The Labour Party recognises there is a crisis in the childcare sector and has placed increased supports for parents and workers at the heart of its Alternative Budget for 2020.

Unveiling the measures today, Labour by-election candidate for Dublin Fingal, Cllr Duncan Smith commented:

“Working families are being hammered by crippling childcare costs, with the OECD recently ranking Ireland among the worst offenders in Europe for its’ record on childcare supports.

“At the same time, workers in the sector are being undervalued through low pay and a lack of security, resulting in a high turnover of staff and leading to uncertainty for providers.

“In our Alternative Budget for 2020, Labour is proposing a suite of measures that would invest a further €125m in childcare and see paid parental leave increase by two weeks.

“This includes increasing the hours in the National Childcare Scheme for lone parents and low-income families, increasing the universal subsidy from 50c to €2, and a €5 increase in the ECCE capitation.

“Our proposals would reduce the costs to parents by over €3,000 a year or an additional €60 a week, while ensuring that funding is ringfenced to cover the extra time lone parents need for picking up their children.

“We would also ensure all childcare workers earn at least the Living Wage of €12.30/hour through an increase in funding to providers, and seek the implementation of an Employment Regulation Order to set a floor on wage rates.

“Labour understands the value of allowing both parents time to bond with their babies, and we would introduce an additional two weeks of paid parental leave, meaning a combined four weeks extra for a couple.

“Childcare costs often play a major role for women when deciding whether to go back to work after having a baby and if we want to achieve a truly equal society, we need to have a high-quality, affordable childcare sector.”

Reply:

Dear Councillor,
I am advised by the Area Foreman that the bin in question was on opposite side of road, and
was being used for household waste. Where this is an ongoing issue bins will be removed or
relocated.

Reply:

Dear Councillor,
I am advised by the Traffic Engineer that a yellow box will be provided at the entrance to
Seatown Villas on the outbound lane towards the roundabout opposite the Fingal County
Council car park. This is being done due to the proximity to the roundabout and the car park
entrance opposite the Seatown Villas entrance. It is not considered appropriate for a yellow
box to be placed at the second access point as this is further from the roundabout and the
problem of egress should be less as a result.

Motion: Councillor D. Smith
“That this Committee agrees there is a need for hard traffic calming solutions on
Jugback Lane”.

Report:
The provision of traffic management on Jugback Lane south of Glen Ellen
Distributor Road has been the subject of many representations in recent years.
A previous recommendation of the Traffic Section to prohibit vehicular traffic
along the section of Jugback Lane referred to in this question was rejected by the
members a number of years ago .

It remains the position of the Traffic Section that this part of Jugback Lane
should be closed to vehicular traffic. Such a measure would ensure the safety
and improve accessibility for the large number of pedestrians and cyclists who
use this lane and also remove the need for traffic calming to be provided.

Question: Councillor D. Smith
“To ask the Chief Executive for an update on the provision of Broadband to all
homes and properties on the road between Lusk and Skerries?”

Reply:
The National Broadband Map identifies locations and premises by EIrcode for
delivery of broadband into three different categories. The map is updated on a
quarterly basis by the DCCAE

 AMBER areas – are the target areas for the State Intervention of the
National Broadband Plan. This is the subject of an ongoing procurement
process.

 BLUE areas – where commercial operators are delivering or have
indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services. Operators are
continuing to enhance their services in these areas to improve access to
high speed broadband.

 LIGHT BLUE areas – areas where eir has committed to commercial rural
deployment plans to rollout high speed broadband to 300,000
premises by the end of 2018.

https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/communications/topics/Broadband/nationalbroadband-
plan/high-speed-broadband-map/Pages/Interactive-Map.aspx

The Department of Communications, Climate Change & Environment have
overall responsibility for the roll out of the National Broadband Plan

Question: Councillor D. Smith
“To ask the Chief Executive to request Cairn Homes to clean the site beside
Jugback Lane which was recently home to some Traveller families as there is a lot
of rubbish left on the site and it is a health and safety concern?”

Reply:
The site referred to in the question is in private ownership and responsibility for
maintaining the site litter free is a matter for the owners.
The Council’s litter warden for the area has been requested to carry out an
inspection with a view to contacting the landowner if required.

Question: Councillor D. Smith
“To ask the Chief Executive if emergency works can take place to fix the cracked
concrete casing around a shore on the Green Space at Castleview Walk as it is a
Health and Safety hazard?”

Reply:
There are two surface water manhole covers in need of repair outside houses no
12 and 15 Castleview Walk. A job card has been raised with Irish Water for these
to be repaired and it envisaged the work will be done in the coming weeks.

Question: Councillor D. Smith
“To ask the Chief Executive if the Council can agree to provide, when requested,
“Residents Parking Only” at overflow car parking bays in residential estates?”

Reply:
There is no legal provision under the Roads Acts for Resident Only Parking on a
public road where parking is provided on a “first come first served basis”.

Question: Councillor D. Smith
“To ask the Chief Executive for an update on the finishing off of the zebra
crossing just inside the entrance to Ridgewood Estate?”

Reply:
The zebra crossing in Ridgewood is fully operational, and the remaining
contractor works are now completed.

Question: Councillor D. Smith
“To ask the Chief Executive how many trees have been cut down on the Portrane
Road in the past six months and can the Chief Executive indicate if there are
many more to be cut down on the Portrane Road or on the hospital site as part
of the works taking place there?”

Reply:
The Operations Department has not removed any trees from this location, it is
likely that any tree removals in this area may have been carried out in
conjunction with the development of the NFMH.