MESSAGE FROM EAMON GILMORE TD

"I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet Keith Martin during the recent National Conference of Labour Councillors in Dublin. I have followed the work of Keith Martin on Westport Council with great interest and I know that the Westport Labour Party Branch is one of the most active of any party in the county.

"I look forward to the continued expansion and development of Labour in County Mayo which is, after all, the birthplace of T.J. O’Connell, who was Leader of the Labour Party between 1927 and 1932. I hope to get an opportunity to visit Westport over the coming months and meet not just the Labour Party branch but other groups and organisations in the area also.

"Labour’s place is up at the front, leading the way. We have seen great economic growth over the last 15 years, and the challenge is how to harness our economic success to make a better society and to end poverty; how to secure the future, economically and ecologically, for our children; how to make the public space safe and the public services more efficient; how to maintain the maximum number of families on the land and ensure the future of rural communities; how to get the best out of our natural resources; how to get climate change under control and how to put people first in this changing global century.

"The country faces many challenges. We have a renewed crisis in A&E units where the numbers on trolleys are as bad as ever. There are serious inadequacies in our cancer services. Violent crime remains a significant problem in both urban and rural areas. Unemployment is again increasing and many jobs in the construction sector are under threat because of the downturn in the housing market.

"The government and the Dail should be focused on dealing with these problems, but unfortunately government is preoccupied with the problems being faced by the Taoiseach in regard to his tax and financial affairs.

"The immediate political challenge for the Labour Party will be the local government elections which are now less than 18 months away. Labour had a very successful campaign in the local elections of 2004, but in the next election we will be looking to areas like County Mayo to win additional seats at all levels of local government. I want to urge all those who are concerned about social justice; who want to see better public services; who believes that Ireland can do better; to join with the Labour Party in Westport in building a better, fairer society."

To join the Labour Party in Mayo contact Keith on

086 0691182 or e-mail kmartin@cllr.westporttc.ie for more information.