare full of specialoffers on diet foodsand nutritional sup-plements. Celebritiesendorse different faddiets, fitness DVDsand people every-where can be hearddiscussing resolutionscommitting to health-ier fitness and eatingplans.But what hap-pens after the firstfew weeks?

In order to keepyour resolution toimprove your healthyou need to think ofyour resolution as alifestyle change. It isbetter to make smallchanges that you cansustain. This will giveyou a better chance ofkeeping your resolu-tion and help youachieve your longterm goal. Don’toverload yourself,pick the most impor-tant thing you wouldlike to focus on andstick to that. Telleveryone you knowof your new resolu-tion, this will help

encourage you if yourcommitment starts towaiver. If improvingyour health is yourgoal. Think aboutwhat you can do,what you wouldenjoy doing and whatyou could commit todoing for a minimumof 90 days. It takes90 days to make ahabit, so if you canresolve to practicesomething for 90days, you will havemade a healthy habitfor 2010.

Simple tips toimprove your healthand commit to ahealthier 2010:Healthy Tip 1:

Drink a cup of HotLemon everymorningWhy?* Lemon juice cl -

eanses the diges-tive tract

* Lemon juice bal-ances your stom-ach acid levels forbetter nutrientabsorption – thismeans you getmore energy fromthe food you eat!

* Lemon juice pro-vides a boost ofVitamin C (whichcarries off toxinsand waste) andstrengthens the

immune systemIf one of your

goals for 2010 is toimprove your health,begin to incorporatethis simple tip intoyour daily life. Youwill be amazed athow much moreresistant you will beto colds, flu and justplain feeling run-down!

Ingredients foryour morning HotLemon:- Juice of 1/2 lemon- Hot water, not

boiling- If you would like

to sweeten yourdr ink you couldadd one teaspoonof honey

Healthy Tip 2:

Tell yourself a posi-tive affirmation:

Affirmations arepositive statementsthat help you developa more positive per-ception of yourself.Affirmations can helpyou to changeharmful behaviors oracc omplish goals.

If you resolve tohave a healthier 2010,here is a wonderfulmessage to repeat toyourself:

“My body isimportant to me, myhealth is my priority

and I am committedto taking care ofmyself”

To use this newaffirmation try any orall of these ways, ordiscover your own!• Repeat it several

times before youget out of bed inthe morning

• Write it in a jour-nal about 25 times

• Repeat it as a partof your morningmeditation

• Say it over andover as you go fora walk

• Repeat it whenyou're exercising

• Say it at every redlight

• Repeat it in stress-ful times

• Say it as you'redrifting off tosleep at night

Healthy Tip 3:

Move more try yogaor Pilates

Health expertsagree that diet aloneis not enough to keepyou fit and trim overtime. Healthcare pro-fessionals have foundthat the best predictorof whether peoplewill regain lostweight is whetherthey make physicalactivity a regular partof their lives. If you

are committed tomaking 2010 yourhealthiest year yet,it’s important to getused to moving more.Incorporating yoga orPilates into yourhealth regime for2010 will help youimprove your bal-ance, strength, stabili-ty and flexibility.

Pilates focuses onbuilding strength inthe deep muscles ofthe abdominal region,the body's core.Pilates builds strengthwithout excess bulk,creating a sleek, ton -ed body with slenderthighs and a flat

abdomen. Pilates giv -es you longer, leanermuscles, improvespostural problemsand helps preventinjury.

Yoga creates bal-ance in the bodythrough developingboth strength andflexibility. Yoga letsyou tune in, chill out,shape up -- all at thesame time. Researchshows that yoga helpsmanage or control an -xiety, arthritis, asth-ma, back pain, bloodpressure, chronicfatigue, depression,head aches, heart dis-ease, stress and other

conditions and dis-eases.

Okay, that's it forthis issue!

In the meantime,take care and remem-ber to repeat...

“My body isimportant to me, myhealth is my priorityand I am committedto taking care ofmyself”Rachel GaffeyWellbeing ConsultantTara Wellbeing Studio,9 Meath Street, Dublin8. Yoga, Pilates,Meditation, PersonalTraining, Nutrition,Life Coaching & Reikiwww.mywellbeing.ie

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4 THE LOCAL NEWS

Open 8am-6pmCoffees • Sandwiches • Pizza • Pasta • Breads • Cakes

Order your cakes for your special occassion

Daily Baked Traditional Italian ProductsHigh in Quality Low in Price

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Healing Room available 2010 for morning, afternoon or all day rental, please call

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CLASSES IN: Singing, Dance & Drama

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BAKERY

Panto hat trickfor Helen JordanStage School

WHAT IS the magic formula that makes theHelen Jordan Stage School such a successwhen it comes to training kids for the Per -forming Arts.

The top 3 pantos in Dublin , The Gaiety,Tivoli and Olympia Theatres all feature gradu-ates from the school as principle boy or girl.George McMahon plays “Jack” at the Gaiety,Euro Star Sinead Mulvey plays “Cinderella” atthe Tivoli and Jessica Chervie plays “MaidMarian” at the Oly mpia. All trained at theschool for many years.

Another graduate from the school, Den TVstar Kathryn McKiernan also stars in theOlympia.

“There is no magic formula”, says Helen,Director of the School,” just dedication andprofessional training.

Helen, who celebrates forty years in thebusiness herself is handing down her wealth ofexperience to her students and the results arequiet amazing. Apart from the aforementionedstudents, many more are performing in majorshows around the world including Claire Ivorywho is currently starring in the West Endtouring production of “Dr eam boats and Petti -coats”.

Helen herself started her career in theGaiety Panto al ongside the late great MaureenPotter when she was just 13 years old. Shehasn’t stopp ed working right across the boardssince, in television, film and theatre. Her mostrecent success was playing “Kath leen” in thehit comedy “Killnascully”.

Educate together must waitDespite numerous request for the open space alongside Lucan Educatetogether School to be allocated to the school the Department of Educationstill dither and refuse to allocate the site. In a recent motion by Cllr. DerekKeating to the area committee of the South Dublin County Council to helpresolve this issue, the council have replied; "The Council has written to theDepartment of Education and Science on a number of occasions to enquireas to whether the Department has any future proposals for this site.However whilst the Department did confirm some time ago that itwas conducting an analysis of school needs in the Lucan area in general,it has not notified the Council of any definite response in relation to theabove site to date.

