Our Lady of Mercy schoolkids enjoying the Waterford Greenway
Waterford City and County Council is currently inviting applications from community groups for funding to assist with the organisation of a cycling themed event during Bike Week 2017, which will take place from 10th to 18th June. The objective of Bike Week is to celebrate cycling in all its forms and to get more people participating in cycling both for transport and recreation.
The type of groups which may apply are community groups, voluntary organisations, schools, sports clubs, active retirement groups, community childcare service providers, work places or any group that wishes to organise a bike related event on a ‘not for profit basis’ during Bike Week 2017.
Examples of possible Bike Week events include (but are not limited to):
Guided bike tour of a town/village. These can be themed, for example, heritage, gardens, or food trips.
Cycles from your school to a local amenity on cycle to school/work Wednesday (14th June) for bike based games such as treasure hunts and slow bicycle races;
A midsummer night cycle
Bike maintenance workshops
Bike art exhibition
Bike school art competition, quiz or drama
Family fun cycle
Bike fashion show
Cycling window display competition in local shops
Picnic cycle
Fancy dress bike parade.
Greenway Cycle
The list is endless!
Grants available may be somewhere in the range of €100 to €350 per successful group/event, depending on applications received and the nature of those applications.
Completed applications should be e-mailed to jbrunnock@waterfordcouncil.ie or, alternatively, application forms can be posted to Johnny Brunnock, Community Dept., Waterford City and County Council, Civic Offices, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.
The closing date for applications is 4 p.m. Mon 3rd April 2017. Applications received after this time will not be considered.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has teamed up with young photographer and music video director Christian Tierney, to launch an exciting new competition for secondary schools today themed “The Story of Your Stuff”.
Students are invited to choose an everyday object such as a pen, mobile phone or a water bottle and use a visual medium to illustrate its life-cycle, where it came from, how you use it and more importantly, where it’s going to end up!
The competition is open to secondary school students up to and including 18 years. The prize is: €500 for the winning entry and €500 plus a video workshop with Christian Tierney for the school. All information about the competition can be found on www.thestoryofyourstuff.ie. Here students can view a “Story of your stuff” video created by Christian Tierney and top tips from him on how to get started.
Waterford City & County Council are seeking to purchase new 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments and houses for social housing through turnkey developments in Waterford City & County.
Waterford City & County Council are therefore seeking expressions of interest from private developers and building contractors for housing proposals with planning permissions for new 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments and houses in Waterford city and towns and villages with County Waterford.
All purchases of social housing have to be approved by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government. Please note that Waterford City & County Council are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2014.
Expressions of Interest must be returned clearly marked:
WCC 17/130/Housing and sent to :
WCC 17/130/Housing, Tender Box, Waterford City & County Council, Customer Services, Bailey’s New Street, Waterford, by the closing date of 16:00 on Friday 31st March 2017.
Several of our St. Patrick’s Day Parades have their own FDacebook sites – check out the listings and events below for what’s sure to be a great weekend festival for all to enjoy!
The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Mr Simon Coveney, T.D. today (2 March 2017) announced the opening of public consultation in relation to the review of Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme. The public consultation is being launched jointly by Minister Coveney and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr. Michael Creed TD.
Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme is given effect by European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 31 of 2014). The regulations contain specific measures to protect surface waters and groundwater from nutrient pollution arising from agricultural sources. In accordance with the Nitrates Directive these regulations are due to be reviewed this year.
In opening this public consultation Minister Coveney said “protecting and maintaining water quality is a national priority and Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme plays an important part in achieving this. This review of the Programme gives us an opportunity to ensure it is realising this objective as effectively as possible”.
The review is a key step in the preparation of regulations that will underpin Ireland’s fourth Nitrates Action Programme which will remain in place until 2021.
Minister Coveney added: “I look forward to hearing from a wide range of stakeholders during this important consultation process”.
The closing date for receipt of responses is 28 April 2017. The consultation paper can be downloaded from the Departments’ websites at www.housing.gov.ie and www.agriculture.gov.ie. Hard copies can be obtained on request from Water Quality Section, Department of the Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Newtown Road, Wexford, tel: 053 9117487, e-mail: waterquality@housing.gov.ie
The manager of the 2016 Hurling All-Ireland Under-21 Champions will lead the 2017 parade along with some of the stars of his winning team. He has always had a strong link with this current crop of Waterford players, having nurtured the talents of players like Austin Gleeson, Shane Bennett, Stephen Bennett, and Patrick Curran, who have since become house-hold names.
He was also the boss when Waterford won the 2013 minor All-Ireland. While still playing junior hurling for Mount Sion, he got involved in the club’s underage teams and that was the springboard to coaching Waterford underage sides.
Speaking about the grand marshall this year, Adam Wyse, Mayor of Waterford City and County said “It’s a great privilege to be able to celebrate the success of Sean Power and his team on such a large scale, this year’s parade is all about going green to celebrate the opening of Waterford Greenway project, we want people to get out and enjoy this amazing amenity we now have joining our City and county, and what better way to celebrate that then to commemorate a team who have given the entire county such joy and pride”.
