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DCRA ANNUAL REPORTS

Annual Report 03-04

Objectives
· To inform, consult with and represent the residents of Dunboyne on issues affecting their quality of life and environment.
· To take on board matters raised by affiliated associations.
· To give collective support to affiliated associations.
· To monitor and respond to all development plans proposed for Dunboyne to ensure that they are in compliance with county, regional, national and European planning laws and directives.
· To work with Resident Associations in neighbouring counties within the Eastern Region.
· To liaise with the European Union, Government Departments, national organisations and regional bodies.
· To work with, negotiate with and remain in regular contact with Meath County Council.
· To publish regular newsletters, maintain a DCRA website and contacts with the media.
· To protect and promote our local cultural and social heritage.
· To protect, maintain and develop our landscape and environment.
Principles
1. DCRA exists to address and voice the interests and concerns of residents in line with the principle of Subsidiarity of the European Union (Maastricht Treaty) which states that decisions should be taken by the people most affected by them.
2. DCRA exists to preserve and develop the environment of residents in compliance with the principle of Sustainable Development as enshrined in Agenda 21 of the United Nations which requires that all development must serve not only economic objectives but also social and environmental objectives.
Membership
At present there are 20 Residents Associations in membership, representing 1,600 plus households and approximately 85% of the population of Dunboyne:-
Beechdale, Castleview, Chestnut Grove, Congress Hall, Courthill Drive, Garnett Hall, Hamilton Hall, Larchfield, Luttrell Hall, Millfarm, Old Fair Green, Plunket Hall, Rooske Road, Sadlier Hall, St Patrick's Park, St Peters Park, Summerhill Road, The Mayne Clonee, Tidy Towns Committee, Warrenstown, Woodview.
Working in Partnership
· DCRA focused its agenda on the interests and concerns of Residents Associations and generally on those of the residents of Dunboyne.
· DCRA has enjoyed a good working relationship with Meath County Council.
· DCRA also has a working relationship with organisations at national level, with Government Departments especially the Department of EHLG, with T.Ds, and with various regional bodies. DCRA is in membership of the KildareMeathWicklow Planning Alliance.
· DCRA maintains contact with EU Commissioner for Environmental Affairs.
Planning
· DCRA has submitted comments and observations on all major planning applications in Dunboyne, several in-fill planning applications and the waste & recycling planning application.
· DCRA has submitted papers on The National Spatial Strategy, made three submissions on Flooding in Dunboyne, a submission on the Draft Regional Planning Guidelines and the Draft Area Action Plan for East of the Railway.
Communications
· DCRA has made frequent and constructive use of both Press and Radio.
· DCRA distributed "DCRANEWS" at regular intervals.
· DCRA runs its Website: www.dunboyne.net
· DCRA cultivates a wide network of connections through correspondence.
The Future
The hope is that members will continue to be motivated and actively engaged, each making their own contribution to their own Residents Association and to DCRA. Our community needs you.

Jim McGrath, Chairman

25.02.04

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Annual Report 2001

Since March 2000 this has been an extraordinary year in the life of DCRA and indeed for the members of DCRA. The agenda was an agenda of substance. It was a crucial year for Dunboyne and its residents. The residents of Dunboyne engaged with and reacted to the agenda with commitment and loyalty to each other on issues related to their village and their living environment.

DCRA, as representative of more than 80% of that community, performed with respect to the expressed concerns of residents with persistent dedication. DCRA both consulted residents and gave them the opportunities to express their views. DCRA was democratic. It is my experience throughout the year, often under testing circumstances and dealing with challenging issues, that DCRA members gave seamless support and encouragement to each other and to all those in our community who worked with us.

DCRA enjoys a diverse and highly skilled membership motivated to work with generosity thereby ensuring efficient and effective teamwork. It is an underlying principle that if we do not tell the world what we do there may be little point in doing it. Therefore during the year we had to let our members, residents and the world out there know what we were doing and blow open the secretiveness of local politics and beaurocracy and expose it for what it is. We therefore thank the media and the many reporters and journalists with whom we worked throughout the year at local and national levels. In particular we thank the Meath Chronicle.

There were many initiatives during the year, most of them focused on the County and Dunboyne Development Plan. Since our last AGM, DCRA made two significant planning related submissions to Meath County Council in June 2000 and December 2000. During the year there was continuous correspondence with the County Council and many visits to County Hall to meet with staff and to check documentation.

