Deployment of navy a gross over-reaction by Government

Labour's Cllr Keith Martin says the deployment of the warship LE Orla in Broadhaven Bay as part of the State's security provision for the Corrib gas project "was a gross overreaction by the government which would only escalate tensions and costs in relation to the situation in Rossport."

The patrol ship, LE Orla was stationed in the bay yesterday evening, as Shell E&P Ireland prepares to start offshore pipelaying with its 300m (984ft) ship, Solitaire.

"The fact that protesters have been using canoes to deliver messages to the pipelaying ship and that protesters were preparing to swim out in wetsuits to the ship does not warrant the deployment of a warship in the bay.

"The Gardai have their own speed boats and sub-aqua division and can deal with any breaches of the law. The positioning of the warship LE Orla in the bay is a misuse of our navy and a completely disproportionate reaction. Its like using a hammer to swat a fly. The involvement of the military in any "policing" matter should be a last resort.

"The Government should be de-escalating the situation in Rossport not involving the military. I have asked Labour's Spokespersons on Justices and Defence to take the matter up with the Government."

Welcome for Gold mining refusal

Cllr Keith Martin has warmly welcomed the Decision by Natural Resources Minister Eamon Ryan to refuse Prospecting Licences to a company which would have allowed them to search for gold over a large area of South Mayo.

"This is a great victory for Paddy Hopkins and the Mayo Environmental group and for all the groups, organisations and individuals who made submissions opposing gold mining in the area.  The proposal to prospect and mine over such a large area was a threat to our eco-system and to our tourism industry and I welcome the decision by Minister Ryan and congratulate him on making the correct choice.  I would also acknowledge the hard work of Edel Hacket of the Mayo Greens in lobbying the minister. 

"I have opposed this mining venture from the very beginning because of its impact on the Special Area of Conservation, the Holy Mountain of Croagh Patrick and because of the possible impact on the ecosystem of the area.  Gold mining uses poisons such as arsenic to extract gold and any mining would have been very detrimental to our tourism industry as our unspoilt environment is our greatest asset."

Cllr Keith Martin was the proposer of a Resolution by Westport Town Council opposing the prospect of mining in the area.

Fuel Poverty will hit Mayo families hard says Labour

 

Cllr Keith Martin says the news from the World Health Organisation that 17% of Irish households suffer from fuel poverty means that it could be a dangerous winter for elderly and low income families in Mayo. 

 

"In addition to the WHO report a recent survey, published by the St Vincent de Paul, found that 79% of lone parents, 78% of elderly and 81% of local authority tenants struggled to pay for energy and heating costs in their homes.

 

"This means that we are facing a heating crisis this winter among low income families.  Not only is it unacceptable in this day and age to have people living in freezing cold conditions it could be deadly in the case of the elderly who are extremely vulnerable to the cold" says Cllr Martin.

 

According to the Labour councillor "Older people are more likely to experience fuel poverty due to lower standards of housing coupled with lower incomes. Older people living alone are particularly vulnerable.

 

"The fuel allowance scheme should be paid all year around effectively doubling the existing payment which would allow recipients to stockpile solid fuels, prepay ESB and Gas heating bills for the winter and react to cold spells over the summer and autumn months."

 

"Energy costs in Ireland rose by 33% between 2002 and 2006. When the ESB announced its ambitious scheme to invest in renewable energies concerns were expressed that the cost of their €22 billion plan will be passed on to the consumer at the expense of those less well off. As the price of energy continues to increase the numbers of those living in fuel poverty is set to rise."

 

Cllr Martin says "the ESB should be allowed to retain the €123m dividend that it is due to pay to the Government this year and this should be added to the €300m the ESB is setting aside itself to ease the impact of rising energy prices. The planned roll out of smart meters where consumers can effectively monitor and control electricity usage must be sped up. This was originally promised for 2008 with little or no progress having been made so far.

 

"It is not acceptable in 21^st Century Ireland that low income families and the elderly are facing into a cold winter and possibly deadly winter due to rising fuel costs and a lack of action from government."

 

086 0691182
 

Class sizes

We hear this month that Westport Gaelscoil are still in the dark in relation to a start date for their new school building and are still educating children here in Westport in prefabs.  But we are not alone in that prefab education is wide spread throughout the country.

 

Nationally,

• 800 schools rely to some extent on temporary building
•  40,000 children at least are being taught in prefabs
• One in four children are in classes of 30 or more.

In addition schools, who last year were told that their building programme could proceed, have this year been told that all projects have been put on hold indefinitely! In the meantime, children are attending schools with no proper heating, no sports halls, no general purpose rooms, and no staff rooms.