Times and Start Locations for the St. Patrick’s Day Parades in #Waterford City & County.
Waterford City – 1.00p.m. from #Waterford Bus Station, The Quay
Dungarvan – 3.00p.m. from Coolagh Road, Abbeyside
Tramore – 3.00p.m. from carpark on Priests Road
Portlaw – 12noon from St Patricks Church
Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge á ceiliúradh i gContae Phort Láirge arís i mbliana, le réimse leathan imeachtaí á n-eagrú in áiteanna éagsúla ar fud an chontae agus na cathrach.
Mar sin, má tá suim agat freastal ar réimse imeachtaí trí Ghaeilge, nó do chúpla focal féin a chleachtadh, tá rud éigint duit le linn Seachtain na Gaeilge i mbliana.
Looking for ways to use your cúpla focal ?
Waterford City & County Council celebrates Seachtain na Gaeilge 2017.
Once again, the Irish Office and Library Service of Waterford City & County Council and Waterford Childcare Committee have come together to organise a range of events to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge, the national Irish language festival, which takes place from the 1st – 17th March 2017.
Minister of State for Communities and the National Drugs Strategy, Catherine Byrne has encouraged all stakeholders to have their say on the new programme to address poverty, long term unemployment and social exclusion. The Minister was speaking at the first of the consultation events by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government on the next iteration of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, SICAP.
SICAP aims is to address poverty, long term unemployment and social exclusion, through local engagement and partnerships between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies.
Speaking at the consultation event today Minister Byrne said: “The thing that strikes me most about the current SICAP programme is its diversity, the huge variety of work being done in communities and its capacity in addressing real problems and in assisting real people who are experiencing sometimes very challenging difficulties. Some of what I experienced at the front-line, especially during my time working as a volunteer in my own community, was the need for people to be heard, to be supported, and to be put on course to making the right decisions for themselves and their families.”
Over €100 million has been invested in communities through SICAP since it commenced in April 2015. This includes an allocation of €19 million under the European Social Fund (ESF) Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020 and the Youth Employment Initiative. SICAP has helped provide building blocks for local and community development in Ireland and part of its vision is to improve the life chances and opportunities of those who are marginalised in society or living in poverty. SICAP comes to an end in December 2017 and the Department has now commenced a consultation process, involving key stakeholders, to help inform the next iteration of the programme, which is due to commence in 2018.
Minister Byrne said “I witnessed, first hand, the care, sensitivity and commitment shown to the harder to reach through SICAP services. SICAP is a vital support for communities and today is the start of a process to ensure that it remains so into the future. While no major overhaul of SICAP is on the cards there is a need for fresh thinking and innovation. The tried and tested method or the ‘safe’ approach is not always the right one. We always have to look at what can be improved and strengthened. I would encourage everyone to have their say on this very important issue.”
Session 2. Friday 10th March. Theory. Composting Essentials. (How it all works)
Session 3. Friday 24th. Theory. Composting Systems for Gardens
Session 4. Friday 31st. Theory. Wormery & Green Cone Digester. Use of Compost
Session 5. Saturday 1st April. 10am-3pm. Practical session. Building a 3 bay turning system, a slow system, leaf mould enclosure, burial system & setting up an ordinary plastic composting bin at GIY HQ
Session 6. Saturday 8th April 10am – 3pm. Practical session. Setting up a wormery (Vermiculture) & Green Cone Digester at GIY HQ, Lunch. Official Opening after Lunch with Certificate presentation.
Four of these sessions (duration of 2 hrs max. each, to include a break) will be theory based groups sessions and 2 sessions will be the practical building of a compost area (of 5 hours duration, to include lunch break). The first four sessions can be held either during morning or evening so please let us know which would suit you best when expressing interest in these workshops.
At the end of the training participants will be master composters with the ability to train others in composting skills and set up a fully functioning compost area of their own. If you are interested in this course, please email Ella Ryan at eryan@waterfordcouncil.ie
Over €50,000 in bursaries has been awarded to artists by the Artlinks partnership of local authorities Arts Offices in Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford.
This initiative is supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon to provide professional development opportunities and supports for established and emerging artists who are resident in these four counties in the South East region.
The recipients of bursaries from the Arts Office, Waterford City & County Council are: Eadaoin Breathnach, City/Drama, Rayleen Clancy, An Rinn/Visual Arts, Ciara Gormley, Modeligo/Visual Arts, James Phelan, Ballymacarbery/Film, Sandra Kelly,City/Visual Arts, Blawnin Clancy, Dungavan/Visual Arts, Sarah Lincoln, Ardmore/Visual Arts, Róisín Power Hackett, Kill/Literature and James Merrigan, City /Visual Arts.
