Joe Costello TD

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1. Gaza Visit - Prelude:
   Issued : Monday 20 July, 2009
   See Link to Joe's Daily Blog from Gaza on www.labour.ie/joecostello/blog/A delegation of members of the European Affairs Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee will visit Israel and the Palestinian Territories beginning today, on a fact-finding mission.The Joint Committee Members were shocked by the Israeli military incursion into Gaza over the Christmas period resulting in the deaths of over 1,400 civilians and the destruction of an enormous amount of property including schools and hospitals and the HQ of the UN Relief Agency (UNWRA).While the conflict was still raging the EU Affairs Committee agreed two resolutions unanimously. One resolution in my name called inter alia for “an immediate review of the existing EU Israeli Trade Agreement in terms of its required compliance with human rights, democratic principles and international law”.
2. Tony Gregory - A Legend in his Time
   Issued : Monday 5 January, 2009
   I was shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Tony Gregory.He had been ill for considerable period of time and had courageously handled his illness.He was a good friend and colleague, both as a TD and as councillor in the constituency of Dublin Central for many years.Tony Gregory was a legend in his time. He was a household name not only in his constituency of Dublin Central but throughout the entire country.The famous "Gregory Deal" with Charlie Haughey in 1982, his campaigning work against the scourge of drug abuse in the Inner City Communities and his support for Dublin's traditional street traders are his abiding legacy.I worked with Tony on Dublin City Council for thirteen years and we were constituency colleagues in Dáil Eireann since 1992.We held similar views on most issues in Dublin Central. In the countless meetings we attended the length and breadth of the constituency over the best part of two decades of political life I don't believe we ever spoke out against each other's viewpoint.
3. Authorities and Parents Must Come Together to Deal with Halloween Mayhem
   Issued : Sunday 2 November, 2008
   The mayhem that occurred all over Ireland on Halloween night is becoming all too prevalent. It is as though Halloween is an excuse for violence and anti-social behaviour.Fireworks are legal in Northern Ireland and illegal in the Republic. The Minister for Justice must agree a set of proposals which will synchronise the legislation in both jurisdictions that that large quantities of illegal fireworks are not imported into the Republic.
4. Tougher penalities needed to protect our architectual heritage
   Issued : Thursday 30 October, 2008
   The need for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to take appropriate measures to ensure that Churches that have been deconsecrated are secured and maintained as part of the National heritage and that those who perpetrated the vandalism on the Methodist Church, Jones Road, Dublin 3 are prosecuted and made restore the Church. The destruction of the old Methodist Church on Jones' Road Dublin 3 was a scandalous act of vandalism. The beautiful old Church was demolished at 6.00 o'clock in the morning on 15th October by a bulldozer. The previous day Dublin City Council had placed an enforcement order on the building last night to prevent the building from being demolished.
5. Outrage that Irish Family Planning Assoc has to suspend services to medical card holders
   Issued : Thursday 9 October, 2008
   Speaking on his adjournment motion today, Deputy Joe Costello stated that, "It is an outrage that the IFPA have had to suspend their family planning services to medical card holders because the Minister's Department has failed to ensure that the Health Service Authority provided adequate funding to run the service. Thus there will be no family planning service available for the last three months of this year. That is a disgrace.
6. Govt fail to establish multi-denominational post primary scho
   Issued : Thursday 25 September, 2008
   Joe Costello TD has called on the Minister for Education to respond to the Educate Together National Petition Day, today 25th September, and to register Educate Together as a patron of second-level schools. Deputy Costello and the Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Emer Costello participated in the National Petition Day at the Dublin 7 Educate Together. Speaking in the Dáil this morning, Deputy Costello, asked the Tanáiste if the Government have any plans to establish multi-denominational schools and if it will recognise Educate Together as a Patron. The Tanáiste informed the House that the Government have no plans to allow Educate Together register as a suitable patron.
7. 16 Moore Street - State Action Needed on National Monument
   Issued : Saturday 16 February, 2008
8. Residents Only Parking for Croke Park Residents - Residents Must Not be Penalised
   Issued : Saturday 13 October, 2007
   The Minister for Transport finally acceded to the wishes of the residents and to our requests to introduce provision for Residents Only Parking. Joe Costello TD raised this matter on many occasions in both Dail Debates and Parliamentary Questions. As a result the Roads Bill 2007 included provision for residents only parking during certain named events in Croke Park. To implement the legislation Dublin City Council must draw up new bye-laws for major events in Croke Park. In a recent report presented to City Councillors, the Manager proposed that the residents should be obliged to pay the cost of implementation of the bye-laws.
9. Bord Pleanala Grants Permission for Cabra Hill Development
   Issued : Sunday 9 September, 2007
   An Bord Pleanala has decided to Grant Permission for the development at Cabra Hills, Carnlough Road on 6th September 2007. The decision is disappointing given that An Bord Pleanala's own inspector recommended refusing permission for this development. However, the Board's decision is subject to a number of valuable conditions and amendments to the original application.
10. Arbour Hill Traffic Changes Proposals - Public Consultation
    Issued : Tuesday 6 March, 2007
    Hill/Montpelier Hill In 2005 Dublin City Council introduced major traffic calming measures at Arbour Hill/Montpelier Hill without any consultation with local residents and as a result created traffic mayhem in the area. Following the public outcry over the changes the traffic restrictions were removed and Dublin City Council agreed to engage in a public consultation on any further traffic calming measures in the area.The Traffic Department has now presented five options to resolve traffic issues at Arbour Hill/Montpelier Hill and will be putting this out to public consultation over the next few weeks.The options and advantages and disadvantages of each option as outlined by the Traffic Department as presented as follows: