Gormely PR exercise over posters

Minister John Gormley's public consultation process on the use of posters in elections and referenda has been labeled "a public relations exercise" by Labour's Cllr Keith Martin.

This week the Green Party Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has invited comments from interested parties on the control of postering for elections and referenda.

But according to the Westport councillor "the use of a political poster during an election or referendum campaign is a matter of freedom of speech and any attempt to curb the already restricted use of political postering would be an attack on democracy.

"The idea of limiting the number of posters to a candidate is ridiculous as it does not take into account geography or situation.  For example in Mayo we have electoral wards bigger than county Louth, we have 4 seater and 7 seater areas of all sorts of different sizes.  This sounds like a Dublin 4 ideal which does not work when it is taken out of Dublin 4.

"I have no problem with using biodegradable poster materials or requiring recycling of posters or maximum sizes of posters and I would welcome local authorities in exercising their already sufficient existing powers in relation to posters and cable ties.

"I think the situation as it stands is a close to ideal and would like to stress that the right of politicians to poster is a historical and democratic right as well as an expression of freedom of speech and thought and any attempts to reign it in will be opposed vigorously by those of use who put our names on the ballot paper and our faces on posters in an effort to make a change for the better in our local area.

 

"I think Minister Gormely is using the issues of posters as an exercise in public relations among those people in his own constituency who think of political posters as 'litter' rather than as a freedom of expression of thoughts and ideas" concluded Cllr Martin.

Submission on Public Consultation on the Control of Postering for Elections and Referenda

Submission on Public Consultation on the Control of Postering for Elections and Referenda

 

By Cllr Keith Martin BA(Hons), 33 Pairc na Coille, Westport, Mayo

 

Saturday, July 26, 2008

 

• The use of a political poster during an election or referendum campaign is a matter of freedom of speech and any attempt to curb the already restricted use of political postering would be an attack on democracy.
• Local Authorities already have the powers to punish those whose posters breach the litter laws.
• The vast majority of politicians and political parties take as much care and attention in removing their posters as they do in erecting them.
• The Posters of individual politicians and parties are re-used time and time again and are up-dated by means of stickers as in the Lisbon Campaign.
• I would suggest that 7 days is too short a period in which to remove posters from electoral areas in the West of Ireland where a single electoral area for example in Mayo can be bigger than County Louth.
• I do not accept that there is significant public concern about the scale and nature of postering that arises on foot of this exemption. This issue was not raised here in the local media during or after the recent Lisbon campaign.  There were no letters to the editor etc.  Mayo's population is over 100,000 and yet there was no concerns raised so I must reject the Minister's premise.
• In my own town of Westport, Co. Mayo all the political parties and organisations operate a "poster free" policy within the town boundary.  This means that our heritage/Tidy Town remains poster free during the electiosns.  However this is a purely optional arrangement and any effort to impose a legal ban on postering would be strongly opposed by all sides.
• Having invested heavily in posters to be re-used time and time again I am strongly opposed to having a ban placed on postering.  Indeed I have already purchased my posters for next year's elections at considerable expense in the reasonable expectation that I will be postering my electoral area and I wonder what liabilities the state will have if it brings in such a ban less than 12 months from an election?
• The idea of limiting the number of posters to a candidate is ridiculous as it does not take into account geography or situation.  For example in Mayo we have electoral wards bigger than county Louth, we have 4 seater and 7 seater areas of all sorts of different sizes.  This sounds like a Dublin 4 ideal which does not work when it is taken out of Dublin 4.
• I have no problem with using biodegradable poster materials or requiring recycling of posters or maximum sizes of posters and I would welcome local authorities in exercising their already sufficent existing powers in relation to posters and cable ties.
• I feel that is issue is more of a Public Relations exercise by the Minister than a necessary reform of the system.
• In conclusion I think the situation as it stands is a close to ideal and would like to stress that the right of politicans to poster is a historical and democratic right as well as an expression of freedom of speech and thought and any attempts to reign it will be opposed vigorously by those of use who put our names on the ballot paper and our faces on posters in an effort to make a change for the better in our local area.