Offenders to clean up Dublin graffitiConvicted offenders are to be put to work in Dublin, cleaning graffiti from city cen-tre buildings. The pilot project is being run by Dublin City Council and the ProbationService, and will involve those who have been handed a community service sen-tence. Dangerous criminals will not be allowed on the scheme.

THE LOCAL NEWS 5

Unit 9 George's Arcade, Dublin 2. Email: thesweetlife01@gmail.com

Visit our website: www.myspace.com/thesweetlifedublin

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The Sweet Life!AH WE ALL yearnfor the sweet lifedon’t we? And forthose chocoholics andsweet toothed amongus there is no finertreat than tucking intoand savoring sumptu-ously handmade con-fectionary!

However, due tosome relatively com-mon conditions suchas diabetes, and dairy

& gluten intoler-ances, many have hadto resist indulging insuch delectable treats– until now!

‘The Sw eet Life,’located in the wel -com ing and bustlingGeorges St arc -ade, provid -es a

delicious sel ection ofhandmade, sugar-free/ no added sugarchocolates, naturalconfectionary anddried fruit & nutmixes that cater for

many

food intolerances.Moreover The SweetLife will soon have adairy free, gluten freeand nut free range ofjellies and lollipopstoo!

Philip Byrne isthe proprietor and

brainchild of TheSweet life:

“The inspira-tion for TheSweet Life

came from my father.He, like a few otherpeople we know, suf-fer from Diabetestype 2 - so wheneverwe tried to get adessert for him- therewas little or nochoice. I realised,there was a big gap inthe market for thistype of product andwe opened for busi-ness in The GeorgesArcade at the end ofNovember last.”

In addition to thedelicious selection ofchocolates and con-

fectionary, the shopalso stock a variety ofdried fruits, bombaymix and nuts.Moreover The SweetLife’s natural confec-tionary variety boastno artificial coloursand are gluten-free toboot! “As far as Iknow, we are the onlyshop in Dublin whospecilise purely inthis,” says Philip. “Iknow there are otherlarger stores who dosell gluten, sugar andlactose free sweetsand chocolates, but

there tends to be apoor, not to mentionover priced, selec-tion”. Indeed it’sfair to say that, TheSweet Life can alsoclaim very sweetprices. “I’ve lostcount the amount oftimes, we’ve beentold that we are greatvalue, so maybe weshould consider rais-ing our prices!”laughs Philip. “ Forexample, our 175g ofmixed fruit and nutretails at only €1.05,whilst, our glutenfree bars are 90cents.” As anyoneyou has shopped inThe Georges Streetar cade can testify, ittruly is an experi-ence in itself. “TheArcade has a greatatmosphere andsense of communityamong its traders thatyou will be hardpressed to find any-where else,” enthusesPhilip. “There’salways a great bit of

banter between thetraders and shoppershere.” In fact visitorscould spend half theday here, what withthe quality cafes andrestaurants servingdelicious food- not tomention the myriadof interesting anddiverse stalls. Handon heart I can say Ihave never seenanyone leave TheGeor ges street arcadeunhappy - it just hasthat effect on peo-ple!” So if you need abit more Sweetnessin your life, makesure to make TheSweet Life your topshopping priority!

The selection ofsugar free confec-tionary at The SweetLife include Jellies,Toffees, Mints, Liq -uorice, Marsh mall -ows, Sherbert Lem -ons, Chocolate Lim -es. The No addedsugar range includes:Chocolate (Irish &Belgian): Milk, dark,white, with Hazelnut,etc..Biscuits.

Dairy FreeRange: Chocolate.Gluten Free: Choco -late Toffees, PeanutBrittle Jellie Fudge.Coconut ice/coconutchocolate Naturalgluten free products :Sesame stix andbombay mixchoco-late and youghurtpeanuts, BananaChips, Dried fruit,Range of nuts, Freshheated popcorn.

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6 THE LOCAL NEWS

Sean Tracey Photography,

now in its third generation,

has over fifty years family

experience in wedding

photography.

Now, Sarah Tracey brings her

own distinctive style with a

natural and personal approach

to photography, leaving you

relaxed and able to enjoy your

special day.

As your wedding is one of the

most important days of your

life, our aim is to take beautiful

images that you will remember

and cherish for years to come.

106 St Johnʼs Park

Clondalkin

Dublin 22

Telephone: (01) 457 1547

Mobile: 086 643 3816

Email: traceysean@eircom.net

Sean Tracey Photography

Weddings in 2010SO HE’S FINALLY done it, he’s proposed!And whether it was at the highest pinnacle ofthe Eiffel tower or in the deepest depths of theAliwee Caves- you are ecstatic with excite-ment. Of course now all you have to do is calmdown long enough to figure out when, where,what and how! No mean feat and if you are notfortunate enough to have the services of Cork’sfinest wedding expert ‘Franc’, at your disposal-then it can all be quite daunting!

It’s important to remember to take a deepbreath, prepare and plan in advance- therebyeasily avoiding the stressed out ‘Bridezilla-esque syndrome!

The first thing you need to do when plan-ning a wedding is of course to set a date andbudget. Both of these aspects are vital, as youwon’t be able to book anywhere or start toprocess any paper work without a date- andthere’s no point booking things if you don’t

to sorting out early are your photogra-pher/videographer/ band/DJ and have coursethe legal aspect of the ceremony, whichinvolves registering with The State.

Sean Tracey Photography, Clondalkin, isan excellent choice of photographer for yourbig day! Now in it’s third generation, SeanTracey photography can boast over fifty yearsof family experience in photographing wed-dings. In fact it could be said that the businessis interwoven into the very fabric of Clon -dalkin life! Being one of a select few femalewedding photographers in Ireland, SarahTracey brings her own distinctive style with anatural, unobtrusive and personal approach tophotography. “What makes us different is thatwe are a family business and being female, Ifully understand what brides want and can lenda uniquely female perspective,” says Sarah.Sean Tracey photography can be contacted on01 4571547.

