Burglaries during day time

Message from Garda Sergeant Dean Kerins

Hi All,

Just a short note to let you know that there have been a number of
burglaries throughout the county during day time. There appear to be a
group of thieves breaking into houses during school pick up and
collection times. Please take extra caution during these hours when
doing school runs and ensure your house is properly secured. Please
inform any of your friends that are not on the mailing list or your
local school. If you have any friends that wish to be connected on the
mailing list please pass my e mail onto them.

During the course of a number of these burglaries a dirty silver
subaru impreza was seeing leaving the scene with a number of people on
board. It is using false registration number plates. Please can you
report any sighting of a car like this to your local garda station
immediately.

Regards,

Sergeant Dean Kerins
Crime Prevention Officer

It is up to us to nurture peace for the future

Local Fine Gael TD Regina Doherty has today spoken of the need to treat the Commemorations of the foundations of the Irish State and the Northern Ireland Peace Process over the next decade, delicately and with a conscious sense of inclusiveness. The statement from the Deputy follows a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement (Thursday 12th October) where members met with representatives from communities in the North of the Country.

Theses Representatives included Dr Ian Adamson, High Sheriff of Belfast, Mr Sean Murray, Mr Jackie McDonald, Mr George Newell and Professor Wesley Hutchinson.

Deputy Regina Doherty TD, a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement says that “we need to develop a shared approach to the commemoration events over the next decade and truly cultivate a national strategy.”

“We must be mindful that we do not organise ceremonies and mark those occasions in history in such a way that will result in the alienation of people in Northern Ireland or indeed those in the south. It is up to us as members of this committee to work with our counterparts in the North to develop a shared approach to honour events in our history like the 1916 Rising, The Civil War (1922-1923), The Battle of the Somme and the anniversary of the First World War (1914-1918). We must develop a joint approach to these events so we can ensure that no area of society feels disenfranchised.”

Deputy Doherty believes “We have the opportunity as Public representatives to lead this national approach, to work with those influential people in all our communities, in order to influence and educate young people of our shared history. We must, with these events, show young people that it is not a case of north versus south, as they may believe, but that we have both have troubled histories and no history is greater than the other.”

Deputy Doherty goes further to state “Since the signing of the Good Friday agreement on 10th April 1998 there has been great progress with peace. This process, however, is an on-going one which needs to be nurtured. This nurturing will happen as a result of embracing every member of society, taking into account individual communities’ histories and being sensitive to those. The fear I have is that if we do not adopt this approach, we will leave seeds for future conflicts as a result of people & communities feeling excluded.”

“It is up to all of us to celebrate the next 10 years without being divisive.”

International marketing blitz to boost tourism trade

Fine Gael TD for Meath East, Regina Doherty, has said that a new €9 million international tourism marketing initiative will reach a worldwide audience of 20 million people, and should help to significantly boost visitor numbers to Meath.

“This initiative, announced by the Minister for Tourism, Leo Varadkar, will see a veritable blitz of media outlets across the globe, from Europe to Asia and the US, promoting Ireland as a world class winter tourism destination. Joint campaigns between Tourism Ireland and a list of private operators will reach an audience of 20 million potential overseas visitors.

“It’s hugely welcome that companies such as Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Irish Ferries and a number of international tour companies have come on board to co-fund the campaigns. Tourism Ireland’s funding is being sourced from the air travel tax.

“The marketing campaigns will be launched on a number of fronts. Promotions will be run by both Ryanair and Aer Lingus highlighting attractive routes between here and mainland Europe. Ads will run in major national and regional newspapers and on radio stations in the UK, Spain, Germany, France, Italy and the Nordic region.

“The campaigns will also tap into the online nature of the travel business, with prominent exposure for Irish destinations on leading travel websites such as Expedia and Hotels.com. The lucrative US, Asian and Australia markets will also be targeted in a bid to drive business over the winter period. A campaign will run in five gateway cities in America, while the Government’s new Visa Waiver Scheme will be promoted in emerging markets.

