John Gormley

This year Dublin City Council are only offering a minimal Christmas tree recycling service. The details of bring centres which are accepting Christmas trees are on the dublinwaste.ie site. The only centre in Dublin South East is the Rathmines Bring Centre at Gulistan Terrace.

Last year Dublin City Council operated a collection service where you could purchase a tag for your tree and it would be collected for recycling. This year the service was quietly dropped. This is another example of an area in which our recycling services are getting worse rather than better.

Speech to Dáil Éireann, 6 December 2006, by John Gormley TD, Green Party Chairman

I’m glad to have the opportunity at last to speak in the House on the issue of the running down of our Post Office network. As you know, Ceann Comhairle, I have repeatedly submitted questions, motions and requests for adjournment debates on this issue over the past few months. On each occasion, the matter was ruled out of order on the basis that the Minister is not responsible for An Post. However on the 11th of May this year, Minister Seamus Brennan told my colleague Dan Boyle in the House that “The Government is committed to maintaining a viable network of post offices throughout the country”. How can the Government be committed to an objective, and yet refuse to take action on it, and refuse to even answer questions about it in this house? (more…)

The residents of Maxwell Court, Maxwell Road and Upper Rathmines Road have called a meeting to discuss the decommissioning of the site of the former Esso service station at the corner of Maxwell Road and Upper Rathmines Road.

This removal of soil is the subject of an application for planning permission which Dublin City Council granted in March 2006. I have received a copy of the planner’s report, which can be downloaded here (TIFF format). If you can’t view this document, please get in touch and I can provide a hard copy.

Green Party Chairman John Gormley TD has criticised Minister for State Tom Parlon for refusing to meet parents affected by mobile phone masts which have been erected by the Office of Public Works on a building next door to St Mary’s College and close to St Louis Schools in Rathmines. (more…)

125. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Finance if licences to install mobile phone base stations on public buildings have been granted to companies (details supplied) since December 2005, either directly through the Office of Public Works or indirectly through sub-licensing agreements with a company or other companies. [8595/06]
 
  126. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Finance, further to his recent offer to meet residents affected by the installation of new mobile phone base stations at Shankill, his views on whether to meet with parents of children attending schools (details supplied), who are affected by the continued presence of mobile phone base stations on a public building adjacent to the schools. [8596/06] (more…)

1287. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Education and Science if €25,000 has been allocated to Rathmines Information and Community Services Centre Limited; her views on whether that is adequate for a youth service in Rathmines; if support will be given to this group’s applications for special projects for youth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1493/06]

Minister for Education and Science (Ms Hanafin): The youth affairs section of my Department received an application for funding under my Department’s special projects for youth scheme, on behalf of the centre referred to by the Deputy. While it was not possible to accede to the request for mainstreaming this project in 2005, owing to the large number of applications received, a once-off grant was made available late in 2005 to assist the project in its work.
In 2005, ten new projects were sanctioned and an additional 20 upgraded from single-worker projects to two-worker projects, under the special projects for youth scheme. That represents considerable and notable progress for the scheme and the youth sector generally.
Applications for the 2006 round of grants are currently being examined, and consideration will be given to any renewed application from the project, having regard to the overall financial provision for the youth sector and the number of applications received.

199. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Finance if the mobile phone networks operating masts on Ardee House, Rathmines, Dublin 6, have acceded to his requests to deactivate these masts; if discussions are still ongoing; when he expects discussions to conclude; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39923/05]
 
   Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. Parlon): I intend to take Questions Nos. 199 and 203 together.
  The two mobile phone operators who have equipment installed on Ardee House, have informed the Commissioners of Public Works that they do not intend to comply with the request to deactivate their equipment.
  The commissioners have requested the companies to reconsider their decision and will not grant any further licences in respect of State buildings to them, pending the report of the interdepartmental committee on the health effects of electromagnetic radiation.

Green Party Chairman, John Gormley, T.D. has called on the Minister for State, Tom Parlon, and Justice Minister, Michael McDowell, to immediately clarify the position regarding mobile phone antennae on the Office of Public Works building beside St. Louis and St. Mary’s Schools in Rathmines.

Mr Gormley said that both the Ministers had led local people to believe through parliamentary replies and correspondence that the masts situated beside St Louis and St Mary’s Schools were to be deactivated. According to Mr. Gormley, the mobile phone operator Hutchinson has now indicated that it has no intention whatsoever of de-activating the mast and has sent correspondence to this effect to Minister Parlon.

“Why have Minister Parlon and Minister McDowell engaged in complete spin on this issue? They have issued misleading statements and have given people to believe that the masts on the OPW building would be switched off. It is now clear from information that we have received that the masts are still operational and that Hutchinson, the company involved, has no intention of de-activating these masts.”

“Parents of local school children are rightly concerned about this issue and have put their trust in Minister McDowell. He has let them down badly. Surely Minister McDowell knows that the location of these masts is in contravention of the Government’s own guidelines. Such masts should not be located on schools or beside schools.”

Listen to John’s podcast on this issue

493. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the anti-social behaviour and the consequent litter caused by same including alcohol bottles and cigarette packets close to the Luas on Cowper Road on weekends; if the attention of the Garda has been drawn to this problem; the action it intends to take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33994/05]
 
   Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell): I am informed by the Garda authorities that a Garda inspector from Rathmines Garda station has acted as a liaison officer between the Garda and the company operating the Luas since it commenced operations.  I am further informed that there have been no reported incidents of public disorder in respect of the Luas on Cowper Road since it commenced operations.  Local Garda management have not received any written or oral complaints with regard to the matters raised by the Deputy from the residents of Cowper Road.  I am assured that the Garda authorities will continue to give the area in question ongoing attention in the form of regular patrols.

 209. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Finance if he has taken action on foot of correspondence received from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform of 4 April 2005 in relation to the installation of mobile phone masts on a State property at Ardee Road, Rathmines, adjacent to St. Mary’s College; if he has issued a reply, other than a letter of acknowledgement, to this letter, in which he asked the Minister of State at the Department of Finance to ensure that the mast in question be removed immediately; his views on the Minister of Justice Equality and Law Reform’s opinion that the siting of the mast on the particular building contravenes clearly established criteria for the location of masts which have been accepted by the Office of Public Works, the local authorities and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. [29663/05]
 
   Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. Parlon): I am informed by the Commissioners of Public Works that the equipment on Ardee House has been installed in accordance with all the relevant legislation such as that regarding health and safety, and planning, and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the licence agreements granted by them in respect of such installations.  The Commissioners’ consultants are monitoring the emissions from the equipment on their behalf to ensure this compliance is continuous.  This information has been provided to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.