The Green Party’s leaflet "Save Energy Save Money" is at www.davidhealy.com/images/stories//energy leaflet aw.pdf

Information on the grants available are at the following web links
Home Energy Saving Scheme
Warmer Homes Scheme
Greener Homes Scheme

Find out about saving energy and saving money.  The Green Party/Comhaontas Glas is organising public meetings on retrofitting your house to use less energy, and the grant schemes which the Government has put in place to help.
Grand Hotel, Malahide Wednesday 25th March at 8pm
Marine Hotel, Sutton Thursday 26th March at 8pm
Speakers:

• Cllr David Healy
• Senator Déirdre de Búrca
• Cllr Robbie Kelly
• Engineer Noeleen Campbell

• Architect Joseph Little

Home Energy Saving Scheme: www.sei.ie/Grants/Home_Energy_Saving_Scheme/
Wamer Homes Scheme: www.sei.ie/Grants/Warmer_Homes_Scheme/
Greener Homes Scheme: www.sei.ie/Grants/GreenerHomes

The Green Party is campaigning to provide community gardens and allotments in your area so that we can secure Ireland’s food future. To find out more information please come along to our free public meeting on Tuesday 31st March at 8pm at Cultivate, 15 – 19 Essex St West, Temple Bar.
Speakers:

Trevor Sargent TD, Minister for Food
Seamus Sheridan – Sheridans Cheesemongers
Suzie Cahn – Wicklow Community Garden
Bruce Darrell – Dublin Food Growing/Feasta
Michael Fox – South Dublin Allotments Association
Plus Screening of the film
‘Deconstructing Dinner’ at 7.30pm
Admission Free. All are welcome.
www.getgrowing.ie

As a member of Fingal Development Board I have been pushing for their strategy to focus on the transition to sustainability.
A chairde,

Thanks for the opportunity to put these comments in.

Briefly, my main points at our last meeting were as follows:

The Vision and Strategy should recognise that we are undergoing a transition to a sustainable economy and society.

The role of the Development Board is to facilitate and encourage that transition (as a Local Agenda 21 type process working towards Sustainable Development).

I think there are four areas where the FDB should be involved in this. (They are listed in order, with those most implementable by the Secretariat first and those most reliant on FDB member engagement last.)
1. Data-gathering and analysis with a clear sustainability focus.  This would include use of Ecological Footprint methodology or similar, and the (overlapping) analysis of energy security issues.
2.  Actions to raise awareness (both within and outside FDB) of the challenges we face which will facilitate support for and engagement in actions under 3 and 4 below.
3.Consider and engage with resolving institutional impediments to the various changes which form part of the overall transition.
4. Relevant members of FDB to work to develop actions to facilitate the transition, prioritising  actions to increase food and energy security.

In relation to the data-gathering and analysis, we could consider learning from or working with the likes of Best Foot Forward.

In relation to awareness, Realeyes have been doing sustainability training with Dublin City Council and might be able to assist or advise.  Cultivate have a long record of multi-stakeholder work on transition to sustainability and could help with awareness, training and engagement of interested parties.  Aside from FDB proper, this area of engagement would also probably be of considerable interest to the Community Forum.

Some of the above is also covered in the attached questionnaire response, which also has some additional references and links,

Le meas,

David

A number of bursts have occurred on the watermains serving the Howth
and Sutton area within the past 24 hours.  Residents in the areas
listed below will experience a disruption to their water supply:
                 St. Fintan’s Road                        Thormanby Road,                          Sheilmartin Road,                     Offington
             
Council crews are repairing the watermains at present, and it is hoped
that the water supply will be restored later this evening. Residents in
other areas of Howth and Sutton may experience low water pressure as
the bursts have affected the storage levels of the reservoir serving
the area.

Tuesday 10th February, 2009
Fingal County Council Water Services Department

Telephone 01-8906210 (Mon – Fri 9am to 5pm)

Emergency Number: 01-8731415
 
Aertel Page 624   www.fingalcoco.ie

Do you want a warmer home that’s less expensive to heat?

There are several schemes available from the Irish Government. One of
them should suit your needs. The three main schemes 
are:

1. Home Energy Saving Scheme (Applications March 2009)
2. Greener Homes Scheme
3. Warmer Homes Scheme

You can find more information on Sustainable Energy Ireland’s (SEI) website or at the links below. SEI’s dedicated help line is 1850 927 000. You can also send email to hes@sei.ie

1. Home Energy Saving Scheme – Grants for people on middle incomes
This provides grants for insulation, improved energy heating systems and controls and surveys to provide you with your home’s energy rating

• Roof Insulation – grants up to €250
• Wall Insulation -includes either cavity wall, internal dry lining or external insulation, -grants up to €4000
• Replacement High Efficiency (> 90%) Gas or Oil fired Boilers with Heating Controls Upgrade -up to €750
• Heating Controls Upgrade -up to €500
• Building Energy Rating (BER) -you can get a grant for a BER if one is done before and after the works are completed –€200

Register your interest now with SEI 1850 927 000. The scheme begins in March 2009.

2. Greener Homes Scheme – Grants for people on middle incomes
This provides grants for new renewable energy heating systems in existing homes

• Solar Heating – grant up to €1,800
  Solar hot water system and / or
  Solar space heating system
• Heat Pumps– grant up to €3,500
  Horizontal ground collector
  Vertical ground collector
  Water (well) to water
  Air source
• Wood Chip or Pellet Stoves – with or without integral boiler or bulk fuel storage    installed – grant up to €2,500
• Wood Gasification Boiler – grant up to €2,000

3. Warmer Homes Scheme -For people on lower incomes

This scheme improves the energy efficiency and comfort conditions of homes occupied by low-income households. Community based organisations carry out the work which includes attic insulation, draught proofing, lagging jackets, energy efficient lighting, cavity wall insulation and energy advice.