“I am delighted that this campaign has been launched and I think it offers real potential to attract extra visitors to Meath over the coming months. Irish tourism is already showing encouraging signs of recovery, with overseas visitors up almost 12% in the first seven months of the year. Minister Varadkar’s initiative will allow us to capitalise on this growth, with the potential for a huge boost in tourists numbers.”

Meath Accessible Transport Project

This morning I attended the Meath Accessible Transport Project Limited i.e. Flexi-bus ‘Celebration Morning’ in Navan Shopping Centre. The Directors and members of Flexi-bus invited me to the celebration morning to meet some of their valued passengers and to highlight the importance of this vital rural transport scheme.

This Service which is based in Navan operates 22 permanent services and 27 dial-a-ride services to nearly every corner of Meath. This vital facility helps connect community groups with limited access to funding, aid the transportation of people with disabilities and even transports people to their hospital appointments.

The Flexi-Bus service relies heavily on the Rural Transport Programme, run by the Department of Transport, for much of its income and without it they would be unable to offer such services to their passengers. This service picks up where the Bus Éireann is lacking.

This is a Hugely important service to residents in Meath. There are 34 similar companies in the rest of Ireland. There are concerns by the members of this voluntary service that with the review of the Rural Transport Programme by Minister Leo Varadkar and his Department may come cuts to their funding. In fact, it was reported this morning that all voluntary agencies may receive a cut of up to 25% on their state funding.

There are hundreds of people in Meath who avail of this service and would, for want of a better phrase, be left ‘out in the cold’, should this service be discontinued or scaled back due to lack of funding. I will be making representations to the Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar on behalf of this voluntary service so that they may continue to operate this brilliant service.

It is up to us to nurture peace for the future

Fine Gael TD Regina Doherty has today spoken of the need to treat the Commemorations of the foundation of the Irish State and the Northern Ireland peace process over the next decade delicately and with a conscious sense of inclusiveness. This statement from the Deputy follows a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement (Thursday 12th October) where members met with representatives from communities in the North of the country.

These representatives included Dr. Ian Adamson, High Sheriff of Belfast, Mr. Sean Murray, Mr. Jackie McDonald, Mr. George Newell and Professor Wesley Hutchinson.

Deputy Regina Doherty TD, a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement says that “there is a huge onus on the organisers of these commemoration ceremonies to treat the events as an opportunity to be all inclusive to all corners of society.”

“We must be mindful that we do not organise ceremonies and mark these occasions in history in such a way that will result in the alienation of people in Northern Ireland or indeed those in the south. It is up to us as members of this committee to work with our counterparts in the North to develop a shared approach to commemorations of events in our history like 1916 Rising, The Civil War (1922-1923), the Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement etc. We must develop a joint approach to these events so we can ensure that no area of society feels disenfranchised.”

Deputy Doherty believes “We have the opportunity as Public Representatives to lead this all inclusive approach, to work with those influential people in all our communities, in order to influence and educate young people of our shared history. We must, with these events, show young people that it is not a case of north versus south, as they may believe, but that we have both had troubled histories and no history is greater than the other.”

Deputy Doherty goes further to state “Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement on 10th April 1998 there has been great progress with peace process. This process, however, is an on-going one which needs to be nurtured. This nurturing will happen as a result of inclusivity by reaching out to every member of society, taking into account individual communities’ histories and being sensitive to those. The fear that I have if we do not adopt this approach is that we will leave seeds for future conflicts as a result of people feeling excluded.”

“It is up to us to celebrate the next 10years without being divisive.”

Bus Éireann announces changes to Cavan-Dublin and Meath-Dublin Commuter Routes

Following customer feedback, Bus Éireann will introduce a number of improvements on its Route 109 Cavan-Dublin service, Route 109A DCU-Navan service, Route 187 Kells-Oldcastle service, Route 107 Dublin-Kingscourt service and its Route 108 Dublin-Bailieboro service on and from Sunday 23rd of October.

