Latest news with #SDCC
Irish Independent
11 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
South Dublin council urged to stop use of controversial weedkiller glyphosate
A motion which seeks to ban the use of the controversial weedkiller by the council was passed yesterday at a special meeting of the authority. Glyphosate is used by the council and its contractors to control invasive plant species, along with weed control along footpaths and roads around the authority area. Introducing the motion, People Before Profit councillor Darragh Adelaide said: 'Over the last couple of years, there's been increasing evidence, study after study about the really detrimental effects on people's health of glyphosate. Not just related to cancer, but also neurotoxicity and damage to reproductive health.' "In testing actually done or funded by Uplift, every single person who they tested, all except one, had some concentration of glyphosate in their system,' he said. "Workers who are working full-time with glyphosate, they wear PPE, they have all sorts of protections, whereas regular people, we pick it up from food, we pick it up from being sprayed on the side of roads, and there's very little protection there.' Independent councillor Alan Edge said that it was 'quite clear' that glyphosate caused health issues. "What's clear as well is that glyphosate is being used by contractors who are doing verges along roadsides and footpaths. "One obvious fact is that you have gutters and gullies and they tell us that if you throw a cigarette butt or piece of chewing gum into one of those, you're effectively throwing it into the river or into the sea. 'We know that it has a negative impact on aquatic life, on amphibians, and when we are doing so much and leading as a local authority in terms of our biodiversity, I think we really do have to say that the time has come to put a stop to the use of glyphosate,' he said. Responding to the motion, SDCC senior engineer Leo Magee said that his understanding of glyphosate was that its human health impacts were 'not conclusive', but that the council was already reducing its usage. "Over the last three years we've achieved a 13pc reduction in the use of glyphosate,' he said. "What we're focusing on now, and it's set down in the road sweeping contract, is a condition within the terms of that contract that requires the service provider to achieve a 10pc reduction each year. "The road sweeping contract uses about 90pc of the use of glyphosate by the council and if we can reduce that by 50pc over the five years of the contract that will be a very substantial achievement'. Mr Magee said glyphosate was currently the only effective way of controlling Japanese knotweed, and that the council had trialled several other methods but those had been unsuccessful. SDCC elected members in 2017 passed a motion to ban the weedkiller within public parks, public gardens and public playgrounds.
Irish Independent
11 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
‘Lit up like a Christmas tree' – Calls for vape shop restrictions in south Dublin
The motion, brought by Sinn Féin councillor William Casey, said that the 'proliferation of vape shops" in the centre of villages and near schools was an 'undesirable development' that should be tackled with a ban. During the Clondalkin, Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Brittas Area Committee meeting, Mr Casey said the growing number of vape shops were targeted at school-going children. "It's our children that they're aiming at. They're no longer aiming them at the adults who have taken to vaping because they couldn't get off cigarettes, they're being aimed directly as a first-choice product for children,' he said. Other councillors agreed, with Independent Francis Timmins saying that he wasn't only worried about the number of vape shops, but also their lengthy opening hours. "At 11 or 12 at night, a vape shop open in the middle of Clondalkin is a bit bizarre to me. I don't get it, I don't understand it,' he said. "I'm concerned about the opening times, I'm concerned about the litter of the vapes around the shops, we've had an issue with that, we've had an issue with signage, particularly the signage around the ACA (architectural conservation area). 'One of the vape shops is lit up like a Christmas tree, and it's lit up from early morning to late at night, and it's just diabolical to be quite honest with you for a heritage village,' he added. Mr Timmins said he thought there were four or five such shops in Clondalkin village, with several selling vapes and sweets alongside one another, a tactic that 'really worries' him. Independent Ireland councillor Linda de Courcy said 'nothing good is going to come' from the number of vape shops now open in Clondalkin, and said she had seen children buying sweets in them. A response from SDCC given to Mr Casey said that no policy on vape shops existed in the County Development Plan 2022-2028. ADVERTISEMENT Even if it were in the plan, the council said it would have a 'very limited effect' on the ground because shops benefit from significant exemptions under the Planning and Development Act 2001. "This means a wide range of commercial and retail premises in our villages and communities could be changed to vape shops without planning permission. This makes the planning system unsuited to the management of vape shops.'
