Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Photo Album Updates
Hospital Protst,
Nama Protest,
Tidy Towns Update..
More to follow.......................
Thursday, September 10, 2009
FULL Disclosure of Expenses called for.............
Ger Walsh
Independent Political Activist
Gorey
Wexford
REALISTIC Salary Structures for Irish Politicians called for...........
FULL Disclosure of Expenses called for.............
Politicians overpaid, and under-worked who pay themselves salaries which are above the norm when compared to other juristictions and have persisted in supporting a system which allows them to claim unvouched often mythical expenses.
Is this not Unreal ???
Why is this situation allowed to continue when all it takes is an instruction to
produce evidence, like a genuine receipt, along with claim. ???
Why are expense claims not published on a monthly basis for the public to view and help them form continuing judgement on the performance of their elective representatives ??
John O'Donoghue has been paid a total of €542,288 in expenses and salary since June 2007.
He will make a long-awaited statement on his expenses bill before the Dail resumes on September 16.
However, rather than answer questions directly he is preparing to lodge a written submission into the Dail library.
Great, prevaricate, delay, hide it away and it may go away seems to be the approach.
He should be forced to provide a press release and publish details on the internet.
To pick just one example ...
Since the May 24 2007 election €3,054,324 in taxpayers money has been used to pay the expenses and salaries of Kerry's nine Oireachtas representatives.
SENATORS have netted an extra €5.6m above their basic pay over the past two years -- an average of nearly €94,000 per politician.
Do we really need to continue to provide all this money to our public representatives ,?? remember some of them are not even elected by you
"Finance Minister Brian Lenihan is contemplating implementing a new all-in-one expenses system to replace the current regime." The key word here is "contemplating", meantime there is still no change.
Remember that most of our politicians, opposed the 10pc cut imposed by Brian Lenihan this year.
It is now certain that we can continue to expect concentrated resistance to any proposed reform in this area by the overwhelming majority of those currently representing us.
We are calling on the general public to lobby TD's and Senators and request that they implement immediately a realistic transparent and accountable salary structure and expenses regime that is appropriate and reflects reality.
We the general public and our future generations now have to pay for the Banks & Developer's mistakes, unemployment continues to rise, private sector workers are taking cuts in their salaries
yet the majority of our Politicians continue to refuse to set an appropriate example.
JOIN OUR PROTEST DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE THE DAIL on Sep 16TH @ 14.00
Ger Walsh 04.09.09
Info@GerWalsh.ie
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Local Election Coverage
Hello Fintan,
Thank you for your comments published recently.
However, I must point out that contrary to the thrust
of your snippet, I did not depart the count center
for the reason you suggest but in fact to continue removing posters
from the local area. I was back and forth to the center on at least
three occasions.
Furthermore although not elected at this time I
am encouraged by the substantial increase in my vote,
I wish Robert Ireton every success and I will definitely be
standing again when the inevitable General Election is called.
--
Best Regards
IBAL Report June09
Gorey: 56th out of 60 towns / cities surveyed.
Gorey was a mixed town. Over half of the sites surveyed got the top litter grade i.e. six out of ten, but this was counterbalanced by two litter blackspots which brought down the overall ranking. Toberduff Roundabout was the worst of its kind in the country. Stream between Lidl and Toyota were both in a very bad way. Clough Approach Road was not quite so bad but if not addressed will only deteriorate even further.
Old Wexford Approach Road: Clean to European Norms. The overall impression created along this route was a positive one. The road surface / markings / signage were in good condition and the area was clear of litter.
Carney Approach Road: Clean to European Norms. The road works taking place along this road didn’t impact in any negative way on the litter situation – it was a clean and well maintained route.
Clough Approach Road: Serious Litter Problem. The litter was most pronounced in the area where there are resting trucks – it wasn’t just casual litter but general debris. This contributes to an overall unkempt appearance.
Dublin Approach to Toberduff Roundabout: Moderately Littered. There was a very definite litter presence along this route with a mix of both ‘old’ and ‘new’ litter. It took away from what is otherwise a well presented environment.
Toberduff Roundabout and Lay By: Litter Blackspot. This was a dreadful site – complete neglect pervaded – when was this area last thoroughly cleaned?
