Minister English is urging Meath West constituents to make all necessary preparations now for snow this week

Monday, 26th February 2018

We are looking at very unusual weather events this coming week
according to local Meath West Fine Gael T.D. and Minister for Housing
and Urban Renewal Damien English.  He is urging local residents to
prepare now, and to keep a close eye and ear on Local and National
media, and Social Media.

According to Met Eireann it is likely Tuesday evening will see bands of
rain turning to snow with further accumulations for the rest of the
week. Some of the snow showers will be of prolonged duration.  The
forecasts are for extremely low temperatures this week.  High winds,
up to gale force strength later in the week could cause blizzards.

Make arrangements now

“This will be a very significant weather event and people need to
start making arrangements now to prepare for it. The advice to people
is to start preparing their homes now, so have extra batteries, fuel
and enough food in stock for the coming days. Please look in on older
or more vulnerable neighbours” stated Minister English.

Local Authorities

He continued “Nationally Government is working with the aim is to
coordinate the various Local Authorities and state or semi-state
bodies to help businesses and keep the country open as much as
possible. Local Authorities  have been asked to provide an update to
Government on their state of readiness to deal with the severe weather
on a county by county basis. Anyone planning to travel this week needs
to heed weather reports over the next few days.”

Salting

“The levels of salt available nationally is 120,000 tonnes. The normal
daily usage is 4-5,000 tonnes so the stocks are sufficient to meet
demand. Local authorities are managing these stocks. Motorways and
national roads will be prioritized. Driver behaviour will be an issue
this week and we need drivers to take care and slow down” Minister
English said.

School transport

“School transport system decisions will be made in line with ongoing
forecasts in each County. Code red snow levels in a County will lead
to school buses not running so schools will be closed in that
circumstance. Safety is to the fore in all decisions being made, and
school Principals and Boards of Management are asked to keep a close
eye on updates and guidance for their local area” stated Minister
English.

Rough Sleepers

Members of the public are also being asked to contact their local authority to report any rough sleepers that they have concerns about and any such cases will be followed up. In the Dublin region, members of the public can report cases of concern through the following weblink; http://www.homelessdublin.ie/report-rough- sleeper#1

Finally Minister English encouraged people to visit: www.winterready.ie

ENDS

Beaufort College Navan wins the race to study PE – English

Monday, 26th February 2018

Beaufort College Navan is among the 80 secondary schools nationwide,
to be part of the first phase implementation of Physical Education
(PE) for Senior Cycle programmes and has been congratulated by local
T.D. and Minister Damien English.

The Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, and Meath West Fine Gael
T.D. welcomed the news saying: “I am delighted that Beaufort College
Navan is included in the pilot scheme for schools to study Physical
Education at Senior Cycle. This means Navan students will be among the
first in the country to take the Leaving Cert exam in PE.”

80 schools will implement either the examinable Physical Education
Leaving Certificate subject or the new Senior Cycle Physical Education
Framework which is not for examination, or both. It will be rolled out
to all schools from 2020 so all students in Meath will benefit from
this before too long.

“Students taking the new Leaving Certificate subject from September
2018 will sit the first Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE)
exam in 2020. The subject can be taken at both higher and ordinary
levels. The new Senior Cycle Physical Education (SCPE) Framework, will
provide a new modern curriculum for teachers to teach PE to all
students at senior cycle.

“The assessment process will have 20% going to a physical activity
project; 30% to performance assessment and 50% to a written
examination.”

“The Fine Gael Government is taking physical education seriously for
the health of our nation and this announcement is part of the overall
Government focus on encouraging healthy living. We want to support
families and communities in Meath to make healthy choices. The
announcement is also a key commitment in Minister Richard Bruton’s
Action Plan for Education, which aims to make Ireland’s education and
training system the best in Europe by 2026.”

ENDS

Project Ireland 2040 launched today

‘Project Ireland 2040’, launched today, is a key element in how we plan
and build for the Meath/Westmeath and the Ireland of 2040 and beyond.  I am
delighted that encouraging local jobs near to where people live, and
providing vital infrastructure – both social and transport, are the
key drivers of this new investment plan. As one of the Ministers
responsible at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local
Government for the National Planning Framework , which forms a
crucial component of this plan, I welcome this jobs focussed and
sustainable vision.  This marks a major re-balancing of previous
failed Fianna Fail plans.

