Cabra update: Primary Care Centres, bus services, local policing

29th September, 2014

APPOINTMENT AS MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT, TOURISM & SPORT

My appointment as Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport provides me with numerous challenges and opportunities over the next two years. Ensuring that the LUAS Cross-City project to Cabra is delivered on time and within budget will be a key objective of my time as Minister. I also look forward to working closely with Dublin City Council on advancing many other important projects across the city and region, including the further expansion of the successful Dublin Bikes Scheme and ensuring that other cycle infrastructure projects are delivered. It is a huge honour to be appointed to Cabinet and I remain fully committed to working on behalf of and representing the communities of Dublin Central across the coming years.

 

UPDATE ON DELIVERY OF NEW PRIMARY CARE CENTRES

Work on delivering new Primary Care Centres across Dublin Central is moving forward. Residents in Cabra will soon be served by two local Primary Care Centres; one on the Grangegorman campus and the other in the Deaf Village Ireland campus.

  • Grangegorman Primary Care Centre:
    • The facility will be located on the North Circular Road side of the campus.
    • Planning permission was approved by Dublin City Council earlier this month.
    • A contractor to construct the new Primary Care Centre to be selected by the end of October.
    • Construction to begin on site by mid February 2015.
  • Cabra Primary Care Centre
    • The facility will be located in the Deaf Village Ireland campus on the Navan Road.
    • Construction work is on-going and is expected to be concluded by the end of this year.
    • The facility is scheduled to open in March 2015 following a fit out by the HSE.
    • This facility will house two Primary Care teams, local Community Mental Health facilities and a Community Mental Health Day Hospital.

The provision of Primary Care Centres in local communities has been a central aspect of the Government’s reform of our Health services. In addition to GP care and the provision of Public Health Nurses, Primary Care Centres will see occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, among others, being located in the heart of local communities. Ensuring these services are provided locally will enhance the delivery of health-care across the wider Cabra area.

 

IMPROVING CABRA – FINGLAS DUBLIN BUS SERVICES

The lack of a proper bus connection between Cabra and Finglas is an issue that has been long raised with me. Since becoming Minister for Transport, I have raised this matter with Dublin Bus. The Chief Executive has since advised me that following the replacement of the level crossing at Reilly’s Bridge, the company will now consider an improved bus service linking Cabra and Finglas. Various options are currently being worked on and a report will shortly be provided to me. Any changes with the route network will require the consideration and ultimate approval by the National Transport Authority. I will work to keep you updated of progress in respect of an enhanced bus service link between Cabra and Finglas.

 

PREPARATIONS FOR HALLOWEEN

Officials in Dublin City Council’s Housing Section and Parks Department are liaising with local Gardai to develop a co-ordinate approach to minimise bonfires and incidents on Halloween. The City Council will utilise all necessary resources in order to reduce the number and size of bonfires across the Cabra district. Warning letters have already been issued to businesses and local groups in respect of the storage and distribution of materials for bonfires. A number of residents have already been in contact with me about the build-up of materials in certain locations across the district. If you have information about the stock piling of materials or premises supplying such materials can be reported to the City Council’s litter hotline on 1800 248 348. Should you have any difficulty in getting through to the hotline, please contact me at paschal.donohoe@oir.ie or on 618 3689.

 

CABRA GRAFFITI REMOVAL

The Public Domain Unit of Dublin City Council continues to remove items of graffiti on various sites across the Cabra district. Both the Probation Service and the Council’s Corporate Contractor have removed graffiti on Carnlough Road, Dunard Park, Dunard Walk and Dunard Road. As always, if there are items of graffiti on your street or avenue, please get in touch with me and I will arrange for its removal.

 

DUNMANUS SENIOR CITIZEN COMPLEX

Cluid Housing Association is continuing to acquire funding for the construction of a forty-three bed senior citizen housing complex on Dunmanus Road. Approval to fund the construction of ten units has been acquired but the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government has yet to approve an application made by Cluid under the Capital Advance Loan Finance scheme to finalise the funding for the reminder of the project. Should all the funding applications be successful, it is expected that the tender process to select and appoint a contractor to carry out the construction work will be completed by late Autumn with work to begin on site by April 2015. I will ensure that residents are kept up to date with progress in respect of this project.

 

REPORT ON SMALL AREA POLICING INITIATIVE

Community Gardaí continue to be involved in the roll-out of the small area policing initiative across Dunard and the wider Cabra district. Chief Superintendent Leahy has reported that the response to date has been very positive and the information shared by residents has enabled local Gardaí to successfully tackle a number of serious anti-social and criminal problems. Officers from the Community Policing Unit will continue to call to homes across the district throughout the coming weeks in order to make sure that every home has been visited.