Cross-party support for report on Ireland’s future in EU

Fri, Dec 05, 2008

There has been cross-party support this week for the publication of the report of the Oireachtas sub-committee on Ireland’s future in the EU.

Regions losing out under Fianna Fáil/Green Gov – Ring

Fri, Dec 05, 2008

Fianna Fáil and the Green Party have overlooked rural regions, according to Fine Gael’s spokesperson on Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Michael Ring TD.

Funding boost for Mayo farmers - Carty

Fri, Dec 05, 2008

Mayo farmers will receive a funding boost as balancing payments under the 2008 Single Farm Payment were due to be issued, according to Fianna Fáil Senator and Government Spokesperson for Agriculture in Seanad Eireann, John Carty.

€10m spend on ministers’ staff undermines public sector reform

Fri, Dec 05, 2008

Fine Gael Deputy John O’Mahony has revealed that private and constituency office staff for Government ministers amount to some 200 staff at a cost of at least €10 million. Dep O’Mahony said that the Government’s big talk about public sector reform is undermined by their inability to get their own house in order.

Maloney confirms intention to run in local election

Fri, Dec 05, 2008

Foxford Fianna Fáil Councillor Jimmy Maloney has confirmed that he will run in the upcoming local elections.

O’Mahony reminds shoppers of contribution local businesses make

Fri, Dec 05, 2008

Mayo Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony is calling on people to shop in Mayo this Christmas and support Mayo employers and employees. In an attempt to create awareness of the importance of shopping locally, Deputy O’Mahony is making an appeal to shoppers to “stop and think” before they leave the county to do their seasonal shopping.

Sinn Fein to launch major report into the redevelopment of the west

Fri, Dec 05, 2008

Sinn Féin Senator Pearse Doherty has presented a major report on the redevelopment of the west of Ireland to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The report, entitled “Awakening the West: Overcoming Social and Economic Inequality”, is the first report of its kind in decades and has been put together after a major consultation process involving dozens of groups along the western seaboard.

FG plan will hurt Castlebar - Barrett

Fri, Dec 05, 2008

Mayo Labour hopeful Harry Barrett has launched another blistering attack on Fine Gael, this time on the party’s plan to drop public sector wages by ten per cent.

Grassroots

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

A few months ago I wrote that a week is a long time in politics, the old saying, but for Fianna Fáil and in particular Fianna Fáil Councillors, TDs and MEPs this month has been a long time.

South Mayo’s independent voice

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

“Seven doesn’t go into six” is Independent Councillor Harry Walsh’s clear observation on next year’s local elections. With the redrawing of the boundaries for next year’s local elections, the Ballinrobe area came out of it looking like they could be the big looser in the terms of representation. With the purging of the Ballinrobe electoral area from the map and it being subsumed into the newly redrawn Claremorris area, it brings an end to ten years as single electoral entity. “We do feel hard done by and the area as a whole should feel hard done by because we have lost a lot of our natural hinterland in this redrawing and we are now being consumed into a very large geographical area in the county. My main concern is of course for the Ballinrobe area as a whole, but my home area of around Shrule and Kilmaine went for seven or eight years without a councillor before and it’s important that an area like that has representation.”

Cracking the whip, for a few more months

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

“Perhaps I should have ran for the county council before when I was a bit younger, but I have enjoyed my four and a half years so far and I’m looking forward to seeing out the last few months.” With the official news breaking this week that Fine Gael party whip Paddy McGuinness would not be running for re-election, it brings to an end the public life for a second time of the popular County Monaghan native. McGuinness, who had stepped away from public life before after a number of terms on Castlebar Town Council, was tempted back into public life when Enda Kenny came calling before the last local elections. “I had come in to do a job last time around and I was very tempted to stay on, but I had made a decision before that I would be doing one term and I had to stick with it.” The job as McGuinness saw it was to help the party grow and bring them all together as one for the term of the council which, for the most part, he has done very successfully.

Ring outlines dangers of drugs and alcohol to Islandeady youths

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

Speaking at the launch of the No Name Club in Islandeady, Castlebar, Fine Gael spokesman on Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Michael Ring indicated that the new National Drugs Strategy should incorporate alcohol.

E-paper

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