A Concerned Parent McWrites

Writing’s on the wall…

n Open Letter to the People In Power
Killian FitzGerald writes to Greystones’ politicians about the proposed arrival of McDonald’s 

Dear Politician,

I will keep this brief(-ish), as I am sure you have been inundated with correspondence on the matter. So, I am merely adding a little more to the weight of numbers.

My 12 year old son started in the fantastic new school Templecarrig this year; my other son, who is currently ​at St Brigid’s NS,​ will go there in a couple of years, hopefully.
Mr C​o​x and the staff are doing a fantastic job putting the school on the ​town ​map and creating a wonderful environment for all the children there.
Of course, there are the two other primary schools also on the same road. Over the next 4 or 5 years the numbers will increase and I imagine there will be several thousand children and parents passing along the road eve​ry​ day.
What a catchment for any business to have access too! Hundred​s​ or thousands of people with a few coins in the​ir​ pockets to spare and time to kill everyday.​ Where else in the country has McDonald’s been allowed to build an outlet so close to such vulnerable people?
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​This would appear to be a great opportunity to bring something beneficial to the community.
With growing pressure on the health services brought about by ever-increasing numbers of obese and Type​ 2​ diabetic people in the population, and the irrefutable evidence​ that poor eating habits are the major cause​, it is incredible that our government, local and national, should allow this travesty to slip through.​ We are among the most overweight people on the planet. And it is getting worse. Fast.

I’m sure the 50 or so people on zero-hour contracts earning minimum wage will be delighted to have a McJob. These low wages will not bring much else to the system. Sales at the car show rooms and the Putney-style Sherry FitzGerald’s new office will not be soaring as a result.​ However, I am sure that McDonald’s will be generating huge profits from sales of their products and rental of space to a ‘fitness centre’. It’s laughable.​

Our children are set to grow up now in the shadow (and​ immersed in the wafting stench) of this American giant Corporation peddling junk food and low quality jobs.​ The healthy fresh air coming off the sea will be replaced with malodorous frying burgers and chips. From 8am to late at night. I know they claim to have low levels of odour emissions… but, seriously?

Greystones has a well deserved reputation as a healthy and fit community. The work done by the ​crew at The Happy Pear in bringing a level of appreciation and​ understanding of the​ benefit of healthy eating to us has been phenomenal.
​We should be funding their kind of eating programmes into schools instead of giving our children the ‘freedom of choice’ to have 1,000-plus calorie Happy Meals​.

The ​increasing numbers involved in active lifestyle​ and sports activities around the area is evident. The last thing our community needs is this abomination in its midst​. This is like a Sim City computer game going badly wrong right in front of us. In real time.

Of course people should have choice, and freedom, to chose what they can eat or drink. But this a cynical placement of a junk food outlet. Children are not equipped to make informed choices and are programmed to head straight for the high-sugar/high-fat content food option everytime. Everyone who has children knows this.

Have you noticed how much litter around the roads and streets is McD brand​ed​, ​originated?
There will be a tidal wave of rubbish around our streets and housing estates. How much is that going to add to the council’s burden of keeping the place clean?
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No politician who claims to represent the area, its people and their interests, can be in any doubt that the approval of planning permission for this development is wrong. Nobody with any influence should sleep at night until something is done to reverse this appalling decision. Apparently all that can be done now is for a High Court ruling and injunction against the approval.

What can we do? How do we take on the legal might of the golden arches?

We don’t need this in our town, and the vast majority of Greystones people don’t want it.