Mayo Garda changes

Labour's Cllr Keith Martin has welcomed the publication of the 2009 Garda Policing Plan.  The plan contains some small changes to the Mayo Division with Enniscrone Sub-District and Easkey Sub-District moving from the Mayo Division to the Sligo/Leitrim Division and the Kilmovee ED moving from Roscommon/Longford Division to the Mayo Division.  Also the Townland of Bellaghy, in Sligo/Leitrim, will be retained by Charlestown Sub-District.

The Garda Síochána Policing Plans 2008 and 2009 outline the Garda Commissioner's plans to change Regional and Divisional boundaries to realign Garda geographical areas with local authority boundaries.  The overall initiative is managed by a Programme Board which is chaired by an Assistant Commissioner from Garda Headquarters.

 

Cllr Martin says he welcomes the move to align Garda Divisions with county's saying "it is important that people are policed by the local force as Community policing is the best way to tackle crime and to build up a relationship between the community and the Gardai"

According to Cllr Keith Martin "The plan also lays out the priorities for the force for the coming year and I will be having an input into the policing of the Westport area as a member of the Westport Policing Committee.  On that committee I will be highlighting the concerns of those in the town and countryside in relation to break-ins, speeding and public order and will ensure that the Gardai tackle these issues head on."

 

"I look forward to working with Superintendent Pat Doyle and his team in highlighting the issues and areas that need real attention in and outside of the town.  I share the aims of the Garda Policing Plan 2009 in combating public disorder, speeding, and preventing break-ins." 

Martin goes to Brussels

I had a pre-Christmas taste of Brussels when I recently travelled to the EU to discuss the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) with MEP Proinsias De Rossa. Mayo have five major water and sewerage schemes delayed by the (PPP) process.

Can you spot me above?

Christmas Party Raffle

Mike Murphy was the winner of the raffle prize at my Christmas Party last night!

New N5 vital to Enterprise in West - IBEC- Penrose- Martin

Photo:  Westport Chamber of Commerce met with Eamon Gilmore and Cllr Keith Martin during the Labour Leader's visit to Mayo

Cllr Keith Martin recently met with the chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Labour's Deputy Willie Penrose, to discuss the issue of Enterprise in Mayo, and in particular to highlight the condition of the N5 road and its negative effect on possible future commercial development in Mayo.

Cllr Martin met with Deputy Penrose in Carrick-on-Shannon last week to discuss the challenge of getting investment into the west and in particular the dire condition of the N5 from Westport to Longford.  Cllr Martin says "Deputy Penrose is well aware of the need to invest in the west to create employment and of the need for proper infrastructure to attract business investment.  Deputy Penrose informed me that his Committee had recently met with IBEC and that the issue of the N5 was discussed in relation to Westport's pharmaceutical industry and future investment. 

"Deputy Penrose as chair of the Oireachtas Enterprise Committee and as a TD for Longford is well aware of the need for a new N5.

"The issue of a new N5 and infrastructure investment such as high-speed broadband was also raised by Westport Chamber of Commerce and I, with the leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Eamon Gilmore during his recent visit to Mayo.  It is fair to say that the Labour Party is well aware of our needs here in Mayo and I will continue to highlight our needs within the Labour Party and nationally."

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Meeting with MEP DeRossa in EU Parliment

The delay in providing much needed water and sewerage schemes in Mayo due to the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) could soon be the subject of an investigation by the European Commission following a recent meeting between Labour's Cllr Keith Martin and Labour MEP Proinsias De Rossa.  Labour's Cllr Keith Martin met with Mr De Rossa in the European Parliament last week to discuss the issue of the five stalled water and sewerage schemes in Mayo.  Cllr Keith Martin was part of a delegation of Labour Party councillors and representatives who travelled to Brussels to met with Mr De Rossa.

Currently Mayo has no less than five major sewerage and water schemes on hold due to a failure to meet the massive financial requirements under the Polluter Pays Principle under the European Water Framework Directive.

According to Cllr Martin "Achill has been waiting 30 years for a sewerage scheme, Westport and Louisburgh are waiting for an connection to the Lough Mask, Kilitmagh is waiting on both a water connection to Lough Mask and a sewerage scheme, while Ballina is also waiting on an extension to its water supply system.

"The numbers involved are huge for example, the Lough Mask connection to Westport and Louisburgh will cost €28m of which €8.5m is the County Council's payment under the Polluter Pays Principle, for the Kiltimagh sewerage Mayo County Council must pay €2.3m, for the area's water scheme the cost is €22m with a (PPP) contribution of €6m.

"These are huge sums of money and until they are found these schemes are on hold.  There is also no discrimination between rural and urban areas or extra support for the BMW region. 

"When I met with Mr De Rossa I outlined the situation to him and he was very receptive and has offered his full support in seeking a solution which will allow these vital water and sewerage schemes to go ahead.  Mr De Rossa believes there may be a problem in how the Irish Government currently interprets the Water Directive and I am going to investigate the issue of implementation at local, national and European level. 

"There whole area of actual responsibility is a very grey area as local authorities blame national government , who then blame the EU; but I am not interested in assigning blame, I want to identify the real problem and find a solution.  I have requested a full report on the impact of the Polluter Pays Principal in Mayo from the County Manager and I have also requested that the Department of the Environment do the same. 

"As a last resort Mr De Rossa will assist me in putting together a petition for a full investigation of Mayo's five stalled projects by the European Commission.  It is obscene that Achill is waiting 30 years and that Westport faces water quality issues because of the delay in extending the Lough Mask Scheme to Westport and Louisburgh.  Its time to stop the blame game and to find a solution."

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Cllr Keith Martin, 086 0691182, www.councillorkeithmartin.com

Great Train Robbery

Cllr Keith Martin says the decision by Irish Rail to impose parking charges at Westport Railway Station is the new "Great Train Robbery".

 

Irish Rail will charge €2 per day or €8 per week for cars parked at the station or in the station car park from next Monday 8th December.  Cars which do not display their parking ticket will be clamped and owners will have to pay €120 to have the clamp removed.

 

Cllr Martin says "as Westport is a rural station with no bus links people using the train service have no option but to use their cars to get to the station particularly for the early train.  While people in the town can walk or get taxis Irish Rail customers from the countryside have no option but to drive into town and park up at the station."

 

"Irish Rail are already charging too much for train tickets, especially for family and student tickets which are more expensive than the Galway line.  This new charge is another disincentive to use the train service.  As using the train gets more expensive more and more people will use their cars for the journey to Dublin.

 

"Westport is not a commuter town, nor is it well served by bus routes or rural transport schemes and for Irish Rail to impose parking charges is just another stealth tax which is part of the new "Great Train Robbery" which has seen us lose our hot food dining cars in the name of progress.  Irish Rail should reverse this new parking charge, bring back dining cars and ensure 'fair' fares on the Westport line for families and students."

The big chair

Its not many chairs that can make me seem small but this huge chair in the Hotel Kilkenny succeeded!

Collecting an award in Kilkenny

Pictured: Labour Party President Michael D Higgins presenting Johnny Mee's award for long service to the party to Cllr Keith Martin who accepted the award on Cllr Mee's behalf.  Cllr Mee received the award for his decades of service to the party at Labour's 2008 conference in Kilkenny last week.