< PreviousWORKING FOR YOU - AG OBAIR DUITSE Stay safe & help prevent the spread of the coronavirusLouth & East Meath T.D. Imelda MUNSTER Contact Details: Tel: 041 987 3823 Email: imelda.munster@oireachtas.ie© Octo ber 2020 The Meath Coaster 12 Council Update by Cllr Tom Behan Beach parking O ver the past number of months there has been much debate over the beach access, specifically that of beach parking, currently our beaches are closed to vehicular access. At our last meeting of the Environment committee I managed to ensure that there were parking spaces provided directly on the beach for elderly and people with dis- abilities to access the beach. When the en- vironment committee met last week i put forward a proposal to increase the provi- sion of parking on the beach to address the ongoing issues with parking along the coast road. My intention was to allow a greater number of cars to park in a cordoned area which would re- duce the impact of along the coast road and would leave the beach safe as cars would only be able to access the sectioned off area, un- fortunately this proposal was not adopted and the committee agreed to review the matter in march of next year. In the mean time the council have been working hard to try and secure additional parking spaces for beach users and are at advanced talks to secure an area adjacent to Funtasia which would provide addi- tional parking spaces for beach users. The council have also committed to additional signage for the parking facilities provided. © October 2020 The Meath Coaster 13 Beach wardens have now completed the works for the summer season, it is hoped that the life guard station will be moved closer to the seaview terrace. The environ- ment department were also asked to look at the possibility of providing Lifeguard stations at both Laytown and Mornington beaches. Vandalism in Laytown One of our park benches in Laytown was set alight last week, it is clear that this was an intentional fire as the benches were constructed from recycled material so to get it to burn an accelerator such as petrol would have been needed. The Fire depart- ment we called out to extinguish the fire but the bench was ruined. The remains were cleared away and I have spoken with the area engineer and I have allocated funding from our members discretionary fund to ensure the bench is replaced as soon as possible. The council have indi- cated that they will look into reinstating CCTV in the area unfortunately this will not be done until October. Local property tax Each year the council meet to discuss and review the Local property tax. The coun- cillors then vote to either amend the tax by increasing or decreasing it up to 15%. This year there will be no change to the local property tax and will be reviewed again in 2021 Climate change adaptation allocation Meath County Council were approved for 5 projects for climate change adaptation works. The R151 Mornington road was included in this scheme and was allocated €142,000 to alter the level of the road to mitigate flooding and reduce road closure frequency, there are three specific sections of the road that currently can become im- passable due to high tides. Meath county council will now begin the design stage of the project and will hope to have that complete by November. E-Cigarettes and Vaping I have been working hard trying to get the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to introduce a vaping ban similar to that of the smoking ban that would see a ban on the use of E-cigarettes and Vaping in pub- lic areas such as the workplace, education facilities, cafes bars and restaurant. With the current Pandemic I believe it is foolish that legislation is not introduced that we see this ban implemented. Vaping is known to cause irritation and inflamma- tion of the respiratory system which may enhance the severity of Covid-19 illness. The potential role of it in onwards trans- mission is not currently well understood but as Covid-19 is a droplet spread infec- tion, anything which accelerates the dis- tance droplets can travel should be guard- ed against, and from a precautionary point of view, it would seem wise that vaping in places where other people are likely to be present is, at best, unwise. §© Octo ber 2020 The Meath Coaster 14 Bettystown Tidy Towns (BTT) B TT volunteers have kept busy over the summer. Some of our recent ac- tivities have included, painting the public toilet doors, clearing pavements, strim- ming grass, clipping hedges, putting up “clean up after your dog” signs and snip- ping off cable ties. Unfortunately, litterpicks are still a big and regular part of our work and COV- ID-19 has added “mask litter” to