Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Celbridge” Enterprise Town

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I am delighted to be working with my colleagues on the committee for Enterprise Town. Celbridge has been nominated as the town for this project which is sponsored by the Bank-Of-Ireland. Enterprise Town takes place on May 8th and 9th in the Celbridge Manor Hotel. On May 8th is the Business exhibition which gives all Celbridge Business’s an opportunity to show case. This is a great opportunity for them to promote themselves and it is important that we do all we can to support and assist Business to grow as the S.M.E is very important to our economy. On May 9th is an opportunity for all the Community Groups to be show cased. These voluntary groups carry out excellent work in our Community which at times is taken for granted. Community Groups need to be supported in every way possible.

I hope the event is a great success and enjoyed by all. I want to thank all involved and in Particular the Bank-Of-Ireland for working to make Enterprise Town in Celbridge a success.

 

Castletown House Turns Blue..!!

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I was delighted as Deputy Mayor of Kildare to attend the “Blue” lighting up of Castletown House in Celbridge, the house will be “Blue” for the month of April. This is done to promote awareness around autism. Many families have Children with autism and are in need of different supports and help. The group are fundraising to assist with the training of dogs which helps Children who suffer from this condition.

The dogs are a great source of comfort and support to the child. Currently they are not given any Government funding so any financial assistance or support from the public is greatly appreciated. I want to congratulate all involved and wish them well for the future. It was my pleasure to attend “Jog For A Dog” in Castletown on Sunday April 12th in aid of Autism.

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Eircom Upgrade Commenced in Kildare North

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It is great to see the upgrade of the existing copper based telecommunications network to a fiber optic network taking place in Kildare North. This has commenced in Celbridge, Maynooth etc. This type of network is commonly referred to as Next Generation Access or Fibre to the Cabinet/Home. I am currently working with Eircom to assist them in having these upgrades carried out within Estates etc. The upgrades once complete will provide Residents with access to significantly enhanced telecommunications services.

Next Generation Access will have many positive impacts on the community. The installation works will comprise of new cabinets been fitted close to the existing ones and given that Eircom ducting is in place the disruption will be minimal. I will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure this upgrade is carried out as quickly and as efficiently as possible to ensure that everyone gains from the benefits of an improved service.

Works on Phase One Complete at Donaghcumper Church

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It is great to see this phase of the works complete now at Donaghcumper Church. It looks really well and the feed back from the public is very positive. This work was carried out through matching funding from the Committee and a grant we received from the Council. I have started to engage with the Council to commence the process to obtain funding in order to have further works carried out on the next phase of this project.

It will be great in time to have all the restoration works complete and it will look really well as you approach Celbridge. It will also be a lovely tourist attraction. I want to congratulate the Committee for the excellent work they carry out on this project and I look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.

Phase 2 of Eircom Under-Grounding underway in Celbridge

FO'R-18 paper (Medium)I am delighted that phase two of the Eircom under-grounding is underway in Celbridge on the Main Street. Phase two will see the poles removed with the cables going under-ground from Remax to the Post Office. This will make a brilliant positive impact on the street scape of Celbridge. Phase one is already complete and I am currently working on the final phase which is from the AIB Bank to the Grotto. This is an issue in Celbridge for over 20 years and it is great to see this long over due project now under way. This is great for everyone in the Community of Celbridge. I want to acknowledge and thank the Celbridge Tidy Towns who have assisted me with this project in-conjunction with Kildare County Council and Eircom.

Once the Eircom under-grounding is fully complete I will be advancing the under-grounding of the ESB cables on the Main Street which will also see the current street lighting been replaced with decorative street lights. Exciting times ahead in Celbridge…..!!!!!

Delays with N.C.T Car Testing

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I have been contacted by numerous people including some from the car industry regarding the delays in having the NCT test carried out. This issue has been highlighted as been particularly bad in Kildare and the surrounding area. I am informed that currently if you look to book an NCT test that you can expect to have it within the month. This is unacceptable in cases where car dealers are trying to complete a sale subject to a test. The industry and the public that contacted me are clearly looking for a much shorter waiting time.

In the UK and Northern Ireland the requested NCT can be carried out within days and in some cases the same day. This issue needs to be addressed here and improved on. I have requested Senator Jim Walsh to raise this issue with the Minister. It is illegal to drive without a current NCT and insurance companies have told me that if you have an accident, while driving your car and waiting for a current NCT they will not pay out on any claim, if the accident is related to the car not been road worthy. One answer to this issue for Kildare and the Dublin area is to increase the number of NCT testing centres.

The car industry needs this to assist and support their business.

Chewing Gum to be removed in Celbridge

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I have made representation to Kildare County Council officials to have funding made available to clean the chewing-gum of the footpaths in Celbridge Main Street. I have met with the Director of Services in Celbridge to look at having this project progressed. This project has got a positive response from the Council.

It is important to have this project carried out which will support the great work done by the Tidy Towns in keeping the place to such a high standard. It will also assist positively in our promotion of tourism and will give all the visitors to Celbridge the correct impression of our town and community by having it maintained to the best possible standard.

This is a project of great benefit and I am committed to having the funding put in place in order for it to be completed.

It is now officially “Aghards Road”

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It is great to see that Aghards Road in Celbridge is now officially named and the signs are in place to confirm it. A number of Residents Associations, Buisness’s and members of the public requested me to have this project carried out. This is a very busy road with 900 houses, 10 business’s and a school of 700 pupils approx so it was important for all to have the road properly identified.

I have been working with the Council for some time in an effort to have this done which is in addition to the other great work carried out at my request at this location. This work included the re-surfacing of Aghards road and ramps, repairing footpaths, installation of litter bins, safety railings, bollards and the much needed upgrade of the Aghards Rd\Maynooth Rd junction which improved safety for all.

I want to thanks Kildare County Council for making all these requests become a reality. It is great to see this progress.

 

Cllr O’Rourke to seek nomination for Dail Election

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I am delighted to announce I have decided this week to let my name go forward to seek the Fianna Fail nomination to contest the forthcoming General Election for the party.

In recent months and following the local elections of last year, I have received a large number of requests from party members, community activists, and many from the general public, encouraging me to let my name go forward in the forthcoming general election. I have given the request serious consideration and having consulted my family and supporters, I made the decision in recent days, to let my name go forward.

Since my election as a County Councillor, I have worked hard on behalf of the people and the community of the area. People understand my commitment to public service and know that I am always available to meet them on any issue they want to raise with me. I am determined to ensure that policies are put before the people to bring about a fairer society, with work being rewarded, those with special needs and older people getting the services they need and helping business to sustain and create jobs.

I look forward to the challenge in seeking support from the Fianna Fail organisation in North Kildare and if selected, I will work hard to secure a Dail seat at the next General Election to enable me continue to work on behalf of the community.

Supporting Celbridge Tidy Towns

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I am delighted to continue sponsoring and be involved in the Celbridge Christmas Card Project. This is a brilliant way of raising much needed money for the Tidy Towns which carry out fantastic work in keeping Celbridge looking great. This year there was profit of over 1,800.00 euros raised.

All this money is spent in the local Community of Celbridge by the Tidy Towns on projects which makes the town look so well and which we all enjoy looking at.

Well done to Breda for doing the work on this brilliant project. Keep up the good work and well done to all…!!!!

Thank you all for buying the Christmas Cards and your continued support.