 

 

 

 

 

NRA, MCC must tackle ragwort or be prosecuted

NRA, MCC must tackle ragwort or be prosecuted

 

The National Roads Authority, Mayo County Council and Mayo's town councils must do more to combat the spread of noxious weeds such as ragwort along roadsides and within the green areas of housing estates according to Labour's Cllr Keith Martin.

 

Ragwort also known as Buchalans are highly poisonous and dead and dying ragwort are especially appetising to livestock, because of their increased sugar content but they are highly poisonous to animals and humans.

 

Cllr Martin says "Ragwort is controlled under the Noxious Weeds Act, 1936 which make it an offence not to prevent the spread of certain weeds, including ragwort and the owner, occupier, user or manager of lands on which these weeds are growing is liable, upon conviction, to be fined.  This includes local authorities and private developers, landowners and even individual householders."

 

Increasing incidence of ragwort has been blamed on increased farming set-a-side and reduced vegetation management by local authorities.  Ragwort, Thistle, Dock, Common Barberry, Male Wild Hop and Spring Wild Oat are scheduled as noxious weeds under the Noxious Weeds Act 1936.

 

According to Cllr Martin "Ragwort, thistle and dock are particularly undesirable because their seeds are widely scattered about and infect neighbouring fields and farms and this means where these weeds are not attended to they can spread and spread.

 

"It is time that the NRA, local authorities, farmers and landowners get serious on this issue.  Every year the Dept of Agriculture runs a campaign specially targeted at the NRA and local authorities but they don't seem to take their responsibilities seriously. 

 

"Any member of the Garda Síochána or any authorised inspector may at all reasonable times enter any farm or land to see if any noxious weeds are growing on the land so maybe its time we saw the Act being upheld in court.  Its time for action. 

 

Cllr Martin concludes "My message to the NRA, local authorities and landowners is 'Its time to clean up your act!'"

 

086 0691182    ANYTIME!

Recycling charges an attack on democracy and less well off

The decision by officials at Mayo County Council to impose under executive powers a charge for recycling is a backward step, which undermines local democracy and discourages recycling says Cllr Keith Martin.

 

According to the Westport councillor "This new charge is an attack on local democracy and the less well off.  Among those this new stealth tax will hit are the unemployed, low income families and the retired who use the council's recycling centres in an effort to keep their household bills down."

 

Cllr Martin was the sponsor of a recent motion by Westport Town Council, which called on Mayo County Council to abandon its plans to introduce charges for recycling at Derrinumera and Rathroeen civic amenity centres.

 

However at the July meeting of Mayo County Council, council officials pressed ahead with these plans and shortly charges of €2 per car and €5 per van will be introduced at the centres.

 

The officials are invoking the new charges using their powers under Section 4 of the Act, which provides that the making of a waste management plan will become an executive (management) function, a change from the Waste Management Act 1996, where the power was a reserved (elected member) function.

 

"This is a bypassing of local democracy; whereby the decision should be one for the elected members of Mayo County Council not the officials who are unaccountable to anyone except central government.

 

I predict that this new charge will result in a decline in recycling and an increase in illegal burning of waste and recyclables and an increase in fly-tipping.  The polluter should pay; the recycler should not, it's a simple as that.  The cost of living is now sky high and we have councillors and officials introducing another stealth tax on hard-pressed families" concluded Cllr Martin.

 

086 0691182 (anytime!)

Just days left for Reform suggestions

Labour's Cllr Keith Martin says there are just days left now until the closing date for submissions on local government reform which is currently being undertaken by the Department of the Environment.  The public have until the 31st of July to submit their thougths, suggestions and ideas for reform of local government to the Department.

Cllr Martin says it is vital that the citizens of Mayo have there say in issues such as directly-elected mayors, zoning powers and the full range of powers needed by local councils to best serve their local areas.

"I have submitted to the Green Paper a demand for directly-elected mayors for towns like Westport, for more powers for councils over health, policing and education.  I have also called for the end of executive powers being enacted by unelected officials and for the role of town and county managers to be abolished in favour of chief executives who advise mayors and councillors and whose sole remit is to carry out the policies and instructions of the elected representatives.

