Holding the line is not easy

The forced closure of TK Maxx outside the city last week caused an understandable stir. The retail outlet is popular and employs people locally. Although I support the court decision I do so understanding that shoppers are demanding more top end retail in the city and that people face losing their jobs. This is a sorry saga that should never have happened in the first place. It’s what happens when people play games with the planning process. It’s what happens when neighbouring authorities compete for retail space without having regard to proper and sustainable development. It’s what happens when one local authority tries to get ‘one over’ on another.

Competition and policy means nothing to the average shopper. They rightly demand the very best in retail whether inside our outside the city centre. They want choice and convenience and who would blame them. However the situation is more complex then this and policy is needed to regulate the market. The correct policy is one which strikes a balance between being overly protective on the one hand and allowing the market to go crazy on the other. And let’s face it, during the Celtic tiger years the market went crazy.

The retail policy of Waterford City Council is clear. It is a policy of sequential preference which protects the city centre first and foremost. However contrary to recent debate and commentary it does allow for what’s called ‘out of town’ shopping through a number of strategically placed District Centres. These include centres like the Hypermarket, Ardkeen, the Lisduggan Shopping centre, Poleberry and the Tesco Centre on the Dunmore Road. This is where the balance is achieved. However the failure to build a sufficient critical mass of retail in the city centre is the policy’s main fault line. The city centre is crying out for more top end retail and the council is desperate to see it happen. Site assembly is difficult but not impossible. The Brewery or New Street site would have worked if the developer had got it right from the beginning. The original proposal was so off the wall that it was always doomed to fail and played into the hands of those who would object to anything.

Holding the line on a worked out and sustainable policy is not easy. Overall the policy has not worked out as it intended due to site assembly and planning issues and over zealous developers. However there are a few tricks up the council’s sleeve. We may well see a scaled down but significant development in New Street yet. And we have the option of building out onto the river either side of the clock tower as part of the relocation of the House of Waterford Crystal. All is not perfect but all is not lost either.

A note from the canvass

It’s been a busy week. I started on Tuesday in Connolly Place in the City. The reaction was good but the issues were to be expected. People are worried about the economy, jobs, the next budget and generally making ends meet. Anti-social behaviour also featured with concerns raised regarding a number of boarded up houses. Several complaints were made about the quality of the remedial works in the area and having inspected the houses it is hard to disagree. Poor finishing and uncompleted works has left a sour taste in the mouths of many. In one house floor boards were used as skirting! I left feeling a little annoyed that the council had spent so much money and yet the works are not of the highest standard.

On Wednesday I visited Farron Park in the City and Portlaw in the county. The areas are different in many ways and yet the issues are the same. A lot of anger was vented towards the Government and people are genuinely worried about the future. I was struck by how many young people were out of work and how they felt they had no prospects for the future. Some talked about emigrating but I wondered how real an option it was for them. The monthly live register figures reinforced the magnitude of the problem – 452,000 people nationally out of work. So much for being out of recession!

Thursday brought me to Crook and Cheekpoint in Passage and Ballinroad in Dungarvan. In Crook and Cheekpoint the state of the roads and a decline in fishing dominated the doorstep conversations. I was completely taken aback as to how bad the roads actually are. On the entrance to one housing estate I counted seven potholes. An issue that emerged a lot was the need for a running water tap in the local graveyard and it puzzled me that local authorities often fall down on the small but important things.

In Ballinroad in Dungarvan residents living in An Grianan and Pairc na mBlath are furious with the county council regarding water quality. Residents complained of being unable to use showers, damage caused to electrical appliances, a discolouration problem and recently a contamination of the water supply. Several people complained that when taking showers they get scalded because the pressure is so low. Many are forced to visit family or friends nearby to use their shower facilities. Others complained of a bad smell coming from the water and of a need to constantly purchase bottled water. Parents with young children are particularly concerned as they cannot boil up bottled water for the children. A new community was built in the area without proper infrastructure provision such as footpaths, lighting, roads and water. I had hoped we had learned from the mistakes of the past, obviously not. I wonder what next week will bring..

Unacceptable delays in Garda vetting process

In recent years we have seen improved and enhanced child protection legislation introduced in this state. I welcome this and it is vital that we have the highest standards in child care and protection. One of the areas which has improved greatly is in the area of Garda vetting and the establishment of the National Garda Vetting Unit. The Garda Vetting Unit provides employment vetting to a large number of organisations including community, sporting and child care services. The process extends to people who work in these areas whether on a paid or voluntary basis. There are approximately 18,000 organisations in receipt of vetting services from the Garda vetting unit for employment purposes, covering the wide range of health, educational, sporting and recreational sectors in Ireland.

