I recently met with Phizzfest and the Phibsborough Business Association and agreed to help them with preparations for Phizzfest 2012. Following on from that meeting local members of Fianna Fail and I undertook the first job which was to remove the poster ties from the lamp posts in the area. I have also got a commitment from Dublin City Council to power wash the footpaths in the weeks leading up to Phizzfest, arrange for the removal of any surplus street furniture and consider any suggestion from the Business Association for improvements to parking and traffic issues. Separately I have asked Irish Rail to paint the ornate lamp stands on Cross Guns Bridge. So lets start hoping for an improvement in the weather ! 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


