 The Labour Party (@labour)03/12/2010 11:22 In case you missed yesterday's Order of Business where Eamon said Labour would not be bound by IMF sell-out, its here http://bit.ly/fXB0H5 |
Friday, 3 December 2010
@labour, 03/12/2010 11:22
Monday, 15 November 2010
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Labour party November meeting
The November meeting of the Labour Party in Westport takes place this Wednesday evening at 8pm (Nov 10th) in Henehan's Bar, Bridge Street. Anyone interested in membership or helping Labour elect Dr Jerry Cowley is welcome to attend.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Church Gate Thanks
The Westport Branch of the Labour Party would like to thank the parishioners of St Mary's and Holy Trinity churches who gave so generously at the Branch's recent Church Gate collection. Every penny raised goes towards supporting the Labour Party's activities in Westport and is greatly appreciated. For more information on the Labour Party in Westport or for membership queries call Keith on 086 0691182 or visit www.westportlabour.blogspot.com
Friday, 29 October 2010
Labour supporters
Could do any mass for the Westport Labour Party this weekend? Sat at
6 or Sun at 10 and 11.30? Or all 3? Please let me know!
6 or Sun at 10 and 11.30? Or all 3? Please let me know!
Councillor Keith Martin
086 0691182
098 24852
www.councillorkeithmartin.com
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Letter to Editor
Dear Editor,
In these dark days of recession I notice an increasing tendancy among some to criticise the President's role and purpose as some form of expensive national window dressing in a country that cannot afford such a luxury.
They forget that dark night of 27 January 1982 when the only institution of this state to stand up to Charles J Haughey was the Presidency.
Haughey was able to intimidate all except the President and that is why we have a President, to protect us, our nation and our constitution from harm.
The Presidency is worth every penny.
God save Ireland
Councillor Keith Martin
086 0691182
098 24852
www.councillorkeithmartin.com
In these dark days of recession I notice an increasing tendancy among some to criticise the President's role and purpose as some form of expensive national window dressing in a country that cannot afford such a luxury.
They forget that dark night of 27 January 1982 when the only institution of this state to stand up to Charles J Haughey was the Presidency.
Haughey was able to intimidate all except the President and that is why we have a President, to protect us, our nation and our constitution from harm.
The Presidency is worth every penny.
God save Ireland
Councillor Keith Martin
086 0691182
098 24852
www.councillorkeithmartin.com
Friday, 10 September 2010
Labour will reform local government
Labour has put forward far-reaching proposals to reform local government that will deliver genuine efficiency at local level. For example:
* Is our view that where an issue arises regarding a town council seeking rating status or dispute arises over the inclusion of an area in a council, the issue could be resolved either by plebiscite of the voters in that area or by recommendation of the Local Government Commission (Local Government Act, 2001)
* Government departments and State Agency should be examined to identify those functions which would be performed more effectively and appropriately at a local level.
* Councils should have the power to seek reports from service providers on a similar basis to Oireachtas Committees, and to question, in public, the appropriate managers on aspects of their service.
* The position of County Manager should be abolished and replaced by a Chief Executive of the Council.
* We believe that the distinction between county councils and the town should be rebalanced.
* Chief Executives should exercise a limited range of Executive Functions, similar to those which were originally intended in the City and County management Acts.
* Chief Executives should have no policy-making functions other than to assist and advise the elected Council in the making of policy.
* The power of the Minister to abolish a Council and to replace it with a Commissioner should be ended. Instead, where a Council fails to adopt an Annual Budget, the Council should stand suspended, and fresh elections be held to elect a new council for the remainder of its five year cycle.
* Rates should be levied on State owned property. There is no continuing justification for exempting State owned property from the rates regime which applies to privately owned businesses.
Local Government Reform can only be achieved in the context of a broader reform programme that not only involves National Government Reform but also a comprehensive reform of our public and state structures thereby providing a clear framework as to what functions as best suited to the differing levels of government.
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
ComReg calls on Eircom to reverse its minimum payment policy
This is the ComReg's reply to my original complaint about Eircom's proposed €20 minimum payment policy.
