Martin’s Labour Force One

Fri, Mar 27, 2009

With the upbeat campaign message and song of ‘Things Can Only Get Better’, Labour’s Councillor Keith Martin is hoping to make a historic breakthrough in southwest Mayo and take one of the four seats in the Westport electoral area.

Leadership starts within…

Fri, Mar 20, 2009

In my company, Celtic Bookmakers, we employ 300 people. Our payroll is our most significant overhead. We were spending more than €7 million annually on pay.

The new kid on the block

Fri, Mar 20, 2009

“Everyone tells me I’m going to enjoy it, but it’s a daunting task. Well I’m in for it now and I’m looking forward to getting out there.” Michael McLaughlin is no different than any first time candidate hitting out on the campaign trail, nervous about going knocking on people’s doors, people he knows personally and professionally for years, and putting himself in front of them asking them to give him their number one this June. The 31-year-old married father of two is best known as a photographer around the county, based in Westport, the town of his birth and his home since he came back after college to set up his own business, and it’s because of these traits that he believes he is the perfect man to represent the people of his home town. Not that it was at all planned at first, “I was talking to Peter Flynn one day and asked him how was he getting on with the campaign himself, he then suggested that I should run for the town council myself, which was a bit of a shock. I told him to let me think about it and the more time I took to think about it the more it seemed like the right thing to do, so I let my name go forward to the nominating convention and was nominated for the Town Council so here I am now.”

O’Mahony embracing technology with new website

Fri, Mar 20, 2009

Mayo Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony has launched his own website — www.johnomahony.ie. Following on from the success of his texting service initiative and his pre-election slot on You Tube, the Mayo TD has now decided to launch his own dedicated website.

Apart from providing constituents with immediate access via e-mail, the site also incorporates links to various other service providers and state agencies.

Fine Gael hypocrisy on third level fees - Ruane

Fri, Mar 20, 2009

Sinn Féin councillor Thérèse Ruane has described the actions of Fine Gael spokesperson Brian Hayes and his party colleagues as “utterly hypocritical” with regards to the reintroduction of third level fees.

Medical card decisions to be made by HSE in Dublin - Barrett

Fri, Mar 20, 2009

Decisions on the sanctioning of medical cards is to be transferred to the HSE in Dublin, according to information received by Labour councillor Harry Barrett.

REPS 4 delay disgraceful says Holmes

Fri, Mar 20, 2009

Independent councillor Michael Holmes has hit out at the Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith, for the delay in making REPS 4 payments to farmers, stating that the hold-up was simply unacceptable. He said that many farmers submitted their completed application forms more than a year ago and still have not received payment. He also denounced the Minister’s current policy of ‘drip-feeding’ REPS 4 payments.

Start up of Home Energy Saving Scheme questioned by Ring

Fri, Mar 20, 2009

The Government has been lashed over its handling of the Home Energy Saving Scheme. The broadside has come for the Fine Gael spokesperson on Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Michael Ring, who said details of the scheme should not have been announced until it was ready to be implemented. The green light for the scheme was given at the beginning of February but householders cannot apply until later this month.

Dep Ring, in a Dáil question, asked when applications can be received for the scheme. In his reply the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Sean Power said: “On February 8, together with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Minister launched the Home Energy Saving Scheme, one of three priority home insulation schemes in the Government’s National Insulation Programme for Economic Recovery. The Home Energy Saving scheme has an allocation of €50 million for 2009. The scheme provides grant assistance to homeowners for attic and wall insulation, efficient boilers and heating controls. Grant rates average 30 per cent of the cost of works, although these rates vary depending on the measure concerned. Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) advised on the measures for inclusion in the scheme and they will also administer the scheme. SEI has built up a considerable expertise on residential energy efficiency matters and oversaw the pilot phase of the scheme last year.

Feeney selected to run for Fianna Fáil

Fri, Mar 20, 2009

Fianna Fáil has confirmed the selection of Mickey Feeney on the party ticket to contest the Mayo County Council election in June.

Westport should be thinking digital and green-tech, Green candidate says

Fri, Mar 20, 2009

Westport needs to be thinking about immediate and practical ways to keep shops and restaurants open according to Fergus McAllister, Green Party candidate for the Westport Town Council.

Ganley lashes Higgins during St Patrick’s Day tour of Mayo

Fri, Mar 20, 2009

Libertas chairman Declan Ganley has accused the Government of “betraying the Irish people” during the course of a St Patrick’s Day campaign tour through Co Mayo.

The heart of banking regulation

Fri, Mar 13, 2009

The Great Depression of 1929 is the only economic event comparable to our current morass. A post mortem study in the 1930s into the cause of the Wall Street crash concluded that it was due to deregulation of the financial sector.

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