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Posted: December 10, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Dun Laoghaire Christmas Shop Front and Window Display Competition

The Dun Laoghaire Business Association’s Dun Laoghaire Christmas Shop Front and Window Display Competition has contributed much to the festive spirit this holiday season. The judging for the competition ends Friday the 13th of December and the winners will be announced on Saturday the 14th of December. The winner will receive €2,000 with two runner-up prizes of €500 each sponsored by the Dun Laoghaire County Council. Best of luck to all the participants and thank you for contributing to Dun Laoghaire’s Christmas season.

Posted: December 5, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Parking promotion in Dun Laoghaire brings welcome reprieve for shoppers and local businesses

Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire Deputy, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today (Thursday) welcomed the decision by Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to introduce a parking promotion during the holiday period which will ease the burden on shoppers and help to stimulate business for local enterprises, who are the engine of our economy.

“Parking has long been an issue in and around Dun Laoghaire with many of the view that the strict enforcement of metered parking is forcing shoppers out of the town and into the larger shopping centres, many of which offer free parking.

“As the busy festive season approaches, Dun Laoghaire County Council has introduced an initiative, following consultation with the Dun Laoghaire Business Association and other key players, which will see shoppers who avail of at least one hour’s free parking, getting another one free.

“This should act as an incentive to local communities in the Blackrock, Monkstown, Cabinteely, Dún Laoghaire, Glasthule/Sandycove, Dalkey, Stillorgan and Dundrum areas to shop locally and to support local businesses.

“The promotion will run from 10th December to 31st December 2013 inclusive and while the 3 hour maximum time limit restriction still applies in these commercial areas, it is worth nothing that so does the 15 minute grace parking period. This means that motorists, who pay for one hour’s parking, will now receive the second hour free plus the usual 15 minutes grace. So in practice, this means that a person who parks their car at 1pm and pays for 60 minutes parking will not have to return to their car until 3.15pm. This person has paid for 60 minutes covering them from 1pm to 2pm; they will get 60 minutes free covering them from 2pm to 3pm; and will also still receive the normal 15 minutes grace period covering them from 3pm to 3.15pm. This represents exceptional value for money for shopping motorists which I hope will be reflected in a boost for local retailers.

“If we want to maintain our towns and villages to the standard that we currently enjoy, it is up to each and every one of us to ensure that we place a firm focus on shopping locally. This initiative will help to make that goal a reality, at least for three weeks in December.”

Last Updated: December 5, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Support Breast Cancer Ireland

The countdown is on for Strictly Against Cancer!

The event has been sold out but I am looking for some support for Prof. Arnie Hill and I as any additional monies that we can raise in advance of Saturday will count towards points on the leader board on the night as well as going straight to the charity – Breast Cancer Ireland

http://www.mycharity.ie/event/arniehillmarymitchelloconnor/

Posted: December 3, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Mitchell O’Connor welcomes OECD PISA results as a signal of better things to come

Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire Deputy and Chair of the Fine Gael Internal Education Committee, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has welcomed the results of the latest OECD PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) report which shows that Irish students are doing well when it comes to reading and are progressing when it comes to maths and science.

“The OECD PISA report results for 2012 are very encouraging and show that out of 34 OECD countries, our 15 year old students now rank 9th for science; 4th for reading and 13th for maths. These results outline that Ireland is performing above average in maths and science and that we are moving in the right direction when compared to the result achieved in 2009.

“By ensuring that we continue to make strides in terms of literacy and numeracy, we remain focused on rolling out the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy. To that end, an additional €9 million has been made available in Budget 2014 so that we can reach our goal of ensuring that every child leaves school with high levels of literacy and numeracy.

“While any improvement in scores is to be welcomed, the fact that a small decline in the average scores across the OECD countries in maths has been recorded, which has allowed Ireland to score above average, will not be lost on anyone. It is imperative that we continue to focus on the most effective ways to encourage learning in maths and positive results.