Dear Councillor Martin
In relation to your query below I wish to advise you that ComReg is concerned that the change will affect consumers who have found, up until now, this method of payment the best way of paying their Eircom bill. In particular, ComReg believes that Eircom's decision may have a very negative impact on the most vulnerable of consumers. ComReg has called on Eircom to reverse this decision in light of the serious and well-grounded concerns voiced by many stakeholders.
Rgds
Una
Una Marnell
Contact Management Team Leader
Commission for Communications Regulation
Contact Management Team Leader
Commission for Communications Regulation
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
22 jobs go at Westport factory
Very upset to hear of the loss of 22 jobs at Skretting Ireland plant at Westport Quay. The closure will be a serious blow to the locality, which already has a seriously high unemployment rate.
Still the Government fiddle while Rome burns! Putting the 500,000 unemployed to work for their dole is not the answer, the answer is to create proper jobs for those half a million people so they are no longer unemployed!
Monday, 6 September 2010
Eamon Gilmore on winning the West
The Winning The West Labour Conference which will be attended by Eamon
Gilmore has been scheduled for the weekend of the 16th October in
Castlebar. Full details to follow. All Labour Party members and
supporters are welcome.
Gilmore has been scheduled for the weekend of the 16th October in
Castlebar. Full details to follow. All Labour Party members and
supporters are welcome.
Council meeting notes
- Still no result for the Sustainable Transport competition. Fingers crossed that Westport wins the €6.5 million
- Westlands estate was taken over by the council
- The Westport of the Worlds celebration takes place next week to mark 25 years
Sunday, 5 September 2010
Eircom adopting "bully boy" billing says Cllr
Labour's Cllr Keith Martin has written to the Communications Regulator to ask the regulator to take action following the latest plans by Eircom to hit those struggling to pay their bills.
According to Cllr Martin "The news that Eircom is to insist that their cash-strapped customers must pay a minimum of €20 towards their bill at a time is yet another blow to those on lower incomes. It has been good budgeting practice for those who struggle with their phone bills to pay off a small amount in regular instalments to avoid having to deal with one large bill at the end of the month. Many customers on low incomes have been paying of €5 or €10 each week to help manage their budgets. Eircom is now insisting on a minimum of €20 at a time, or the full amount if it comes to less than €20.
It is unrealistic and unfair of Eircom to set such terms especially during this recession. People are under enough pressure to keep the lights on and food on the table without Eircom adopting 'bully boy' demands on people who are already doing their best to pay the bills. Telephones are vital social links especially for the elderly and those living in remote rural areas. It is time the regulator flexed their muscles and clamped down on this kind of unreasonable, anti-social behaviour by a major company.
Eircom's proposals have been criticised by Age Action Ireland and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS).
According to Cllr Martin "The news that Eircom is to insist that their cash-strapped customers must pay a minimum of €20 towards their bill at a time is yet another blow to those on lower incomes. It has been good budgeting practice for those who struggle with their phone bills to pay off a small amount in regular instalments to avoid having to deal with one large bill at the end of the month. Many customers on low incomes have been paying of €5 or €10 each week to help manage their budgets. Eircom is now insisting on a minimum of €20 at a time, or the full amount if it comes to less than €20.
It is unrealistic and unfair of Eircom to set such terms especially during this recession. People are under enough pressure to keep the lights on and food on the table without Eircom adopting 'bully boy' demands on people who are already doing their best to pay the bills. Telephones are vital social links especially for the elderly and those living in remote rural areas. It is time the regulator flexed their muscles and clamped down on this kind of unreasonable, anti-social behaviour by a major company.
Eircom's proposals have been criticised by Age Action Ireland and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS).
Golf Course Road Park and school plans
New public park on the Railway Line Walk
Westport Town Councillors voted on Thursday night to develop a new 2 acre public park beside the Railway Line walk. The park will be designed by TV's Celebrity Gardener Diarmuid Gavin and will feature a Multi Use Games Area. The design and building of the park will be filmed and will be shown on RTE in the new year.
The park will be located in the triangular area between the two bridges which cross the Green way in Cloonmonad. Diarmuid Gavin has already visited the site and will now draw up his vision for the park. The project will also include Westport's first and long awaited skateboard park.
Cllr Keith Martin has warmly welcomed the development saying it is another excellent leisure feature for Westport.