 

This includes the Gaelscoil which has been told that there is no date set for the tendering and construction.

 

Labour are now calling for the following steps

• A timetable for meeting the commitment on class sizes given in the Programme for Government and for the required recruitment of staff
• The phased reduction of class sizes to the European norm
• A reduction in maximum class sizes to 25:1 in mainstream classes, and 15:1 in schools where there is chronic disadvantage
• Sanction for the appointment of additional special needs teachers to meet current needs and to implement the terms of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004;

 

 

 

Dept Education has No good news on Gaelscoil

There is no good news for the pupils, parents, teachers and supporters of Westport's Gaelscoil says Tom Plunkett, Assistant Principal, Department of Education & Science in a letter to Westport Town Council this month.

According to the Department of Education "in light of current competing demands on the Capital Budget of this Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the Gaelscoil to tender and construction at this time."

Labour's Cllr Keith Martin says this letter is a "grave disappointment to the parents and supporters of the Gaelscoil as it leaves them in a continuing limbo of doubt. There were a lot of promises made in relation to the school and while the site has been acquired on the Golf Course Road and planning permission received, there has been no further action in funding the much-needed new school building."

The letter was a response to Westport Town Council's correspondence with the Department of Education in relation to the Council's preparations for the Council's new park and recreational facilities for the Golf Course Road adjacent to the Gaelscoil site.

The Golf Course Road park will be built independently of the Gaelscoil project and the work is expected to go to tender in a matter of weeks. The Park will provide parkland, a playing pitch, walkways and two children's play areas.

"It is only a pity that the Gaelscoil will not be completed at the same time as the park as it would place the school building and its basketball/volleyball areas at the disposal of the community in addition to the new park" concluded Cllr Martin.

75% funding available for new Westport Library says Martin

Funding of up to 75% of the cost of a new library building for Westport is available from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government according to Labour's Cllr Keith Martin. The Department will also supply funding of up to 50% for new stock and equipment.

Cllr Martin says that this month the Department of the Environment announced a new Capital Funding Programme for Libraries under the Department's new libraries policy "Branching Out-Future Directions" which means there would be central government funding for a new library for Westport.

"This means the County Council will only have to put up a quarter of the cost of a new library for Westport. Castlebar and Ballina have libraries five times the size of Westport and this highlights how far behind Westport has fallen in the provision of such a vital public service" says the Westport councillor.

Cllr Martin is pushing for a new library to be the core of the proposed Convent civic centre project by Westport Town Council and Mayo County Council. Cllr Martin says under the programme there is specific mention of libraries being developed as part of combined projects such as civic centres as this kind of development is being encouraged.

"I am delighted to see that the new buildings programme is currently seeking applications from local authorities for new libraries and I have written to the County Manager, Des Mahon, The Town Manager, Peter Hynes, Director of Service Joe Loftus and County Librarian Austin Vaughan and asked them to put together an application for Westport.

"The Department will provide funding for a new building and while it says funding will be decided on "a case by case basis" it is likely that we would receive about 75% of the cost a new building and about 50% of the stock and equipment costs. This means that Mayo County Council will only have to stump up 25% of the cost for a new library for Westport.

"Because Westport library is too small and outdated to serve the huge population area in south-west Mayo a very good case can be made to the Department for building a new library in Westport as part of the proposed Civic Building development proposed for the Convent."

Cllr Martin stresses that action must be taken immediately as Mayo County Council must submit an interest in the grants by noon on September 15th.



http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/LocalGovernment/PublicLibraries/FileDownLoad,18054,en.doc

Early Bird Train Campaign gathers support

Cllr Keith Martin has warmly welcomed a motion of support from Castlebar Town Council on the issue of an early bird service on the Westport to Dublin train line.  Cllr Martin has now written to Ballina Town Council and Mayo County Council to ask them to follow suit.

 

According to the Labour Councillor "At the June meeting of Westport Town Council I pointed out that an early bird service from Mayo to Dublin would facilitate the 125,000 people in Mayo and proposed that the three other local authorities lend their voice to Westport Town Council's call for action on the issue.

 

"Castlebar has answered that call and passed a motion at its most recent meeting in July supporting 'Westport Town Council's call for an early bird service to Dublin' and has contacted Iarnrod Éireann to request an early bird service as part of the timetable review for 2009.

 

"I trust that Ballina Town Council and Mayo County Council will soon follow suit as there is a definite and recognised need for an early bird service to Dublin. So far the campaign has the full support of Westport Town Council, Westport Chamber of Commerce, the Westport Tourism Industry and now Castlebar Town Council.

