Cork South Central Fine Gael Deputy, Jerry Buttimer, has welcomed the announcement that prefabs in three schools will be replaced with permanent classroom accommodation.
 
“I am pleased that the Minister for Education and Skills has confirmed that three schools in Cork South Central have received approval to replace prefabs with permanent classrooms. Glasheen Boys National School and in Carrigaline both Scoil Mhuire Lourdes and St. John’s Girls National School have received approval.
 
“Scoil Mhuire Lourdes has been approved for four mainstream classrooms.  St. John’s GNS will now be able to build 4 mainstream classrooms and 2 resource/learning support classrooms.  Glasheen Boys National School will receive funding for 2 mainstream classrooms and one resource/learning support classroom.
 
“The approved funding should ensure that permanent classrooms are built in the three schools by the end of 2012.  The new classrooms will improve the facilities available for pupils and teachers, ending the long-term reliance on prefabs.
 
“For too long the temporary accommodation solution of prefabs had been relied on to provide a long term solution for a shortage of classrooms.  This initiative by the Minister will end that wasteful use of resources delivering classrooms that meet the current needs of pupils, schools and teachers.
 
“The Minister has approved 78 schools across the country to go ahead with the replacement of prefabs with permanent classrooms, allowing them to begin this work to ensure it is completed during 2012.  In total this announcement amounts to an investment of €14 million for prefab replacement in these schools.
 
“In early March the Minister announced a €35 million initiative to reduce the use of prefabs in primary schools.  189 schools were invited to participate in the programme, in addition to the 78 schools which have today received approval another 110 are in on-going discussions with the Department.”
 
ENDS

Posted under Carrigaline, Cork City, Education, South West

Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central, Jerry Buttimer, has today (Friday) welcomed the announcement by Apple that it is creating 500 new jobs in its Cork operation.
 
“This is fantastic news for Cork which has been the home of Apple in Ireland for the last 30 years. Today’s announcement is testament to the faith Apple has in the quality of the Irish workforce, by showing that we can provide the technical expertise to support the expansion of its growing business across Europe.
 
“Today’s announcement comes on the back of a number of significant foreign investment announcements over the last number of months.
 
“Creating jobs is the Government’s number one priority and I would like to thank the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, as well as the IDA, who have been working closely with Apple over the last few months, both in the USA and Ireland, to make today’s announcement happen.”

Posted under Carrigaline, Cork, Cork City, Douglas, Economic, Employment, South Central, South East, South West

Fine Gael Cork South Central Deputy, Jerry Buttimer, has said that rent allowance should be reduced or withdrawn where anti-social behaviour occurs.  Deputy Buttimer raised the issue of anti-social behaviour in rented properties with the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, in the Dáil during topical debates.
 
“Where anti-social behaviour occurs in circumstances where the State is paying rent allowance, the most effective form of enforcement would be to either reduce or withdraw that allowance.
 
“In some parts of Bishopstown and Douglas in Cork there are many rented properties which are located in quiet and, in many cases, mature residential areas.  In these places there is often persistent anti-social behaviour and excessive noise.  There is also often evidence of broken windows and rubbish dumped on neighbouring properties.  
 
“We must take action in respect of landlords and tenants who are only interested in obtaining access to rent allowance, who do not care about the state of the properties and who believe the feelings of those who own neighbouring properties to be irrelevant.
 
“In one recent case before the Private Residential Tenancies Board there was only a small fine for the landlord; no penalty was imposed on the tenant even though the adjudicator said that behaviour in the property ‘on numerous occasions constituted anti-social behaviour’.  The adjudicator also said that residents had been ‘directly and adversely affected such that their quality of life, safety and securit

Posted under Carrigaline, Cork City, Douglas, Justice & Equality, National Work, Social Protection, South Central, South East, South West