Car Park at Fire Station: Clean to European Norms. The car park was in good condition – clear of litter and well maintained. Care needs to be taken at the recycle facility within to ensure that there isn’t a build-up of litter.
Charlotte Close: Clean to European Norms. This was an excellent site – the individual properties were well maintained and the green area / ornamental trees were in good condition. Overall, a fresh and well cared for environment.
Stream between Lidl and Toyota: Litter Blackspot. It wasn’t just the river which was littered but the surrounding banks were covered in food related litter – coffee cups, fast-food wrappers and sweet papers. This area needs some serious attention.
Main Street: Clean to European Norms. The main street is particularly well served by litter bins – this seems to be conveying a ‘no nonsense’ approach to litter. It was a very clean and well maintained main street.
Lidl: Clean to European Norms. The car park at Lidl was clean and clear of litter.
Press Release - Gorey Tidy Towns
Gorey Guardian Fintan.Lambe@PeopleNews.ie
Wexford People Maria.Pepper@PeopleNews.ie
Wexford Echo Tom Mooney Editor Editor@TheEcho.ie
Gorey Echo Rachael Cave rcave@Goreyecho.ie
Gorey Echo David Gilbert dgilbert@goreyecho.ie
Free Press FreePressLeah@Gmail.com
Gorey Tidy Towns
As chairman of Gorey Tidy Towns I was disappointed to see Gorey's position in the first round results Anti Litter League table. Despite the considerable work undertaken by the Committee to improve the Gorey Image it is clear that a greater coordinated and inclusive approach by all Businesses, Community Associations, Individual Community Members and the Wexford County Council is required.
The Gorey Tidy Towns Committee intend to pursue all avenues available to insure that Gorey's ranking is considerably improved when the next tables are published.
To this end we will be immediately consulting with the County Council to access results and target an appropriate approach to insure an improvement our ranking.
Irish Business Against Litter Methodology used to Assess Towns
* An Taisce will undertake, on behalf of Irish Business Against Litter, litter surveys between January and year-end.
* Over fifty towns and cities throughout the Republic of Ireland will be surveyed.
* Trained Surveyors will survey the sites. A Litter Survey Form will be completed for each survey.
* An Taisce will retain detailed photographic evidence of each site surveyed. The sites chosen will vary from survey to survey.
* Sites will be chosen from (for example):
o Town centre
o Main Street
o Shopping centre
o Public car park
o Bus / Train Station
o School College / University
o High-density residential
o Low-density residential
o Industrial Estate
o Public / amenity area
o River walk/ promenade
o Tourist site
o Beach / marina
o Main approach routes
* Surveys will be carried out at any time of day, seven days a week in any month.
* The survey will begin at the approach roads speed limit signs.
* Bonus points will be awarded for good road surfaces.
* Bonus points will be awarded for fines issued/paid (as recorded by Department of Environment and Local Government).
* Each site surveyed will get a Cleanliness Grade based on the An Taisce results (see below for details).
* A short comment will be attached to each site and An Taisce will supply this information to Local Authorities.
* An Taisce will respond to queries from Local Authorities in advance of and during the campaign.
* Awards will be notified by IBAL later.
FOCUS ITEMS during previous Litter Surveys:
* Industrial Estates will be included whenever possible in every survey town.
* Third level institutions (schools, colleges, universities) will continue to be surveyed (the open areas within the school perimeter and the areas outside and surrounding the building).
* Road signs will be surveyed for cleanliness and readability.
* Bus and train stations will continue to be surveyed (including the rail track within the station and for half a mile outside).
Note: The occupier of a property is responsible, under the Litter Act, to keep clean at all times the open/visible areas within the property and the pavement outside/surrounding the property irrespective of the source of the litter. IBAL suggest that managers of firms located in industrial estates, managers of third level institutions, bus and rail stations and those responsible for road signs be apprised of the implications of the forthcoming surveys.
Thanks
Ger Walsh
Chairman Gorey Tidy Towns
--
Best Regards
-------------------------------------------------------
Ger Walsh
P:053 94 810 85
M:087 241 7352
E: Info@GerWalsh.ie
S: www.GerWalsh.ie
Monday, May 18, 2009
The nuts and bolts of the local elections
Structure
There are 114 local authorities in Ireland. These comprise 29 county councils (including two in Tipperary and three in Dublin), five city councils, five borough councils and 75 town councils.
