At the January Meeting of Dublin City Council the City Manager gave a report on the proposed Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) for the Dublin Docklands.
I welcomed the work done to date and the Minister’s approval for the development of a strategic development zone in the docklands.
Recent socio economic mapping of the area shows significant levels of economic disparity. As City Councillors we need to work towards social and economic regeneration in a balanced and inclusive way. We must ensure that the SDZ is not just another planning document gathering dust on a shelf. I have repeatedly raised the issue of social housing and community facilities at the Central Area Committee and as Chair of the Dublin Central Joint Policing Committee I have tasked Dublin City Council to address these issues.
I see the SDZ as a real opportunity to properly address these issues and I will work to make the SDZ deliver some real progress. Mary

New National Drugs Strategy
Minister for Drugs Jennifer Murnane O’Connor recently updated me in Seanad Eireann on the new national drugs strategy. Her new strategy is designed to respond to the significant changes in drug-use patterns in Ireland and to ensure equitable access to services across the country. The draft strategy proposes five strategic