As a consequence the number of vetting applications has increased from 137,000 nationally in 2006 to 250,000 in 2009. This is resulting in significant delays and many applicants are waiting months for their clearance certificate. I am aware of a number of long-term delays in clearing applicants who are waiting to start community employment schemes and training courses. I know of one woman who was offered a job as a C.E. worker months ago but is unable to take up the position as she is waiting for her Garda clearance application to be processed. I know of a number of other cases of people waiting to commence C.E. schemes and training courses but are unable to do so due to a delay in the vetting process.

This is unacceptable. We have 440,000 people nationally and 14,500 people locally out of work. It is difficult enough to get a job, a place on a C.E. scheme or access to a training course without further impediments put in the way. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform says the average waiting time is 5 weeks. This is simply not the case on the ground. Despite assurances from the Minister that extra personnel have been assigned to the National Vetting Unit I am not entirely satisfied that the unit is properly resourced and staffed. The massive increase in the number of organisations in receipt of vetting services is undoubtedly putting added pressure on the national vetting unit. I fully support the vetting process and I accept that stringent checks must be made to ensure the safety of children but it is unacceptable that people are unable to take up training and employment positions because of protracted delays in the vetting process.

Heroin use is complex and challenging but it is a challenge we must meet

There is no doubt that we have a very serious and worsening heroin problem in Waterford City. Recent H.S.E. reports have shown an increase in the numbers of people presenting for heroin addiction. Community based drug programmes are dealing with increased numbers of heroine addicts. All of the law enforcement figures point to a massive increase in heroin seizures and as a consequence heroin use.

In his presentation to the Joint Policing Committee meeting Chief Superintendent Pat Murphy said that heroin represented 20% of all drugs seized this year in Waterford. This figure points to an obvious shift away from other drugs to heroin by drug users. This is a regrettable situation but is the reality of where we are. Heroin use presents a whole new set of challenges to all agencies and drug users and their families. It is a very destructive drug. It deeply affects not just the user but their families and the wider community.

It is vital that we make people aware of the destructive nature of the drug. We need to ensure that people make the right choice and steer clear of heroin. We also need to ensure that all of the treatment and support services are in place to treat the user and support the family. The lifestyle and attitude of the user is important and they are most vulnerable post treatment as they become exposed to situations which can trigger a relapse. I have met many families whose sons, daugthers, brothers and sisters have suffered at the hands of heroin addiction. I know the issue of heroin use is complex and challenging but it is a challenge we must meet.

I acknowledge the huge amount of work being done by many agencies in combating the problem but we must re-double our efforts. I am pleased that my call for the holding of an inter-agency meeting has been accepted by the Mayor and will take place in September. We need to look at where the gaps in service provision exist and set priorities. This is a serious problem we cannot ignore or wish away.

We need a jobs plan now

Last week the Government were quick to announce the end of the recession. In a game of smoke and mirrors the Government presented figures which suited their argument and ignored those which did not. Gross National Product was marginally up but crucially Gross Domestic Product was down. GDP focuses on Irish domestic economic activity which is still on a downward spiral. An OCED report last week provided an important backdrop to the real problem in the economy – 445,000 people are out of work. The report reinforced the need for the Government to bring forward a job creation strategy.

This state has lost 100,000 jobs a year or 2,000 jobs a week since this Fianna Fáil/Green coalition took office. The reality is that the nature of any modest economic recovery will be so weak that it is unlikely to absorb the growth in unemployment caused by the recession. The jobs crisis cannot be wished away.

There is understandable public anger at the antics of the Government. Last week the Government voted to take a three month holiday from the Dáil. I think that the 14,500 people in Waterford out of work will find this outrageous. I think the many businesses in Waterford who are struggling to stay afloat will be livid. It is yet another example of establishment politicians living in a different world from the rest of us.

Last week Sinn Féin held a demonstration in Dungravan, Co. Waterford demanding Government action on jobs. I spoke to an auctioneer who talked about businesses closing and the lack of effort and support from Government needed to save jobs. I spoke to a local restaurant owner who has let half his staff go and whose business is facing imminent closure. I spoke to countless people who are unemployed and who see no hope for the future.

