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July 30, 2010
Mayors in Chairs 2010 - 2011
Cllr Arthur Spring who has been selected as our Dáil candidate for Kerry North is Mayor of Tralee Town Council this year.
Once again this year we have an impressive list of Labour councillors as Mayors in local authorities around the country, you can see the full list below, well done to everyone.
Trim Town Council
Cllr James O'Shea Leas Cathaoirleach
Granard
Cllr Sean Howard Mayor
Thurles Town Council
Cllr John Keenan Mayor
DunLaoghaire Rathdown
Lettie McCarthy Cathaoirleach
Fingal County Council
Ken Farrell Cathaoirleach
Cllr Peter Coyle Deputy
Athy Town Council
Cllr James McMahon Leas Cathaoirleach;
Westmeath County Council
Michael Dollard chair
Mullingar Town Council
Detty Cornally
Tralee Town Council
Cllr Arthur Spring Mayor
Gillian Wharton Slattery Deputy Mayor
Drogheda Town Council
Paul Bell Mayor
Ged Nash Deputy
Gorey Town Council
Cllr Robert Ireton Mayor (first Labour Mayor in 28years)
Tipperary Town Council
Cllr Billy Bourke elected Mayor
South Dublin County Council
Cllr Eamonn Maloney Mayor
Cllr Pamela Kearns Deputy Mayor
Kerry County Council
Cllr Pat Leahy Mayor
Marie Moloney Deputy
Cork City Council
Cllr Mick O'Connell Mayor
Cllr Denis O'Flynn Deputy.
Wexford
Cllr Joe Ryan Mayor
Trim Town Council
Cllr James O'Shea Leas Cathaoirleach
Permanent link | Posted in mayor • council
July 29, 2010
We're recruiting
We're recruiting for a parliamentary assistant (12-month contract). You can find out more details of the job brief including where to send applications and deadlines on our recruit page.
Permanent link | Posted in recruit
July 28, 2010
Thornton Hall - a shocking white elephant, says Rabbitte
Today's headline in The Star about Thornton Hall
Almost ten years after the Thornton Hall plan was announced and after the expenditure of vast sums of taxpayers money, Thornton Hall has been confirmed as one of the most expensive, misconceived and poorly planned projects in the history of the State, our Justice Spokesperson Pat Rabbitte TD said yesterday. It will 2014 before a single prison place becomes available.
He said Thornton Hall has become a 'shocking white elephant' for which Minister Ahern and Mr McDowell must share responsibility.
"We know that a total of €42.24m of taxpayers money has been spent on this project to date, including the astronomical €29.9m approved by Michael McDowell for the purchase of the site. To this we will have to add the costs of continuing to service and develop the site up to 2014."
You can read what the papers say about this in the Irish Times, the Examiner and the Irish Independent as well as see Pat speaking about the issue on yesterday's Six One News on RTE 1.
Permanent link | Posted in Justice
July 27, 2010
16, Moore Street
The Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore TD with James Connolly Heron, great-grandson of James Connolly) retracing the route the leaders of the 1916 Rising took after they left the GPO
On Friday the Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore TD and Deputy Joe Costello following an invitation from the Save 16 Moore Street committee, retraced the route the Leaders of the 1916 Rising took after they left the GPO.
Led by James Connolly Heron, great-grandson of James Connolly with other relatives of the 1916 leaders, Eamon and Joe walked the route which brings you in and out of the alleyways behind Moore Street and Parnell Street.
There are more pics from the walk on our Flickr account, you can also read a previous statement on 16, Moore Street released by Deputy Costello.
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in
July 26, 2010
Ireland must bring charges against perpetrators of war crimes in gaza
Deputy Joe Costello and Proinsias De Rossa MEP presenting a letter to the Attorney General, urging action on the Goldstone Report into war against Gaza
Last week Deputy Joe Costello and Proinsias De Rossa MEP made a formal complaint to the Attorney General about the Israeli 'Operation Cast Lead' and called for the initiation of prosecutions for war crimes carried out in Gaza from December 2008 to January 2009.
During that war over 1400 Palestinian civilians, including over 300 children, died. Also killed were 11 Israelis (seven from 'friendly' fire), and two Israeli civilians.
Speaking in joint statement, Deputy Costello and Pronisias De Rossa MEP said: "We are calling on Ireland's Attorney General to exercise his duty under Irish legislation, The Geneva Convention Act (1962), which obliges him to bring charges against those that are suspected of war crimes.
"We have provided him with a copy of the Goldstone Report and other reports, such as the Amnesty International Report on the use of the deadly white phosphorous, and the Palestinian Human Rights Center's report on the wars effect on women in Gaza."
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in Foreign & European Affairs • proinsiasderossa joecostello
July 21, 2010
Fianna Fail must be put out of Government, says Gilmore
Political correspondent Harry McGee interviewed the party leader Eamon Gilmore TD for today's Irish Times, this is just the opening paragraph of the interview - you can read the full piece in the Irish Times.
A CHUNKY ream of paper is slammed onto the table making a loud "thunk" noise. The person who has slammed the documents is Labour leader Eamon Gilmore. The action has not been done in anger. It's more a dramatic visual response to a charge that clearly irks him: that Labour's strategy is all bluster and no muster.
"There are 45 policy documents there," declares Gilmore pointing at the impressive stack. (Read the rest in the Irish Times.)
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in
July 20, 2010
Eamon on Today with Pat Kenny
Yesterday morning the Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore TD was on Today with Pat Kenny (the interview is actually with Myles Dungan), in case you missed it and would like to hear the interview, you can catch up with RTE's podcasts. The interview with Eamon is at the very beginning of the podcast.
Permanent link | Posted in eamongilmore
July 19, 2010
Vulnerable being punished by Government's mistakes
Late last week Councillor Colm Keaveney organised a public meeting in Tuam concerning the HSE cuts which are threatening vital public services in the community, in this post Colm explains how the meeting went.
I held a public meeting in Tuam over HSE cuts which threaten the vital public services in our community. I’d like to thank Deputy Jan O’Sullivan and Dr. Jerry Cowley for giving up their time to come to Tuam and listen to the concerns of the community here.
This meeting showed that there is a body of citizens who are willing to fight against savage cuts by the Fianna Fail led government to protect the services that their friends, their neighbours and their family and indeed they themselves rely on every day. If these cutes go ahead, they will have devastating consequences for the most vulnerable people in our society.
The mentally disabled, elderly people and children all stand to be punished for the mistakes of this government and we in Tuam and East Galway will not stand for this. In the past we have been accused of not putting up a proper fight to protect and keep important services in our town.
Last night’s meeting, which was attended by 160 people sends a clear message to the Government and to the HSE that the people are not willing to stand by and watch as essential services, provided by Aras Mhuire nursing home, Toghermore House, respite services for the mentally disabled and home help for the elderly are cut to satisfy the interests of pin stripe suits in the Department of Finance! This is just the first step of our journey to resist government cuts.
Very soon there is going to be a campaign of resistance forming so that when the knife of the HSE is poised we’ll be in a position to stop it. I am positive that this campaign will succeed with the help and support of the local communities.
Permanent link | Posted in Health
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