"Ireland has one of the weakest forms of local government in Europe.  It is essentially a form of central government dominated local administration, more appropriate to a colony than an independent modern European country.

"It is appalling that we have centrally appointed managers making executive decisions for our cities, counties and towns instead of the people's representatives.  This lack of accountability results in the unelected management of local authorities being too powerful when they really should have no power at all.  Management should be there to manage and advise not to set policy or take decisions.
 

"Each Local Authority must have a directly elected mayor for the five year term of the Council with executive powers.  It is no good directly electing a mayor who has no powers over the executive staff.  The powers of the Mayor could be tempered by the councillors.  This office would carry with it responsibility for most decisions in association with a small cabinet of councillors.
 

"I would urge everyone to make a submission.  There is no fee or structure involved and submissions can be made by letter or postcard even, and by e-mail or fax to the Department of the Environment.  Submissions have to be in before the end of the month.

The consultation period will extend to 31 July 2008.

Should you or your organisation wish to participate in the consultation process, please forward your views by 31 July 2008 to:

By post:

Green Paper Consultation
Local Government Project Development
Room 2.07
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Custom House
Dublin 1

By email:  greenpaper@environ.ie

Gormley does u-turn on local government reform

Minister for the Environment John Gormley is "doing a u-turn" on local government reform according to Labour's Cllr Keith Martin following the Green Party Minister's announcement that he is hand over more powers to officials in relation to land zonings under the new planning Bill.

 

Under the new Bill councillors will not be allowed to rezone land if this conflicts with central government plans such as the National Spatial Strategy and the National Development Plan.  The Bill will also stop councillors from rezoning land for housing against the advice of county managers and planners.

 

According to the Labour councillor this hands "a veto on zoning over to unelected officials and begins the erosion on one of the councillors most important functions as a democratically elected and democratically accountable representatives.

 

"The Minister is currently conducting a reform of local government which he has promised will return power to elected councillors and yet now we see him unveiling new plans to remove us from zoning decisions.  Its disgraceful, the Minister is continuing the erosion of local democracy by removing more and more powers from citizens by limiting the role of councillors.

 

The Minister has always had the power to intervene where his Department feels zoning is not suitable and he has done so very recently in Castlebar under Section 31 of the current planning act.  This power is an adequate tool for the job and he does not need to hand a veto over to unelected officials in these matters.  Officials are there to advise under the current planning laws and that's the way it should be, councillors should make the decisions based on consideration of the advice from officials but should not be bound by such advice.

 

There are a lot of good proposals under the new planning act, such as provision to stop large developers from applying retrospectively for permission for unauthorised developments but the Minister already has a role overseeing zoning decisions under Section 31 of the 2000 Planning Act and there is no need for him to further meddle in local government affairs than absolutely necessary.

 

I would urge the Minister instead to look at the planning issues in relation to the Tara Motorway, the Rossport Refinery and the proposal to mine for gold using cyanide here in Mayo.  I will be bringing a motion before Westport Town Council on this issue and would urge all of Mayo's TDs and Senators to oppose this provision of the new bill.

 

086 0691182

Martin addresses Tom Johnson Summer School

Addressing the recent Tom Johnson Summer School in Galway on the subject of how to build and grow the Labour party Cllr Keith Martin says that in order to grow the Labour party needed to move beyond the "comfort zone" of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Wicklow and Wexford.

"We are forever doomed to be a 20 seat party if we don't reach into new constituencies and breadth life into old ones. We dream of another "Spring Tide" of 33 seats when we should be aiming even higher to a day when we are the main party of government.

"A dream of 33 seats is to sell ourselves short, to ourselves, our own membership and to the country. As long as we are content to solidify our base we condemn ourselves to the doldrums. We should still be talking of coalitions with a rotating Taoiseach and eventually of Labour as a party of government in its own right."

