Good News Stories for the North Inner City

It is heartening despite the current difficult times to see a number of local and national strategic projects being carried out in the North Inner City.
Work is due to commence on the €650 million Children's Hospital on Eccles Street this year.
The Luas BXD which will run from St Stephen's Green to Broombridge via Grangegorman and linking the two existing Luas lines will go ahead as planned.
The Smithfield Enhancement Project is a €5.2 million Project funded jointly by Dublin City Council and the European Union is almost complete. The first two phases are complete and the work is due to be complete by Summer 2012.
The Lighthouse Cinema on Smithfield is set to reopen and will play host to events for the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.
Dublin City Council has ambitious plans for the redevelopment of the Fruit and Vegetable Market as a Food Retail Hall along the lines of the English Market in Cork.
Work is progressing apace on the replacement Mental Health Facility for St Brendan's Hospital at Grangegorman. Work commenced in July 2011 and is due to be complete by October 2012.
Plans are proceeding to deliver DIT Campus at Grangegorman the project on a phased basis.
Work on the long awaited Fairview Park and Playground commenced on 12 December and is due to be complete by summer 2012.
Dublin City Council recently secured funding for a Multi User Games Area (MUGA) at Augrhrim Street/Drumalee. which is due to be opened shortly.
Plans are continuing for the redevelopment of O'Devaney Gardens and Dominick Street.
Dublin City Council has agreed to sell a site at Dominick Street (subject to planning permission) for a replacement school for Colaiste Mhuire Primary School currently located at Parnell Square.

National Paediatric Hospital Must Take Account of Local Concerns

The National Paediatric Hospital (NPH) lodged a Strategic Infrastructure Development Application to An Bord Pleanala for the development of a 16 storey 392-bed in-patient plus 53 day care bed National Paediatric Hospital. Full details of the planning application can be viewed on the designated webstie for the New Children's Hospital Photomontages providing visual images of the impact of the development on the City Skyline can be viewed on this website: click on link to photomontages) The deadline for submissions to An Bord Pleanala on this application is 14 September 2011. It is likely that an oral hearing will take place on the proposal. Members of Dublin City Council considered the report of Dublin City Council at its monthly meeting on Monday 5 September. The following is the text of my remarks to the Dublin City Council. Statement by Cllr Emer Costello on the application for the New Children's Hospital at Eccles Street