The tragedy is that there are solutions and there are ideas. I have published comprehensive job creation proposals for Waterford. Sinn Féin has published comprehensive proposals nationally. In this difficult time we need to support entrepreneurs and encourage and enable new business start-ups. We need to be clear about where the jobs of tomorrow are and how we create them. We need the statutory authorities working together in a joined up way. There are tremendous opportunities in the areas of tourism, green technology, IT and digital sector and in the area of agri-business.

Young people especially must have a future in Waterford. Young people have a central role to play in changing Waterford and achieving political, social and economic change. Entrepreneurs need to be given the supports they need to create the jobs of tomorrow. We have the ability and the talent in Waterford but in many areas we are lacking in action.

Photo courtesy of Dungarvan Observer

Like the birth of a new child

Friday 30th January 2009 is a date forever etched in my mind. At approximately 5.30pm I received several phone calls from former Waterford Crystal workers – the Kilbarry plant was to close and the workers had commenced a sit-in protest. Hundreds of workers subsequently lost their jobs and their pensions. The brand was sold and all seemed lost. It was inconceivable that a brand built on the back of the hard work, skill and ingenuity of generations of Waterford workers was to leave the city and the country.

As a result of a genuine partnership of local civic leaders, council members, union leaders and business representatives a plan was hatched to salvage something from the wreckage. The plan was to bring crystal manufacturing into the heart of the city centre through the formation of a new company producing high-end crystal products. The plan was ambitious and risky and involved a considerable investment from Waterford City Council, Fáilte Ireland and others. Some doubted it would happen at all.

On Tuesday 22nd June 2010 a vision became a reality. A fabulous new facility was opened in the heart of the city centre. The new House of Waterford Crystal boasts a state of the art showroom showcasing some of the most prestigious and treasured crystal in the world. It will attract tens of thousands of visitors in the years ahead and in turn will boost the local tourist industry and economy. It will be dovetailed nicely by the continued development of the Viking triangle with three different and unique museums charting a thousand years of history all within a stones throw of each other.

For many Waterford people Friday 30th January 2009 was like a death in the family. Conversely Tuesday 22nd June 2010 was like the birth of a new child. Yesterday as I stood on the Plaza outside the fabulous new House of Waterford Crystal I thought of what had gone before and the thousands of people who previously worked in ‘the Glass’. I recalled Jim Nolan’s award winning radio documentary which charted the history of the Kilbarry plant, warts and all. I hope those left fighting for their pensions succeed in their efforts. I also sensed a new determination, a focus and a unity I had not previously witnessed. This new venture has brought out the best in Waterford and its people. Those of us fortunate enough to be present toasted a new future in sparkling Waterford Crystal glasses that were half full and not half empty.

Waterford city is being transformed before our eyes

The newly named Menapia Building and home to the House of Waterford Crystal will be formally opened next week. The former ESB building has been transformed into something special. The ground floor is the entrance to the new Waterford Crystal building, provides access to the crystal manufacturing tour and a magnificent showroom which would not look out of place in Fifth Avenue Manhattan. The remaining floors will be utilised by the Roads and Environment Departments of Waterford City Council.

Today the new Viking Triangle Walking Tour commenced. It takes in the Plaza at Waterford Crystal, Reginalds Tower, Greyfriars, 13th Century Choristers Hall, the Medieval Mayors Wine Vault, Christchurch Cathedral, Bishops Palace, the recently revamped Theatre Royal, City Hall and the Thomas Francis Meagher Memorial. The 18th Century Bishops Palace building will be restored to its original state and will be one of three museums in the Viking triangle. A splendid 18th Century Garden will surround the Bishops Palace building.

What is so exciting is that this is only the beginning. The council intends to forge ahead with plans to build an iconic building on the quay. A 10,000 sq ft barge will be constructed out onto the river either side of the Clock Tower. This will become the permanent home of the House of Waterford Crystal. Parts of the Menapia building and its surrounding buildings will eventually become a craft village creating local employment.

The quay itself is to be transformed. The four lane system will be replaced with two lanes separated in sections by tree lined wedges. A new roundabout will be placed at the Kiezer Street entrance and another at the Gladstone Street entrance on the quay. The exciting new plans will also include bus and cycle lanes on stretches of the quay from Rice Bridge to the corner of Colebeck Street on the Mall. The new infrastructure provided under the Green Routes will hopefully be matched by investment in improved bus services. While Waterford faces many social problems and far too many of our citizens have no jobs the positive work of Waterford City Council and others must not go unnoticed. Our city is being transformed before our eyes and it is wonderful sight.