Student Grants (SUSI)

That this Council support 3^rd level students with the requirements of attending  college and the process of accessing grant payments.

The Council have agreed to contact the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn. To ask if he will address concerns regarding the recent requests the Social Welfare offices are now placing on students. The Offices are requesting proof of education, i.e. the students registration details from their college. This is proving to be very difficult as many students are waiting on SUSI to approve their grant application, this in turn means they are only temporally registered within their college. As a result the Social Welfare will not accept the temporary status. This means students who are at the highest risk may not receive their welfare payments as a result of this request until SUSI informs them of their decision. From this example you can easily appreciate the difficulties a student may find themselves in through no fault of their own and the urgent need to speed up their SUSI applications.

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

Countess Grove entrance

That this Council gives a update on the position of improving the sight line from Countess Grove.

Report: Killarney Town Council has reached agreement to acquire a strip of land at the junction of Countess Road and Countess Grove which will provide adequate sigh lines. The legal transfer of the land is being finalised at present. It is expected that this transfer will be completed at the end of 2012.

Cllr. Tom Doherty expressed the frustration of the residents living in the area. He also questioned the availability of funding to complete the works after the transfer of land is completed. 
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tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

Speed ramp in Countess Road.

Speed ramp in Countess Road.

At the October meeting of Killarney town Council the following motion

was put forward by Cllr. Tom Doherty.

That this Council erect warning sign posts  indicating the speed ramp

in Countess Road.

An extra sign post is now in place adjacent to the speed ramp. This

brings the total of warning signs to three.  Cllr. Tom Doherty thanked

the engineer for his prompt response.

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

Killarney postal stamp

That this Council contact An Post to produce “stamps of Killarney” to highlight Killarney as a visitor attraction.

This is an opportunity to advertise of Killarney as a tourist destination. It could provide an outlet to highlight Killarney as Ireland tidiest town and or other national and international awards. It could be used as part of the” gathering 2013” to invite people to Killarney. As we no longer have unique Irish coins, these Killarney stamps  would provide excellent additions to anyone who collects stamps as a hobby throughout the world.  Indeed the Killarney crest on a stamp would generate a sense of historical value of Killarney as a place to visit.

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tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

Spa GAA club: Footpath

That this council co-operate with Kerry county council to complete the footpath from the urban area to the Spa GAA club grounds.

This is a very valuable project as it would enable safe passage by foot. 

All roads that lead in and out of Killarney are very busy and the Spa road is no exception. The Spa gaa grounds are a hive of activity. This excellent organisation also includes facilities for the athletic club and the availability of the hall for other activities.  

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

Irish Sign Language

 

As the Irish sign language is the primary language of the deaf community, Cllr. Tom Doherty has proposed that Killarney Town Council give full recognition to it as the third language of our State.

There is no official recognition of this Irish visual language despite calls to make Irish Sign Language the third official language in Ireland, after Irish and English. Irish sign language is an independent language with a structure and grammar different from that of English.

Other countries officially recognise their own indigenous sign language such as Iceland and Belgium for example. Cllr. Tom Doherty has called on the government to recognise “Irish Sign Language” .  

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

Motor tax

That this Council seeks a more innovative reply from the Ministers office with regard to the cost of motor tax and a individuals difficulties in paying this tax in one instalment only.

The reply to my motion from the Minister’s office did not offer any solution to this difficulty. Other Councils also sought justice with regards to the payment of this tax. It comes across as a rural V city divide. Most people cannot afford a new car which ultimately means dearer tax. Running a car is very expensive because of vat, carbon tax, excise duty and petrol. If a individual says “ I need my car and l want to pay my road tax”, where is the support. I support the call for monthly instalment payments of the motor tax.

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

Sewerage scheme connection

That this Council requests that an extension of the Sewerage scheme connects out in to the Lissivigeen area.

There is a lot of talk of late in relation to the costing and upgrading  of septic tanks. Lissivigeen is part of the Killarney valley where our lakes are an important component of our economic wellbeing. Lissivigeen is in the vicinity of the main sewerage plant. This large suburb area with a school, hotel and industries should have a choice to join a main sewerage line.

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

Dog Fouling Bins

That this Council investigate suitable locations for dog fouling bins

The ongoing education and awareness on this issue is needed along with the enforcement of the  €150 fine for littering. Dog fouling bins are usually found in popular sea fronts and promenades up and down the country. It is very easy to stroll from our streets in to the national park. It is at these junctions that theses bins should be placed. Killarney town council should do all in its power to support responsible dog owners.

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

Ballyspillane Estate.

That this Council put extra traffic calming measures into Ballyspillane Estate.

The following is the speed of cars versus the percentage of pedestrians Killed.