 

"I am positive that with continued pressure from the local authorities, businesses, tourism bodies and the general public that Iarnrod Éireann will deliver the service but we need to keep the pressure up."

Another Ryan blogs for Labour

Our Blog brother Seamus Ryan http://seamusryan.blogspot.com/ is not the only Ryan blogging for the Labour Party. Cllr Joe Ryan of Wexford has joined the fray keeping his constituents and the citizenry informed of his work and concerns.

Pop in and check it out at http://cllrjoeryan.blogspot.com/

Come on June 2009! We're going to bring tears to the eye's of the others!

Tubberhill - further delays says Martin

According to Cllr Keith Martin the allocation of the first phase of Westport Town Council's Tubberhill housing scheme will not be made until late 2008 early 2009 as delays in the project have pushed back the completion date.

 

Cllr Martin says that earlier in the year Westport Town Council had informed him that delays in the project's construction and a revised construction programme, would mean the estate would be completed in September.  However the Labour councillor has now learned that the Tubberhill scheme is not scheduled to be ready until the end of the year.  Cllr Martin says this pushes the allocation of the units back into late 2008 or early 2009.  The first phase of the project is made up of 20 affordable units and 23 social units.

 

"While the delay is a disappointment it is not uncommon for construction projects to be behind schedule.  The Tubberhill development will go a long way towards meeting the current housing needs of the town.  We must ensure people from the town get to live in their hometown and this is really only possible through affordable housing.  Recently Westport Town Councillors amended our criteria to give long term residents of the town a better chance of getting an affordable home and I think this is only right" says Cllr Martin.

 

According to Cllr Martin the second phase of the Tubberhill development will probably commence in early 2009 and will take approximately 18 months to deliver additionally 46 units which will be divided between affordable and social housing.

Minister Ryan procrastinates like Hamlet

Labour's Cllr Keith Martin says Green Party Minister Eamon Ryan could give Hamlet a run for his money in his procrastination over a decision on prospecting licences in Mayo.  Cllr Martin says he is very concerned over the long delay in any decision over gold mining in Mayo.

 

The closing date for submissions on the granting of prospecting licences was Christmas 2007 yet to date no decision has been made by the Minister on whether to grant or refuse a licence. 

 

Cllr Martin says the Minister is delaying a decision on this issue "because it will be very controversial if he green lights exploration for gold in Mayo given the area's environmental sensitivity and the opposition of the people of the area to any such mining.  Gold Mining is very dirty and uses poisons likes arsenic to dissolve rock and separate the gold.  I can't imagine anyone who thinks that would be a good idea for the environmentally delicate and scenic county of Mayo.  I have once again written to the Department of Natural Resources to see when a decision is likely."

 

Cllr Martin concluded by pointing out that the Minister's decision on gold prospecting licences hangs over the head of the Mayo Green Party like the sword of Damocles. 

 

"If he grants it he cuts the throat of the party in Mayo but if he refuses it could do the party the world of good in next year's local elections in Mayo."

Mayo County Council receives hundreds of thousands to offset recycling charges

Cllr Keith Martin has received information from the Minister of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government which shows that since 2003 Mayo County Council has received grants totaling €1,181,000 to offset the costs of recycling using bring banks and the two Civic Amenity sites.

 

In the last year alone Mayo County Council received €128,800 in November 2007 and €184,900 in December 2007.  The grants for the Civic Amenity Centres are computed by formula which takes into account tonnage and net operating costs.

 

Cllr Martin contends that this makes a "sham of the council's justification for the introduction of charges to recycle at the Derrinumera and Rathroeen amenity centres.  Mayo County Council received recycling grants of  €313,700 last year alone.

 

"We should not forget that Mayo County Council sells on to companies much of the recycled waste such as aluminium cans, paper and cardboard thus offsetting the costs of the centres even more.

 

"Since 2006 Mayo County Council has also received grants totalling €109,563 to offset the operational costs of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) scheme and in December 2007 Mayo County Council received €60,637 under WEEE.

 

"The fact that the grants take into account the amount recycled to cover increase use means that the busier the centres are the more money Mayo County Council receives to offset recycling charges.  Last year Mayo County Council received a total including the WEEE grant of €374,337 to run recycling in Mayo.  These grants coupled with the income from the sale of recycled materials should cover the cost of recycling in Mayo and I think it is disgraceful that Mayo County Council has pressed ahead and introduced recycling charges.

 

"I believe the polluter should pay and not the recycler.  I believe that any difference between the costs of recycling and these grants and revenue generated should be met by an increase in waste disposal fees and not by hitting recyclers with a stealth tax which is in effect a tax on recycling and a deterrent to recycling. 

