Today I asked the Minister for Justice, in light of the closure of Harcourt Terrace Garda Station, to address the issue of the redistribution of Gardai in the local area, and especially with regard to maintaining Community Gardai in the Donnybrook/Ranelagh area. I also expressed my opinion that greater interaction with the Joint Policing Committee is needed to ensure there are adequate Garda numbers, effectively distributed throughout in Dublin South-East.

You can watch the Minister’s reply here or read the transcript below:

Eoghan Murphy: I fully support the Minister’s plans for policing in Dublin. However, it has come to my attention informally that with the closure of Harcourt Terrace there has been some difficulty in reallocating the gardaí stationed there to other parts of the city. Donnybrook Garda station, for example, has had its hours restricted and has lost its community garda. It is my understanding that if we could free up those resources we would be able, at least, to get the community garda back for Donnybrook. Could the Minister look into this matter and discover whether or not this is the case?

With the loss of resources in the city and elsewhere we will have to do much more work with JPCs. I know the Minister has been paying close attention to what they are doing but to help them to play a more important role, particularly with the loss of community gardaí, we need to put more resources into them, if possible.

Minister Shatter: I am sorry if my response to Deputy Murphy’s query sounds like a mantra. It is for the Garda Commissioner to determine where to allocate members arising out of the closure of Harcourt Street Garda station. I am aware of the Garda stations in Dublin to which members are, or have been, allocated. I cannot micromanage the community garda in Donnybrook. If there is a gap in that area I am sure the Commissioner will have regard to that. I am happy to follow up that matter for the Deputy with a simple query to the Commissioner and to revert to the Deputy with any information I obtain.

On Friday I met with The Omega 3 team: 3 medical students from the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland who are taking part in the Mongolia Rally 2012, run by Go Help, which involves them travelling 12,000 miles from Dublin to Mongolia in a patient transport vehicle.

Their trip will take 5 weeks to complete and will begin from Dublin on the 6th of July. In the meantime they are doing everything they can to raise funds for Go Help’s community projects in Mongolia. At the end of their journey they will also be donating their vehicle to Mongolia’s first ever ambulance service.

Their journey will see them cross 18 borders and the route is as follows: Ireland (Dublin)- Britain (London) – France (Lille) – Belgium – Luxembourg – Germany (Munich) – Austria (Salzburg) – Italy – Slovenia (Ljubljana) – Croatia (Zagreb) – Serbia (Belgrade) – Bulgaria (Sofia) – Greece – Turkey (Istanbul, Trazbon) – Russia (Sochi, Vladikavkaz, Astrakhan)– Kazakhstan (Astana) – Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar).

The team are having a street collection on Saturday the 22nd of June outside the Royal College of Surgeons at 123 St Stephen’s Green. Go there and check out the car and donate what you can.

You can follow the team on their journey by checking out their blog where they will be providing daily updates at www.theomegathree.tumblr.com or check out their facebook page www.facebook.com/TheOmegaThree

I will also be providing updates on their progress so watch this space.

Click on the links to see what’s happening near you:

Sandymount Bloomsday 2012

Bloomsday Rathgar 2012

Bloomsday Ranelagh 2012

Bloomsday Donnybrook – Kiely’s Pub from 10am

The following weather alert has been received for today 14th June 2012:

Met Éireann has issued a preliminary weather warning to Dublin City Council, forecasting 40 millimetres of rain from midday today (14/6/2012) until midnight tomorrow  (15/6/2012). The City’s rivers and streams and drainage network will be closely monitored and regular contact made with Met Éireann by the Council’s drainage staff throughout that time period.

Dublin City Council will also monitor its rain gauges throughout the city. For flooding and drainage issues please contact Dublin City Council Drainage Department on 01 222 2155.

The Dublin City Council South East Area Committee met last Monday (11th June) and City Councillors put questions to the City Manager on behalf of constituents of Dublin South- East. This month, the questions put forward included:

• To ask the Manager what provisions are being made for the South East Area with regard to public amenities being provided.
• To ask the Manager when Bus Timetable Stands for Rathgar Road will be erected.
• To ask the Manger to complete the weed spraying in Nutley Lane, Donnybrook.
• To ask the Manager to have double yellow lines in Donnybrook reinstated after they were removed to facilitate road repairs.
• To ask the Manager if he will issue a full report regarding the use of street lamps for advertising banners.

For the full list of this month’s questions and to see the City Manager’s replies, click here.

There is no Met Eireann weather warning in place but a band of very heavy thunder storm activity is moving towards Dublin to arrive from 3.00 pm to 7.00 pm.

Dublin City Council intends to make an order authorising the temporary closure of Dublin Fade Street, Dublin 2,

from 06:00 hrs to 24:00 hrs on Saturday 16th June 2012.

The temporary road closure is to facilitate the Fade Street Festival.

In addition to the traffic management plan as detailed here pedestrian and local access will be maintained during the period of the closure.

Met Éireann have updated the City Council with a rain forecast of between 25 and 35 millimetres up to 5 pm today. After that it will ease off with a possible 5 to 10 millimetres overnight.

The City’s rivers and streams and drainage network are being closely monitored by Dublin City Council staff and regular contact will be made with Met Éireann throughout that time period. Dublin City Council is also monitoring its rain gauges throughout the city. The tide gates on the River Dodder have been closed as a precautionary measure.

For flooding and drainage issues please contact Dublin City Council Drainage Department on 01 222 2155.

Temporary road closures will be in place on some roads from 18.00 hrs on Saturday 2nd June to 05.30 hrs on Monday 4th June.

• From 19.00 Saturday, 2nd June to 05.30 on Monday 4th June – O’Connell Bridge, Westmoreland Street, D’Olier Street, College Street, College Green, Dame St (College Green to South Great Georges St), Wellington Quay, Crampton Quay, Aston Quay.
• From 18.00 Saturday, 2nd June to 05.30 on Monday 4th June – Burgh Quay, Georges Quay.
• From 18.00 Saturday, 2nd June to 09.00 on Monday 4th June – Custom House Quay, North Wall Quay
• From 06.00 to 20.00 hrs on Sunday, 3rd June – Samuel Beckett Bridge, Talbot Memorial Bridge.
• From 05.00 to 20.00 hrs on Sunday, 3rd June – Butt Bridge

The road closure is to facilitate Bavaria City Racing event.

In addition to the traffic management plan as detailed on the webpage below, pedestrian and local access will be maintained during the period of the closure.

http://www.dublincity.ie/ROADSANDTRAFFIC/SCHEDULEDDISRUPTIONS/Pages/ScheduledDisruptionsHome.aspx