The announcement was made on Tuesday, October 9th, by the Kerry Group. It is to establish an industry leading global technology innovation centre in Ireland. This €100m investment will create 900 permanent jobs and 400 immediate construction jobs.This announcement by Kerry Group to establish a flagship global technology and customer innovation centre on a 28 acre site in the Millennium Business Park, Naas is a huge boast to the local economy. The investment, which will be part-funded by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland, will accommodate 800 people in 2015 and a further 100 positions when fully commissioned by mid-2016. It will bring Naas to the heart of the global marketplace, as the innovation centre will serve as a key focal point for Kerry Group’s customer engagement activities by providing strategic customers with access to the Group’s complete breadth and depth of technologies, scientific research, innovation and applications expertise across food, beverage and

pharmaceutical markets.The Kerry Group has recently lodged a planning application for its proposed €100 million research and development centre in Naas, with a decision expected in April.

Anthony Lawlor TD - Working for the people of Kildare North

Anthony Lawlor’s Newsletter

I warmly welcomed the announcement by the National Transport Authority that €2.5 million is to be allocated to Kildare County Council to rollout Smarter Travel Projects throughout the county.The aim of the Smarter Travel Projects will be to improve the travel experience of people using most forms of transport. They include traffic calming measures, new footpaths, Bus Stop improvements, enhanced cycling facilities among other plans.In particular I welcome the allocation of funding for bus stop improvements, on the main street in Naas. These improvements include

construction of a public transport hub to encompass redesigned bus stopping areas, new bus shelters, real time passenger information signs, seating, planting, cycle stands, transport/tourism information panels, paving and street furniture improvements. Also the completion of design work commenced in 2012 and commencement of implementation of the corridor improvement recommendations will take place on the Sallins Road Corridor Naas. Measures will include pedestrian and cycling improvements, safety enhancements and bus related measures.

€2.5 Million allocated to Kildare County Council for Smarter Travel Projects

Naas welcomes the Kerry Group A Message from Anthony It is hard to believe it is two years since I was elected, and what a busy time it has been! Personally it has been a steep learning curve and I will continue to encounter new challenges every day. Since elected I have tried to make myself as accessible to the public as possible. I have a constituency office in Naas which is open daily, and I encourage you to drop in if you wish to raise an issue with me. I canvass door to door in Naas most Monday evenings so please look out for letters to your home indicating when I will be in your area. I would also be more than happy to organise tours to Dáil Éireann for individuals, groups or schools. After all it is your parliament! Please do not hesitate to contact me to arrange a tour.

I look forward to meeting with you.

I have called for renewed efforts to introduce ebooks for children in our schools. Students from St. Wolstan’s Community School, Celbridge displayed their project at the BT Young Scientist Awards which looked at the affects of heavy school bags on young children’s backs. Their results reinforce the need to deal effectively with this problem.

I was delighted to learn last year that Piper’s Hill School in Naas was introducing a scheme for all incoming First Years which would see students

accessing school books through iPads. I appreciate that the initial start up cost was difficult for some parents but the long term benefits of teaching in this manner far outweighs the downsides. Instead of children carrying heavy school bags on their backs all books are now condensed into one light, electronic device. I was also fascinated to learn of an online teaching tool for teachers and students called Schoolbag.ie, used in many schools throughout the country, whereby all lessons can be completed

and corrected through a personalised website page for each student.

In other great news for education, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte TD, and the Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn TD have announced that 216 schools are to receive 100Mbps (business class) broadband service which will be up and running this year. That means all secondary schools in Dublin, Meath and Kildare will have this infrastructure installed during early 2013.

I would like to commend the doctors, nurses and all the staff in Naas General Hospital for their efforts in halving the number of patients waiting on trolleys in the hospital over the last two years.

The number of people on trolleys in January 2013 compared with January 2011 has been reduced by almost 52%. In January 2011 555 people were waiting on trolleys at Naas General Hospital; that figure just two years later stands at 267.