The five city councils are Cork, Galway, Limerick, Dublin and Waterford. County and city councils operate on an equal basis, while below them are the town councils. Clonmel, Drogheda, Kilkenny, Sligo and Wexford have borough councils, but these have no greater powers than town councils.
Their different title is simply a recognition of the borough corporation status they held prior to the structural reform of the Local Government Act 2001.
These different councils are the formal policy-making arm of the local authorities and are responsible for the adoption of annual budgets, by-laws and development plans.
Day-to-day management of the local authority rests with a city or county manager appointed following a recommendation from the Local Appointments Commission.
Local authorities’ functions fall into a number of general areas: housing and building; road transportation and safety; water supply and sewerage; development incentives and control; environmental protection; recreation and amenities; agriculture; education; health; and welfare.
It may seem from this list that local government has a broad policy remit, but the powers they wield in these areas depend entirely on central government.
For example, the main function of local authorities vis-a’-vis education is to administer third-level grants on behalf of the Higher Education Authority (HEA). Such is the subordinate position of local authorities.
The money trail
The key reason why local government remains subordinate to central authority is its lack of fiscal autonomy, of which there is very little in Ireland according to a 2008 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Prior to 1978, the primary source of finance for local authorities was domestic rates, but these were abolished following Fianna Fáil’s return to office in 1977.
Local government has never recovered from this decision, and serious reform can occur only alongside an increase in the revenue-raising powers of local authorities.
While reform was recommended in a 1996 government report, Better Local Government: A Programme for Change, only some of its provisions were introduced in the Local Government Act of 2001.
Two key aspects of this legislation were a ban on the dual mandate (holding political office at multiple levels) and a provision for the direct election of mayors with executive functions.
While the entry of the Greens into government with Fianna Fáil was expected to quicken the pace of reform, the jury is still out on the latter’s commitment. While a green paper – Stronger Local Democracy-Options for Change – was produced in 2008, the white paper promised is in the pipeline.
Local elections
To what extent will any of these issues concerning local government be raised during the local elections? There has never been any sense of a nationwide sentiment in favour of reform; with current economic concerns more pressing, this is not likely to change in 2009.
The local elections will, however, be an indirect indicator of attitudes to local government. Traditionally, opposition parties prefer to fight their local campaigns on national issues, while the government parties restrict their focus to local issues.
This is not due to any genuine desire to promote local government. Rather it is because the government tends to face a mid-term backlash from voters at local elections. To avoid such a backlash, government parties were often guilty of going so far as to postpone local elections.
This practice happened on 15 occasions until elections were fixed at five-yearly intervals by a referendum in 1999. This June there will be 1,627 councillors elected, 883 at county and city level and 744 at town and borough level.
This works out at one councillor for every 2,500 persons. This is a relatively low ratio; for example, there is one councillor per 118 persons in France.
Local trends
As a guide to what will happen next month, it is useful to consider past local elections. Some key trends are apparent: compared with Dáil elections, voter turnout is lower, Fianna Fáil’s support declines and independents tend to fare better. For example, Fianna Fáil’s average first preference vote at local elections since 1985 has been 33 per cent, while it has won 42 per cent of votes in Dáil elections over the same period.
While voters’ anger may well motivate an increase in turnout, it is likely that the fate of Fianna Fáil and independent candidates will not be much different.
* Examining local elections in a wider context, the effects differ for parties and candidates. For aspirant TDs, it is useful first to serve in local government, and this was the path taken by 77 per cent of TDs elected in 2007.
Those looking for the next crop of emerging TDs should focus on new councillors elected this June. Lucinda Creighton and Leo Varadkar of Fine Gael were both elected first-time councillors in 2004. This acted as a springboard for their successful Dáil campaigns in 2007.
In contrast, party success at local government level does not necessarily filter through to Dáil elections.
Fianna Fáil has traditionally bounced back from a poor local performance, while the smaller parties have not always capitalised on local election gains.