the problem. We en- courage everyone to always put used dis- posable face cover- ings directly into waste bins. Our pollinator gardens in the village have been a great success. A big thank you again to Roger & Liz Pickett of The Cottages for helping us lay out the gardens and for the fantastic selection of flowers and plants that they planted. It has resulted in fabulous colourful displays and attracted all sorts of insects and birds into our gardens. In August, we installed a birdbath in the Green Gate Garden for our feathered visitors. Tύs community workplace initiative The Tύs community work placement initi- ative provides short term quality working opportunities while carrying out services that benefit the local community. If you are receiving Full Time Jobseekers, con- sidering Tύs as a pathway to employment and would like to work with Bettystown Tidy Towns group call Kenny on 085 8342354 for more information. Donation from Laytown Races Committee The Laytown Races Committee very gen- erously donated €500 each to Bettystown and Laytown Tidy Towns groups. Unfor- tunately, due to COVID-19, Laytown Rac- es had to be cancelled this year, however, the Committee were keen to acknowledge © October 2020 The Meath Coaster 15 OCTOBER OFFER Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays Full head of Highlights €80 All blowdrys €20 The Anchorage Bettystown 041 9887166 Opening times Mon - Thurs 9 - 5.30 Fri 8-5.30 Sat 8-5 Stockists of Anagenic Hair Designs the wonderful collaboration and commu- nity spirit they receive every September from residents and businesses from both villages. BTT were delighted to receive the donation which will support our work in the community. Join us BTT wants to enhance the village and community, for residents and visitors. If you would like to be part of this join us, any Saturday morning between 9 and 11am, even for half an hour. Or, if you have a skill or talent that you can bring to our projects, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us through our Facebook page or follow us on Facebook or Instagram @bettystown_ tidytowns to keep up to date on what we are doing. §© Octo ber 2020 The Meath Coaster 16 The Stamullen Roundup By Grace Tierney M onsignor Edward Dunne, passed away peacefully at Knightsbridge Nursing Home, Trim on the 14 th of Sep- tember. Born in Skryne, Co. Meath, he was ordained in 1963 and served in many parishes around the county including Stamullen in 1969. He was army chap- lain at Gormanstown Camp from 1970 to 1980 and later served as head chaplain until his retirement in 1991. He was the only chaplain to have been awarded the Distinguished Service medal, for display- ing courage under fire to help a wound- ed comrade during a night attack on UN forces in Lebanon in 1979. Please note, the East Meath Active Re- tirement Association (EMARA) who usu- ally meet in St. Mary’s Church of Ireland Parish Rooms are unlikely to meet before Christmas at the earliest. Congratulations to the St. Patrick’s Na- tional School students who recently made their Holy Communions in the parish at three services on one day. Delayed, but still a special day for all. Good luck to all the students and staff in our local schools who are doing their level best to learn, and teach, while staying safe and following all the guidelines. Some activities outside school for the younger members of our community have resumed in the last few weeks. The baton twirlers are back in St. Pat’s, with new ap- proaches and limits on certain routines. The Scout section of Stamullen 20 th Meath will hold their first outdoor session in six months later this month, with careful ad- herence to the guidelines. You never know what inventiveness you’ll spot on a stroll around our village. Last week I discov- ered a tiny DIY playground, and a new high-rise complex - for fairy occupants only. Due to current restric- tions, the East Meath Hospice Association (EMHA) have reluctantly cancelled their in-person 2020 coffee mornings, with thanks to their hosts Whyte’s, Lime Kiln, and Reddan’s and all their supporters. If you’d like to run a virtual coffee morning as a fundraiser, please contact them and they can supply Bewley’s coffee for the event. They remain committed to provid- ing services for people who are having treatment for cancer through their driv- ing service and comfort fund. You can contact them on 087-2100036 or at east- meathhospice@gmail.com. While many will source gifts this year on- line, one way to support local shops, mak- ers, growers, and creatives is to buy local. Next time I hope to list a few locals we can support in East Meath. If you’d like to be included please drop me an