In June 2011, the Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly TD, set up the Special Delivery Unit (SDU), the aim of which is to improve performance in the health service. There has been a reduction of 24% in the number of people on trolleys across the country, with 20,352 fewer patients on trolleys nationally in 2012 than in 2011. This success is being replicated in other parts of the health service, with a reduction of 98% in the number of adults waiting more than nine months for inpatient and day-case surgery during the same time.

ANThoNy LAwLor TD • Tel: 045 888488 • Email: anthony.lawlor@oireachtas.ie • www.anthonylawlor.ie

Schools in Kildare move towards the future with eschoolbooks and faster broadband

Numbers on trolleys in Naas Hospital halved in 2 years

Lawlor Proposes Scheme to support Young Entrepreneurs I have for some time been calling for the establishment of a Youth Entrepreneurship Fund which could enable young people to set up their own businesses. On March 4th in the Kilashee Hotel, the Kildare County Enterprise Board held the Students Enterprise Awards 2013. If a Youth Entrepreneurship Fund was in existence, these student’s dreams and hard work could become a reality.I was delighted to learn that an EU wide Youth Guarantee Scheme has been agreed upon and that €6 billion is to be ring fenced to tackle youth unemployment. It will be up to each individual Member State to operate the scheme as they see fit and I understand that €10 million per annum will be available to Ireland to implement the scheme. I have written to both Minister Joan Burton and Minister Richard Bruton in this context, and with access to such funding, to establish a Youth Entrepreneurship Fund. This is particularly important due to the fact that on an EU average Irish people under the age of 25 years are more likely to be entrepreneurs yet they are continually facing battles with lending institutions in terms of accessing funds due to the lack of a credit history. Congratulations to Rushe’s Eurospar on winning national awards for

retail excellence

Alan O’Kelly TC:The town council will soon begin a programme of road and footpath repair. I am pleased that this programme will be soon underway. Ensuring that our roads and footpaths are in a good state of repair is an important function of the council and I am delighted these repairs are taking place. As always I am delighted to raise any issues or concerns you might have.

Cllr. Fintan BrettI warmly welcome the funding for a bus corridor from Naas to

Sallins, including the upgrade of works at Osberstown Junction.

These works are expected to be completed this year. The allocation

is timely with work on the construction of the Kerry Foods project

at Millennium Park due to commence later this year.

ANThoNy LAwLor TD • Tel: 045 888488 • Email: anthony.lawlor@oireachtas.ie • www.anthonylawlor.ie

Debt deal delivers significant boost to Ireland’s economic future The deal agreed by the Irish Government to ease the debt burden on the Irish people from the Anglo promissory notes has delivered a significant boost to Ireland’s economic future.The budgetary adjustment needed for next year will be €1 billion less. Furthermore, we will have to borrow €20 billion less on the international markets over the next decade as a result of this deal. The promissory notes are being replaced with a long-term bond and we are stretching the period to repay the loans over 40 years. The interest rate on the new bonds is also crucial as the average interest rate will be just over three per cent, compared with a punitive rate of well over eight per cent on the promissory notes.

Naas Fashion and Gourmet Week From the 3rd to the 12th of May 2013 Naas will host an exciting Fashion and Gourmet week. The festival will also include sporting and cultural activities to involve the whole community.It is hoped that all businesses in Naas will get involved in this new initiative that will highlight Naas as an excellent place to visit, to stay and shop.

LOCAL NEWS...

Emer McDaid TC: I have recently set up a new Community Games Committee in an

effort to boost local participation in the Games. In the past, Naas

has experienced great success in the Games at national level but

unfortunately in recent years participation has all but ceased. This

demise was due mainly to a new National rule that saw Naas being

divided into Naas West and Naas East. Naas has been permitted

to take part this year as one area but only in non-team events.

Similar leeway has been given in other towns around the country

in the past and has proven to be a successful start in the towns

revival of Community Games.If you are interested in seeing Naas

Community Games back up and running, please contact me or go to:

www.communitygames.ie

Councillor’s Corner

The Naas Easter Parade The Naas Easter Parade will take place at 2.30 pm on Easter Sunday 31st March 2013.The Parade is one of Kildare’s biggest annual events and is a very entertaining and enjoyable day for the thousands of people who come out to view the parade.

