01/07/2003
Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.
Issued on behalf of the Council Document Title:annual meeting 30th June speech
by M.Keyes Head of Corporate Services Author :Margaret Pierce
Tel: 4149100 Creation Date:01/07/2003
Email:mkeyes@sdublincoco.ie
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPEECH OF MAYOR MÃIRE ARDAGH, SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY AGM 30 JUNE 2003
Embargo 4.00 p.m. 30 June 2003
Councillors, Manager, Ladies & Gentlemen,
I want to pay tribute to Mayor Daly and to congratulate him on his outstanding year as Mayor of South Dublin. Mayor Daly represented the County in great style. It was always a pleasure to listen to him when he presided at the many functions he attended. You were guaranteed a speech that related to the occasion beautifully and to at least half a dozen good stories. Mayor Daly enjoyed his year as Mayor and this enjoyment was infectious. We all benefited from it.
Cllr. Tyndall is also a man of wit and humour and played his part in the running of the Council as Deputy Mayor. I would like to congratulate him on his work last year and on his ongoing commitment to the Council.
We are very fortunate in South Dublin to have Joe Horan as Manager. Joe Horan has built a reputation as a progressive manager showing particular foresight in terms of future-proofing the internal and external communication of the Council. I look forward to working closely with the manager in the interests of the county.
There are many functions in health, education, housing, roads and the environment that are decided by central government. We must continue to develop the channels of communication to government to ensure that the Council has direct input into policy before decisions are made. Because of the dual mandate legislation we will lose some of our members who are also members of the Oireachtas. I hope that we can find ways to work very closely in the future with our Oireachtas colleagues for the benefit of the people of South Dublin.
The Council is making great progress on many fronts, building a better South Dublin for all. The council, through the County Development Plan and the County Development Board, is laying the foundations for the future development of the County. The County Development Plan will progress to the next stage during the coming year before being finalised in November 2004. Following the Consultation Meetings that we held at the beginning of the process, we received many submissions from the public. We as Councillors are facing the challenge of providing this council with a development plan that will reflect the vision of the Council and the aspirations of the people of South Dublin. There will be a lot of hard work and long hours involved. I am confident that we will put in place a framework that we can all be proud of for the planned development of the county for many years to come.
The latest census figures show that we have an ageing population. Many of our senior citizens are empty nesters. Next year the Council will focus on our senior citizens and their needs. The number of non-nationals is increasing in South Dublin. We will lead the way in integrating our new communities from the UK, Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia, building on events such as the multicultural festival hosted recently by South Dublin.
During the past few years I have had the pleasure of serving on the Board of Dublin Tourism. We cannot underestimate the value of tourism to South Dublin County. We need to sell ourselves in the tourist market more aggressively as a tourist destination. During the next year I will promote a more pro-active approach to tourism.
As Mayor, I will have a particular interest in encouraging social and cultural projects in South Dublin County. For instance there are projects in my own electoral area of Terenure/Rathfarnham that need funding. We need:
· Sports facilities in Tymon Park to cater for some of the smaller sports clubs
· Playgrounds in our local parks
· Funding for administrative staff in community centres
· Development of the listed houses in the area such as the Templeogue House.
Next year is also an election year. I have observed the commitment of my colleagues to their constituents during the last few years and have no hesitation in predicting that each and every one of you who wish it will be back here in 2004 to serve another term of office. I intend to work hard as Mayor next year. I am seeking the same effort from every council member, management and staff. Together we will improve the quality of life of the citizens of South Dublin who we represent and serve.
Thank you.