{meta} Agenda item - Lord Mayor's Business

Agenda item

Minutes:

In Memoriam

 

Dr. Emer Holohan.  Wife of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan and daughter of Frank Feeley, former Dublin City Manager.  Sympathies to Dr. Tony, Clodagh and Ronan Holohan and to Frank and the Feely family at this sad time.

 

Special Meeting 8th March at 6.15pm

A special Meeting of Dublin City Council will be held next Monday 8th March at 6.15pm to discuss the Land Development Agency Bill, the Affordable Housing Bill, so as to solicit the views of the Law Agent, the Housing Manager and the Chief Executive and that the views of the Councillors will be documented and a report sent to the Housing Minister.

 

Meeting with Minister McEntee on Knife Crime

Following the Motions passed at the February City Council meeting in relation to Knife Crime in the City, a meeting of myself and a cross-party delegation of Councillors with Minister McEntee and the Garda Commissioner will be held this Wednesday.

 

Lord Mayor’s Taskforce on Homelessness

Minister Darragh O’Brien attended a meeting of the Lord Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness on Friday 5th February.  Functions moved to Sub-Group of Housing SPC.

 

Statement of solidarity with Syria

Councillor Janet Horner has asked that this Council supports a statement of solidarity to mark 10 years on March 15th since the devastating conflict in Syria began. The conflict has cost thousands of lives, displaced millions and transformed the borders of Europe. Over the past 10 years, we've seen heart-breaking images and heard the stories of the human cost of this conflict and the resulting journeys for refuge. At the moment of the 10-year anniversary, it is important to bring the conflict and those impacted by it back into our minds and recommit to humanitarian action and support for all those fleeing conflicts.

 

Statement on behalf of Dublin City Council:

 

"Dublin City Council, on behalf of the residents of our city, expresses our deep sorrow at reaching the milestone of a decade of devastating conflict in Syria which has displaced 13 million people, and forced many to take perilous, often fatal journeys to seek refuge.

 

We regret that our collective response across Europe has been inadequate in the face of this humanitarian catastrophe. We extend our thanks to those who have provided life-saving humanitarian assistance in Syria, and in the region. We also thank those who have assisted Syrians fleeing conflict and persecution who have sought asylum here, in Europe and across the globe.

 

We commend and encourage Ireland’s continued funding to support the humanitarian needs of all those still living in crisis and uncertainty, as well as Ireland’s important voice in ensuring that the rights and dignity of those in need are not forgotten.     

 

We welcome Ireland’s willingness, in the UN Security Council, to co-facilitate international negotiations to maintain humanitarian access in northern Syria where 2.7m people internally displaced by the conflict are in desperate need of such assistance.

And we welcome and thank those Syrians who have made a home in Dublin for their endurance, their contribution to this city, our communities and our shared culture. And we, united as a city and across our political differences, pledge that Dublin should always be a place of welcome and sanctuary to those fleeing violence and conflict."