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info@eastcorkjournal.ie


Thursday, 21st


December 2017 Santa’s Village Experience opens 25th November You will see:


• Indoor Mystical Forest • Mrs Claus


• Christmas Angel • Head Elf at Elf school


• Santa Claus and lots more... On the farm you will:


• Pet the animals • Digger Park


• Farm train rides • It’s so much fun...


Over 160 Callouts For Youghal First Responders In 2017


by JORDAN MCCARTHY


THE Youghal Commu- nity First Responders provide a vital service and that was again evi- dent in 2017. Between New Year’s


Day of this year and the 19 December, the group responded to 164 emer- gency callouts. The calls covered by YCFP are car- diac arrest, chest


pain,


stroke and choking. Over the last twelve months, the 24-strong team has come to the aid of the people of Youghal in their time of need, and they have saved lives, too. Speaking to the East


Cork Journal, Patrick McCarthy from Youghal Community First


Re- 021 4668461 • www.leahysopenfarm.ie • Dungourney, Co. Cork.


sponders said; ‘‘Cardiac arrest, chest pain, stroke and choking are the only things that the lads are al- lowed to cover. Once peo- ple ring 999, the first thing


they’ll be asked is ‘what is the emergency’, once they give


the emergency and


the location, we automati- cally get activated via text message. In the delay of an ambulance, we will be sent. ‘‘Indeed, there


have


been a number of good news stories. This year, we had two successful resusci- tations, where we had two people who were clinically dead for over ten minutes, but they are now spending Christmas alive with their families.’’ That pretty much high-


lights the importance of having an emergency re- sponse group in the town. With that, rently


there are cur- four public access


defibrillators in operation in Youghal – and thanks to the goodwill of the local community, there will soon be seven. ‘‘We had the machines


at the Post Office and at Spar out the Strand all along. We now have two


new machines. One is at Farrell’s Bar, Summerfield. The box was kindly spon- sored by Michael Farrell. The second box (at the Quays Bar) was kindly sponsored by Richenda and Seamus of the Quays Bar. Both machines were purchased from the contri- butions we got from Super Valu and also the Social Dancing, run by Mag Car- ey along with Maura and Teresa Joyce. ‘‘We have another three


machines purchased, which we currently have in our belongings, we are just waiting on the delivery of the boxes. One of those will go in the Holy Family Church. Canon Herlihy has gladly given us permis- sion. That will cover the areas of Woodview Court, Raheen Park and Sars- field’s Terrace. We would have nothing only for the goodwill of the people of Youghal and the local busi- nesses,’’ McCarthy said.


If become


you would a


like member to of


Youghal Community First Responders, or would simply like to learn more about what can visit


they do, you their Facebook


page; Youghal Community First Responders. You can also support the voluntary group by


donating this


Christmas – and in par- ticular at a special fund- raiser at Youghal Rugby Club on December 26. Patrick added; ‘‘Youghal RFC are holding a fund- raising day (with a match at half one and a raffle at half-time in the Munster v Leinster game in the club- house) on St Stephen’s Day, so we’d be looking for support there. The club have kindly donated their machine which will be placed on the wall outside the clubhouse in Frogmore. That will cover the area up around Park Mountain and Sweetfield.’’


21 Family Homes Repossessed Following Almost 450 Complaints


by SEAMUS WHELEHAN


Almost 450 people liv- ing in Social housing have complained of nightmare neighbours since 2015. Data released to Cork


County Council’s South- ern Committee, on Mon- day 18 December shows that, of 444 complaints from residents living in South Cork,


the author-


ity carried out just 21 re- possessions and issued 4 warning letters. 2015 Was the worst


year for complaints with 168 issues logged, which resulted in no warnings given and just 12 proper- ties taken back. Last year of 137 com- plaints made


neighbours from hell, 84 cases were resolved with 42 currently in mediation. Up to November this


year 139 complaints were received with 113 of those


Tel: 021 463 8000 • Email: info@eastcorkjournal.ie • Web: www.eastcorkjournal.ie


in arbitration and court proceeding being issued against 2. The


released by the authority’s director


information was of


housing fol-


lowing a query by Cllr Des O’Grady on the resources available


to the Council


for dealing with difficult tenants. There are 3,200 prop-


erties owned by Cork County Council in its Southern division which covers Cobh, Youghal, Midleton, Glanmire, Blar- ney, Ballincollig, Bandon, Kinsale, Carrigaline and Macroom. Cork county Council


had employed two people in its estate management section to deal


with al- against


leged antisocial behaviour. One staff member retired at the end of October and has since been replaced. The second staff mem-


ber retired on the 7 De- cember and the recruit-


ment process is currently ongoing. Cllr Des O’Grady told


the executive it was clear the Council’s mechanism for dealing with problem tenants was not working, with the ongoing number of complaints


this year


running at an increase of 169%. He said “it just shows


the number of complaints that are coming in and the people that are try- ing to grapple with these and solve them, they were barely keeping their heads above water even if they were doing that at all.” Midleton based Cllr


Danielle Twomey who seconded Cllr O’Grady’s motion said the


report


highlighted the Council’s “inefficiency” in its abili- ty to plan for retirements, as the department is now down one staff. Deputy CEO Declan Daly responded by stating


eastcorkjournal


while “staff is a matter for the executive one has al- ready been replaced and the other is gone less than two weeks. The recruit- ment process is underway at present.” Southern


Committee


Chairman, Labour Coun- cillor Cathal Rasmussen to him “the report shows the system is working. In a sense that the officers are going out and talking to the complainants. It’s still a very slow process. We all agree they are all under staffed and underfunded, but when the second per- son comes on stream it should be easier.” While the Director of housing Maurice Man- ning said “the reality is 99% of our tenants don’t come


to the of estate attention management.


There are a very small number of cases in rela- tion to the overall stock of housing.”


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