In the Dublin area there are two organisations that carry out this work CHIP (T: 01 467 0344), and Energy Action (T: 01 454 5464). 

In addition, a programme of thermal retrofit of local authority housing is being implemented this year by the Department of the Environment and local authorities.

In November I sent the attached email to the County Manager in relation to his reliance on the Howth Urban Centre Strategy in dealing with the Techrete site application.  As I have pointed out the Strategy has no legal standing. Giiven that it has not been approved by the Councillors it has no democratic legitimacy either.  I have not yet received a reply.

I will continue to work to ensure that the policy framework for planning decisions is set by the elected and accountable Councillors as envisaged in the Planning and Development Act.
From: David Healy / Daithí Ó hÉalaithe
Date: Mon, Nov 24, 2008 at 5:24 PM
Subject: Howth Urban Centre Strategy

David, a chara,

In response to the draft Howth Urban Centre Strategy, I made the following comment

"I believe this strategy, appropriately amended, should be adopted as a Local Area Plan.  I think it is important to give it a legal status so that it will be of use in the planning system.  The preparation of the Strategy is mandated by the County Development Plan.  However, unless it is adopted as a Local Area Plan it will not be possible for the Council to rely on it in making planning and other decisions in the area.  There is a well established legal principle that the holders of statutory powers cannot delegate those powers other than as foreseen by statute.   Therefore the elected Council as the body responsible for adopting Development Plans and Local Area Plans which set the framework for planning consents, cannot delegate to the Manager or anyone else the power to draw up documents which set the framework for planning consents.  

"Not being able to rely on the Strategy for Development Control purposes would of course, negate the entire purpose of producing it.  Therefore I would recommend that the Plan, subject to amendments as suggested below and others which will arise from the current public consultation be put forward for adoption as a Local Area Plan."

We haven’t received any formal response to these or other comments submitted in response to the draft.

However, I note the following additional information request has been made in relation to F08A/1172:

" Heights The proposed development does not accord with the indicative heights as set out in the Howth Urban Centre Strategy, which provides for two storeys on the western edge, rising to a maximum of seven on the northern edge addressing Claremont Strand. The applicant is requested to submit revised plans, elevations, sections etc. that show a significant reduction in heights such that the proposed scheme complies with the Howth Urban Centre Strategy.

There is a legal problem here in that you are seeking to rely for planning control purposes on a document which has no legal status for that purpose.  It is far more than a technicality as the Urban Centre Strategy proposes to allow building heights significantly in excess of that acceptable to local councillors and the local community.

I would be grateful if you could indicate that you will put the draft strategy on display as a draft Local Area Plan.  Ideally it should go on display including the amendments which have already been suggested by myself, other local councillors and the local community, so that the discussion and final decisions can focus on the more detailed areas rather than the topics on which substantial consensus has already been achieved.

Regards,

David Healy

—
Cllr David Healy
Green Party/Comhaontas Glas
Howth ward  / Ceantar Bhinn Éadair

www.davidhealy.com

54, Páirc Éabhóra,
Beann Éadair,
Co. Bh.Á.C.

087 6178852

David Healy, Chair of Fingal Environment Strategic Policy Committee
(SPC) today welcomed the publication for public consultation of draft
Bye-laws for septic tanks and other domestic sewage treatment systems. Cllr. Healy who is a Green Party Councillor for the Howth/Malahide Area said:

" These bye-laws have been approved by the Environment SPC for public consultation as an important step towards clean water in our rivers and streams. Inadequate servicing and maintenance of septic tanks and associated soakaway systems is leading to water pollution in many parts of the county.  Areas with a high density of septic tanks have particular problems.  Often householders are unaware of their responsibilities and the requirements to effectively maintain septic tanks.  The bye-laws will require householders to ensure their septic tanks are working properly.

"Under the Water Framework Directive, Ireland and all local authorities are required to achieve good water quality by 2015. Dealing with overflowing and misfunctioning septic tanks is an essential part of this process and will enable Ireland to avoid being fined by the EU.

"In addition, it is much more cost-effective to prevent pollution than clean it up so we can expect these bye-laws to save money in the long run."

The consultation period runs until 20th March.

The text of the draft bye-laws is here.

Howth Green Party Councillor David Healy congratulated all those
responsible for Howth being recognised as the cleanest town in
Ireland.  Cllr. Healy commented:  "The change in the appearance of
Howth over the last few years has been remarkable.  Previously litter
was a serious problem in Howth. Now the natural beauty of the area is
matched by a clean environment.  In particular I want to thank the
cleaning staff from Fingal County Council. The extended cleaning
service over the last few years is the key to Howth’s achievements. 
But there has been a virtuous cycle: residents and visitors to Howth
alike have kept the area much cleaner.

"Local businesses have
played an important role.  The local primary school Scoil Mhuire and
it’s Principal John Chambers deserve particular mention.  The
green-flagged school is putting environmental responsibilty at the core
of it’s teaching and it’s grounds were singled out for special mention
by the assessors."

Further info: David Healy 087 617 8852

Press release by Irish Business Against Litter  http://www.ibal.ie/press_releases/2009/PressRelease(1).pdf

Discovering Historic Fingal, a free guide to built heritage, has been published by Fingal County Council. PRESS RELEASE

ENDS 15/12/08