The wonderful people at Children's Books Ireland are calling on the government to reverse the cut to the Primary Schools' Library Budget. In 2008, this was cut by 42% (€2.2m). Primary school children across the country deserve access to books and this is a wonderful initiative that deserves our full support. To make this happen, they need data. So they are calling on all Primary Schools to complete this survey:   Help spread the word! The full press release from Children's Books Ireland is here: Children’s Books Ireland calls for government support [...]

On Wednesday evening last, Imagine Dundrum marked three years in its campaign for the best possible future for Dundrum Village. We took the opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to all those who have given their expertise and guidance free of charge to assist the work over the past three years. We have benefited from graphic design help, planning and conservation advice, photography, editing of publications, event management, facilitation of workshops, and much more. Thank you to all concerned.

We are a voluntary group of local residents from across all the wider Dundrum Area, who came together in early 2016 to respond to the imminent redevelopment of Dundrum Village and to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’s proposed Local Area Plan for Dundrum. We have been working for past three years for the future of Dundrum Village, campaigning for a thriving, accessible friendly place for all ages, that protects the village heritage, and with a modern library and civic centre on the old Shopping Centre site. As the founder and Chair of [...]

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has several home improvement grant schemes for older people and people with disabilities. These grants are means tested. Application forms for these schemes are on the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown website www.dlrcoco.ie. You can contact the Council at 2054847 for more information or assistance. Housing adaptation grant for people with disabilities: This grant can help you to make changes and adaptations to your home, for example to make it wheelchair accessible add a ground floor bathroom or toilet. If you are buying or building a new home, you [...]

I am proud to be co-founder and Chairperson of Imagine Dundrum, a group of local residents who came together in 2016 to think about how our urban village might best develop in the future. We wanted to help ensure that local people have a voice and a say in the imminent redevelopment of Dundrum Village. Imagine Dundrum has made a detailed submission to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council on all the developments we wish to see addressed in the Council’s forthcoming Dundrum Local Area Plan. We want the redeveloped Village to be [...]

2016 was a great year for the Dundrum ARCH Club, as the Club celebrated its ruby anniversary. Founded by seven parents, the club first opened its doors in October 1976. At the time the Arch Club was unique in catering for the social needs of people with intellectual disabilities in the community. From its humble beginning in 1976 the club has grown from about 30 members to over 100; As well as regular events such as concerts, movies and an annual trip, the group regularly attend weekly get-togethers in Ballinteer Community [...]

I am very proud to have been invited to be Mayor of Dundrum two years running. This is an honour given by the Dundrum Arts and Cultural Festival to a local person, in recognition of their work in the community. It was delightful to have the opportunity to formally open the Festival, to join with the school children in their story telling events, to give prizes to footballers, cyclists, bowling and bridge competitions and much more. The Festival is a great event for Dundrum, now in its 36th year – the longest [...]

Children must be at the forefront of the minds of our planners. Children and young people have their unique perspective on what matters in their place. They see their environment with fresh eyes and enquiring minds, Young children experience the city, town or village from a different height. What they need from and value in a place is different from what adults need. Children need open space and places for recreation, environmentally friendly, sustainable and safe environments, and a child-centred place to live, play and go to school. Engaging children in the [...]

If you're looking for a fascinating way to spend a couple of hours this Saturday, the 'Historic Dundrum' tour could be just the thing.  John Lennon from the Dundrum Historical Society has been giving the tour every Saturday afternoon as part of the Dun-Laoghaire Rathdown Summer of Heritage. John clearly has deep affection for Dundrum and a matching deep knowledge of the place, it's past, it's people, it's story. I went on John's Saturday tour recently and listened in awe to stories of Dundrum spanning a thousand years. We began at Dundrum [...]

Aarhaus is a town in Denmark, where a ground breaking Treaty, the Aarhaus Convention, was signed in 1998, giving citizens a truly radical set of rights in respect of the protection of our environment. Ireland ratified this Treaty in 2012. The full title of this International Treaty is the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental matters. We, as citizens, now have the right to environmental information held by public authorities, including County Councils. We have the right to participate in decisions to permit [...]

Research tells us that the effects of poor housing conditions, overcrowding and homelessness include:  Missing school much more often on account of sickness or being moved from place to place Damaging the ability to learn at school and study at home Much higher risk of severe ill health and disability Higher risk of behavioural and emotional problems. The response to the housing and homelessness crisis has to be speedy, and child–centred. Children need stability, some privacy and security. Enabling school going children to stay in their present school must be a top [...]

Huge thanks to Professor P.J Drudy, Emirtus Professor of Economics in Trinity College Dublin, who has kindly taken the time to share his paper on housing here as a guest blog. It's radical new thinking on housing provision, thought-provoking and vital to debate on our housing crisis. (Extract of  paper to the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland) After a decade of escalating house prices and rents, the bubble finally burst in 2007.  This was inevitable.  Those who purchased during the misguided “boom” were invariably advised that they must get on [...]

Frank McDonald hit the nail on the head during yesterday’s ( (May 14th) edition of The Right Hook on Newstalk when he said that what good councils need are councillors who are articulate and free to voice people’s fears and wishes. I would add that councillors need to have the capacity to understand policy development and know how to influence that process.Independent councillors are far more ready to demand accountability and challenge policies that are not working. Party councillors are often stuck with the policies and systems of their party – they have to [...]