Cllr Martin added that nationally Labour must be the watchdog on government and work to be an alternative to the government as a full party in its own right and that regionally the party needed to invest time and resources into all constituencies, especially in the north-west of Ireland.

Cllr Martin concluded that the government could not be trusted on health provision in the west of Ireland, stating that while Dublin had Breastcheck for 7 years, Mayo had only had it for several months and that the government had set about dismantling cancer services that already provided "excellent" services in favour of "so called centres of excellence."

Cllr Keith Martin's address to the Tom Johnson Summer School was a highlight of the school and has resulted in the Westport councillor being invited to address Labour Branches across the country including party leader, Eamon Gilmore TD's own Constituency Council in Dun Laoighaire.

Thomas Johnson (1872–1963) was an Irish nationalist and Labour Party leader. He led the Irish Labour Party in the United Kingdom Parliament. Later, after Irish independence, he was elected a TD for Dublin County to the first Dáil Éireann in the 1922 general election and was the leader of the Labour Party until 1927. As such, he was Leader of the Opposition in the Dáil of the Irish Free State, as Sinn Féin refused to recognize the Dáil as constituted. He is the only Leader of the Opposition from the Labour Party, or indeed from any party other than Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael.

Tom Johnson Summer School, 2008

Tom Johnson Summer School, 2008, originally uploaded by tomcosgrave.

Some of the crowd, note David Fallon and Sean Sammon of the Westport Branch in the third row at the right.

Tom Johnson Summer School, 2008

Tom Johnson Summer School, 2008, originally uploaded by tomcosgrave.

Taking questions from the floor.

Tom Johnson Summer School, 2008

Tom Johnson Summer School, 2008, originally uploaded by tomcosgrave.

Addressing the summer school on the importance of building up Labour Branches and working with and in the local community. By being the hardest working political parties on the ground we can take on larger, less active political machines, and beat them!

Tom Johnson Summer School photos

Photos from this year's Tom Johnson Summer School.  It can be all hard work!

Ballina arts centre - What about Westport?

As Ballina Art centres progresses Martin asks "What about Westport?"

 

The news that Ballina's new Arts centre has received €1.2 million is very welcome news says Cllr Keith Martin but it also raises the question of what about Westport?

 

Cllr Martin says "The Department of the Arts, Sports and Tourism has approved funding for the new centre in Ballina, meanwhile here in Westport we learn this week that St Patrick's Drama Group have had to leave Westport's Town Hall because of the deterioration of the building's condition.

 

"In December 2006 we in Westport applied for funding for a €2.75 million euro refit for the Town Hall to avoid the closure of this vital public building but to no avail. 

 

Cllr Martin adds that "The existing building requires substantial repair work including the total re-roofing and re-plastering.  The plans also include the demolition of the rear extensions to the left of the main hall, their replacement with more up-to-date multi-purpose areas and back stage facilities and the alteration of the front elevation to create a more open and public facade.  This would give us a state of the art indoor public hall, theatre and exhibition space with room for organisations like the drama group.

 

"No-one is begrudging Ballina its successful grant but why is Westport left waiting?  We have a great need for a new Town Hall but our funding applications have been refused.  It's a shame that Westport is falling behind other Mayo towns with regard to public facilities such as a Town Hall theatre, a Civic Office and library."

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

 

There is a democratic deficit in local government.  Local councillors do not, individually or as a group, have the full range of powers and responsibilities required to allow them to properly serve the public or their needs.

 

In the early years of the state councils were very powerful organisations with a vast range of responsibilities (much like the system it is modelled on in the UK) but over the years huge chunks of powers have been chipped off and handed over to central government, state bodies and officials.

 

The system of managers for councils was supposed to relieve councillors of having to make day to day decisions and allow them to concentrate on broader policy issues and that is still the "ideal" today.

 

But the truth is that these powers often referred to as "executive functions" have in fact set up a rival power and policy base centred on the manager which is often used to counter or limit the powers and roles of councillors and to push agendas which usually originate from central government policy decisions, such as waste management and rural planning issues.

 

The powers of councillors are still many and powerful but they can be listed in a couple of pages in the councillors' handbook, but the definition of executive powers is "everything else" not written down as a reserved power! 