"The park will provide a rest area for people using the Greenway and the games area will facilitate and promote sports and fitness activities. The park also ties in with sustainable transport as users can access it from the town or Quay via the Greenway. Because the park is overseen from both main roads and accessed from the Greenway we expect it to be very busy and popular and thus we expect there to be no issue with anti-social behaviour."
Clew Bay Disaster memorial
Further to Any Other Business on the agenda for September's meeting of
Westport Town Council I have requested that Mayo County Council's area
committee for Westport ensure that the integrity of the memorial at
the Quay be respected by those using the area.
This should mean that any activities or inflatable recreation
equipment be kept at least 6 feet away from the memorail which marks
the Clew Bay Boating disaster of 1894 when 32 people drowned at
Westport Quays when their overloaded boat capsized.
Monday, 23 August 2010
New park
football pitch. Two playgrounds and basketball courts to follow.
Monday, 19 July 2010
Passports
Councillor wants Russian ambassador expelled over spies' 'Irish passports'
Ads by Google
Sunday July 04 2010
A COUNCILLOR has called for the expulsion of the Russian ambassador if allegations that false Irish passports were used by its spies are proved. "The abuse of Irish passports must stop," said Councillor Keith Martin of Clare County Council.
"We should close the Israeli embassy over the use of our passports by Israeli assassins and if the new allegations of spying against Russia are true, we should expel the Russian ambassador over the abuse of our passports by Russian spies," he said.
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Ballina Branch Labour Party
>
> Murphy's on the Moy 8.30pm Wednesday July 14th
>
> The Labour Party will be establishing a Ballina Branch at their
> first monthly meeting in Murphy's on the Moy on Wednesday July 14th
> at 8.30pm.
>
> Dr Jerry Cowley and members of the Labour Party in Mayo will be in
> attendence.
>
> All are welcome to attend.
>
> Contact Sean Sammon on 086 837 2792 with any questions
>
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Mid West Radio
Keep an ear out for me on Mid West Radio this week.
I'll be on about
- The Flying Saucers at the Octagon
- Car Parking charges at Murrisk (Yes, again!)
- My script writing win
K
Labour Party Survey
Was out last night with Chairman Sean Sammon in Westport taking up a Labour Party Survey on issues and concerns. Had a great response, had a great chat on the doors. People are annoyed and will punish FF. Survey results will be published in early July.
Email me if you'd like a form to complete!
Cancel Pay to Pray Charge for Murrisk's Sake!
Labour's Cllr Keith Martin has repeated his call on Mayo County Council to abandon its planned introduction of car parking charges at Murrisk Car Park.
--
Faithfully
Cllr Keith Martin
086 0691182
Cllr Martin repeated his call in the light of Mayo County Councillors' decision to press ahead with the charges, which range up to €2.50 for eight hours car parking.
Cllr Martin has been critical of the introduction of the charges as he has previously described the parking fees as a "tax on tourism" in Murrisk and has expressed concerns that the charge will promote increased parking along the main roadway, in front of businesses and private residences, down boreens and around the Abbey and Graveyard.
Cllr Martin says that the proposed parking charge are still more expensive that parking in Westport Town. "Eight hours in Westport Town centre will cost you €2. In Murrisk you'll pay €2.50. People are just going to park on the roadway rather than pay this new charge.
"The pay and display system is unworkable in that no traffic warden from Mayo County Council is going to travel to Murrisk to enforce the system. It would simply cost too much. Therefore the system will be more 'Catch me if you can" than "Pay and Display'.
"Contrast the parking at the Reek with that at Knock, where the council provides a huge, well maintained and free car park. It's just not fair to charge for the same in Murrisk. There should always be free parking at the Reek, which is and has been, a centre of local and national religious significance for centuries. Neither should anyone have to pay to park to visit the National Famine memorial.
"Car Parking charges should be used to ensure a turnover of car parking spaces in busy areas, they should never be used as simple revenue collection system and should never be used in isolated villages like Murrisk.
"A voluntary contribution towards parking would be are more civilised approach in helping Murrisk Development Association in its work.