Customers are advised that on route 109 Cavan-Dublin services to/from Cavan will no longer operate via Dublin Airport and the Port Tunnel. These services will now operate via the Navan Road and the Mater Hospital.

All weekday services to/from Cavan will now operate via Navan and then operate via the M3 Motorway to Dublin. This excludes the 6am and 7am ex Cavan and the 4.30pm and 5.30pm ex Dublin, which will not serve Navan offering customers quicker journey times.

There will be a bus every 30 minutes from Dunshaughlin to Dublin during off peak times. Some off peak services to and from Navan will now operate via Johnstown Road and the Kentstown Road.

Customers from Cavan and Virginia wishing to travel direct to Dublin Airport should take the Route 30 service or interchange with other Bus Éireann network services such as the Route 109A at Kells.

On the route 109A service, customers should be aware that the route has been extended to Kells offering customers a wider network of services and providing a direct service to Dublin Airport and Dublin City University. Service frequency will remain the same.

The number of services between Oldcastle and Kells on route 187 will be doubled with some changes in service times.

Services will no longer operate direct to Dublin on route 107. The route 107 will now terminate at Navan. Customers travelling to Dublin will now have to change to the 109 service at Navan.

The number of services between Kingscourt and Navan will be doubled offering customers more availability with a greater choice of services.
The number of services between Bailieboro and Kells on the route 108 service will remain the same, but there will be some changes in scheduled times.

“Bus Éireann is always looking at ways to improve our services and meet customer needs. Following local consultation and a review we decided to implement these changes on the M3 Corridor Routes. This will allow customers to enjoy the comfort and convenience of travelling by high-quality coaches without the worries and hassle of car parking, toll charges and fuel costs,” said Joe Kenny, Regional Manager East Bus Éireann.

All of these timetable changes are in response to local customer requests.

These changes have been sanctioned by the National Transport Authority (NTA).

Customers on routes where alterations come into effect from Sunday the 23rd of October 2011 will be informed of the change to their service.

Information on service changes will be available from local travel centres, leaflet drops, onboard buses and viewable at www.buseireann.ie

Taoiseach's latest video message

If you would like to view the Taoiseach's latest video message, in which he discusses his meeting with President Barosso, you can watch it here:

Spirits of Meath

Halloween Festival
Oct 21st - Nov 6th 2011
Fun by Day Frights by Night



County Meath – uniquely where it all began – is bringing you Ireland’s spookiest and most electrifying Halloween Festival with over 35 events… Fun by Day, Frights by Night!! Samhain, the ancient Celtic Festival that we now call “Halloween”, originated in Co. Meath more than 2,000 years ago. Samhain marks the end of the old Celtic Year and the beginning of the New Year. The Celts believed that this was a time of transition, and the spirits of all who had died since the last Night of Samhain moved on to the next life. One of the main spiritual centres of the ancient Celts was located on top of the hill of Tlachtga, now called the Hill of Ward, one mile east of Athboy, Co. Meath. It was here on the festival of Samhain that the sacred fire was kindled. The lighting of the sacred fire was a solemn and weird ritual. Torches were lit and carried to seven other hills around the county including Tara and Loughcrew, and then on to light up the whole countryside.


To download a  complete list of events click HERE

Publication of the Report of the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Mortgage Arrears

The Report of the Inter-Departmental Group on Mortgage Arrears has been published by the Government this morning. 

The Government’s Economic Management Council instructed that an interdepartmental group be established to consider further measures to alleviate the increasing problem of mortgage over-indebtedness.   


In establishing the group, the Government set two core objectives: 

• To assist those facing real difficulties to remain in their own homes where appropriate, and 
• To ensure a distinction between those who cannot afford to pay their mortgages and those who choose not to pay their mortgages.   

The report’s wide ranging and significant measures to address mortgage difficulties fulfils these objectives.   

Work is underway to implement key elements of the report: 


Minister Penrose will shortly launch two mortgage-to-rent schemes in line with the report’s recommendations.
These will operate on a pilot basis initially, subject to prompt review ahead of wider roll-out.  Under each scheme, households in extreme mortgage distress who are eligible for social housing will be able to remain in their homes as social housing tenants with either the lending institution or a housing association taking ownership of the property.