Geek Tyrant
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Hasbro Unveils Anakin vs. Obi-Wan Black Series Duel Set SDCC 2025 Exclusive — GeekTyrant
Hasbro just dropped their San Diego Comic-Con 2025 exclusive, and Star Wars collectors might just lose their minds over this one. Revealed during their recent Star Wars livestream, the highlight is a gorgeous Black Series 2-pack featuring Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in full Revenge of the Sith mode as they face off in the most emotional lightsaber duel in the prequel trilogy. Officially titled Star Wars: The Black Series Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi, the 6-inch action figure set is priced at $109.99 and will be sold exclusively at the Hasbro booth (#3213) during SDCC. A limited number will also be available on after the convention wraps up—for those of us who can't make the trip but still need this duel on our shelves. This isn't just another figure reissue. The set includes: Detailed sculpts of both Jedi, straight from their fateful clash on Mustafar Signature Lightsabers with swinging and clash FX attachments A two-piece lava-themed display base that snaps together to recreate the iconic scene Interchangeable Force hands to reenact their most intense moves It's a premium set that celebrates one of the most tragic, powerful confrontations in Star Wars history, Anakin's fall, Obi-Wan's heartbreak, and the fiery setting that mirrored the collapse of the Jedi Order. For longtime collectors and prequel-era fans, this one's a must. Hasbro has definitely raised the bar with this SDCC exclusive—and if you want one, be ready to act fast. These won't sit around long.
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
South Dublin County Council spent €150k on rebrand project
In a response to Councillor Ronan McMahon, SDCC said that €151,475 excluding VAT was spent on a contract with Image Now Consultants, following a tender process. The authority said it was important to place the figure in the context of a review into its brand identity and reputation which it held last year. In the review, during which more than 1,000 people were consulted, the council found that SDCC residents 'do not know what local authority area they live in and they find the name confusing'. It also found that the old branding had become 'fractured and diluted', to the point where it was 'problematic' in an increasingly digital world. The colours of orange and grey were also found to hold 'no connection with either the county or the organisation'. To solve this, SDCC engaged the services of Dublin-based design consultancy Image Now to develop a new identity and brand for the local authority. The refreshed look was launched on May 20 and includes an updated online presence, new colour palette and a custom-designed accessible typeface called SDCC Sans. 'SDCC now has a robust brand strategy, system and architecture that reflects the identity of the organisation and county that is grounded in that research and reflects the needs and ambitions of the people who live and work here,' the response to Cllr McMahon reads. "The brand architecture means every project will be aligned with the master brand, thereby removing the disparate individual project brands that have grown over time. "This will mean a reduced spend on graphic design and website creation, and serves the public by being clearer and more accountable because everyone will know it is a project delivered or supported by SDCC,' it added. ADVERTISEMENT SDCC said it has an annual budget of €390m and a capital investment programme of €1.7bn, and this spend represents a 'tiny fraction' of that. It added that the refreshed brand was 'essential' to ensuring the public is aware of everything they do. Colm Ward, SDCC chief executive, said at the launch of the new branding that it had been 'a long time coming'. "South Dublin is evolving — and now is the right time to invest in how we reflect that to the public. This isn't about surface change. It's about delivering better service, better connection, and building greater trust'. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
Irish Independent
13-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Ambitious €20m Lucan House park project revealed
The works would transform the old house and surrounding forested lands into a flagship park project for SDCC, who acquired the 30-acre site last year from the Italian government for around €10m. A full master plan for the site will be made available in the coming weeks, but councillors got a presentation of the key details at its monthly council meeting on Monday. SDCC intends to open the entire site as a public amenity, focusing on conservation and enhancement of the existing historic structures rather than building anew. Following extensive community involvement through workshops and online submissions, existing structures such as the manor house and stables, will be upgraded. Once works are complete, the main Lucan House will be opened for events and exhibitions on the ground floor, while the first floor will have co-working spaces, a lounge area and various community and heritage uses. A boathouse and storage area will be constructed in the basement of the building, which sits alongside the river Liffey. A natural amphitheatre area will be created near the main house, overlooking the river, along with a new 200-person capacity pavilion on the rear west lawn, for events too large for the main house. Stables on site will also be renovated, with retail and a café proposed on the ground floor with space for 60 people. Their first floor will contain a children's library, exhibition space and several community rooms, with room outside for market stalls or other events. Two gate lodges, to be refurbished as part of the works, will contain public toilets and a security office. ADVERTISEMENT The entire project will also link in with the nearby St Catherine's Park with a new set of trails, and is set to include a 95-space car park on the eastern end of the site with a new car access proposed. It will also have several picnic areas, with riverside walking trails and forest play zones dotted throughout. The master plan is set to be finalised in the coming weeks, with a public consultation by the start of 2026. Priority works will begin in the second quarter of 2026, subject to part 8 approval, while main construction works will take place in 2027 and 2028.