Dr Liam Weeks is a lecturer in politics in the department of government at University College Cork. His book, with colleague Dr Aodh Quinlivan, All Politics Is Local: a Guide to Local Elections in Ireland, is published by Collins Press
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Broadband '€4m waste of money'
Wednesday May 13 2009
WEXFORD'S €4 million broadband connection was a disgraceful waste of money, a senior Council boss admitted this week.
Director of Services Adrian Doyle saw red at a Borough Council meeting on Monday night when told that only 14 business were connected to the network three years after it was provided.
Rounding on Niall Beirne of E/ Net, the network management company, he said :' The capital cost standing us at the moment is ¤400,00 per connection. You can't say that's value for money'.
'Get real. The country is nearly broke and you're talking about value for money at ¤ 400,000 a connection,' he added.
The E/Net representative was invited to address the meeting following recent complaints from Cllr. George Lawlor and other councillors about the ' exhorbitant' cost of network connections for businesses.
A verbal row ensued after Mr. Beirne claimed that it was not meant to be 'broadband for all' but was designed for larger corporate enterprises and multinationals. Mr. Doyle begged to differ. 'I was responsible for broadband in Wexford. That was not the position. It was put in for small and medium enterprises as well as larger ones'.
The Director of Services said the Council did a huge job of promoting the network and the fact that only 14 customers were connected, at least three of which are State users - the County Hall, the Fire Station and the Library-was a big disappointment.
'It's a national disgrace,' he said, adding that he had been having an argument with E/Net about pricing for the past three years and he still didn't understand it.
Mr. Beirne explained to members that E/Net does not retail any service to customers but acts as a wholesaler, selling the network to the likes of BT and Smart. E/Net had no control over the end price.
In response to questioning, he said the typical cost of a connection now, depending on the distance a premises is away from cable and including digging work, is ¤ 7,500.
Cllr. Lawlor who was quoted ¤ 60,000 for his printing business three years ago compared this price with broadband connection costs in the U.K. where Virgin were offering state-of-the art connections for substantially less.
In England, you could get a 50 megabyte connection for a £50 connection fee and an annual network charge of £610.
'When is this white elephant going to become relevant to the businesses of Wexford,' he asked.
Mr. Beirne told the meeting that additional business customers including Coca Cola were expected down the line.
And E/ Net was looking at extending MANS and bringing it closer to businesses, thereby hopefully reducing the cost.
Cllr. Paddy Nolan described the overall cost as 'daylight robbery' while Cllr. Anthony Kelly said 'it's a joke'.
'We were duped into believing that Wexford was going to be transformed by this new technology. We were lied to', said Cllr. Kelly.
Cllr. Padge Reck said he was trying to find out if it was E/Net that is 'ripping us off ' or the operators. 'Is it a cosy cartel?'
Mr. Beirne denied that this was the case. He said he had come to the meeting in a 'spirit of goodwill and co-operation' to answer questions openly.
'While it is your asset, we are managing it and we want to be part of any solutions', he said.
- Maria PEPPER
Wexford roads in state
By Maria PEPPER
Wednesday May 13 2009
IMPROVEMENT and maintenace work on regional and local roads in Wexford town has come to a sudden stop following a Budget reduction in the national grant allocated to Wexford Borough Council.
At the beginning of the year, the Department of Transport notified the Council it was getting a roads allocation of ? 377,000. Following the emergency Budget, that amount has been reduced to ?145,000.
'The net effect of this is that the roads progamme for 2009 is effectively finished,' the Borough Engineer Eddie Taaffe told a meeting on Monday night.
The Council has already spent the revised amount in the first four months of the year and now there is no more money left.
Funding is no longer available to resurface 'Codd's Lane' in Ferrycarrig, as planned.
The work that was carried out included the resurfacing of Ballyboggan to Park Road; resurfacing in Mansfield Drive and Talbot Green; footpath repairs in the Faythe; replacement footpaths in Common Quay Street and footpath repairs in Rowe Street, Pinewood and Whitemill Road.
'This is the worst cut since the Christmas bonus,' said Cllr. Padge Reck while Mayor Ted Howlin said it was the 'most frightening' statement he had read in a long time.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Bizarre Row ??????????????