Once you have your church, venue, paper-work, band and photographer sorted, you canget on to the really good stuff- the all-impor-tant dress! Most bridal outlets advise that youorder your dress at least six months before thewedding but you should of course take intoaccount any alterations that might be needed,so many brides are now opting to choose theirdress 9 to 12 months. Bridesmaid and flowergirl dresses can be brought closer to the day.Undoubtedly, you would be hard pressed tofind a more beautiful selection at an equallyattractive price than at Belleza Bridal &Occasion Wear Palmerstown. The boutique isconveniently located in Palmerstown ShoppingCenter, (easy access and loads of free parking)boasts an enviable range of designer bridalgowns, not to mention a fine selection ofbridesmaid dresses, flower girl outfits andaccessories to suit all budgets. Wendy Hoey isproprietor and manager of the boutique ““Hereat Belleza, we strive to offer each client thevery best of choice and personal attention andwe also have an in house alteration service forthe perfect fit every time!” Indeed every bride-to-be should be so luck as to experience thequality of service and assistance found atBelleza Bridal & occasional wear- the perfectchoice for your wedding wear! Belleza Bridalcan be contacted at: 01 6434802.

Of course no wedding day would be com-plete without beautiful fresh flowers to adornyour big day. Citywest Florist located inCitywest shopping center first opened its doorsin November 08 - much to the delight of thelocal community! The Florist caters for everyoccasion, christenings, parties, and funeralsand of course weddings and endeavor go thatextra mile to ensure your big day is the epito-me of elegance! Citywest florist currentlyoffer free plant hire with all wedding flowersbooked for 2010, in addition to other tailormade special offers! Vincent Jackson is theproud proprietor and has been work in floristryfor the past seven years. “We will strive to doour very best to make your day as special aspossible,” enthuses Vincent. Citywest Floristcan be contacted at: 01 4133588.

Other things such as the mass booklets,cake, cars and gifts for your bridal party can bedone closer to the time as well as organisingyour hair and make-up details.

On the big day itself then, the only thingyou and your partner will have to do is relaxand enjoy your special day surrounded byfriends and family.

Do remember to eat breakfast so yourstomach doesn’t drown out the priest at thevital moment and don’t forget to completelysavour and treasure the celebration you haveput so much effort into!

have a clue how much money you have at yourdisposal!

Once that’s established, its time to startthinking of the church or registry office, fol-lowed by a hotel/venue as dates for this bookup very fast. Some venues will hold a date pro-visionally for you so you can check with thechurch and confirm. When booking your hotel,its important to remember that the price youmight see not the same price as next year if youare setting a date for 2011- so its important tohammer out exactly what price you will bepaying before you sign anything. Smallerdetails such as seating plans and center piecescan be sorted out closer to the time.

Other important elements that are crucial

Sean TraceyPhotography

THE LOCAL NEWS 7

Citywest FloristOpen in Citywest Shopping Centre

Flowers for all occasions

Weddings • Christenings • Parties • Births • Funerals

• Accessories • Deliveries

WEDDINGSPECIAL

FREEPlant hire

with allwedding

flowersbooked for

2010

VALENTINESPECIAL

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HANDMADE Confirmation & Communion

Medals in Stock

WE BUY OLD GOLD FOR CASH

Palmerstown Jewellers, PalmerstownShopping Centre (Beside SuperValu)

● Jewellery Repairs● Ring Sizing● Pearls Re-strung● Engagements Rings Re-dipped● Watch Repair● Batteries● Watch Straps

Tel: 085 163 4236

How itworks● Bring your old gold to our shop● We weigh it and test it for you

and make you an offer● If you agree, we give you cash

on the spot!

Belleza BridalDesigner Bridal & Occasion Wear

Palmerstown Shopping Centre1st FloorTel: 01 6434802

Deposits taken10% Off all Bridal Wear plus

FREE Veil or Tiara with all Wedding Gowns ordered in January!

Terms & Conditions apply

Communion Stock

NOW IN!Place your order before January & get 10% Off

Bridesmaidschoose from

over 60 colours Sizes 6 - 34

www.bellezabridalwear.ie

PALMERSTOWN JEWELLERS

8 THE LOCAL NEWS

Little Folk

Little Folk, 4 Meath Street, Dublin 8. Tel: 01 453 5233

From December our stunning range of Communion dresses is available with complementary ranges of allaccessories and shoes. Exciting boys ranges available from January.

Jas Fagan75 Thomas Street, Dublin 8. Est. 1971

Tel: 453 5896. www.jasfagan.com

Open 9am – 5pm MONDAY TO SATURDAY

All Boys Communionclothes are designed and

tailored to measure on ourpremises. Over 100 samplesto choose from to make it a

special day for your boy.

ALL ACCESSORIES INCLUDED

•Waistcoat • Tie • Shirt • Rosette •

Handkerchief • Shoesalso available.

Selection of Girls CommunionDresses & Accessories

A full range of ReadymadeSuits in Traditional and

this years designs.

SPECIAL OFFER: From Head to Toe

3 Piece Boys Suit • Shirt & Tie • Shoes • Rosettefrom €195

– Communion and Confirmation– Suits & Casual Wear– Specialising in Made to

Measure Boys Suits

Communion and Confirmation Specialists

JOHNLaurence

For a classical look call to John Laurence at54 Thomas Street, Dublin 8. Tel 01 454 2656

also new branch at Black Box 77 Thomas Street. Tel 01 453 6275

COMMUNIONS 2010THE FIRST HolyCommunion day isundisputedly the mostimportant day in anylittle girl or boy’s life.Months of excite-ment, not forgettingall that catechism,culminates on thatextra special Summ -

er’s day in May.Nowadays, First

Holy Communionsrank second only toweddings in terms ofexcitement, prepara-tion and glamour.Aside from the inte-gral spiritual and reli-gious aspect of the

day, the communionoutfit is of momen-tous importance!

Reflecting thistrend – there hasnever been a moreimpressive variety ofFirst Holy Comm -union outfits on themarket for both boys

and girls. ‘The Sisters’ in

Tallaght are leadingsuppliers of bothcommunion and con-firmation wear. Theyboast an impressive25 years in the busi-ness so far, and arerenowned for their

exciting variety andrange of elegantdresses and supersmart suits. However,it’s ‘The Sisters’unique personal serv-ice that has kept themin business for over aquarter of a centuryas suppliers of highquality communionwear to two genera-tions. The secret totheir success is ensur-ing that selecting theperfect outfit is athoroughly enjoyableone for both parentand child.