Some of the highlights of the plan include:

Rural Regeneration and Development Fund

Locally, in Meath West I welcome specifically the Rural Regeneration
and Development Fund. Investment projects in towns and villages with
populations of less than 10,000 in Meath and Westmeath will be in a
position to benefit from a new Rural Regeneration and Development Fund
which will invest €1bn in promoting rural renewal, to help towns,
villages and rural areas to grow in a sustainable way. Our larger Urban centres will also have access to an Urban Regeneration Fund.  This is good
news for many parts of rural Meath and Westmeath. Project Ireland 2040
also supports Gaeltacht areas across the country with increased
investment to enable the creation of 1,000 jobs every year in
Gaeltacht areas including Meath.

Social Housing

For social housing, the target up to the 2021 period is to deliver
approximately 26,120 additional social homes under this programme
across the Greater Dublin Region (Meath/Kildare/Wicklow). Over two
thirds of this will be through new build and a healthy pipeline of
activity is already in place with around 5,000 units completed, on
site or progressing through approval stages.  Of the 5,000 additional
social housing units in current delivery, specific examples would
include projects in Meath at Ratoath 17 homes, Kells 40 homes and
Connaught Grove, Athboy, 32 homes.

Dunboyne Rail and possible extension to Dunshaughlin and Navan

The National Transport Authority is required to review its Greater
Dublin Area Transport Strategy before the end of 2021. This review
will include a reappraisal of the project to extend the rail line from
Dunboyne to Dunshaughlin and Navan, taking into account the scale of
new and planned development along the route and will allow for its
consideration during the Mid Term Review of Project Ireland 2040.

Greenway

Projects ready to be delivered in 2018/2019 include the completion of
the Kildare and Meath sections of the Galway to Dublin Greenway. It is
expected that a number of new greenways projects will be funded and
delivered over the period of the National Development Plan, the
funding for which will be allocated on the basis of a competitive
bid-based approach. The goal of an iconic coast-to- coast greenway
from Dublin to Galway remains a priority for the Government and in
light of the development of the Greenways Strategy.

ENDS

Minister Damien English introduces New Planning Regulations

Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Housing and Urban Development, Damien English, T.D., today (8 February 2018) signed three new sets of exempted development regulations.

The Planning Act provides that the Minister may make regulations to provide that certain classes of development be exempted from the requirement to obtain planning permission, thereby streamlining and creating efficiencies in the planning system but also reducing the regulatory and administrative burden on those undertaking such works.

As required under the Planning Act, the regulations received a positive resolution from both Houses of the Oireachtas on 25 January 2018.

The new regulations now provide for the following exemptions:

• development by Irish Water related to the provision of water services and the undertaking of normal day to day activities relating to same, such as maintenance type works,
• the change of use, and any related works, relating to the conversion of vacant commercial premises – including “over the shop” type premises – for residential use, on foot of the commitment in Rebuilding Ireland in this regard, and
• amending existing provisions relating to certain works by statutory undertakers in providing telecommunications services, to support the rollout of the National Broadband Plan and extended mobile phone coverage.

Minister English said “Following detailed engagement with the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government and with Oireachtas members last week, I am pleased to sign these regulations and bring the new planning provisions into force.”

“These are important regulations which are intended to benefit and have a positive impact on people’s everyday lives. For example, reliable mobile and broadband service across the country is essential in our modern lives and the regulations will assist in the accelerated roll-out of the National Broadband Plan and support the provision of enhanced mobile phone services, particularly in rural and remote areas. The regulations will also support Irish Water in the efficient delivery of the vital service that it provides and allow it to respond quickly in emergency situations to ensure the continued supply of essential water services”, he continued.

Minister English highlighted, “The regulations relating to the change of use of vacant buildings for residential purposes are vitally important and have three-fold benefits – firstly, facilitating the bringing on stream of urgently needed housing supply in high demand areas; secondly, maximising the use of vacant underutilised spaces; and thirdly, rejuvenating and breathing new life into inner-core urban areas in towns and cities. I hope that as many property owners of vacant premises around the country will utilise these provisions as soon as possible.”

The new regulations will be available on the Department’s website and on the electronic statute book.

ENDS