 

 

"The majority of people using these recycling centres are low income families and the retired who have decided to take charge of their own waste disposal and recycling needs.  These are the people who will be hit the hardest by these fees.  Fees which I think are unjustified given the amount of money being provided by the Dept of the Environment."

 

 

086 0691182

 

SEE LETTER BELOW

Please Quote Ref: REP4844/JG/08

20 August 2008

Email: kmartin@cllr.westporttc.ie


Dear Cllr. Martin

I have been asked by Mr. John Gormley, T.D., Minister for the
Environment, Heritage and Local Government to respond to your recent
email in connection with funding provided by the Department for the
running costs of civic amenity sites in Mayo.

Since 2003, Mayo County Council has received operational grants
amounting to €1,181,000 under nine rounds of allocations to assist in
offsetting the operational costs of running bring banks and civic
amenity sites as follows:

Bring Banks                                     €296,330
Civic Amenity Sites                             €884,670

Payments which have been made to Mayo County Council under this Scheme
in the last 12 months are as follows: €128,800 on 8/11/07 and €184,900
on 19/12/07. I regret that a breakdown per civic amenity site is not
available. The grant for civic amenity sites is computed by formula. The
formula takes into account combined weighted tonnage and net operating
costs submitted by the Council every six months.


Since 2006, the Council has also received grants totalling €109,563 to
offset the operational costs of taking back household Waste Electrical
and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). One payment has been made to Mayo
County Council under this Scheme in the last 12 months for €60,637 on
19/12/07.

I hope you find the above information useful.

Yours sincerely,


____________
Eddie Kiernan,
Private Secretary
 

 

Call for new library to be heart of civic plans

A new public library for Westport must be central to any Civic Office development in the Convent grounds says Labour's Cllr Keith Martin.

 

Currently Westport is served by a 2,000 sq foot library built in 1972/3, which has not been expanded or renovated since.  At 2,000 sq feet it is only double the size of Achill library and a fifth the size of Ballina and Castlebar.

 

According to Cllr Martin "There has long been a consensus, in the council chamber and in the town, that the library building is too small to meet the needs of the growing population in the Westport.  Not only is it an unattractive building but it is far too small to meet the demands placed on it.  We need a new library the size of Castlebar's with study areas, a dedicated local history section, a children's area and an exhibition space in addition to a increased shelf space for books, CDs, DVDs and digital media.

 

"Westport is open the same hours as Castlebar and Ballina, providing the same services as them but with only a fifth the floor space and a staff of three.  There are no public toilets, no reading areas and only six computers whereas Castlebar and Ballina have 20 each.

 

"Westport has been left behind as the failure to upgrade Westport over the years means that Claremorris and Ballinrobe have bigger libraries than Westport but only cater to a fraction of the customers Westport does.

 

"In the County Development Plan 2003 to 2008 there was a provision for a new library for Westport and I would like to see that commitment delivered on in the new Convent development.  In the last year I have already asked officials to look at the Bank of Ireland building as a possible site for the new library but now the convent is the ideal opportunity for a new library."

 

"We will also have the opportunity of displaying the town's art collection which has been built up over the years by the council acquiring pieces from local and visiting artists and a new library and civic offices would be the ideal venue to put this art collection on display."

 

"I can tell you that there is agreement among Westport Town Councillors for a new library.  We pay Mayo County Council to provide the service as an agent and as we look at purchasing the convent grounds in co-operation with Mayo County Council for a new one-stop-shop for civic services I will be insisting on the provision of a new library as my number one priority and as the price of my support for the purchase.  Councillors have to vote to purchase the site as it is a reserved function."

 

Mayo County Library holds over 300,000 books across its extensive network of 17 branches throughout the county.  Membership of the Library is available to all people living in County Mayo, on a fee basis and is free for all people under 18.

Fees are Adults-€3.00, Senior Citizen-€1.00, Unemployed-€1.00, Third Level student-€1.00, Juveniles up to age 18-Free.  There are over 25,000 members in Mayo alone i.e. one quarter of population is a member in Mayo.

Martin welcomes mast refusal

Labour's Cllr Keith Martin has welcomed the refusal by Mayo County Council for permission to erect a 15 metre tall mast in Killadoon, Louisburgh.  Eircom had sought to erect a mast and three aerials in the village, in February, on the site of an existing telephone exchange but in July the planning application was refused by Mayo County Council.

 

Cllr Martin was one of 7 objectors to the 15m mast and in his objection Cllr Martin pointed out that the Killadoon area was environmentally sensitive and of great historical and heritage value.

