Letter to the editor

Dear Editor,

 

Jade Goody is dying, aged just 27, from Cervical Cancer.

 

Late last year the Government, which has now pledged billions to banks, decided not to spend €10 million on a vaccine which would save the lives of girls like Jade Goody.

 

Do we really live in a republic where banks come before our children?

 

Yours sincerely

 

Cllr Keith Martin

33 Pairc na Coille

Westport

Co. Mayo

 

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098 25747 w

098 24852 h

Rural Broadband

Cllr Keith Martin has expressed his considerable concerns about the impact on broadband attainment in the west and in rural Ireland under the Government's new plans to provide rural broadband via wireless connection from a mobile phone company.

 

Cllr Keith Martin is a member of the Multi Agency Enterprise Group and is lobbying for a Metropolitan Area Network for Westport via a fibre optic cable which would give Westport super high speed broadband for industrial and business use.  Cllr Martin has also been very vocal on the need for copper-wire broadband to rolled out throught rural Mayo and has called for the Government to invest in enabling existing Eircom exchanges for broadband rather than rolling out a "hit and miss" wireless service.

 

Specifically, the Labour councillor refers to concerns raised in an evaluation report from Irish Rural Link (IRL) which highlights the inadequacy of focusing predominantly on mobile broadband.

 

Cllr Martin says "According to the regulator ComReg, mobile broadband is only suitable in limited circumstances; for people and businesses that do not require a high-end broadband service and for those who are not heavy Internet users.

"These two points raise alarm bells about the scope of the scheme. Are rural communities not entitled to a 'high-end service'? Similarly, who decided that rural users are not heavy Internet users? In Mayo I know of householders and businesses that bought mobile broadband packages only to find that their connections were essentially useless.

"I'm calling for an urgent review of the National Broadband scheme and would ask Green Party Minister Eamon Ryan to guarantee that rural communities would not be forced to accept a second class broadband system. It as an absolute national disgrace that only 13 per cent of households in rural communities have access to high-speed broadband."

 

 

 

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Westport United could have lands zoned for new home

In the light of the refusal by An Bord Pleanala of the planning application for Westport United's new home, Labour's Cllr Keith Martin has pledged to zone land under the current review of the Westport Town and Environs Plan for Community Facilities which could pave the way for a new home for soccer in Westport.

According to the Labour councillor there is a large area of land in and just outside the town which could be zoned for Community use which includes sports grounds and a possible skateboard park.

"In the recent past, lands were zoned primarily for housing and commercial development, but we now have more land than we need zoned for those purposes and its high time we looked at zoning a large area for sports and other community uses. Fortunately we are currently in the process of drawing up a new Town Plan and a new Environs Plan for the area and this gives us the opportunity, under this process, to zone any lands we feel would be suitable for Community use."

"I will be making a formal submission on this and I am confident that it will have the full support of all the councillors involved in this process. I would like to see Westport United have a permanent home in Westport. I would also like other sporting groups and organisations in need of grounds to come forward so we can assess how much land is needed and then work on where it can be sourced with a view to zoning it as appropriate.

"There was bad news for Westport United this week, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and I will do all within my power to see them in a new home."

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Newport will have ONE voice

Cllr Keith Martin says Newport will have a strong voice in Mayo County Council when he is elected to Mayo County Council in June. Cllr Martin made his comments when wishing outgoing Newport County Councillor Frank Chambers a "happy and restful retirement" following Cllr Chamber's decision to bow out of politics after 30 years of service.

Cllr Keith Martin pledged that he will hold clinics on "both sides of the Black Oak River" to ensure that Newport's issues are addressed and raised in Mayo County Council following Cllr Chamber's departure.

According to Cllr Martin "I will represent the people of Newport town from the river to Furnace whether or not they can vote for me in June. It defies logic and common sense to include Newport in the Belmullet Electoral Area. Newport and Westport are only miles apart and for Newport's administration to be based out of Belmullet 60 miles away makes no sense. It was a lazy way for the Electoral Boundaries Commission to solve a problem for the Belmullet Electoral Area at the expense of the people of Newport.

"Newport is the social and community centre for a large area on both sides of the river and I will ensure that Newport is serviced effectively by Mayo County Council and that the voice of Newport from Meddicott Street to Knocknageeha is heard as one voice in the chamber of Mayo County Council, and not two.

"I will be holding clinics in the coming weeks in Newport and I expect these to be well attended by people from both sides of the river and they will be most welcome. There will be no discrimination based on a silly decision from Dublin!"

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Welcome for Bord Gais

I welcome the announcement by An Bord Gais that they are to enter the household electricity market.

I believe that this will make a difference to consumers in terms of lowering electricity bills, but it also shows up the fiasco with regard to electricity and gas prices, for which the Govt is responsible.

It is now weeks since the Taoiseach instructed the Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan to get his act together in relation to reducing energy prices. The Minister has promised a double-digit reduction, yet we are still waiting for a decision from the energy regulator.

At a time when businesses and householders are being crippled by some of the highest energy prices in Europe, we a have a Govt that seems incapable of getting a decision made that would protect jobs and ease the pressure on people living on low incomes.

Poll toppers the quiz team is back

Poll toppers aka the Crimson Avengers are back in action tonight as the Westport Labour party field a team in tonight's charity quiz night at the Country Lodge Hotel for the Gina Hearty Haiti Fund. I will update you as to our progress!

-- Post From My iPhone

Bord Pleanala refuses Kiladoon mast

Labour's Cllr Keith Martin has welcomed the refusal by An Bord Pleanala of Eircom's plan 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 2008, on the site of an existing telephone exchange but in July of last year the planning application was refused by Mayo County Council.  Eircom then appealed this decision to An Bord Pleanala who ruled against the plan on February 13th 2009.

 

Outlining its decision to refuse the appeal the Bord stated that the "proposed development is in close proximity to significant archaeological features, in particular a standing stone.  It is considered that the proposed development would seriously injure the archaeological amenity and detract from the historical and archaeological character of the area."  The Bord concluded that the mast would be contrary to proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

 

Cllr Martin was one of the original objectors to the 15m mast and in his objection to An Bord Pleanala Cllr Martin reiterated that the Killadoon area was environmentally sensitive and of great historical and heritage value.

 

Cllr Martin also re-stated to the Bord that the application by the telephone 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 An Bord Pleanala 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.

 

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