 

Currently it is proposed to bring directly-elected mayors for cities and county councils but not for town councils such as Ballina, Castlebar and Westport.

 

I passionately believe all towns need one strong voice and the consistent policies that can only be provided by a directly-elected mayor serving a five year term of office.

 

I believe councillors need to have the power to effect real changes in their areas and this requires them to have powers over policing, transport, education and health matters in addition to strengthening their powers over existing council functions.

 

I believe we must strengthen the role of the elected council, in order to provide the citizen with accountable public services. Councillors must have the power to seek accountability from any agency, whether public or private, which is providing public services in their area. Councillors need to have the powers to seek reports from service providers and to question, in public, the appropriate managers on aspects of their service.

 

Councils should have a consumer protection role in relation to private sector services. Private refuse collectors, telecoms, private schools, local rail and airline services, local banks and cable TV providers should be amenable to public questioning by the elected representatives of the people, on their public service remit.

 

We need to give town councils directly elected mayors with a mandate and vision for their town's future, give councillors more powers to effect change and policy and remove the role of officials from policy and let mayors make the day to day decisions based on advice from their officials.

 

For the first time in years there is a move to reform local government and currently submissions are being invited from the public on the above issues.  I would ask all your readers to make a submission to the Dept of the Environment on what they would like to see done about local government before the closing date of July 31^st.

 

Submissions can be sent in to

Green Paper Consultation
Local Government Project Development
Room 2.07
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Custom House
Dublin 1

 

Or emailed to  greenpaper@environ.ie

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Councillor Keith Martin

Westport Town Council

 

Phone/Fax 098 24852

Mobile 086 0691182

Welcome for HSE breakup but talking shops must end too!

Welcoming the decision to regionalise the HSE, Labour's Cllr Keith Martin says the Government can't be trusted in the provision of health services in the west. 

 

Cllr Martin says "Regionalisation is a very welcome development when you consider how out of touch with the needs of the west the Minister and her Department are.  When Minister Harney visited Castlebar recently she had the wrong figures for the number of cancer procedures in Castlebar hospital and more recently she has the wrong information on the number of beds supposed to be available in Galway's Centre of Excellence.  If the Minister and her Department have such a loose grip on the facts how can they be trusted to look after us here in the west?

 

"Don't forget, while we have Breastcheck in operation for several months, Breastcheck has been available for seven years in Dublin.  That says it all as far as I am concerned.  The Government cannot be trusted to provide health services in the west of Ireland.  We simply are not a priority out here."

 

Under the new proposals, authority for running hospital and community services will be devolved to new regional management structures.  In 2004, the Government abolished the 11 health boards and replaced them with a centralised Health Service Executive.

 

Cllr Keith Martin says the return of power to regional areas is a welcome step towards correcting some spending and priority problems associated with a centralised system. 

 

"Under the new plans, regional directors would run hospital and community services in their area and determine how funding provided by the HSE at national level should be allocated.

 

"But the next necessary step is to replace HSE forums with decision making bodies made up of elected representatives working with the local HSE management.   We must end the talking shops and put power back in the hands of the people."

 

 086 0691182         

Wait continues for Gaelscoille children and parents

The pupils of Gaelscoile Na Cruaiche and their parents and teachers will have to wait until September for an update on their planned new school according to Cllr Keith Martin.  In addition to this the Minister of Education, Batt O'Keeffe TD is unable at present to say how many primary schools in Mayo are educating pupils in prefabs.

In reply to a question raised by Labour's Spokesperson on Education, Ruairi Quinn TD on behalf of Cllr Martin, the Minister said his Department is in the process of compiling the information gathered from a survey undertaken in September 2007.  

In relation to the planned new Gaelscoile building the Minister stated in May that the architectural planning of the Gaelscoile was at "an advanced stage" but following discussions between Deputy Quinn and Minister O'Keeffe is seems likely that it will be September before the Minister will have an update on the school in the context of the Department's Multi Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Cllr Martin says the lack of progress on the issues is "very disappointing".  