A BIZARRE ROW over membership of an animal welfare organisation has erupted between Town Council election rivals Colin Webb and Ger Walsh.
Independent candidate Walsh, who received just 20 votes in the last election, lists 'Member of the NWSPCA Gorey' as part of the calling card he is currently handing out as he bids for a better showing this time round. Fine Gael's Councillor Webb, who also serves as Chairman of the NWSPCA, says this is a complete falsehood and that Walsh is not, nor has he ever been, a member of the society.
'The North Wexford Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals would like to make it clear that Mr. Walsh is not a member or never has been a member of their Society. The animal welfare organisation has written to Mr. Walsh asking him to withdraw his current canvas card and anyone who has received the cards should be informed that the Society has absolutely no connection to this person,' he said in a statement issued on Friday.
Walsh angrily countered however that he was a member of the society in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and said he could produce copies of cheques written to the society for membership fees. 'I was a member and regularly went to meetings,' he claimed.
He accepted however that he is not currently amember of the society, but insisted that listing 'member of NWSPCA Gorey' on his card should not be taken to mean that he is. 'I was a member in the past, and that's what it means,' he said by way of explanation.
Asked then if other listings on the card, such as 'member of RNLI Dublin' and 'member of Focus Ireland Dublin', might also only refer to past rather than current involvement, he replied 'I contribute to the RNLI and to Focus Ireland, but I'm not an active member.'
Cllr Webb contends he has never been an active member of the NWSPCA either. 'If he says he wrote cheques for membership, then I can say we never got them and we certainly didn't cash them or lodge them,' he said.
He added that the society had sent a letter to Walsh that morning, asking him to withdraw his current canvas card.
Election Update
Call 087 241 7352 for further clarification.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Web Site Completed
| Ger Walsh | ||||||
Roadworks cause delays at Camolin
By Fintan LAMBE
Wednesday April 15 2009
MOTORISTS on the N11 experienced delays through Camolin yesterday (Tuesday) as a traffic light system was put in place to allow site investigations take place.
Wexford County Council said that the investigations are being carried out for design purposes for future pipe laying contracts.
Similar investigations are also due to take place in Ferns and Ballycanew, but the delays are not expected to be as severe, as the digging will not take place on the main roads.
The works in Ferns will take place off the N11, from the funeral home towards the Monument on the Ferns Bunclody road. In Ballycanew, most of the works will take place on the grass verge and the hard shoulder.
The work in Camolin is expected to conclude in the coming days.
- Fintan LAMBE
New Parking Spaces
By Fintan LAMBE
Wednesday April 15 2009
THE DEVELOPERS of the car park on Esmonde Street in Gorey have said they plan to have the 273-space facility open before the summer.
An Bord Pleanala this week refused an appeal by residents and a local sports club against the granting of planning permission for the development at the old Gorey Celtic Grounds.
One of the developers Joe Doyle said they were delighted to have finally gotten the go-ahead. 'It will be a big help for business in the area,' he said. 'We feel it's badly needed for the town.'
He said they were still working out the details on how the parking fees would be applied, but said charges would be 'as reasonable' as possible.
'We hope to get straight to work, possibly by next week,' he said. 'We're disappointed there was a delay, but we're very happy it has gone through.'
The permission is for a maximum of five years. They have not yet announced any plans for the site after that.
'The sooner we can get it open, the better for the area,' he said.
- Fintan LAMBE
Rural garda stations face threat of closure
By Conor CULLEN
Wednesday April 22 2009
TWO RURAL Wexford District Garda Stations are facing a threat of closure, along with another four across the county.
The fate of 236 ' oneman' rural stations – including Glynn and Baldwinstown Garda Stations – will form the focus of a new national review of bases set up by Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy.
There are six stations in all in Co. Wexford coming under the focus of the Garda review, the others being Oylegate, Oulart, Kiltealy and Ferns. However, there are currently two officers based in both Oylegate and Ferns.
A spokesman for the Gardaí in Wexford said they have, as yet, not been contacted regarding the future of Glynn and Baldwinstown Garda Stations and indicated that, to date, the review seems to be solely at 'a political level'.
'It has come as a bolt out of the blue to us,' said the Garda spokesman, who confirmed that both of the Garda Stations currently have one officer working out of them full-time.