In addition tostunning bridal wear,Belleza Bridal andOccasion Wear,Palmerstown Shopp -ing Center, also spe-cialise in beautifullycrafted unique dress-es. “ We are theexclusive stockists ofall our communiondresses in the area,”says Belleza’aWendy. “We alsokeep a list of eachchild’s school, andwill not sell anotherdress to your child’sclass. “We only orderfrom our sampledresses, so you canrest assured that noone has tried on yourchild’s dress –there isno chance of anystaining or loss ofbeading.” All agesand sizes are cateredfor with extra widthsavailable in white &ivory. MoreoverBelleza boasts every-thing else you couldpossibly want foryour daughter’s bigday; including

boleros, bags, veils,tiaras, gloves andshoes. At Belleza,customer care withthat extra personaltouch is also of para-mount importance inthis truly elegantestablishment.

Not forgetting theboys! - Jas Fagan of75 Thomas Street, isthe ultimate purveyorof boy’s communionwear! James hasbeen a specialist intailor-made suits forover 35 years now. “Everyone’s differentand so are our suits,”he says. Indeed thecare and attentionprovided by thisestablishment is sec-ond to none as theoutfits are designedand tailored to meas-ure on the premises.There are over 100samples to try on tohelp you and your lit-tle boy choose theoutfit which willmake his day extraspecial. “You can tryon different samples,styles and colours,”says James. “Whenyou have chosen theoutfit you like, wewill measure yourboy, take a deposit,and usually about 2-3weeks before theactual date of thecommunion youcome back to havethe final fitting-ittakes about 20- 30minutes for final ad-justments. You cantake home your tailormade suit secure inthe knowledge that itis the perfect fit.”

The impressive rangeof accessories at JasFagan include waist-coats, ties, shirts,rosettes, handker-chiefs and shoes.Although specialistsin boy’s communionwear, Jas Fagan alsoboasts a fine selectionof girl’s communionDresses.

Remaining inThomas Street, JohnLaurence Comm -union and Con fir -mation Specialists forboys, now have twolocations in Thomasstreet, no 54 and anew premises entitled‘Black Bow’ at no 77.The outlets boast afull range of ready-made suits in tradi-tional and contempo-rary designs forCommunion andConfirmation, whilstalso providing a fullrange of trendy casualwear. At JohnLaurence, they pridethemselves on atten-tion to detail and theirextra special cus-tomer service.Currently JohnLaurence have a spe-cial offer whichcaters from head totoe, literally! : 3 pieceboys suit, shirt & tie,shoes and rosettefrom only 195.00Euro, ad deal not tobe missed!

Little Folk’sselection of FirstHoly Communion dr -esses, will be in storefrom early Decem ber.We at Little Folkstock a full range ofaccessories to match

with the First Holy

Com munion dress of

your choice. When

you have chosen your

First Holy Commun -

ion dress, tiara, veil,

bag, gl oves, socks,

umbrella, and from

our wide selection of

comm union foot wear,

featuring satin shoes

or boots also leather-

type styles. You may

avail of our payment

service, which allows

you to pay for your

First Holy Commun -

ion choice, in easy

instalments. Our

Comm un ion Dr esses

range from the simple

but with an understat-

ed elegance, to the

fashionable stylish,

and come in a range

of price brackets.

Our First Holy

Communion shop

which is located in

Meath street Dublin

8, offers a collection

of over forty styles of

First Holy Comm -

union dresses, and

matching accessor ies.

Little Folk offers on a

number of our First

Holy Commun ion

dress styles a “made

to measure service”,

which our customers

have al ways found to

be most useful. Little

Folk, 4 Meath Street,

Tel: (01) 453 5233.

42nd Anniversary onThomas Street

Preparing for your child’s big day

THE LOCAL NEWS 9

Open 7 Days • Sunday 12-6pm

SISTERSTheSpecialists in Communion & Confirmation WearUnit 13, Village Green,Old Bawn Road, Tallaght. Tel: 459 8822

Dublin’s Leading Supplierof Communion &Confirmation Styles forBoys & Girls in 2010Open: 9.30am – 6.00pm Weekdays &from 12.00 – 6pm Sundays

Large Selection of Boys & Girls Communion Shoes Now in Stock.

Phone: (01) 459 8822

Deposits canbe taken onall goods.

Unit 17, 1st Floor Palmerstown Shopping Centre.Telephone: 01 643 4802

Open: Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am – 5.00pm

www.bellezabridalwear.iewww.bebo.com/bellezabridalwear

BellezaBRIDAL & OCCASION WEAR BOUTIQUE

• Everything for yourDaughter’s Big Day:Dresses, Boleros, Veils,Bags, Tiaras, Gloves,Shoes.

• All ages and sizes and extrawidths available.

• All Dresses & Accessoriesavailable in White or Ivory

• We note each child’sschool

• Deposits taken

New Communion Wear now in stock!

Childrenswear & Schoolwear Specialists

278 Ballyfermot Rd. Telephone:

(01) 623 2812

BOYS COMMUNION SUITS

2010 STYLESBest Prices

●

Deposits Taken●

Shirts, Ties &Accessories

TOP STOREWelcome to localnews.ieThe Local News has joined the digital age and we are now live on theInternet. For many months now trials have been run, templates and pro-grammes worked on and the birth of a new website is now well under-way.

Although the site is still a long way from finished we are up and runningand free to view at www.localnews.ie Among the many features you canalready find in our printed edition we are also keen to bring new featuresto our online presence. Ideas like our online gallery, a much loved featureof The Local News, printed, are the photos we publish from out and aboutin the community we serve. We hope to expand this feature on the web,this will include making your images easily accessible to you to download,save or to print.

We are keen to bring you a news service which has a true community feelto it, and with this in mind The Local News will also be revamping ourprinted edition in line with our new website. Our editor and chief, FrankBambrick wants the community the paper serves to be part of the paperand through our new website we want you to contribute and add yournews and information. A forum for this is in the works but for now pleasecontact us with your news and updates and let the Local News be yournoticeboard.

As you all know Local business’ are the lifeblood of any community andhere at Local News we remain committed to providing an unmatchedservice for advertisers, and we will continue to provide this and more withthe new localnews.ie website. Another aim of the website is to make iteasier for our readers to locate information they may have come across inthe paper, and a service directory and other such tools will be availableonline in the early part of 2010.