"This project has received full planning permission on a site made available specially by Westport Town Council for the school and the plans are at an advanced stage.  Really, all the pupils and parents are waiting on is for the tender to be granted to build the project or, failing that, for the Minister to give a date for when he will grant a tender.  

"Its very disappointing after all the hard work by the pupils and parents in raising their case and after all the Town Council's work in facilitating and lobbying, that the school is being left in limbo.

"With the decline in the building industry and the economy at large, now is the time for the government to embark on capital spending projects like the Gaelscoille."

Massive increase in Mayo Live Register

A wave of unemployment is sweeping through Mayo according to Labour's Cllr Keith Martin.  Cllr Martin says the Live Register Figures released on Friday July 4th point to a massive increase in unemployment throughout the county.

 

Among the worst hit are Westport with a 55.49% increase, Castlebar with a 58.14% increase, Ballinrobe with a 59.49% increase and Claremorris with an increase of over 65%.

 

The figures for Mayo are consistent with the national situation which show an increase in unemployment of 19,000 over May 2008 and a 67,000 increase over May 2007.

 

Cllr Martin says urgent action is required to alleviate the devastating impact that job losses were having on local communities in the west of Ireland.  Cllr Martin says the losses were not confined to bigger towns like Ballina with a 35% increase, as Achill was up 29%, Belmullet was up 23% and Swinford was up 45%.

 

"It is like a tide of unemployment is sweeping through our towns and villages and we in the west have some of the biggest increases.  It is a black day for Mayo but if action is not taken things could only get worse."

Adams premature on Convent Buildings

According to Labour's Cllr Keith Martin "Councillor Margaret Adams has been very premature in her public comments this week on Mid West Radio in calling for the council to acquire the convent buildings in Westport for the new Civic Offices."

Cllr Martin says "It is a bit disingenuous of Cllr Adams to infer by her comments that she is the driving force behind such a move when the truth is that all nine councillors have been involved in the issue for some time."

Cllr Martin says that over a month ago Westport Town Council instructed Town Manager Peter Hynes to investigate the possible purchase of the convent buildings and voted unanimously to put together a subcommittee to oversee the negotiations on the site.

"Westport Town Councillors also agreed to keep the negotiations confidential to allow management to conduct the negotiations out of the public arena. To my knowledge this is the situation today and I think it would be best if Cllr Adams refrained from making speculative comments on the radio on an issue that has already been discussed and agreed to by all councillors and was supposed to be confidential."

Letter to the editor

Dear Editor,

Mayo County Council propose to charge us all for the privilege of recycling at Derrinumera and Rathroeen and reverse their policy of allow recyclers free use of the two facilities.

How does this tie in the accepted local and national principle that the "polluter pays"?

The Polluter Pays Principle is a principle in environmental law where the polluting party pays for the damage done to the natural environment. Since 1996 this has been enshrined in our waste laws.

Currently Mayo County Council charges €5 a bag and €155 per tonne of waste received at the centres. Last year Derrinumera alone received 20,000 tonnes at €150 per tonne.

Mayo County Council also received funding totalling €128, 880 to support the operating costs of recycling facilities in November 2007. This funding was from the Environment Fund, which was established with the revenues obtained from the plastic bag levy introduced in March 2002 and the landfill levy introduced in July 2002.

Why is Mayo County Council not raising its waste fill charges to meet its running costs? Even a small increase would raise a huge amount of money.

Why is Mayo County Council setting out to generate revenue from recyclers?

If Mayo County Council proceeds with these charges they will only lead to an increase in fly tipping and backyard burning. The cost of living is now sky high and we have councillors and officials introducing another stealth tax on hard-pressed families.

I think recycling should be free and dumping should pay for the costs of both dumping and recycling.

I would appeal to your readers and especially the thousands of recyclers who use Derrinumera and Rathroeen amenity centres to contact their local councillor and Mayo County Council's, Director of Service, Mr Seamus Granaghan to protest at this move to punish recyclers.