"I genuinely fear that introducing a car parking charge at the height of the greatest recession in history is going to be bad for Murrisk's tourism. I fear that people will continue on to destinations like Old Head and Louisburgh rather than stop at Murrisk.
"Ireland lost 1 million visitors in 2009 at a cost to our economy of nearly 1 billion euro. This year the figures are down by 12% overall and down by 17% in the west of Ireland. Now is not the time to bring in car parking charges at the Reek.
"For the dedicated pilgrims from Mayo and further afield this is a "Pay to Pray" charge and I appeal to the Westport Electoral Area Councillors to drop this now before any damage is done."
--
Faithfully
Cllr Keith Martin
086 0691182
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Murrisk car parking charges; the facts.
- Croagh Patrick has been a centre of local and national religious significance for centuries.
- There is Free Parking at the huge car park provided and maintained by Mayo County Council at Knock Shrine.
- It will cost twice as much to park in Murrisk as it does in Westport Town. Murrisk will charge €1 for first hour and 50c for every subsequent hour. Westport Town charges 60c for first hour and 20c for every subsequent hour with one hour's free parking
- It will cost €2.50 to climb the mountain if your car is parked for four hours in the car park.
- The pay and display system is unworkable in that no traffic warden from Mayo County Council is going to travel to Murrisk to enforce the system. It would simply cost too much. Therefore the system will be more "Catch me if you can" than "Pay and Display".
- A voluntary contribution towards parking would be are more civilised approach to helping Murrisk Development Association in its work.
- Car Parking charges should be used to ensure a turnover of car parking spaces in busy areas, they should never be used as simple revenue collection system and should never be used in isolated villages like Murrisk.
- Murrisk's Car Parking charges will only lead to increased parking along the roadway, in front of businesses and private residences, down boreens and in and around the Abbey and Graveyard.
- Mayo County Council budget last year was over €400 Million, an investment of €150,000 in Murrisk car park is a drop in the ocean and is a stealth tax on provision of public services (such as car parks) and on tourism.
- There is no final agreement between Murrisk Development Association and Mayo County Council over an actual percentage of the fee going to MDA or on whether the charge should be hourly as proposed by Mayo County Council.
--
Faithfully
Cllr Keith Martin
086 0691182
Murrisk car parking charges; the facts.
- Croagh Patrick has been a centre of local and national religious significance for centuries.
- There is Free Parking at the huge car park provided and maintained by Mayo County Council at Knock Shrine.
- It will cost twice as much to park in Murrisk as it does in Westport Town. Murrisk will charge €1 for first hour and 50c for every subsequent hour. Westport Town charges 60c for first hour and 20c for every subsequent hour with one hour's free parking
- It will cost €2.50 to climb the mountain if your car is parked for four hours in the car park.
- The pay and display system is unworkable in that no traffic warden from Mayo County Council is going to travel to Murrisk to enforce the system. It would simply cost too much. Therefore the system will be more "Catch me if you can" than "Pay and Display".
- A voluntary contribution towards parking would be are more civilised approach to helping Murrisk Development Association in its work.
- Car Parking charges should be used to ensure a turnover of car parking spaces in busy areas, they should never be used as simple revenue collection system and should never be used in isolated villages like Murrisk.
- Murrisk's Car Parking charges will only lead to increased parking along the roadway, in front of businesses and private residences, down boreens and in and around the Abbey and Graveyard.
- Mayo County Council budget last year was over €400 Million, an investment of €150,000 in Murrisk car park is a drop in the ocean and is a stealth tax on provision of public services (such as car parks) and on tourism.
- There is no final agreement between Murrisk Development Association and Mayo County Council over an actual percentage of the fee going to MDA or on whether the charge should be hourly as proposed by Mayo County Council.
--
Faithfully
Cllr Keith Martin
086 0691182
Murrisk car parking charges; the facts.
- Croagh Patrick has been a centre of local and national religious significance for centuries.
- There is Free Parking at the huge car park provided and maintained by Mayo County Council at Knock Shrine.
- It will cost twice as much to park in Murrisk as it does in Westport Town. Murrisk will charge €1 for first hour and 50c for every subsequent hour. Westport Town charges 60c for first hour and 20c for every subsequent hour with one hour's free parking
- It will cost €2.50 to climb the mountain if your car is parked for four hours in the car park.