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern is currently finalising tough new measures that will give the Gardai significantly increased powers to combat gangland criminals. However, there are fears the focus on urban crime will leave isolated areas of the country vulnerable to criminals who are increasingly preying on rural businesses and families.
Rural Garda Stations have suffered a major decline in recent years as the force increased the number of officers in urban bases. Many have fallen into serious states of disrepair as the Government refused to invest in stations in isolated areas of the country.
'They (Government) see the future of the Gardai all in centres of population and, like the cavalry in the Wild West, making a foray into bandit country every so often. That's their ultimate goal,' said Garda Representative Association President Michael O'Boyce.
'There is no ambiguity in our policy – every Garda Station in the country is needed and should be maintained,' he added.
- Conor CULLEN
€8m healthcare centre planned for Wexford
By Conor CULLEN
Wednesday April 22 2009
A NEW €8 million primary healthcare centre is to be built in Wexford town. Rhonellen Developments said it has been selected by the Health Service Executive (HSE) as the preferred bidder to construct the new state-ofthe-art primary healthcare facility, which is designed to be a ' one-stop-shop' for the town's healthcare services.
A spokeswoman for the Dublin-based company said the new healthcare centre will be located at St. Aidan's, on a site just back from the junction of St. Aidan's Road and the Whitemill Road.
A significant number of jobs are expected to be created during the construction of the new healthcare centre and – in the medical, administration and healthcare sectors – when it opens its doors. The company have pledged to employ local people, companies and suppliers wherever possible.
Rhonellen Developments said they are already in discussion with local doctors who 'are critical to the success of the new centre'. There must be a minimum of five Wexford doctors working full-time from the new healthcare centre.
The importanc to this agreement was underlined yesterday (Tuesday) when the HSE, in a statement, said there is no agreement in place yet to provide Wexford's healthcare centre, despite Rhonellen's current status as preferred bidders.
' The nationally agreed process requires that certain conditions be met before agreement can be reached with any developer. Consequently there is no agreement in place for Wexford town,' said the statement.
However, Rhonellen Developments maintained that they have the go-ahead to build the health centre prior to securing the curcial agreement with local GPs and fulfilling other technical issues.
' Discussions have begun with local doctors to relocate their GP practices to the new one-stop-shop healthcare centre. In line with HSE and Government policy on primary healthcare, the new facility will offer the full range of healthcare services.
'A team of healthcare professionals will be located on site including doctors, nurses, home help, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers,' said the spokeswoman.
'Once we have reached agreement with the GPs, we will then proceed to planning permission,' she added.
Rhonellen Developments, as the lead developer of the project ,will provide the funding for the new centre, which the company reckons will cost around ¤8 million.
Carol O'Byrne, Marketing Director of Rhonellen Developments. said that the new facility 'will deliver unrivalled healthcare excellence to the people of the area'.
A planning application is expected to be lodged shortly. ' We are conscious of the employment opportunities this will create, starting with construction. To this end, we hope to identify local people, companies and suppliers who will benefit, thus ensuring real and immediate community gain.
- Conor CULLEN
Wexford Diary: Driving motorists around the bend
Wednesday April 22 2009
ANYONE who has been stuck, fuming behind the queue of traffic at Ferrycarrig Bridge waiting for cars in front to turn right on to the N11 will be only too aware of the visibility problem caused by the fence erected around the parapets.
At driver's height, you just can't see safely up to the right unless you pull your car forward until you are almost out on the road, making the dangerous right turn even more risky, crossing as it does two lanes of traffic.
We are not experts in these matters but surely the simplest solution would beto make the turn on to the N11 from Park a left-turn only.
This would add a couple of minutes to your journey as you would have to drive up to the Barntown roundabout and then come back again to cross the bridge, but it would be much, much safer (and probably quicker) than the existing perilous right turn.
We don't know whether a safety audit has been carried out at this T-junction since the new fence was erected when repairs were carried out to the bridge last year, but the problem fairly obvious and, we boldly suggest, easily solved.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Contact Details
....
Gorey
Co. Wexford
P: 053 94 810 85
M: 087 241 73 52
E: Info@GerWalsh.ie
W: www.GerWalsh.ie