For now please visit localnews.ie and let us know what you think so far bycontacting us either by email to frank@localnews.ie or by calling ouroffice on (01) 453 4011. Localnews.ie is a great new addition to The LocalNews, your local newspaper delivered to your door.

Small Business SurvivalMANY people lau -nch businesses. Notall know what to donext. Kevin Duncan'sSmall BusinessSurvival gives all thehelp you need to sur-vive tough times andemerge stronger.Small Business Sur -vival, published byHodder 8th Februaryin paperback, £9.99

Advocating rel -ent less growth hasnever been an easy fitwith the workingreality of small busi-nesses, and it certain-ly doesn’t suit thestyle of Kevin Dun -can, an independenttroubleshooter with avast knowledge ofmany business types,writer of 5 bestselling

business books, andwinner of many cre-ativity and effective-ness awards.

His no-nonsenseapproach to businesssurvival guides youthrough the keyissues and questionsyou will face andgives you clear, prac-tical solutions to helpensure your business

not only survives, butalso thrives.

His business sur-vival guide providesadvice from manylong-term survivorsand adds the collect-ed wisdom fromKevin’s ten yearsrunning his own busi-ness. Hard-pressedbusinesses will wel-come his candidapproach, highlight-ing those timelessqualities that makethe best small busi-nesses hardy perenni-als.Key tips include:1. Thinking is free,

so do it more often2. Ask yourself the

nasty questionsthat you don’twant to answer

3. Rip up the strait-jackets that youhave unintention-

ally built for your-self

4. Try somethingnew. It might justwork this time

5. Efficiency is asophisticated formof laziness. Getorganised.

6. Remind yourselfwhat the originalidea was

7. Put the effort inonly where it getsyou somewhere

8. Write out yourLifesmile state-ment

9. Ask yourself whatyou really want

10.Don’t confusemovement withprogressKevin Duncan is

a business adviser,marketing expert andauthor. He was edu-cated at Oxford andhas worked in com-

munications for 25years, advising com-panies such as BritishAirways, Carls -berg–Tetley, Diageo,Heineken, LloydsTSB, Marks & Sp -encer, Norwich Un -ion, Reuters, ScottishCourage, Sony, andVirgin.

His hands–onknowledge of how torun most types ofbusiness has devel-

oped from workingwith over 200 clientsin almost every cate-gory (except tobacco,which he wonÅåtwork on). He hasworked with morethan 200 brands,overseen over 1,000projects, and won 35awards for creativityand effectiveness.

Kevin is theauthor of Run YourOwn Business

(Hodd er), Tick Ach -ieve, Start and SoWhat? (Capstone).He teaches at Can -terbury Univer sityand for the last tenyears has been anindependent trouble-shooter advisingcompanies how to runtheir business – moreinformation is avail -able on www.expert -adviceonline.com.

10 THE LOCAL NEWS

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Happy New Year to… your carpets!It’s that time ofyear again – NewYears’ resolutionsas plentiful asuneaten brusselsprouts! And Iknow what I’lltackling first –those poor, hard-working carpets.They’ve had atough year in2009 and theybadly need a littlelove for 2010.

To find out how toget your carpets andupholstery lookingtheir best for the yearahead, www.picka -pro.ie, Irelands homeand garden profes-sionals network,have asked profes-sional carpet cleanerPhilip Scallan ofChemDry City Ex -press (01 2845222and 01 8474299) forhis advice. Here’swhat Philip told usabout keeping ourcarpets and uphol-stery in tip top condi-tion. First of all Philip,

what can homeown-

ers do to keep their

carpets and uphol-

stery looking good?

The single mostimportant thing youcan do to extend thelife of your carpet isto protect it fromabrasive dust anddirt. These act like asandpaper on the car-pet and wear downthe fibres. The firstline of defence is, asyour mother wouldsay, to 'stop trackingdirt through thehouse'. Wipe shoeson a door mat or bet-ter still, take off yourshoes at the door.According to ourexperts, slippers arebest of all, as 'burrs'from socks can getlocked into the car-pet.

Equally impor-tant is vacuumingcarpets and uphol-stery regularly toremove the abrasivedust and grime assoon as possible.

A final importantmeasure to considergetting a carpet pro-tector applied. Thisprevents stains soak-ing into your carpetsand is especially use-

ful for cream or lightcolours carpets or forcarpets in high trafficareas. It should bereapplied every cou-ple of years, especial-ly in high trafficareas. Most profes-sional carpet cleanerswill be able to applya carpet protector toyour carpets or up -holstery. What should I ask

professional carpet

cleaners before I

hire them?

Check that theircleaning solutionsare detergent free, sothat they won’t leavea sticky residue wh -ich actually attractsdirt. And check thatthey are enzyme freeso that they won’t bebad for asthmatics.Remem ber that woolcarpets in particularneed a neutral pHcleaner.

Many commer-cial carpet cleanersrequire gallons ofwater along withtoxic soaps whichtake a long time todry, but leave behindvolatile organic com-pounds (VOCs) some

of which are un -healthy. At Chem-Dry, we use a solu-tion which is non-toxic solution andsafe for kids and pets.And we use a carbon-ating method thatdeeps cleans anddries fast.Philip, what is your

advice for removing

spots and stains?

1. Act quickly - Thelonger the stain isallowed to re -main, the morechance it has toset.

2. Pour a little car-bonated water onit and blot it upwith a white cloth.Remove as muchexcess stain asyou can by blot-ting, scraping orbrushing whatev-er will come off.

3. DON'T rub it andDON'T use a de -tergent like Van -ish or Fairy Liq -uid. These deter -gents may init -ially seem to bere solve the prob-lem, but they willactually introducetwo new prob-lems. First, thesecleaners have ahigh pH level andare sticky. Withina week or so, thesticky residueswill have attractedenough dust toleave a blackmark on the car-pet. The residuescan also be dam-aging to the carpetfibres.

4. If you need morecleaning powerthan carbonatedwater, get a pro-fessional productlike Chem-DryProfessional St -

ren gth Spot Re -mover or Chem-Dry Grease & OilRemover. Firsttest on a hiddenarea, blot dry andobserve for 10minutes. Makesure there is nocarpet color rem -oval onto thecloth and that,when dry, there isnot a visible dis-coloration in thearea you cleaned.