- The pay and display system is unworkable in that no traffic warden from Mayo County Council is going to travel to Murrisk to enforce the system. It would simply cost too much. Therefore the system will be more "Catch me if you can" than "Pay and Display".
- A voluntary contribution towards parking would be are more civilised approach to helping Murrisk Development Association in its work.
- Car Parking charges should be used to ensure a turnover of car parking spaces in busy areas, they should never be used as simple revenue collection system and should never be used in isolated villages like Murrisk.
- Murrisk's Car Parking charges will only lead to increased parking along the roadway, in front of businesses and private residences, down boreens and in and around the Abbey and Graveyard.
- Mayo County Council budget last year was over €400 Million, an investment of €150,000 in Murrisk car park is a drop in the ocean and is a stealth tax on provision of public services (such as car parks) and on tourism.
- There is no final agreement between Murrisk Development Association and Mayo County Council over an actual percentage of the fee going to MDA or on whether the charge should be hourly as proposed by Mayo County Council.
--
Faithfully
Cllr Keith Martin
086 0691182
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Murrisk Car Parking Charges are Stealth Tax on tourism
Labour's Cllr Keith Martin has condemned the introduction of car parking charges at the Reek Car Park in Murrisk as "backward and short sighted" saying they will only discourage visitors to Murrisk and lead to dangerous parking along the side of the road.
Cllr Martin added that he was very surprised that the introduction of charges was unanimously backed by local County Councillors and said the car parking charge was just a stealth tax on Murrisk Tourism.
"I'm surprised that this backward and short sighted move is being fully supported by all the local County Councillors given the precarious situation in relation to tourism in Murrisk. Murrisk has a lot to offer given his beauty and historical and religious significance and charging for parking detracts from this. In effect visitors will now be charged to climb Croagh Patrick, visit the Abbey or contemplate at the Famine Memorial.
Murrisk Development Association and the people of Murrisk have put huge efforts into making their area beautiful and welcoming. These charges are a real set back to those efforts.
Introducing car parking charges at a site of international religious importance and natural beauty is also questionable behaviour at the best of times, introducing those charges in the middle of the worst recession in history, when tourism is threatened by everything from travel costs to volcanoes smacks of stupidity.
I'm amazed that this received the support of local County Councillors. I condemn these charges completely and urge the councillors to reconsider. These charges could kill Murrisk's tourism and lead to dangerous parking on the main road..
The justification of these charges, namely that the council must re-coup the money spent improving the car park is facetious as the council spends millions on improving roadways but does not turn them into toll road s to re-coup the costs. This car parking charge is just a stealth tax by Mayo County Council on tourism in Murrisk.
The idea that Mayo County Council can afford to hire a traffic warden to enforce these charges is laughable and would cost more than the car parking charge would generate. Even part time the costs involved in hiring and dispatching a warden to Murrisk car park every day is a joke. It's only a pity that this car parking charge isn't a joke too."
Cllr Keith Martin086 0691182
Monday, 3 May 2010
May Day photo's
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Now that a contractor has been appointed to construct the new Gaelscoil building on the Golf Course Road in Westport it is timely to remind ourselves of the facts relating to the selection of the site and the construction schedule since then.
Shortly after the local elections of 2004 my fellow councillors and I meet with a large deputation from the Gaelscoil who asked us as a council to lobby for a new building. I was present at that meeting and was able to give the parents and guardians my full support.
At a later meeting of the council there was unanimous support from all sides of the chamber for our council to proceed to lobby the government on a non-partisan basis for a new school.
When further assistance was requested from the school as to sourcing a suitable site for the school, Westport Town Council answered the call and identified a suitable site on council land on the Golf Course Road.
This proposal was put to the nine councillors for consideration and again in non-partisan approach councillors voted unanimously in 2005 to sell the site to the Department of Education to facilitate the building of the school.
In January 2006 the Department of Education gave the go-ahead for the architectural planning of the school and granted funding for the new ten classroom school with a completion date of mid-2007.
There it waited, in limbo, for two years in the stage of "advanced architectural planning" while the nine councilors of Westport Town Council joined all the other parties in lobbying for an actual date for a contractor to be appointed.