Artists who are resident within the four partner Local Authorities can register for membership free of charge on www.artlinks.ie
LEO Conference in Adare County Limerick Picture Credit: Brian Gavin Press 22
Local Enterprise Office Waterford announces plans for ‘Local Enterprise Week’ in March
Around the country, 14,500 small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs expected to attend over 380 events during Local Enterprise Week in March.
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Ms. Mary Mitchell O’ Connor T.D. has welcomed plans by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) to host more than 380 inspiring events around the country for an estimated 14,500 start-ups, aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners during Local Enterprise Week 2017. The focus of Local Enterprise Week is to increase awareness of the range of LEO supports and services available to micro and small enterprises.
Running from March 5th to 10th, all 31 LEOs, including LEO Waterford will be celebrating Local Enterprise Week with a range of events for start-ups, aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses in their area.
Entrepreneurs of all ages will have the opportunity to participate in workshops, seminars, advice clinics and one-to-one mentoring in areas such as: Intellectual Property Rights, Trading Online, Resource Efficiency, Social Media and Customer Service.
Highlights of Local Enterprise Week in Waterford are expected to include:
Protect Your Intellectual Property Rights on 7th March with the Patents Office in The Granville Hotel.
Women in Business Networking Event on 8th March in The Garden Room, Waterford Museum.
Funding your Business Workshop on 9th March, Manapia Building, The Mall.
HR and general business one to one mentoring sessions in both Waterford City and Dungarvan.
Cost Saving through Resource Efficiency in conjunction with Waterford Chamber and Southern Region Waste Management Office.
Local Enterprise Week officially kicks-off on Sunday, March 5th with the national final of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur (IBYE) competition in Google Headquarters in Dublin. IBYE, which is an initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices and supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Enterprise Ireland, achieved an unprecedented number of entries across all 31 LEOs with more than 1,800 young people competing for the €2 million IBYE investment fund. Local Enterprise Office Waterford is represented in the IBYE competition by Flexi Wage, Dreamboat and Aphex.
Welcoming the extensive range of events planned by the LEOs for Local Enterprise Week, Minister Mitchell O’ Connor said: “I am very impressed with the comprehensive programme of events organised by the LEOs for Local Enterprise Week 2017. I would encourage every start-up and small business owner to make it their business to check out and participate in the events taking place in their locality. It is important that anyone starting or growing a business is fully aware of the extensive range of enterprise supports that are available to them. As set out in the Action Plan for Jobs, 2017, I also want to encourage more micro and small businesses to grow international sales and diversify into Europe and beyond. The LEOs are the first-stop-shop on hand to help entrepreneurs and small business owners embark on this journey.”
Richie Walsh of the Local Enterprise Office Waterford said that Local Enterprise Week was the ideal ‘shop window’ to show the wide range of supports on offer to start-ups, sole traders and small businesses in Waterford. He said: “Local Enterprise Week, which takes place from March 5th to 10th, is a collaboration on a local and national scale between LEOs, local business communities, Government Departments, other units within Local Authorities, and State support agencies. We hope these events will inspire and motivate hundreds of entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs in Waterford. Small businesses continue to be the backbone of our local economy, with huge potential to grow and create jobs.”
Details for all events can be found at www.localenterprise.ie/waterford and Local Enterprise Office Waterford are strongly advising businesses to book well in advance.
ENDS
For all media queries, please contact Brid Kirby, Local Enterprise Office Waterford on 0761 10 2766 or bkirby@waterfordcouncil.ie
The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government Mr Simon Coveney T.D., today (23 February, 2017) announced that the pilot scheme that targets vacant properties and secures them for social housing, by financing the cost of repairs, is to be rolled out on a national basis. An additional €26m is being provided to fund the scheme in 2017 which brings the total amount of investment available this year to €32m. This additional funding will mean that up to 800 vacant properties can be brought back into use as new homes for families on local authority waiting lists.
“The pilot has been working well in Waterford and Carlow local authorities since October with around 59 properties currently in train. Based on this level of interest in the scheme, I am confident that the initiative can deliver up to 800 homes this year. Property owners see the opportunity the scheme presents for them – upfront financing of the cost of repairs – in fact they need not even get involved in arranging the works, and a secure and reliable income from regular rental payments, without having to take on landlord responsibilities.”
The Department is currently working with local authorities to implement the scheme on a local basis. A range of Approved Housing Bodies around the country have also expressed an interest in working with local authorities to deliver new social homes using the scheme. “I see these bodies having a significant role in its success – their local knowledge, experience of managing refurbishment projects, as well as being good landlords will be invaluable” said the Minister.
The scheme will be monitored very closely this year in order to ensure that it works and is cost effective. This approach will also assist in understanding the real potential of the scheme over the coming years.
The Repair and Leasing Scheme is one of a number of initiatives in Rebuilding Ireland to address vacant properties around the country. Other initiatives include the Buy and Renew Scheme which provides funding for local authorities to purchase vacant properties and remediate them and a new National Vacant Housing Re-Use Strategy which is currently being finalised.
Property owners interested in the scheme should contact their local authority directly and register their interest.