Punchestown NewsThe dates for the 2013 Festival have been confirmed as Tuesday 23rd to Saturday 27th April. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of the English enthusiasts to the Naas area for this year’s Punchestown festival. The festivities will begin with its traditional ‘Walking Sunday’ which will take place this year on 18 April at Punchestown Racecourse. The fun kicks off at 2pm, admission is free, and walkers, joggers, runners and dogs of all ages are welcome to come along and join in the fun!

Kildare to feature in An Post Ras againThe An Post Rás, Ireland’s best known bicycle race will pass through Kildare once again. It will take place from May 19 - 26, 2013. The Race is one of Ireland’s top sporting events bringing world class sporting action and a significant economic boost to towns and villages nationwide. The last two stages, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 25 and 26 will use Naas as an overnight stopping point.

Kildare County Council (045) 980200 www.kildarecountycouncil.ieNaas Town Council (045) 980990 www.kildare.ie/tclerk@naasudc.ie HSE Local Health Office (045) 876001 St. Mary’s, Craddockstown Road, NaasNaas Citizens Information Board (045) 879489 www.citizensinformation.ieNaas Social Welfare Office (045) 884430/884431 Unit 2, Rathesker Square, NaasNaas Garda Station (045) 897333 Kilcullen Road, NaasNaas General Hospital (045) 897221 www.hse.ie Naas Fire Station (045) 879964KDOC (out of hours GP Service) 1890 599362 Vista Primary Care Campus, Ballymore Rd., Naas

Some useful contact details:

ANThoNy LAwLor TDEmail: anthony.lawlor@oireachtas.ieConstituency Office: 56 South Main Street, Naas, Co. KildareContact Number: 045 888488Opening Hours: 9am -12am & 3pm – 5pmWebsite: www.anthonylawlor.ieFind me on Facebook

YOuR LOCAL FINE GAEL TEAM:

QUESTIONS:I have recently tabled Dáil Questions to various Ministers covering issues including: water charges allowances for people with certain disabilities; alcohol sponsorship for sporting events; and supports for residents in unfinished housing estates.

SPEECHES: I have spoken on a number of issues such as: the Garda station closures; greater use of Nama properties by Kildare County Council; science as a compulsory subject at Junior Cert level and changes to the electoral boundaries in County Kildare.

INCLUSION OF PROPOSaL TO aSSIST DISaBLED PEOPLE WITH PROPERTy Tax MOST WELCOMEIn February I tabled a Parliamentary Question to Minister Noonan about the possibility of disregarding works which have been undertaken to extend or improve a home to facilitate the physical requirements of disabled persons in the overall valuation of a home for the property tax. I firmly believe that disabled people should not be penalised by paying a higher rate of property tax due to an increase in the value of their home as a result of necessary works because of their

disability. I was delighted to learn that my suggestion to disregard the works has been considered and included in the Finance Bill.

My ROaD TRaFFIC (aMENDMENT) BILL 2012 I recently introduced a Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill to Dáil Éireann. This Bill will make the clocking of cars an offence. It is necessary to introduce this Bill because the practice of tampering car odometers not only deceives the car buyer but can also be a safety issue. I am hoping that this Bill can progress through the Oireachtas in 2013.

To keep track of all my Dáil contributions check out my website page www.anthonylawlor.ie or follow me on Facebook or Twitter.

Dáil Business

CLLR. FINTaN BRETT MCCEmail: fintanpbrett@gmail.comaddress: 5 Johnstown Gardens

Johnstown Naas Contact Numbers: 087 6257842

CLLR. aLaN O’KELLy TCEmail: alanok2009@gmail.com address: 13D Devoy Quarters,

Naas, Co. Kildare Contact Number: 086 3623940

CLLR. EMER MCDaID TCEmail: eimearmcdaid@hotmail.com

address: 11 Maple Walk, Oldtown Demesne, Naas, Co Kildare

Contact Number: 085 7054862

0612

Competition Time! For the opportunity to win a tour to Dáil Éireann followed by a meal in the Dáil Restaurant for two people, email me the answer to the following question.

Q .Who is

the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine?

All correct answers to Anthony.lawlor@oir.ie. Deadline for receipt of entries Friday 19th April 2013.