5. Work from theoutside edge ofthe stain to theinside to keep thestain from spread-ing.

6. Call in a profes-sional cleaner assoon as possible ifthese efforts donot work.

7. Consider applyinga carpet protectorlike our Power -guard Protectorwith every clean-ing to give you thebest chance forremoving stains.

How often should

carpets and uphol-

stery be cleaned?

In general, bet -ween every 6 monthsto 18 months. Exac -tly how often, dep -ends on the amountand type of traffic.Remember that reg -ular cleaning will ex -tend the life of yourcarpet, by rem ovingdirt and raising thepile. Any good deals at

the moment at

Chem-Dry City

Express?

Yes, we've greatdeals like cleaning allthe walkways in a 3bedrom house i.e

Top 10 Tips from thewww.pickapro.ie professionals

stairs, landing andhall for €160 includ-ing VAT. Or cleaningyour sitting room car-pet plus your fabric orleather suite for €225including VAT. Wealso have a new serv-ice for tile and groutcleaning servicewhich leaves yourtiles looking like new.

Barbara Molloy,M.D. of www.pickapro.iewould like to thankPhilip Scallan ofChemDry City Express(01 2845222 or 018474299) for theiradvice for this article.

To see a full portfo-lio of work fromChemDry City Express,check out www. pick -apro.ie.

You will also findlots of other home

improvement specialists– including build ers,architects, land s cap ers,plumbers and electri-cians.

If you operate ahome improvement com-pany and would likemore information aboutpresenting your work onpickapro.ie, please callus on 01 4966176.

THE LOCAL NEWS 11

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HUGE SALE

NOW ONWe match Northern Ireland Prices!

House prices to fall furtherHOUSE PRICES are forecast tofall by up to a further 10% thisyear. The prediction is containedin the latest EBS/DKM housingaffordability index which showsprices have so far fallen by 27%since the peak of the boom in2006. The report also shows theaverage monthly mortgage repay-ment for first time buyers fell byalmost 50% over the last threeyears.

Dara Deering, Director of

Membership Business at EBS,said houses are becoming moreaffordable, with prices back to2003 levels. “The market for firsttime buyers is becoming increas-ingly attractive: over the pastthree years, property prices havedec reas ed by almost 27%,"Deering said. "This equates to€83,000 for properties nationallyand € 137,000 for properties inDublin. First time buyers consid-ering entering the market over the

coming 12 months should expectto see this contraction continue,albeit at a slower rate than lastyear. In addition to falling pricesthere are a number of other envi-ronmental factors which are help-ing to ensure that affordabilitylevels continue to improve. Thiscertainly suggests that it is now agood time for first time buyers toconsider investing in the propertymarket.

Calls on Revenue officials torestore mortgage interest relief

allow those who havebeen cut off to query thematter and it has led toconfusion and worryamongst local residentsstruggling to makerepayments.”

“In Budget 2010,qualifying mortgageloans taken out before1st July 2011 will con-tinue to get relief forseven years (up to 2017)in order to encouragethose who might bethinking of purchasingtheir first home. Thismove was made to stim-ulate the housing mar-ket. It is important thatanyone entitled to mort-gage interest relief isaware of it and has easyaccess to informationon the matter.

“A notice shouldalso be put on the rev-enue.ie website advis-ing people how to applyif they think they havebeen wrongly cut off. Ihave made contact withofficials at the Depart -ment of Fin ance toresolve this matter,”added Dep uty Kennedy.

MICHAEL KENN EDY,TD. has called on Re -venue officials to allayconfusion over the issueof mortgage interest re -lief and to provide assis-

tance to people whohave been cut off inerror.

Deputy Kennedysaid, “I have been con-tacted by constituents

who have been cut offfrom receiving mort-gage interest relief butare still entitled toreceive it. The rev-enue.ie website does not

Jump inhomereposses-sionsexpectedTHOUSANDS of repos-sessions are nowexpected after newfigures show thatclose to 6,500 peoplestopped paying theirmortgages more thana year ago.

The figure is threetimes the level it wasa year ago.

Homeowners face re -newed pressure fromnext month whenBank of Ireland andAIB will for the firsttime be allowed toinstigate legal pro-ceedings againstmortgage defaulters.

A moratorium agreedwith the Governmentforced the banks towait a year beforemounting legal action.

The new figures em -erged in a report onthe Irish Mortgagemarket by credit rat-ing agency Moody's.

12 THE LOCAL NEWS

YOUR GUIDE TO LOCAL COUNCILLORSOur guide to local Councillors is not necessarily a complete guide to all Councillors in a particular area.Some opted not to be included. We invite all Councillors to include their details in our ongoing guide.You can contact us at 087 9133614 or localnewspaul@yahoo.ie

SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCILLucan

GUSS O’CONNELLPhone: 087 683 8254 • (01) 626 8554

Email: goconnell@sdublincoco.ie

Clondalkin

ROBERT DOWDSPhone: 087 652 0360 • (01) 459 4583

Email: rdowds@sdublincoco.ie

Clondalkin

THERESE RIDGEPhone: (Home) (01) 457 3438

Email: tridge@sdublincoco.ie

Castleknock

MAGS MURRAYPhone: 086 065 1419

Email: mags.murray@fingalcoco.ie

Mulhuddart

MICHAEL O’DONOVANPhone: 086 220 7798

Email: michael.odonovan@fingalcoco.ie

Ballyfermot/DrimnaghMICHAEL CONAGHANPhone: 086 175 3747H: (01) 626 9892 • O: (01) 222 2817Email: michael.conaghan@dublincity.ie

Ballyfermot/Drimnagh

VINCENT ‘BALLYFERMOT’ JACKSONPhone: 086 812 6330 • (01) 626 4341

Email: vincent.jackson@ballyfermot.ie

Ballyfermot/Drimnagh

LOUISE MINIHANPhone: 087 264 9266 • (01) 625 9320

Email: louise.minihan.dublincity.ie

Ballyfermot/DrimnaghBRID SMITHPhone: 087 909 0166Email: brid.smith@peoplebeforeprofit.ieWeb: www.bridsmith.org

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL

FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

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087 2524 064

Leaflets, menus, brochures all delivered in your local area.

You select your catchment area and we will deliver for you. Reliable service - reasonable

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mary.upton@oireachtas.iePhone 618 3756

www.maryupton.ie.

CLINIC TIMES -

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CLINIC TIMES: BallyfermotCivic Offices – Mondays at 10.30amBluebellCommunity Centre – Mondays at 11.30am to 12pmDrimnaghOur Lady’s Hall, Mourne Rd – Mondays at 12.30pmCrumlinCALC, upstairs at 146 Sundrive Rd. – Mondays at 5pmCrumlinVillage Inn Crumlin, Lisle Road – Mondays at 6pm Rialto St. Andrew’s Centre, 168 SCR – Mondays at 7pm

George Hook will runagainst Bertie Ahernfor Dublin Mayor

GEORGE HOOK hasannounced that hewill run for Mayor ofDublin if BertieAhern runs for theoffice. It was con-firmed today by theMinister for theEnvironment, JohnGormley, thatDubliners will direct-ly elect a Mayor inJune.

During an inter-view with Labourparty councillor andformer Dublin LordMayor, DermotLacey, on Newstalk106-108 fm, who isseeking his party'snomination in themayoral election,George announced hewould run for theoffice if Bertie Ahern

runs."If your man

Bertie throws his hatin the ring for Mayor,I am telling you now,that I will stand onanti-Bertie platformagainst him becauseBertie led us into thisabyss that we havefind ourselves in andif he runs for dogcatcher I will opposehim! So my hat willbe in the ring if Bertieis!"

George said hedidn't believe thatDublin needed apolitical leader "itneeds a chief execu-tive" I have to saythat if Bertie is in therace and I'm in therace then I certainlywill be standing up on

a podium outside achurch and I'll be say-ing these are my val-ues."

However, Georgeadded that there wasother condition inhim running forMayor: "I want achain. I'm not doingit unless there is achain. There must bea chain!"

Bertie Ahern hadfirst inferred hewould be interested inthe post at a booklaunch last year. Hesaid at the time: "Ithink it would be afascinating job for anexperienced politi-cian who wouldunderstand local gov-ernment and under-stand national poli-

tics. And not men-tioning myself, but Ithink it would be anexcellent job! I thinkif you're going tohave a directly elect-ed mayor, it should befor somebody whohas a proven record inpolitics. Otherwiseyou'll get somebodyjust joining up for thecraic who won't knowtwo minutes of poli-tics and be goingaround acting as LordMayor of Dublinmaking an ass of him-self. My colleaguestake note: please putdown the amend-ment. A Lord Mayorwith executive pow-ers would be a veryinteresting job - that'sall I'd say.”

Public consultation on PlanningGuidelines for the Greater Dublin AreaTHE NEW DraftRegional PlanningGuidelines (RPGs)for the GreaterDublin Area 2010 to2022 is on publicconsultation. TheDraft RPGs sets outthe planned directionfor growth for theGreater Dublin Areafor the next 12 years.

The Plan, whichcovers the areas ofDublin, Meath, Kil -dare and Wicklow,informs planning pol-icy and decisions inthe Greater DublinArea (GDA). It is keyto supporting the suc-cessful delivery ofkey regional infra-structural projects,including Transport21.

Cllr Freehill com-mended the new draftRPGs as a collabora-tive effort by regionalauthorities, all sevenlocal authorities andthe Department ofEnvironment, Heri -tage and Local Gov -ernment. She empha-sised “this new Planaims to achieve a bet-ter future for theRegions - focusing onsustainable develop-ment by valuing andprotecting the ameni-ties of the GDA; andproviding stronglinks between publictransport and newhousing, supportedby the necessary ser -vices to ensure thatwe meet the needs ofthe future in a coordi-nated and integratedway”. The new DraftRegional PlanningGuidelines for theGreater Dublin Areawill now go on publicdisplay in all LocalAuthority offices,libraries and on theweb (www.rpg.ie)until Friday the 11thof April.

This is the secondtime that RegionalPlanning Guidelines(RPGs) have beenprepared for theGreater Dublin Areaand this 2010 to 2022RPG seeks to buildon and extend the

policies and strategyof the 2004 to 2016RPGs, and continu-ing and focussing onthe role as imple -menters of the Nat -ional Spatial Strat egy.The RPGs are thesecond tier of policy,implementing theNational Spatial St -rategy and setting theframework for LocalAuthority Devel op -ment Plans. As astrategic documentthe RPGs set outwhere future growthover the long termshould take placeacross the GDA;identify the key infra-structure and commu-nity investmentsneeded, and the vitalheritage and culturalassets that need to beprotected in localauthority planningpolicy. This RPGcontains the firstRegional Flood Riskappraisal.

This time theRPGs for the GDAhave been able tomake a series of rec-ommendations toLocal Authoritiesclearly linked to andsupporting thenational investmentin transport, particu-larly public transport,under Transport 21.The RPGs seek todeliver policies inte-grating landuse,transport, economicgrowth and invest-ment in utilities-water, broadband andenergy so that theGDA can movetowards becoming asustainable high qual-ity location for busi-ness, residents andvisitors. Through thisintegrated model it isintended that the col-lective decisionsmade at local authori-ty level in relation toplanning policyimplementing theRPGs will providevalue for money onkey strategic stateinvestments, not leastof which the new andplanned public trans-port routes and major

water services proj-ects. These RPG’swere prepared in con-sultation with a sig-nificant input by stateagency Forfas in thepreparation of theRegional EconomicStrategy contained inChapter 3. This close

working arrangementhas resulted in theRPGs integratingmore significantlyinto the overall policythe key issues in rela-tion to promotingeconomic activity inthe GDA and thejoined-up approach to

infrastructural andother key areas ofinvestment that isneeded to allow theGDA to be a worldclass destination forinvestment and tofoster local businessopportunities.

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THE LOCAL NEWS 13

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Nothing done to protect me after tiger kidnappingA security van driverhasclaimed that nothingwas done to protect himand his family followingthe kidnapping of a co-worker's family thatoccurred in 2005.

He has also cl aimedbefore the High Courtthat he suffers from posttraumatic stress disorderand depression as aresult of the incident.

Mr James Eakins(aged 62) with anaddress at Greenhills,has sued SecuricorSecurity Services Lim -ited for damages as aresult of his crew beingasked to hand more than

€1m to a work colleaguewhose wife was the vic-tim of a 'tiger' kidnap-ping in Carlow in 2007.

Mr Eakins claimsthat he sufferedpsychiatric in juries fol-lowing the robbery of asecurity van at a servicestation in Carlow onJanuary 17, 2007.

