Mayo results

It seems that in Mayo the Gilmore gale was washed back by the Blue tide of FG's unprecedented winning of 4 of the 5 seats here.

Labour increased it's vote five fold and our candidate won votes in every box throughout the county.

We are very proud of the result and will now go on to build towards winning a seat next time.

Join Labour in Mayo

Labour Mayo party is looking for new members for branches throughout the county. Call 086 0691182 for more information.

Councillor Keith Martin
086 0691182
098 24852
www.councillorkeithmartin.com

Please give Jerry Cowley your Number 1 vote today

Hi everyone,

I want to ask all of you in Mayo to give your Number 1 vote to Jerry Cowley today and ask those of you not in Mayo to cast your votes for Labour.

I know Jerry Cowley to be a hardworking and dedicated man who will make a huge difference in the Dail.  

Strengthen your voice and help Labour help you.

Vote Labour, Vote COWLEY. 

Michael D and Jerry Cowley with Mick Lavelle

Green shoots for Westport Allotments

Green shoots will soon be visible in Westport as Westport Town Council's allotment scheme finally comes to fruition.   According to Cllr Keith Martin, a member of Westport Allotments Association and a driving force behind the project, the scheme should be up and running by mid April once a number of minor works are completed.

Ann Moore, the Town Clerk, updated councillors on the progress at the February meeting of the council following a request from Cllr Martin.

The allotments will be provided by Westport Town Council on council lands on the Lodge Road and the scheme will be administered and managed by the Westport Allotments Association.  Currently Westport Town Council is carrying out minor works such as the provision of car parking on the site.

According to Cllr Martin "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 councillors 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."

Cllr Keith Martin
086 0691182

Letter to the editor

Dear Sir,

Fine Gael are making an issue of the role of Trade Unions and the
labour movement in general as a "vested interest".

Let's not forget that the very same vested interest brought us the
weekend, sick pay, holiday pay, employment rights and basic working
conditions.

Sincerely

Cllr Keith Martin
33 Pairc na Coille
Westport
Mayo

Warmer Homes in Westport

Living in the Westport area? Clár I.C.H. is inviting applicants who
are over 65 or in receipt of fuel allowance who are interested in
having their homes insulated under the Warmer Home Scheme. Drop me a
line for an application form or for more information. My number is
086 0691182.

Fine Gael rates freeze is undemocratic

Enda Kenny would be better off worrying about Fine Gael's plans to correct the national finances than sticking his oar into local government affairs says Westport Labour councillor Keith Martin.

Cllr Martin made his comments in the wake of Fine Gael's proposal to freeze or reduce local rates by central government dictat.

Rates are set by local councillors at the annual budget meeting though Fine Gael has promised to freeze them until 2012.  

According to Cllr Martin this is nothing more than interference in local government affairs by Fine Gael.  

"What FG are proposing is a return to central government rule, this flies in the face of Fine Gael's promises to reform local government.  Local Government has already suffered huge cuts from central funding and now FG are proposing to cut even more by dictating to local councils what rates they can set. 

Westport Town Council has always been business friendly and we have always done our best to keep rate increases to a minimum and to freeze or cut them when possible.  The idea of TDs hundreds of miles away dictating to us flies in the face of local democracy.  We need more powers not less,  The people of Westport elect us to make these decisions on their behalf.  Fine Gael can't have it both ways."

--
Faithfully

Cllr Keith Martin
086 0691182

Coillte Nursing home Knockranny

I wish to tell you that Planning Application Ref: P09/39 in the name of Coillte Teoranta Ltd., Colonels Wood, Knockranny, has been withdrawn.
This is the end of the controversial nursing home application.

At the time Cllr Martin likened  the proposed design to Hitler's Furher Bunker, Cllr Martin conceded the development of a new nursing home was a good idea since there is an obvious need in the locality for such a facility, but, however, the location was totally wrong. 

Westport Town Council will now proceed with its masterplan for the area to ensure the best use of the woods for the town.

"The controversial application by Coillte to build a nursing home in Kockranny's Colonel's Wood was opportunistic and simply aimed to take advantage of now extinguished tax breaks."

"The location and design of what was proposed for Knockranny's Colonel's Wood was wrong on several counts, for example knocking down a large area of woodland to make space for a nursing home is wrong, considering a wood has been in that location for at least 172 years. Furthermore, the deforestation would affect the skyline and there were serious associated infrastructural problems, such as road and pedestrian access, traffic control and water pressure."