Author Archives: Melisa

About Melisa’s work

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Cllr Melisa HalpinWHAT PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT HAS DONE

Cllr Melisa Halpin:

  • Has been campaigning on housing since she became a councillor. She works with Richard Boyd Barrett to bring people in need of housing into the Dail to highlight their issues. Melisa is now actively seeking to set up Housing Action Campaign that will force the government to build houses and give relief to those in mortgage distress.
  • Proposed a motion to use an existing building in Dun Laoghaire for the Central Library and to use the €36 million to give us our baths, to upgrade Moran’s Park and to maintain local library services – this motion was rejected by Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour.
  • Worked with the residents in the areas surrounding AMGEM to try and protect this residential area from industrial development. A motion to have a buffer zone of 10 metres along bu the new factory was blocked by councillors from Fine Gael and Labour.
  • Has successfully kept the issue of a boat service from Coliemore Harbour to Dalkey Island on the council agenda. Work has now commenced to repair Coliemore Harbour and hopefully boat trips will be running to the Island this summer.
  • Was the first councillor to put the planned oil rig in Dublin Bay on the council agenda and spearheaded the campaign with Save Our Seafront to stop this rig.
  • Won a motion to keep our forests in public ownership at a council meeting in 2011 and was key to the successful campaign to Save Ireland’s Forests which organised the Walk in the Woods in Avondale in May 2013.
  • Proposed motions on Marriage Equality and in favour of the Right to Choose
  • Won unanimous support at council level for a proposal to introduce a progressive rates scheme which would small and struggling businesses get a reduction. This could have a real impact on Dun Laoghaire town but it needs government backing to happen.
  • Has been campaigning for parking charges to be reduced. The recent reduction in Dun Laoghaire is a step forward but not good enough.
  • Does not take council expenses for conferences and has consistently campaigned against the Junket Culture in the council.
  • People Before Profit was the only party to support prioritising a swimming pool at the baths site and to oppose giving €1.5 million to the floating pool in the harbour.

Make water charges an election issue!

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water charges

 

WATER IS A RIGHT – OPPOSE WATER CHARGES

 

From October 2014, the Fine Gael/Labour government wants you to pay around €300 per year for water. Instead of wasting €1 billion installing meters to charge us and lining the pockets of consultants, the money should be used to fix leaking water pipes

 

In July 2010 People Before Profit councillors proposed a motion calling on all local councillors to oppose water charges.  Fianna Fail, Labour and Fine Gael all refused to support this.

 

In the local elections on May 23rd we should punish these parties and begin a major campaign of ‘People Power’ to defeat water charges and prevent water privatisation

Latest situation re Loughlinstown Hospital

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loughlinstown hospitalThe downgrading of Loughlinstown A&E is turning into a disaster.  People Before Profit campaigned against this downgrade and said it would create a crisis at St Vincent’s Hospital.

 

This has proved true. Over St Patrick’s weekend there were more people on trolleys in Vincent’s than in any other Hospital in the country.

 

Just as we campaigned against the sale of St Michael’s Hospital, we need a campaign of People Power to restore our A&E services at Loughlinstown.

Save our town

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Elverys campaign

Elverys campaign

Dún Laoghaire town centre is at crisis point.  There are over 100 empty shops in the town, which is contributing to the feeling of being in a ghost town.  The council is hell-bent on creating high-rise, high profile monuments to their own egos on the sea-front, thereby diverting funds, which could be more equally shared throughout the whole town.   A town needs an actual commercial centre to be viable.  Turning Dún Laoghaire into a Sunday destination will not sustain the town in the long-term.

Housing forcibly removed from agenda by council

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At the last council meeting Melisa’s attempt to have a discussion about the housing crisis facing Dún Laoghaire Rathdown was removed from the agenda.  This was a blatant move to sweep the issue under the carpet.  Saying that we will not talk about it does not mean the problem goes away.

Melisa Halpin – People before Profit Councillor

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melisa halpin portraitMelisa Halpin is the  People Before Profit Councillor in Dun Laoghaire.  She replaced Richard Boyd Barrett on the Council after his election to the Dáil. Melisa is from Blackrock and has worked with Richard and People Before Profit since it was established in 2006.   Melisa is standing in the local elections on May 23rd as a candidate for People Before Profit.  In her time as a councillor  Melisa has worked on many local issues including; Housing Action Campaign, Save our Seafront, Campaign to protect Dublin Bay,  Water charges, Loughlinstown Hospital, Defend Local Bus Services.  Melisa has been an active trade unionist serving as PRO on the Dublin City Branch Executive of IMPACT.

 

Cuts to Special Needs Assistants and Resource Hours

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This government is savagely attacking special needs educational provision. In its election manifesto Labour promised to “support schools, parents and children with special educational needs by ensuring that necessary supports follow a child from primary to second level”, but Ruairi Quinn, Labour Minister for Education, has announced a 10% cut to resource hours allocated to each school.

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Council Betrays Promises on Baths

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Last January the council finally agreed to progress the proposals for a public swimming amenity at Dun Laoghaire Baths.   But in May, when it came to agreeing the spending programme for the next 4 years, the manager proposed to allocate only €1.5m for the baths. Meanwhile, the Manager also proposed, to spend a €35 million on building a new library headquarters on Moran’s Park.

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