45 mph                       85% fatality

30 mph                       45% and many serious injured

20 mph                5% and few seriously injured (30% no injury)

Ballyspillane is the largest estate in our town and is in constant need of review with regard to traffic calming measures. It is important to run awareness campaigns to be wary of children playing in our estates. It is also important for visitors to our estates to be mindful of hidden dangers and to respect the local community. Cllr Tom Doherty will contact the town engineer to see if any improvements can be made.

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

International Disability Award

Cllr. Tom Doherty has called on Killarney town Council to erect plaques in honour of our local citizens, that win awards at International disability competitions.  Killarney has honoured many member of our community by naming roundabouts, streets and parks after them.  These include athletes, politicians, business leaders and other community activist. The plaques will recognise the ability of those will a disability on the world stage of equality. 

“With the new plaza design presently being created in front of the Court House, l believe that this would be an excellent site to display the plaques”, Cllr Doherty said.


tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

St. Columbanus Community Hospital.

That this Council contact the relevant department to review any decision to downgrade or reduce bed capacity in St. Columbanus Community Hospital.

This Community Hospital provides quality care for elderly patients. The staff provide a excellent and friendly service. We already have cuts to home help hours and other supports. The availability of health service supports and accommodation gives a piece of mind for senior citizens. St. Columbanus  is a  home away from home and should be respected as such by the decision makers.

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

Career Guidance

That this Council contact the relevant department to highlight the importance of Guidance services in the educational system.

Under the present economic circumstances education is the future of this Country. Educational styles and services have changed since l attended school. It was heavily biased towards rote learning. But it is now inter-active, with white boards and computers. These are great tools to inherit knowledge.

 The well being of our young and our students is vital in today’s modern society.. A holistic approach supporting modern students in modern times is the key to a well rounded individual. It is a vital ingredient in our education system. Therefore the value of the guidance service should not be under estimated

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

295,000 euro set aside for roads works in Killarney in 2012

Killarney Town Council has approved a roads budget of 295,000 euro for 2012. 195,000 euro comes from a grant from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport Block Grant. Killarney Town council is contributing 100,000 euro from its own resources. This year's budget excludes over half a million euro worth of works that were considered but are not included in the 2012 budget. Due to the current economic climate and the fact the local authority may not realise all its projected income for 2012, the Town Councillors Allocation of 20,000 euro will not be committed to specific works. 52,000 euro has been set aside for works at Countess Road to Railway Bridge to Hegartys Roundabout, 81,000 is budgeted for works from Countess Grove Junction to the Avenue. 66,000 euro is set aside for works from Rookery Road to St Olivers School to Ballycasheen road, a further 60,000 will go to Kilcummin Road Bypass to Junction of Railway Bridge and finally 36,000 euro is budgeted for pavement improvement and lining on Deerpark Road. Councillors agreed the proposed programme of works after some discussion with regards flooding at the entrance to Hawthorn Avenue which Cllr Tom Doherty said has been overlooked for three years. The council agreed that Hawthorn avenue would be side aside as a priority should extra funding become available from Kerry County Council. 

RADIO KERRY NEWS 

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

CE schemes

·         That this Council contact the relevant department to review the decision to cut the material and training grant for CE schemes

These cuts of 66% to Community Employment Schemes will affect every single parish. At a time when the numbers on these schemes should be increased and given extra support, their value is not recognised by the preset government

Community centres, voluntary groups, sports clubs, senior citizens and disability groups will be greatly affected by an inability to sponsor the CE schemes.

When you read on a regular basis of football teams losing so many players to emigration, the value of these localised stimulus packages to communities and community groups, supporting local initiative cannot be underestimated. 

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

old road section of Park Road

That this Council alleviate the ponding along the old road section of Park Road

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

Motor Tax

That this Council contact the relevant authority to review the
practice of charging extra motor tax. This practice occurs when an
individual is unable to pay the total amount to cover a 12 month
period, in one payment.

According to a survey on behalf of the Irish league of credit unions,
55% of consumers are struggling to pay their bills on time. Motor tax
is no different and will also increase this year

The following are examples of this unfair system

(A) A family car, engine size 1.501 to 1.6, registered before the 1st
of July 2008. The annual tax has increased from €445 to €478. If you
can only afford to pay half yearly it will cost you €530 in total. If
you can only afford to pay quarterly it will cost you €540 in total.

(B)Band B is up €69 to €225. Band C is up from €302 to €330 annually
and costs €366 if you pay half yearly. The annual fee for “Band D” has
increased from €447 to €481 with total quarterly payments costing
€540.

Added  to this is the  increase in  carbon tax and VAT making the
price of petrol dearer at the pumps.


tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260

Countess Grove

Following on from my previous motion relating to measures for entering and exiting Countess Grove safely. The update is as follows;

Killarney Town Council has reached agreement with the HSE to purchase a strip of land at the exit of Countess Grove. This is to improve the sight lines at the Junction. The legal transfer of this land is currently being processed by our legal department.

tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260