REVIEW OF THE YEAR: APRIL

Rise in local eviction notices

Forty-five Cavan renters were served with termination notices in the last three months of 2022, figures from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) revealed, an increase of 33 on the previous quarter.

The news came as the ban on ‘no fault’ evictions ended earlier in the month and there were less than 20 properties available to rent in County Cavan in the private rental property market with rents ranging from €850 to €2,500 per month.

The Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (IPAV) was calling for measures including tax breaks and changes to rent pressure zones (RPZs) to encourage landlords not to exit the rental market.

Scared for children’s futures

“Little has changed” to better the situation faced by hundreds of children with disabilities and their families across Cavan.

Members of the Cavan Monaghan Parents Committee made the claim a year after they first appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability Matters to campaign for better supports.

The comment came as figures showed one in two jobs on a team to support children with complex needs remained vacant.

According to the parents’ committee, at the time, there were just 1.5 physios to cater for 670 children in County Cavan, leaving parents with no option but to become “part-time therapists”.

“I am tired. I’m not angry. I’m frustrated. And I feel unsupported. I’m very scared for their future,” said Linda Whitmarsh, co-chair of committee.

Linda is mum to three boys, two of whom have additional needs.

At the time, parents said that two in three children had been waiting longer than two years to access services.

Demand for park and ride facility on the N3

Concerned locals were calling for property park and ride facilities to be made available for commuters at Whitegate bus stop before “somebody is killed”.

Local resident Pat Hayes was among those growing increasingly worried about the potential for a serious accident.

He drops his daughter to the pick-up point every month for her school bus and has observed cars parked inappropriately, road signs blocked and visibility restricted for traffic turning onto the N3 from the Mullagh road.

“There’s going to be an accident with a fatality there some day if it’s not fixed. It’s a danger there at the moment unfortunately,” he lamented.

Plan for Melbourne

Cavan Town’s iconic Melbourne Bakery is set to be redeveloped for healthcare use, The Anglo-Celt revealed.

Dublin registered Labelbrook Ltd applied for planning permission to develop numbers 95 and 96 Main Street, seeking a change of use and alterations.

It was understood that talks had already taken place with the HSE over use of the property.

Labelbrook is the company behind a 10-year lease with HSE Estates for the ‘Breffni Building’ on the corner of Thomas Ashe and Farnham Street for Women & Children’s Service Outpatients Department (OPD).

‘Every effort’ to establish local refuge

“Every effort” was being made to deliver a new refuge for victims of domestic abuse in Cavan and Monaghan.

The Celt reported that a group of stakeholders had met “a number of times” already in 2023 focussing on “identifying a site” and initiating a “more formalised” outline for any such proposed service.

Representatives of Tusla, the Departments of Housing and Justice, Cavan and Monaghan local authorities and gardaí were engaged in these meetings, along with local DV organisation, Tearmann, and Safe Ireland.

In 2022, a Tusla report recommended providing eight dedicated refuge spaces locally as part of the government’s Zero Tolerance strategy aimed at tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Lidl green light to knock and rebuild

Lidl Ireland secured planning permission to knock its Cavan Town supermarket and replace it with an entirely new store. The green light was given despite concerns from neighbours over the impact the supermarket would have on those living nearby.

NUMBER OF THE MONTH

490

Cavan County Council’s revealed its target to construct 490 new builds over the next five years as part of its social housing programme and was actively seeking expressions of interest for more land or properties to deliver same.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

The Angelus is part of what makes us who we are... The country is being attacked by the woke brigade... Cllr Shane P. O’Reilly during a council debate on moves to silence the Angelus bells on the national airwaves

GOOD MONTH

• Detailed plans for a €20 million Abbeylands regeneration Masterplan were sanctioned with the project set to get underway later in the year.

• Mannok launched a new combustion system capable of drastically reducing its carbon footprint, with estimates that it would result in a reduction of 240 tonnes of carbon emissions per day in the production of cement at the Ballyconnell facility.

• Shercock man, Tom McEnaney, who helped to bring 1,238 Ukrainian refugees to Ireland, was shortlisted for the Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Award.

• A Cavan woman, Ann Galligan, had a “wonderful experience” when she met the Pope in Rome on Holy Thursday, April 6.

BAD MONTH

• Some music fans were left disappointed when tickets to see the Boomtown Rats at Cavan Calling in July were snapped up in rapid quick time. By 2:30pm on the day of release, all 5,000 free tickets were completely gone.

• A change to the design of the pylons due to carry the controversial North South Interconnector lines did little to placate those living along the route. The height of the tallest pylons were reduced by six metres.

• The Swanlinbar community was still without a permanent, full-time, General Practitioner despite calls for one to be appointed

• Three successive months of milk cuts dampened spirits in the dairy farming sector