email. Thanks! ** Please note that changes to public health Covid 19 restrictions may affect events. Check with organisers if you have concerns. Got Stamullen news? Send it to Grace (087- 9074145) or grace@meathcoaster.com © October 2020 The Meath Coaster 17 CALL 01 8417618 089 2364236 NEW LOCAL TAXI AND MINIBUS SERVICE FOR THE STAMULLEN, GORMANSTON, JULIANSTOWN AREA WHEELCHAIR TAXI AVAILABLE TRAIN AND BUS STATIONS DUBLIN AIRPORT (24 HRS) HOSPITALS & ALL APPOINTMENTS www.stamullencabs.ie All Drivers and Vehicles are Covid-19 Compliant NEW • NEW • NEW • NEW • NEW • NEW • NEW • NEW Email: contact@droghedafunerals.ie www.droghedafunerals.ie© Octo ber 2020 The Meath Coaster 18 Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh Laytown Safety and Control Measures T he Board of Management, School leadership and Staff are very conscious of the para- mount need to keep all Pupils, Staff and Visitors safe while in the school. The school is a controlled environment. There are control measures in place to combat the introduction or spread of COVID-19. These are based on: • Physical Distancing • Hand Hygiene • Respiratory and Hygiene Etiquette • Mask Wearing, where necessary. Notice from the National Parents Council Dr. Colman Noctor, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, in a series of four ses- sions, which will be held each Wednesday in October, will provide support for par- ents looking at the following: • Let’s talk about connecting with your child - 7 th October • Let’s talk about helping anxious chil- dren - 14 th October • Let’s talk about your child’s online life - 21 st October • Let’s talk about building your child’s social savvy - 28 th October Each of the four sessions will last for 40 minutes beginning at 8pm and they will be interactive giving parents an opportunity to ask questions. All sessions will be online and FREE of charge. You can register to attend one or all of these sessions by clicking this link www.surve ymonkey.com/r/Lets_talk_a_ series_of_conversations_with_Dr_Col- man_Noctor or by calling 01-8874034. Booking in advance is essential, as places are limited and will be issued on a first come first served basis. The Staff of SSN have very successfully supported the transition of our Pupils to school. The pupils have adapted very well to the new protocols and procedures in place to ensure the minimising of the risk of the transmission. A huge emphasis is on developing the SPHE program to its full- est capacity this term. The emphasis is on the wellbeing and the health and safety of our pupil community. We finished off the last Friday in the month of September with our friendly Friday treat celebrating zero tolerance of bullying in our school. We have a fantastic Staff to support the teaching and learning this year. A huge warm welcome to Mark Whelehan and Aisling Brassil who have joined our Staff in a permanent capacity. A warm welcome The one-way system which is one of the measures we have undertaken to ensure the health and safety of our school community is paramount.© October 2020 The Meath Coaster 19 Our new outdoor classroom to facilitate lots of social and life skills for the pupils in the Autism classes. For the Out of Hours On Call service please call Westgate Vet Hospital, Scarlet Street, Drogheda. 041 9838718 / 041 9837658 Laytown Veterinary Clinic Laytown Veterinary Clinic is a branch practice of Westgate Veterinary Hospital in Drogheda. Laytown Clinic was established in 2004. We have recently refurbished the clinic and now have more extensive facilities including : soft tissue surgery, dental procedures, xrays and in house laboratory. For Appointments, Phone 041 2136168 Clinic Hours Monday – Friday 9am – 10.30am. 2pm – 3.00pm. 4.30pm – 5.30pm to Louise our on-site cleaner who has proven to be a great support to the imple- mentation of the new protocols. We are developing Digital Technologies to include the introduction of G-Suite in our school. We have purchased another suite of Chrome books and are engaging in further Professional Development with the PDST. We are taking one day at a time, promot- ing outdoor education with lots of field trips to the beach. This year we have in- troduced a series of whole school Mindful activities on a daily basis. Maeve Mc Fad- den our SET teacher in 3 rd class provides us with a Mindful thought for each morn- ing and checks in again in the afternoon to promote positive thoughts and gratitude. Our 4 3 rd classes have transitioned in very well to our school. There was great excite- ment as they were celebrating their First Communion in the local Sacred Heart Church. Congratulations to all our 3 rd pu- pils on this wonderful milestone. §Next >