Environment

Two housing projects to begin in Wicklow as part of Government social housing strategy – Doyle

Andrew 2015, Environment

FootpathConstructionAndrew Doyle, Fine Gael TD for Wicklow/Carlow said today that two new housing projects are to begin in the County, a total investment of €8,200,000 as part of the first phase of the Government’s Social Housing Strategy.

“This announcement will bring investment jobs and houses to Wicklow/Carlow and I am delighted that we will receive €8,200,000 funding as part of this first phase of investment, leading to two housing projects.

On a local level these include,

 

  • Wicklow County Council Brewery Bends Phase 2, Rathdrum 20 investment of €3,200,000
  • Wicklow County Council, Dunlavin Phase 1, 30 €5,000,000                                                                                              “Nationally €312 million has been approved by the Minister for Environment Alan Kelly and Minister for housing, Planning & Construction, Paudie Coffee. An additional 1700 social houses will be ready by 2017 with an estimated 300 additional jobs in construction created. All will be completed by 2017.“This is part of the Government’s €4billion social housing strategy to deliver 35,000 housing units by 2020 and to reduce the housing waiting lists by 25% nationally by 2017 based on the most recent housing need assessment report.  It is the first major investment in local authority housing for many years. “These 100 projects across the Country are shovel ready and will deliver hundreds of much needed houses in every county.”This is just one of the ways that we will be delivering social housing units and shows this Government’s commitment in addressing the need for more social housing here in Wicklow, and notwithstanding the spin off in terms of local job creation for the construction sector” Added Doyle

 

Doyle- Welcomes the report by the EPA on our bathing areas in Wicklow

Andrew 2015, Environment, Wicklow - East Carlow

p_wild-swimming_1654598cAndrew Doyle, Fine Gael T.D, for Wicklow/Carlow East welcomes the report by the Environment Protection Agency under the new and strict EU guidelines. “I welcome the news that all bathing areas including beeches in Wicklow have met stringent EU guidelines. On a national context the quality of Ireland’s bathing water quality remains very high, with 94% of bathing waters (128 of 136 identified bathing waters) meeting the new, stricter, minimum EU standards and achieving at least ‘Sufficient’ water quality status for the 4 year assessment period (2011-2014). In addition our bathing waters have met the new ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’ water quality standards. This is very good news coming into the summer months and in line with our tourism strategy provides an additional boost for the general public and overseas visitors coming to stay and visit County Wicklow” The new Bathing Water Directive was transposed into Irish law in 2008 and is now being implemented in full. Its objective is to improve the protection of bather’s health by introducing stricter standards for water quality and a new method of assessment.  It has established a more pro-active approach to the assessment of possible pollution risks, and to the management of bathing waters.  It also places considerable emphasis on promoting increased public involvement, and for improved dissemination of information on bathing water quality to the general public. “The bathing waters were monitored by Wicklow County Council during the 2014 bathing season. Overall, the quality of Wicklow bathing waters continues to be very good and new standards introduced in 2014 provide a much higher level of protection for bathers”