“Recovering the ground that was lost in 2009, in respect of reading and maths, is a strong signal that what we are doing, we are doing right. In getting the economy back on track, we are focused on attracting, through the Action Plan for Jobs, companies in sectors that have the potential for growth, such as the pharma and IT sectors. This makes learning maths and science even more important so that we can ensure that we have the graduates to fill the jobs that are being created.

“Everyone who is involved in the education sector, who has responsibility for the improvements shown, is to be commended for their efforts. It is essential that we continue this good work into the future and to push Ireland’s scores further up the charts in the years to come.”

Last Updated: December 3, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Minister Quinn seeks views on How Best to use Technology in the Classroom

Parents, teachers, students, industry and academics are being asked for their views on how best to make use of computers and technology in the classroom. The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., launched the public consultation phase of the development of a new Digital Strategy for Schools yesterday.The public consultations phase will feed into the development of a new strategy on the use of ICT in teaching and learning in primary and post primary schools.

This follows on from a comprehensive online survey of principals and teachers which took place earlier in the year. The findings from the survey, the public consultation process and focus groups to be held next year will together inform the new strategy.

The new Digital Strategy for Schools will be completed during 2014, and will set out how resources, policies and projects can be prioritized and organized throughout the school system for the next five years.

The closing dates for submissions is 31st January 2014. Submissions can be made via www.education.gov.ie.

Last Updated: December 17, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

International Day of Persons With Diabilities

Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. I was pleased to have the opportunity to raise the important issue of Wi-Fi access for persons with disabilities.

We must ensure the service we provide fits the person and not require the person to fit the service, and I will elaborate on this point. Today I asked the Minister of State how he plans to break such barriers and create an inclusive society when several service providers and users are still unable to access Wi-Fi.

Click Below to Watch the Minister for State’s answer:

Posted: November 27, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Growing Up In Ireland survey reveals worrying child obesity rates

Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire Deputy, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today (Tuesday) said the results of the Growing Up In Ireland survey, which measures, among other things, the level of obesity among Irish children, are worrying and indicate the amount of work that has to be done in educating parents and addressing this critical health issue.

The Growing Up in Ireland survey examines the factors contributing to and undermining the well-being of Irish five year olds with a view to formatting policy and services that best suits our children’s needs. The results are the first of their kind for this age group.

“Findings from the Growing Up In Ireland survey show that one in five children are overweight or obese, and that this figure increases to one in four for those aged three. These are exceptionally worrying statistics which are storing up chronic health problems for our children later in life.

“I recently attended a conference which focused on the nutrition a child receives in the first 1,000 days of his/her life; from conception to two years old. The impact of the decisions we make in terms of what we feed our children and the encouragement we give them to lead more active lives lays the foundations for the their future health.

“Conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and certain cancers are all linked to obesity and being overweight and we can greatly reduce a child’s chance of suffering from ill health if we take their nutrition seriously and give it the attention it deserves.

“Safefood recently launched a campaign aimed at educating parents to make certain lifestyle changes associated with portion sizes for children, the amount of sugary drinks we give them and the amount of screen time they are allowed. It is so unfair to give our children such a poor start in life simply by giving them the wrong foods.

“As the principal of a National School, I saw first-hand how important good nutrition was in giving children the best possible opportunity to develop and concentrate. And the children who had a good breakfast before coming to school were easily identifiable from those who did not.

“The results of this survey, which has been commissioned by the Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald TD, give us a magnificent insight into the areas that need most attention, allowing us to chart the best way forward for our children. It is evident from the results published today that childhood obesity must be prioritised to ensure that we are not storing up problems for the future.”

