Virgin event shows Arklow is on the up NOISY NEIGHBOURS
THERE was much excitement in Arklow town on Wednesday as Virgin Media announced that it is now servicing 900,000 premises nationwide with fibre broadband, with a target of one 1,000,000 to be reached by 2020.
Communications Minister Denis Naughten was present for the announcement and said that the community of Arklow now has the ‘fastest broadband available anywhere on the planet’ and challenged business owners to exploit the ‘endless opportunities’ it creates for them.
‘Broadband is an essential service for our society and economic growth and Virgin Media has been at the forefront of fibre broadband investments in Ireland. This investment is helping us to address our European digital agenda targets, stimulate healthy competition in the sector while benefiting families, customers and businesses in towns and cities throughout the country,’ he said.
Ahead of the announcement, Arklow was a hive of positivity as the town featured on live weather links on TV3’s Ireland AM programme.
Members of Arklow Pipe Band welcomed the visitors in style while the Town Team was joined by local elected representatives, Wicklow County Council officials, TDs and members of the business and wider community.
According to Tony Hanway, CEO of Virgin Media, Wicklow, as a county, and Arklow Municipal District has been central to getting the project to its current stage and was progressive in its attempts to facilitate the works at all stages.
He used the words of Virgin Media founder Richard Branson as he encouraged service users to ‘Make good things happen’ now that they have access to the fastest broadband in the market.
‘Project Lightning is our ongoing commitment to Ireland, connecting towns, cities, consumers and businesses with ultra-fast services and enabling digital progress, productivity and economic growth in the process. The multi-million euro investment we have made in Arklow and Wicklow town brings Ireland’s fastest broadband network to these two vibrant and growing towns,’ he said.
Following the announcement, guests were invited to attend a panel discussion entitled ‘A Day in the Life of Arklow’ and heard from guest speaker, Lorraine Higgins, CEO of Retail Excellence Ireland. Our neighbours often have noisy parties that keep us awake at night. We don’t really want to call the Gardaí – what else can we do?
NOISE nuisance can be a frustrating problem, especially if your family’s sleep is disturbed. You should first talk to your neighbours about the noise and explain how it is affecting your family. Keep a note of these discussions. You could also keep a noise diary, noting the type of noise, time, date, duration and its effects on your family.
If this doesn’t work, you can write to your neighbours, giving details of the noise and how it is disturbing you. You may suggest to them that you will take legal action if the noise continues. Keep copies of your communication with them.
If your neighbours are private tenants, they are not allowed to engage in anti-social behaviour – this includes persistent noise that interrupts the peace of other homes. You can complain directly to the landlord if you do not get a satisfactory response from the tenants. You can also complain to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) if the landlord does not deal with the problem. (The landlord must be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board.)
Tenants of local authority housing must also avoid any nuisance (including noise) to other people in the neighbourhood. If the noise persists, the tenants are in breach of their tenancy agreement and the local authority can take steps to enforce the terms of the agreement.
If the noise continues to be a problem, you could check if there are mediation services available in your area to help you resolve the dispute. You can also file a complaint in the District Court. At least seven days before the date for the hearing of your case, you must serve notice on your neighbours, using the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 - noise form of notice. If the court finds in your favour, it can order your neighbours to take measures to prevent or limit the noise.
Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.