Imagine my surprise when, TWO YEARS later, Batt O'Keeffe, Minister for Education, held an unadvertised sod turning ceremony on the site weeks before the Local and European Elections of June 2009.
No contractor had been appointed, only the Cathaoirleach, the Fianna Fail members of Westport Town Council and a few representatives of the parents and staff of the school were invited.
The five other councillors from Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Fein, who had all lobbied and fought for the school, and who had voted to make the land available for the school were not informed or invited to this so called sod turning.
It soon was very, very obvious that this was just a pre-election political stunt and so, to highlight it as such, I pulled a political stunt of my own and posted the very same sod back to Minister O'Keeffe.
Despite a lot of spluttering and mock indignation from the Minister and his colleagues on Westport Town Council there was no contractor appointed. In fact when Batt O'Keeffe left office the Gaelscoil was no far along than it was before he was appointed.
This week I was wrapping a brick to post to Minister Mary Coughlan to celebrate the anniversary of my posting the sod to Minister O'Keeffe when I learned of the good news that, finally a contractor had been appointed, ONE YEAR after the so called sod turning.
If it were not for the guardians, parents and teachers of the school this project would never have happened, but it is important to remember that this project was facilitated greatly by the nine members of Westport Town Council, acting in a non-partisan manner.
It was a shame that the Fianna Fail's Minister, TD and local councillors sought to snub and ignore the role played by all nine councillors in serving their community. In my opinion it reflects poorly on them even now.
As for my brick, its still wrapped up and if the school is not delievered on time I will use it as I see best to get the job done.
In the meantime I look forward to the REAL sod turning, with a contractor!
Yours sincerely
____________
Cllr Keith Martin
Leas Cathaoirleach
Westport Town Council
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Monday, 19 April 2010
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Friday, 12 March 2010
Northwoods paths to be repaired
I'm just back from March meeting. I have gotten a commitment for repairs to the Northwoods path and drainage.
-- Post From My iPhone
-- Post From My iPhone
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Withdrawal of SNAs may breach Constitutional requirements of Dept. of Education
Cllr Keith Martin says Minister Batt O'Keeffe may be in breach of the Government's constitutional obligations if he removes Special Needs Assistants from St Anthony's and St Brid's schools for children with special needs.
Cllr Martin has written to the Minister pointing out the Dept. of Education's requirements under the Constitution to provide free primary education to all children.
According to the Labour Councillor the Constitution insists that the state must provide education and the facilities necessary for education. Cllr Martin says this includes the education of children with special needs until they reach the age of 18.
Cllr Martin says "Article 42:2 of the Constitution states clearly that 'the State shall provide for free primary education and shall endeavour to supplement and give reasonable aid to private and corporate educational initiative, and, when the public good requires it, provide other educational facilities or institutions with due regard,'."
According to Cllr Martin "This can only be interpreted as obliging the state to make available 'reasonable' facilities and help which is required to educate the children of St Anthony's and St Brid's. Special Needs Assistants are a 'reasonable aid' to the children's education and as such the Minister is constitutionally obliged not to remove them from the schools.
"I have written to the Minister to remind him of his Government's constitutional obligations to provide for these children, to remind him of his commitment to protect the most vulnerable in society and to warn him that he leaves his office open to action in the Supreme Court if he withdraws these vital Special Needs Assistants from our schools.
"We cannot and will not turn our backs on these vulnerable children and we must ready ourselves to fight these cuts all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary."
Cllr Keith Martin086 0691182
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
3 SNAs to go at St Brid’s Special School in Castlebar.
Cllr Keith Martin says he has learned that St Brid's Special School in Castlebar is to loose 3 of its 13 Special Needs Assistants in June. St. Brid's Special National School, Castlebar, Co. Mayo caters for almost 25 children with severe/profound and moderate learning difficulties and children with autism and who require care on an almost continual basis.
This week the school has been informed, informally, that they can expect of cut of 3 Special Needs Assistants by the Department of Education.
Cllr Martin says he is disgusted by this double blow to special needs education in Mayo with cuts also threatening St Anthony's School.
