Tough times ahead, but Winters is looking to the future

Fri, Mar 06, 2009

“I’m not a career politician, I’m here to give the people a voice,” was the quick snap reaction from Fine Gael Ballina town councillor, Mark Winters when asked if he would consider running for the county council or higher office in the future. “I can bring about as much change for the better as a town councillor, I’m here to give the people a voice as long as they elect me.”

School bus service in Mayo could be crippled — Councillor O’Brien

Fri, Mar 06, 2009

As the Government begins its assault on the education sector with wide-ranging and damaging cutbacks, Cllr Patsy O’Brien has drawn attention to the issue of school transport, which he believes is a crucial element to the infrastructure of rural counties like our own, and which has now also fallen victim to the Government’s funding woes.

Last November the Government ended the fuel rebate for public transport, including school bus services, which currently provide transport for 100,000 children nationwide. “This move could cripple the school bus service in County Mayo,” Cllr O’Brien said, “and considering the economic climate and the cost of fuel that bus drivers already incur, the Government needs to offer a viable alternative to the fuel rebate scheme.”

Fine Gael can’t pander to disaffected groups

Fri, Feb 27, 2009

After the disastrous rout in the 2002 General Election Fine Gael was reduced to 30 seats. They have since steadily rebuilt the party. Over recent months they have out-polled FF – the latest poll gave them a 10 point lead, albeit with a lower rating of 32 per cent. During the last election I predicted they could not win because they had simply too many seats to make up.

Coming back for more

Fri, Feb 27, 2009

Never one to shy away from a controversy or pushing for what he believed was right, Frank Durcan threw his hat back in the local political ring last week, putting himself forward for both Castlebar Town Council and Mayo County Council elections. Durcan, who stepped away from politics five years ago, is eager to get back into the to and fro of the political game and believes that politics in the county needs a serious shake up. “The country is going down the tubes, the system has been ripped off by our politicians and our bankers. In Mayo county council there are no two parties, there has been no opposition for the past five years. It's a cosy cartel, while they drew close on €1 million a year in expenses between them, which are legally entitled to them. But it’s immoral for the amount of work they do, unless you get honesty back into politics in this country it's going to only get worse and worse.”

Greens offer new voice for new challenges for Westport

Fri, Feb 27, 2009

Fergus McAllister was selected by the Mayo Green Party to run as a candidate for the Westport Town Council election this June. McAllister says that he will concentrate his immediate attention on supporting local businesses so that closures can be staved off and jobs can be protected.

Time for change: Vote for the women

Fri, Feb 27, 2009

International Women’s Day, celebrated throughout the world on March 8, will soon be upon us. It was first nominated as a national holiday for women in 1908 to highlight a strike by New York women clothing workers against the sweatshop conditions in the factories. From its beginning it has been rooted in years of struggle and used as a rallying point to demand women’s rights and women’s suffrage. Here in Ireland, something we can be proud of is that in the First Dáil on January 21 1919, a woman, Constance Markievicz, was appointed to the cabinet as Minister for Labour. This was truly historic when you consider that Constance Markievicz was the first female cabinet minister in western Europe and that Irish women didn’t gain the right to vote until 1928.

Labour candidate calls on Government TDs to support public sector workers

Fri, Feb 27, 2009

As some of the public sector workers commence their industrial action against the proposed pension levy, and as others ballot their members to do likewise, Dr Bernie Courtney, Labour candidate in the Castlebar Town Council election calls for both Mayo Fianna Fáil TDs to push for a Government re-think on this unjust tax.

Unemployment figures not reflecting number of employers out of work

Fri, Feb 27, 2009

Employers who are out of work and who have had to lay off staff, have no recourse to any social welfare benefit and are not included in the Live Register figures, according to Mayo Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony.

Deputy O’Mahony said there were hundreds, possibly thousands, of employers throughout Ireland who are now unemployed but their status is not reflected in any set of statistics released by the Department of Social Welfare.

Finn vows to secure Brickens’ speed limits

Fri, Feb 27, 2009

Claremorris election candidate Richard Finn this week called on Mayo County Council and the National Roads Authority to immediately install speed limits at the village of Brickens which has been the scene of many accidents.

He said: “It is high time that this issue was addressed as Brickens is an up and coming village on a major route way, the N60.” He continued: “This issue is of high priority as local groups have been lobbying for this for a number of years. Brickens is home to Eastern Gales who have fine playing grounds on the main road. There is also a playschool, community centre, public house, Enterprise Centre, church, and Lohan Park housing estate in the village. If elected to Mayo County Council in June I will ensure that speed limits will be installed in Brickens,” stated Mr Finn.

Chambers announces his decision not to run in local elections

Fri, Feb 27, 2009

Newport Fianna Fáil councillor Frank Chambers has announced that he will not be contesting the forthcoming Mayo County Council elections on June 5, despite having received the Fianna Fáil nomination for the Westport electoral area. Cllr Chambers made the announcement at a meeting of the Michael Kilroy Fianna Fáil Cumann.

Fianna Fáil’s fate

Fri, Feb 20, 2009

The decline in Fianna Fáil’s popularity since last June is unprecedented in the history of the party. The recent TNS/MRBI survey has tracked that support for the party has dropped from 42 per cent to 22 per cent over the past eight months. The leader’s satisfaction rating has declined from 52 per cent to 24 per cent. This presents an alarming prospect for all party members, supporters and especially candidates in the forthcoming local and European elections.

Ballinrobe comes eighth in all-Ireland unemployment league

Fri, Feb 20, 2009

At a recent meting in Ballinrobe, Fine Gael candidate Michael Burke addressed the difficult business climate in the area and the effect this is having on employment prospects.

The recent release of the Central Statistics Office live register figures show that in the period from February 2008 to January 2009 the number of unemployed in Ballinrobe increased from 393 to 858 (a staggering 118 per cent increase). Most of these jobs have been lost in construction, retail, and service industries. Seventeen shops have been forced out of business in the town with a resultant loss of local jobs. The figures also show that there are 147 people under the age of 25 on the live register in Ballinrobe — people whose legitimate hopes and aspirations have been shattered by the gross incompetence of people who were well paid to plan and guide the fortunes of our people.

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