 

Cllr Martin also stated that the application by the phone company for a 15m pole carrying three radio aerials should be refused as it would impinge on the integrity of the nearby ring fort and standing stones of Killadoon.

 

"I am delighted that Mayo County Council has turned this application down.  The site was completely unsuitable and the mast would have been intrusive and unsightly.  I hope that Eircom will now locate a more suitable location" concluded Cllr Martin.

 

Decision listed on link below

http://services.mayococo.ie/mcc4/PlanningViewer/displayafile.asp?la=1&filenum=08290

 

086 0691182

 

Statement on Convent Deposit

I welcome the placing of a deposit on the convent and I think it all but guarantees that we will be purchasing the property as a new civic office in conjunction with Mayo County Council but I regret that our Cathaoirleach was not allowed to be the person to make the news public. 

 

I think that in keeping with council protocol and precedent that the Cathaoirleach should have been the person to head this issue up in conjunction with the head of the area committee of Mayo Co Co advised by the Manager Mr Peter Hynes. 

 

The convent, like Station Rise and Tubberhill, is a project of all nine councillors and all such announcements should, in my opinion come from the head of the council, the Cathaoirleach. 

 

In my opinion Cllr Margaret Adams broke council protocol and precedent in announcing the placing of a deposit on the convent to the media. In doing so she has usurped the role of the Cathaoirleach as head of the council and undermined the chair of the Westport Local Area Committee of Mayo County Council. 

 

In my opinion Cllr Adams is desperate to portray herself to the public as the driving force behind the purchase at the expense of the other town and county councillors who have all a role to pay in driving and approving the purchase. 

 

I think Cllr Adams is showboating on this issue because of next year's elections and I think its shameful that she is trying to take credit for the project.  In future she should leave such matters to the Cathaoirleach otherwise what's to stop any councillor taking sole credit for the work of the council at the expense of the other councillors?

Ragwort invasion needs to be tackled

The National Roads Authority, Westport Town Council, Mayo County Council and landowners are being urged by Cllr Keith Martin to tackle the "invasion of ragwort" which the labour councillor says is sweeping the town.  Ragwort is a highly poisonous plant if eaten. Ragwort is also toxic to cattle, horses, deer, goats, pigs and chickens.

 

According to the Labour councillor when these weeds are permitted to grow unrestricted they will spread to neighbouring land. Ragwort and thistle seeds are particularly easily spread as their seeds are carried by the wind.

 

"In Westport I have noticed the ragwort, which traditionally was a feature of the countryside, is now spreading into the town.  On a walkabout one evening this week in my own neighbourhood I noticed ragwort in Michael Davitt Park, the Fairways and Kingshill and Deerpark East but the truth is the all areas of the town have ragwort growing somewhere. 

 

"I have also spotted the plant in Mayo County Council's depot on the Ballinrobe Road and in the new fire station on the Lenaune Road.  It is also spreading throughout Sandyhill and on the roads into the town.

 

"Annual cutting of noxious weeds will limit seed production and should prevent weeds spreading to adjacent land. Herbicides can be used as a long-term control measure and are generally effective when used in co-ordination with other good sward management practices.

 

I want Westport Town Council, Mayo County Council and the NRA to take action for what is their responsibility.  The NRA and Mayo County Council are responsible for their properties and for the roadsides of national, regional and local roads, Westport Town Council are responsible for its property and the town in general. 

 

"Farmers, landowners, homeowners and landlords should also inspect their property and remove either by hand or with herbicide any ragwort or thistle.  Action this year will prevent the spread of the weed next year.  If we don't tackle this invasion this year we will have twice as much work next year."

 

Ragwort, Thistle, Dock, Common Barberry, Male Wild Hop and Spring Wild Oat are scheduled as noxious weeds under the Noxious Weeds Act 1936. Any person responsible for land on which these weeks are growing is liable, upon conviction, to be fined. A person responsible for land may be either the owner, occupier, user or manager of the land.

 

Under the Act 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. Where noxious weeks are growing on land, the person responsible may be served with a notice requiring the destruction of the noxious weeds in a specified manner and time. Failure to comply with the conditions or terms of the notice served shall result in prosecution.

 

In addition, the Minister for Agriculture may arrange for the destruction of the noxious weeks concerned and recover the cost of doing so from the person responsible as a simple contract debt in any appropriate court. Also, under the Single Payment Scheme, farmers are required to maintain land in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition as part of Cross-Compliance.  Failure to comply with this condition may result in a reduction in the Single Farm Payment.

 

086 0691182