A significant initiative in public consultation took place in September 2000 when DCRA took the risk of calling a public meeting of residents seeking endorsement for the preservation of the Green Belt. This event gave almost 100% backing to the issue and enhanced the community's endorsement for DCRA as its representative organisation.

DCRA thank those who wrote, edited and helped with the printing and distribution of DCRANEWS. DCRANEWS has proved to be an invaluable instrument in keeping residents informed and we can be sure it played no small part in winning their loyalty to issues and to DCRA's leadership within the community. It also served effectively to let our community know of the undemocratic, disgraceful and unforgivable behaviour of local County Councillors. They have not represented our residents. We hope they will never be elected again to do so.

Tre Neart Le Ceile is the motto on the Meath coat of arms. We believe in this principle whether applied in DCRA, in Dunboyne, across the county or in the Greater Dublin Area. Therefore DCRA was the lead group in establishing the Meath Planning Alliance in November 2000 and in the establishing of the KildareMeathWicklow Planning Alliance in January 2001. Together we are stronger as will become evident as these organisations engage in environmental, planning and development issues.

DCRA regrets that a few local sports organisations, under pressure from some County Councillors and without consultation with their members, did not support the majority of residents in our community in respect of the Dunboyne Development Plan. DCRA supported and sympathised with residents so traumatically affected by floods last November. DCRA will put at the centre of its agenda next year the issue of flooding and work to ensure that it will never happen again.

Jim McGrath, Chairman 01.05.01

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Annual Report 2000

Meetings

DCRA held seven Committee meetings since our last AGM on 21st April '99. These meetings were well attended and the level of input and contribution to debate and discussion was very high.

The officers of the Committee held many additional meetings with County Councillors, with Staff at County Hall, Navan, with the MCC Area Manager and twice with the Area Engineer.

The Planning Sub-committee held a total of eight meetings. Several of these meetings worked on preparing a Planning Development Document for submission to MCC and further meetings to monitor and update on planning issues.

Membership

During the year three new RAs joined DCRA: Warrenstown, Rooske Road and Summerhill Road. Membership now is 16 RAs plus Tidy Towns. DCRA now represents 1342 households. Next year we hope to encourage Luttrell Hall and Hamilton Hall to develop RAs and to join DCRA.

Communication

Communication is the life blood of an organisation like DCRA. We set up a small group to help with this. We have produced two DCRANEWS newsletters. The newsletter is an excellent instrument to keep all members informed. AIB subsidised our last issue at a cost of £133 for which we thank them.

On a couple of occasions we have used the Parish News to publicise DCRA news. We thank them for this. We must learn, however, to use much more effectively local radio LMFM and local newspapers.

Work

The main focus of attention for the Committee throughout the year was planning. A huge amount of energy, time, commitment and meetings was given to researching, preparation and authoring of material. I can only say that I appreciate and admire the dedication and commitment of all members of this Committee for their interest, contribution and encouragement throughout a lengthy process. I can assure you that the document "Towards a Dunboyne Development Plan 2000" was much appreciated by the Professional Planners at County Hall. For politicians it was a statement of significance that they cannot ignore. There was a second document, on tree conservation in Dunboyne, that was exclusively authored by Douglas Denehy which was acknowledged with respect by both politicians and MCC Officers.

During the year we saw DCRA's past efforts bear fruit:

• The Navan Road surfacing and footpaths reconstruction
• The footpath from Larchfield towards Hamilton Hall
• The pedestrian crossing outside the schools
• The construction of the wall outside Castleview
• The surfacing of Station Road to Loughsallagh

Work soon to begin namely, the reconstruction of the Village Centre and the provision of a footpath at Station Road Bridge and the replacement of railings either side of the Bridge.

Throughout the year DCRA was given the opportunity to support several affiliated Associations in matters specific to them. Because of its combined membership DCRA can often get attention when the individual Association's interests are being ignored.

Appreciation

There is no member who has not contributed in one way or another to the work of the Committee during the year. Each of us wants to say thanks to every other. I am pleased to do that for you. I believe it was a good year for DCRA. I believe that DCRA continued during the past year to operate as a strong, articulate and credible organisation that speaks with respect for its membership - which is the majority of the Dunboyne Community.

Jim McGrath, Chairman

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