He further claimsthat his then employersfailed to provide him asafe working environ-ment, a safe system ofwork, a safe place towork, and had no regardfor his health and safetywhile he was carryingout his duty.

He claims that hewas exposed to unneces-sary risk of personalinjury and psychologicalinjury, and had notreceived adequate train-ing. It is also claimedthat additional securitysteps were put into beingby the company follow-ing the Carlow incident.

The defendantsdeny the claims.

Eakins said thatthere were short talks,and that staff wereshown a video aboutTiger kidnappings.

The court also heardfrom Ann Purcell andGlen Keane, who work

as managers for thedefendants that follow-ing the 2005 Tiger kid-napping of MrRichardson's family thecompany was shockedand concerned and tooksteps to protect theirworkers.

They told the court

that employees weregiven advice about howto conduct themselves inpublic in order to reducethe risk of becomingvictim to tiger kidnap-ping, and encouragedemployees to be morevigilant. The companyalso consulted with the

Gardai and internationalrisk assessments abouttiger kidnappings.

The robberyinvolving Mr Eakinstook place around themorning while theSecuricor van Mr Eakinswas driving was makinga delivery to an ATM at

a petrol station. MrEakins was approachedby a work colleague,Bernard Hogan whoasked them to cooperatewith the gang to ensurehis wife’s safety. MrHogan’s wife Ailish hadbeen kidnapped from thecouple’s home the previ-

ous night. The money was

taken from the van andplaced in a car, whichwas driven from thescene. More than €1mwas obtained by thegang. At the time the vancontained €2.5m.

The case continues.

TALBOT SCHOOL PASS THE ST PAT’S CHALLENGETwo groups of sixth class students from the Talbot Senior School in Clondalkin recently completed the St Pat’s Challenge and received their certificates of achievement from councillor Derek Keating.The St Pat’s Challenge is a five week football course provided to primary schools by local League of Ireland club St Patrick’s Athletic. The programme in Clondalkin has anti-bullying as its maintheme and is run in partnership with Clondalkin Youth Services and the course is generously funded by Pfizer. The Talbot Senior School hopes to run the course again for 5th class students in thenew year. This brings to over 200 the number of children who have now completed the Challenge. Run by fully qualified coaches from the club, the course is designed to teach the basic skills offootball in a fun but challenging way. At completion of the course the students receive a St Pat’s Soccer Challenge certificate as well as a 2010 mini season ticket book from the club to come along

and support the Saints.

14 THE LOCAL NEWS

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Special Olympics Ireland Basketball Cup Competition

Members of Palmerstown Wild Cats SpecialOlympics Club and Prosper Fingal fromBalbriggan travelled to Dublin City Universityto take part in the Inaugural Special OlympicsIreland Basketball Cup Competition recently.

Eight Special Olympics IrelandBasketball teams competed on theday in the hope of taking home theprestigious INTO sponsored SeanBrosnahan Memorial Cup. Theevent, which took place in order tomark the 6th Annual SpecialOlympics Europe EurasiaCelebration of Basketball week,was a great success.

The competition was hardfought with onlookers being treat-ed to a wonderful display of skilland determination by the partici-pating athletes during the matches.In the end it was the PalmerstownWild Cats who were victorious inthe ladies competition andKillester Special Olympics Clubtook home the silverware in themen’s section of the event. Matt

English, CEO, Special Olympics Ireland andFrances Kavanagh, Director of Sport, SpecialOlympics Ireland were present on the day topresent the cups and medals to the winningteams.

5 December 2009; Members of the Prosper Fingal Special Olympics bas-ketball team pictured wth Frances Kavanagh, Director of Sport, Special

Olympics Ireland, at the Special Olympics Ireland Inaugural Basketball Cupcompetition which took place at Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin.

Picture credit: Pat Murphy / SPORTSFILE

5 December 2009; Palmerstown Wild Cats Special Olympics Club who won the INTO sponsored Sean BrosnahanMemorial Cup at the Inaugural Special Olympics Ireland Basketball Cup competition which took place at Dublin City

University, Glasnevin, Dublin. The team are pictured with Frances Kavanagh, Director of Sports, Special Olympics Ireland.Picture credit: Pat Murphy / SPORTSFILE

Shelter vandalised againA new bus shelter at the pedestrian exit from Esker lanehas been vandalised again. our picture taken by CllDerek Keating shows the most recent damage.

Cllr Derek Keating has tabled a motion seeking to'request the Manager to write to Dublin Bus and seekdetailed information on the regular vandalism of busshelters within the Lucan/Clondalkin area, includingcosts associated with the replacement of vandalised busshelters. What measures can be introduced to help pre-vent this vandalism, including consideration to the intro-duction of vandal proof bus shelters as is the case inother jurisdictions.”

THE LOCAL NEWS 15

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STUDENTS AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPSFOR THIRD-LEVEL EDUCATION

Bank of Ireland has announced that it has awarded 87 new scholarships for third level education. Valued at over €1m,these scholarships allow students who face economic, social or physical barriers an opportunity to access third level edu-cation.

Pictured celebrating their scholarships from Bank of Ireland are Dublin students (back) Kathleena Twomey, Dublin 7; NoraDuggan, Dublin 7; Niall McGlynn, Swords; Patrick O’Dwyer, Dublin 1 and Nikitta Mullen, Monkstown Farm; (Centre) KimDaly, Clondalkin; Joanne Carrig, Clondalkin; Michael Russell, Finglas; Deirdre Gorman, Swords; Roisin MacDonald,Drimnagh; Natalie McKee, Ballyfermot; Darcie Bateson, Crumlin; Nicole Griffin, Drimnagh; Louise Curtis, Irishtown andGemma Kelly, Ringsend: (Front) Jessica Grimes, Glasnevin; Charlotte Farrell, Tallaght; Lee McEneff, Clondalkin; Laura Fox,Kiltipper; Lucy Nolan, Dublin 8 and Kelly Moore, Raheny.

The Bank also announced that a total of 662 scholarships, ranging in value from €3,000 to €40,000 per annum, havenow been awarded by the Bank’s Millennium Scholars Trust. The Trust was established in 2000, providing a fund of€12.5m and was the largest single millennium initiative from either the State or private sources. It has enabled 662students pursue their dreams of attending college irrespective of age, background or the discipline they wish to study.

16 THE LOCAL NEWS

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