Minister Penrose’ officials will be kick-starting this process next week. 


Minister Shatter has already undertaken extensive work on the Heads of a Personal Insolvency 


Bill as set out in the report and these will be published shortly.   


Minister Noonan has instructed the Banking Division of the Department of Finance to begin discussions with the banks to ensure speedy implementation of the measures set out in the report. 

The Government will now propose that the Dáil have an opportunity to debate the findings and recommendations of the report and will make time for a debate next week.  This will give all sides of the House the opportunity to contribute in a constructive and realistic manner to the deliberations on this important issue. 

The Minister for Finance and the Minister for Justice and Equality will form an implementation strategy to be set out at the conclusion of the Dáil debate.  This implementation strategy will set out the necessary steps to put into effect all of the measures that are deemed feasible.  

Recommendations of the Report: 

The report provides a range of options within a defined framework for lenders and distressed mortgage holders to deal with what is a very stressful situation for the homeowners involved.   

The main conclusions of the report are as follows:- 

The group does not advocate blanket debt/negative equity forgiveness and instead indicates that the issue of mortgage difficulty can only be considered on a case by case basis having regard to the individual circumstances of each case. 
While mortgage forbearance measures are appropriate in many cases, long term forbearance will not be sufficient in all cases and it will have to be recognised by borrower and lender that some mortgages are currently unsustainable and that more sustainable solutions will have to be advanced for such cases. 

The report sets out a range of possible solutions for such cases and also sets out a “decision tree” approach to aid assessment of individual cases; however, the report indicates that these solutions are not intended to be exhaustive or proscriptive and that these and other solutions will need to be developed over time. 

The possible solutions that will need to be advanced by banks to address mortgage over indebtedness include

• trade down mortgages   
• split mortgages 
• sale by agreement.   

The State also has a significant role to play and the group proposes the introduction of two “mortgage to rent” social housing schemes utilising approved housing bodies and the leasing of houses by banks to local authorities in appropriate circumstances.  Associated with this, the group also proposes that the mortgage interest supplement scheme should become time limited.  

The report proposes that a more specialised mortgage advice service be established, that could link into MABS, to provide specialist advice and assistance to mortgage holders in difficulty to enable them consider and evaluate their options in their engagement with mortgage lenders.   

Underpinning the range of possible solutions, the report also states that reform of the bankruptcy and personal insolvency law is fundamental and that without this the mortgage problem will not be resolved.

Doherty welcomes confirmation of early 2012 date for Children’s Referendum

Fine Gael TD for Meath East, Regina Doherty, has welcomed confirmation from the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, that the children’s rights referendum will be held early in the New Year.
“I was very pleased to hear that during his speech to UN member states in Geneva, Minister Shatter confirmed that the much awaited referendum on children’s rights will be held in early 2012. This is a hugely welcome development, and further proof that this Government is committed to strengthening children’s rights where the previous administration failed.

“On its formation, the Government made it clear that the protection of children is a top priority by establishing a dedicated Department of Children and Youth Affairs. In the wake of the Cloyne Report, the Government also committed to putting the Children’sFirst Guidelines on a statutory footing.
“There has been some criticism that this referendum was not held earlier. However, this is an extremely sensitive and complex issue, and getting the wording of a constitutional amendment right is essential. Work on this issue has been ongoing within the Department of Children, under the guidance of Minister Frances Fitzgerald, for a number of months. I am confident that this work will conclude in time for a referendum to be held early next year.

“For too long, it was assumed that it was somebody else’s job to protect and cherish children.  By placing the Children’s First Guidelines on a statutory basis we will all be actively involved in providing a safe, nurturing environment in which our children can grow.

“The ancient African proverb that it takes a village to raise a child rings true; it does take a village,and to develop that kind of support we must begin with ourselves. Community,like charity, begins at home. I believe we will all benefit from having our responsibilities in relation to children clearly enshrined in our Constitution.”