News
Kerry to get over €4m to welcome internationally displaced people
County Kerry is set to get the second largest portion of funding under a new scheme aimed at welcoming people from Ukraine and other countries.
Announced this week by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys and Minister of State Joe O’Brien, sports clubs, community organisations, transport infrastructure and local groups are set to benefit from the funding.
A total of €50 million has been allocated under the Community Recognition Fund with every local authority in the country set to receive funds from the scheme.
The money will be divided based on the number of new arrivals located in each local authority area with Kerry County Council to get €4,403,073 under the scheme - the highest figure allocated to any individual county council.
The second highest local authority on the funding list is Donegal County Council which is set to get €3,114,395.
“The people of Kerry have opened their hearts and homes to those forced to flee the war in Ukraine," TD Norma Foley said.
"This funding initiative is designed to specifically support those communities who have welcomed and are hosting families and citizens from Ukraine and other countries.
“This funding stream is specifically designed to recognise the vital role our communities are playing in response to this illegal and unjust war, and will support, enhance and improve facilities that are open to the wider community."
When the allocations earmarked for all four Dublin councils (Dublin City Council - €2,392,127; Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council - €707,864, South Dublin County Council - €2,754,305m and Fingal County Council - €1,813,912) are added together, it totals €7,668,208.
Refugee influx paused
Meanwhile the Government has paused new arrivals of people seeking International Protection (IP) into Ireland due a severe shortage of accommodation.
Latest figures by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth say that more than 1,500 people have arrived in Ireland in the first two weeks of the year.
To date, Ireland has accommodated more than 74,000 people who have fled here, between International Protection (IP) applicants and those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The Government was providing temporary accommodation at a Transit Hub at Citywest, Dublin.
“Due to the nationwide shortage of available accommodation for IP applicants, particularly single males, the Transit Hub has been providing emergency shelter while applicants wait to be assigned to accommodation. It is no longer possible to provide emergency shelter to IP adults as the Transit Hub has now reached capacity,” a department statement said.
This decision will not affect those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
News
Eight month wait for a driving test in Killarney
A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney The current wait list for a test in Killarney sits at […]
A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney
The current wait list for a test in Killarney sits at eight months.
Cllr John O’Donoghue raised the issue at Monday’s full meeting of Kerry County Council.
He proposed that driving instructors should be employed to carry out the final test to reduce the current backlog.
At Monday’s meeting he asked that hat Kerry County Council would write to the Minister for Transport to ask him to consider giving driving instructors temporary powers to issue a temporary Driving Licence/Certificate of Competence to those on the waiting list for tests.
“The wait is currently far too long and the system is in danger of becoming completely overwhelmed,” he said.
“The huge waiting list for young drivers is well documented at this stage. In a case I am familiar with, a young person passed their theory test in January 2022 and he immediately applied for his mandatory 12 driving lessons. When these were completed, he applied for his driving test on the 2nd of December 2022. Some weeks ago, he still had not received an application to apply for his driving test. This wait is placing him and his family under considerable extra cost and stress which is completely unacceptable.”
In the course of his research into the matter Cllr O’Donoghue discovered that the next available date for a driving test in Killarney is May 25, 2024, while Tralee is June 3 2024.
“Bear in mind, these are only the dates on which you receive an invitation to book your test, the test itself will then be an estimated three to five weeks later.
“This is an appalling situation and one which needs to be rectified as a matter of urgency. I am proposing that driving instructors, which presumably are fully trained up on the rules of the road, be granted temporary powers to be allowed to issue temporary driving licences to young people. When the waiting list time has been reduced, I would still propose that these people sit the test as usual, but the current pressure needs to be alleviated as soon as possible. There is precedent as I believe that in the 1970s, a cohort in this country were issued driving licences without having sat a test as the wait time for the test was too long.”
News
Ballymac charity vintage run on October 1
The Ballymac Vintage Club is hosting a classic car, tractor and Honda 50 run on October 1. The run will leave from and return to the Halfway Bar, Ballymac. Registration […]
The Ballymac Vintage Club is hosting a classic car, tractor and Honda 50 run on October 1.
The run will leave from and return to the Halfway Bar, Ballymac.
Registration begins at 9:30am and sets off at 11am.
“There will be two separate routes with one for tractors and the other for cars and motorbikes. Proceeds on the day are in aid of Castleisland Day Care Centre and we’ll have plenty of spot prizes to giveaway too in the morning,” said the club’s PRO Kieran Glover.
Eight month wait for a driving test in Killarney
A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney The...
Ballymac charity vintage run on October 1
The Ballymac Vintage Club is hosting a classic car, tractor and Honda 50 run on October 1. The run will...
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