Good News on Road Safety in 2010 – Daly

Cllr Richard Daly (FG) today congratulated all involved in Road Safety on the continuing dramatic fall in the number of fatalities on our roads. Kildare was among the first counties to take the significant step of employing a full time Road Safety Officer who has been to the fore in promoting the Road Safety message which is beginning to reap reward.

“Road deaths in Ireland have fallen from 279 in 2008, to 239 in 2009 and to 212 in 2010. This represents a very significant drop in fatalities and spares so many families the torment of experiencing the loss of a loved one.

The fall in the number of fatalities can be attributed to increased enforcement, increased education and environment and engineering improvements for which many of us have long been campaigning for. The recent introduction of speed or safety cameras and the new powers for drug testing must be welcomed in making our roads safer.

No deaths are acceptable on our roads but Ireland’s driver awareness campaigns have exceeded European targets and at a time when our status in Europe is poor in economic terms, it is nice to see us to the fore in addressing our road carnage.

My congratulations to the Road Safety Authority, Kildare County Council and particularly Declan Keogh, Road Safety Officer and all who have promoted Road Safety.” Said Cllr Daly

As Christmas Approaches beware of moneylenders – Daly

As the Christmas season approaches and people are coming under financial pressure they should avoid the temptation to accept offers from moneylenders according to Cllr Richard Daly of Fine Gael.

“Moneylenders are not regulated and have brought untold misery to so many families throughout the county. They make money immediately available at your doorstep which might be very attractive to the hard pressed householder who doesn’t have money available for the upcoming Christmas season. At the time of handing out the money there is little discussion of how much the payments will be and then suddenly you are in the hands of the moneylenders.

The first point of call should be your be your local credit union and even if you already have financial difficulties they are well worth talking to. If you are already in financial difficulty you should call MABS Money (Advice and Budgeting Service) at 1890 283 438.

What many people think is a short term solution to a short term problem becomes a long term slavery to the clutches of a non regulated moneylender and instead of solving a problem they have created a major one.

MABS and the Credit Union should be the first port of call for people experiencing financial difficulty and any of your local representatives will be glad to put you in contact with them.”

St Vincent’s Hospital is a County Issue – Daly

Raising the issue of the diminishing beds at St. Vincent’s Hospital at Kildare County Council Cllr Richard Daly of Fine Gael said that the issue is not just an Athy one but a county issue

“St Vincent’s Hospital has been providing service to the people of the county for the past 170 years and in recent years we have seen bed numbers diminishing by stealth. The closure of St Camillus’ ward was the only closure which was obvious but continuously the number of beds has been diminishing.

While I am not being critical of the level of care in our private hospitals I am calling on all of the County Council representatives to support our public hospitals which are under threat as more and more step down patients are being directed towards the private sector.

Assurances have been given that the hospital will be protected but indications are that in order for that to happen that there could be a further diminution of bed numbers. This will not be tolerated by the people of Athy and Kildare in general. If the number of patients per ward is to be reduced then we must develop new wards.

Following representation St Vincent’s was last week readded to the list of step down facilities for Naas General having previously been removed. This is to be welcomed but only if beds are available so I am asking Kildare County Council to demand of the Minister of Health that the lost beds are restored to St. Vincent’s Hospital for the sake of the county in general”

Daly praises forward thinking Kildare VEC

Multi denominational and none, inclusive, co-educational and non selective were the terms used by Cllr Richard Daly of Fine Gael to describe Kildare VECs remit to Kildare County Council this week

Kildare VEC must be congratulated for doing so many things so well. Because of the wide remit of our VECs it is hard believe that it can be expert at all things but it can. From the traditional Second level school to providing PLCs. From evening classes to language support for Non nationals, from community education to adult literacy, from VTOS to Youthreach the VEC is the body which responds to the educational demand of the community and proactively introduced new initiatives.

As public representatives it is important that we support our public education system but as parents we must also take advantage of the VEC schools in offering the best education for our young people.

Never more in our history was there as significant a role to be played by our VECs as now when the enrolment policies of some schools can be divisive and exclusive within our communities

Significant capital investment by VEC and DES in Kildare is to be welcomed with state of the art campuses in Naas and Athy recently completed. The construction of the new IVEA headquarters in Piper’s Hill is a welcome addition and most significantly the development of one of the first community primary schools in the country.

VEC a significant employer in Kildare over 900 on payroll and nearly 5000 second level students alone.

Kildare County Council needs to facilitate the zoning of lands for education to cater for growth in many towns throughout the county. It must ensure the broadband infrastructure is adequate to provide for high speed delivery of broadband connectivity to all schools and Communities. There are still pockets of the county where broadband is still not available and this must be immediately addressed if we are to advance education and the knowledge economy

The Council should take a proactive and positive approach to ensuring speedy granting of planning to education authorities and further ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to support our educational establishments ( roads, sewage, water, traffic control, etc)

Kildare can be very proud of its VEC and must support it to keep it to the fore of education provision within the county said Cllr Daly

Athy Rose Again

Athy can once again feel very proud of the calibre of its contestants in the International Rose of Tralee competition. Congratulations to Clare Kambamettu who portrayed herself, her family, her town and her county so well. A very competent replacement for Charmaine Kenny who brought the role of Rose to new heights.

Rarely could a town be as fortunate as Athy to have its talented young ladies recognised on the international stage. Charmaine has used the opportunity to bring credit to us all by highlighting social injustice and raising the spirits of all sections of society.

This is a significant year for Athy which has been chosen as Ireland’s first SHINE town and having the Rose title coming from here will add to the tourist and business potential which it can unleash.

Just like the ploughing Championship when Athy gets an opportunity it never lets it go!

Athy can feel very proud to have reclaimed the title of Rose of Tralee and congratulations to Clare Kambamettu who excelled in her presentation. We look forward to seeing her represent us all over the coming year.