Yours sincerely

Cllr Keith Martin

33 Pairc na Coille

Westport

Co. Mayo

086 0691182

Martin calls for support in saving rural post office campaign

Labour's Cllr Keith Martin has welcomed a new move by the Irish Postmasters' Union (IPU) to save local post offices.  Over the last eight years over 500 post offices have been shut.

 

The campaign to save local post offices from closure was launched at a meeting this week organised by the Irish Postmasters' Union (IPU) and attended by the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Irish Farmers Association, Age Action, Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, Irish Rural Link and the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed.

 

Unlike the majority of EU countries, Ireland does not have specific minimum requirements in relation to post office network size and coverage.

 

Cllr Keith Martin says he is pledging his support to the campaign and has called for support for the campaign from Mayo's politicians. 

 

The IPU is calling for the Government and An Post to decide on what size, distribution and quality of network should be available to the public and to carry out any planned closures on a planned and voluntary basis.  The IPU is also calling for post offices to be computerised and adequately resourced and for a commitment from Government to the post office as the provider for the delivery of social welfare payments.

 

Cllr Martin concluded that "Rural dwellers face an increased decline in their quality of life if essential services such as rural post offices and garda barracks continue to close and if rural transport and broadband continue to fail to meet demand.  This campaign is the first step in reversing that decline and it should be supported 100%.  I have contacted An Post, the Minister and the IPU in support of the campaign."

 

             086 0691182

Tom Johnson Summer School

Vincent Browne addresses the Tom Johnson Summer School in Galway.

Recycling charges may breach EU law

Cllr Keith Martin says he believes proposals by Mayo County Council to introduce recycling charges Derrinumera and Rathroeen amenity centres are in breach of EU law by contravening the legal principle that the "polluter pays".

The Polluter Pays Principle is a principle in environmental law where the polluting party pays for the damage done to the natural environment.

Cllr Martin says "The Polluter Pays is a principle of environmental law, which was ratified in the Maastricht Treaty and the Polluter Pays principle was implemented into Irish law by the Waste Management Act 1996."

Recently Mayo County Council unveiled the proposals proposed charges during a meeting of the environmental policy and emergency services strategic policy committee of Mayo County Council.  The Chairperson of the environment strategic policy committee is Westport's Cllr Margaret Adams.

The charges proposed are €2 per car and €5 per van but currently, members of the public using Rathroeen and Derrinumera civic sites are only charged for bags of refuse going to landfill.

According to Cllr Martin ""Mayo County Council already charges private individuals and waste contractors for dumping waste at these centres and it is from these charges that the cost of these centres should be met not by squeezing those recyclers who use Derrinumera and Rathroeen amenity centres.

"The accepted principle in this area, locally and nationally, is that the polluter pays; not the recycler.  I believe that while Mayo County Council have a legal right under this principle to impose charges for waste they do not have any right to charge recyclers for recycling.

"The polluter should pay; the recycler should not, it's a simple as that.  The cost of living is now sky high and we have councillors and officials introducing another stealth tax on hard-pressed families.  It's a disgrace!"

 

086 0691182                       098 25747

Gold Mining Reply from Dept

Liz McManus TD, Labour's spokesperson on Natural Resources has received a response from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in relation to Gold Mining in Mayo.  Liz McManus took the issue up with the Dept in response to a request from Labour's Westport Councillor Keith Martin.

 

In a recent Parliamentary Question Deputy McManus asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position "regarding plans to open a tourism gold mine near Louisburgh, County Mayo and asked also if he would address fears that the plans cover an area that is a designated area for special conservation and that the tourism mine may be converted into a full scale mining operation."

 

In response, Minister of State Sean Power TD, confirmed that an application "for prospecting licences for gold and silver in respect of a number of areas in north Mayo was received in 2007.  A prospecting licence entitles the holder to explore the designated areas for mineral deposits and is under consideration.  

"Any application to mine would require a State Mining Facility from the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, which would be subject to a public consultation process.  Mining would also require planning permission from the local authority, which involves Environmental Impact Assessment.  An Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Licence would also be required from the Environmental Protection Agency" concluded Minister of State Power.