Last Updated: November 21, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

98% of survey respondents report feeling dangerously overcrowded on the DART

Active and honest engagement with survey exceptionally helpful in outlining concerns to Irish Rail

Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire Deputy, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today (Thursday) welcomed the active and honest engagement by Dun Laoghaire DART users with her online survey, which was launched last month and which aimed to determine the level of satisfaction, or otherwise, of local users with Irish Rail services.
“The results of my online survey, which was carried out in conjunction with my colleague Simon Harris TD, in response to representations we had been receiving about overcrowding on DART services were very telling. More than 300 people from the Dun Laoghaire catchment area took part in the survey and a staggering 98% of them said that they felt dangerously overcrowded on the DART at some point.
“The level of dissatisfaction coming through was palpable with people stating that using the DART had gone from being a ‘pleasure’ to an ‘ordeal, while others spoke of the ‘dangerous and extremely uncomfortable’ conditions being experienced, especially for older people, due to reduction in the number of carriages in use during peak times.
“Following the launch of my survey I wrote to both the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar TD, and the CEO of Irish Rail Mr. David Franks to outline the severity of the situation being experienced by rail users who are very frustrated by the fact that they are increasingly paying more for reduced, unreliable and substandard services.
“Mr. Franks unreservedly apologised for any overcrowding that may have occurred due to technical faults, industrial action and leaf falls, insisting that a policy of reducing carriages at peak times has not, and was never, employed. I have been assured that carriages have been restored to a number of services where capacity issues arose and that irish Rail has identified a number of areas where policy issued needed to be revised in response to customer feedback.
“Minister Varadkar expressed a desire to ensure that ‘rail users are not expected to pay more for a service that is less’. I will be sending the survey result onto Mr. Franks and Minister Varadkar and will continue to keep the pressure on to ensure the all assurances are met and sustained.”

To View Survey Responces Click Below:

Last Updated: November 20, 2013 by Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Coherent cross Departmental approach must be adopted in the fight against cyber bullying

Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire Deputy, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today (Wednesday) called for a cross Departmental approach to raise awareness among parents, teachers and children of how best to deal with cyber bullying. Deputy Mitchell O’Connor was speaking following responses she received to PQs from the Departments of Communications, Education and Justice about the possibility of banning harmful websites such as Ask.fm as we remember the anniversaries of the deaths of a number of young girls who died by suicide around this time last year.

“There is no doubt that ensuring that the law keeps up with advances in technology remains a challenge; a fact that was relayed to me by the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter TD, who said that in the fight to protect children and vulnerable persons from damaging content online, we must recognise that the internet’s global reach can make taking action against offending or offensive websites almost impossible.

“There are a number of measures and initiatives in place, such as the Department of Education’s 12 step Action Plan on Bullying; Safer Internet Day 2013, an initiative on cyber bullying targeted specifically at young people which will be repeated in 2014; and the establishment of the Office for Internet Safety, which also aims to build links between all Government Departments and Agencies, while working towards the promotion of internet safety at the highest level.

“However, in many circles, it is believed that raising awareness and increasing vigilance among adults is the way forward in stamping out this harmful practice. Encouraging parents to find out about filtering what their children can access can be of benefit, however, with the increasing number of children who have access to mobile phones this is not a fool-proof approach either.

“The special rapporteur on child protection, Dr Geoffrey Shannon, said yesterday that the time is ripe for robust legislation to combat cyber bullying. Minister Shatter has said that in the instances where it may be necessary to invoke the criminal law in cyberbullying cases, this can only happen when victims come forward to build a case. Dr. Shannon has called for a clear system of legal recourse to be provided for an offence of cyber-bullying and to encourage victims to come forward in a bid to address the issue.

“Cyberbullying is the practice of cowards as its anonymity gives them a shield behind which they can hurl abuse. Sadly, many of our children do not understand this and are severely impacted by the torment inflected at the hands of their abusers.

“I recognise the efforts being made to deal with this issue but we must keep the foot on the pedal in terms of educating our teachers and parents about cyberbullying, raising awareness about the damage it does and continue to support parents in monitoring and guiding their children about how best to deal with cyber bullies.”