"I am disgusted and appalled at the proposal for cuts at both schools and I have requested that the Labour Parliamentary Party take this issue up with the Minister in the Dail.
"Special Needs Assistants are not just class-room helpers, they are trained and experienced in their work and they cannot be withdrawn from special schools willy-nilly just to help Batt O''Keeffe and the Government balance their books"
"In the case of St Brid's school those Special Needs Assistants feed some children through tubes into their noses or stomachs, this is complicated and detailed work which cannot be done by a teacher or a volunteer. What's more some of those children require total supervision at all times from a Special Needs Assistant as they are totally dependant on others for their safety and well-being.
"This FF/Green government promised it would protect the vulnerable when dealing with the country's finances. Its seems to me that in the case of St Brid's and St Anthony's that they are specifically targeting the vulnerable as a 'soft touch' to save money.
"I want the Minister to answer this question, 'If St Brid's needed 13 Special Needs Assistants when the finances were good then how do these children require less help in a recession?'"
"The Minister must reverse this policy of cutting SNAs immediately. I am sickened and upset at this and my heart goes out to these children and their parents. Parents who are only asking that their children receive an education. Is that really too much to ask in Ireland in 2010?"
Cllr Keith Martin
086 0691182
Allotments on the news!
For those of you who follow this blog but may not follow the local media I was on Mid West Radio last week welcoming allotments progress.
I praised the efforts of the Westport Allotments Association in driving the issue forward and mentioned that I have been pushing for allotments since early 2008 as a councillor and as someone interested in availing of the scheme.
The closing date for expressions of interest from landowners expires tomorrow and then we will see where we go from there.
I will keep you all posted!
-- Post From My iPhone
I praised the efforts of the Westport Allotments Association in driving the issue forward and mentioned that I have been pushing for allotments since early 2008 as a councillor and as someone interested in availing of the scheme.
The closing date for expressions of interest from landowners expires tomorrow and then we will see where we go from there.
I will keep you all posted!
-- Post From My iPhone
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Warm welcome for Allotment call
Cllr Keith Martin has warmly welcomed the publishing of an advertisement seeking land for the provision of allotments by Westport Town Council.
According to Cllr Martin this "is the first step towards realising the aim of a Municipal Allotments scheme here in Westport and there is sure to be great interest in the scheme.
"This scheme, when established, will allow Westport's citizens to develop sustainable and local foods for their own consumption and allow for food security and the combating of climate change through greater self-sufficiency. Allotments are also a logical response to recent food price inflation."
"Allotments will be ideal in Westport because of the large number of flats and apartments without any gardens and the number of houses with tiny gardens will mean that there are a large number of people who will welcome the opportunity to grow their own vegetables.
"But allotments are about so much more than growing your own food or flowers, allotments are also about exercise, teaching children about growth and nature, social interaction with neighbours and getting out of the apartment and having your own small bit of outdoor space on the ground.
"I called for an Municipal Allotments Scheme in my first submission on the Westport Town Development Plan back in May 2008 and have worked with the other councilors to ensure that it was adopted as council policy in the current 5-year Development Plan which is now in effect. This is another step forward in making Westport a greener and more sustainable town and it is to be warmly welcomed and a fine example of councillors responding to the needs of their constituents."
The Office International du Coin de Terre et des Jardins Familiaux (OICTJF), a Luxembourg-based organization representing three million European allotment gardeners since 1926, says allotments allow a better quality of urban life through the reduction of noise, the binding of dust, the establishment of open green spaces in densely populated areas and provide meaningful leisure activity and the personal experience of sowing, growing, cultivating and harvesting healthy vegetables amidst high-rise buildings and the urban jungle.
Other benefits according to the OICTJF are
for children and adolescents a place to play, communicate and to discover nature and its wonders;
for working people relaxation from the stress of work;
for the unemployed the feeling of being useful and not excluded as well as a supply of fresh vegetables at minimum cost;
for immigrant families a possibility of communication and better integration in their host country;
for disabled persons a place enabling them to participate in social life, to establish contacts and overcome loneliness;
for senior citizens a place of communication with persons having the same interests as well as an opportunity of self-fulfillment during the period of retirement.
--
Faithfully
Cllr Keith Martin
086 0691182
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