Election Diary 30.05.09 – Bank Holiday Weekend edition
Haven’t the poor bovines suffered enough? Richard Smith advertisement in this week’s Limerick Leader. A poor choice of words given his animal cruelty conviction.
Poll shows Fianna Fail at 21 percent click.
An account on the Leader website of County Council’s last meeting shows that their five year term concluded with bickering over money.
Environment and health and safety issues were devouring money, Cllr Sheahan said, money that could not be recouped from Government.
He argued that, if necessary, they should contravene regulations to save money for the priorities[roads, sewerage and water].
Indeed – Regulations are there to be contravened.
And now, time for “I wonder if this is legal” picture. Picture below of election posters taken smack bang in the middle of one of Limerick city’s busiest junctions. O’Connell Street and Mallow Street.
My second question is, how ere they able to erect them without getting a smack of a lorry?
Anyway, below the fold are releases received over the previous 48 hours, due to the fact that they weren’t published on Friday.
Republican Sinn Fein (local) received Friday 1249 hrs
The policy of Limerick City Council buying social and affordable houses in County Clare for troublesome city families to be re-located is also moving drug dealing to rural areas, a local election candidate said today.
Mick The Quill Ryan from Ballynanty said that in recent weeks there have been four drug raids on private houses in estates in the County Clare suburbs of Limerick city.
The fact is houses in areas like Westbury and Shannon Banks are now being used for drug dealing and the problem has been exported from the city, he said.
While no one disagrees with the need for social and affordable housing it is a different matter when one local authority purchases houses in the area of another council and places troublesome families in these dwellings.
People living in homes they have purchased over the years now find that houses in their estate are being used as drug dens for the dealing and supplying of illegal drugs.
It is a problem compounded by the actions of the Limerick City Council in placing troublesome people with a history of anti-social behaviour in rural parts of County Clare.
Local communities will have to take a stand against this short sighted policy and expose the problems being caused
by the actions of Limerick City Council.
Independent (Europe) Friday 1253 hrs
Independent MEP for Munster Kathy Sinnott today called for the naming of perpetrators of abuse in the Ryan Report and the placing of criminal charges against those who are living either in Ireland or abroad.
“Those who carried out these heinous actions against the most vulnerable who were placed in their care in institutions run by religious orders must be brought to justice. Regardless of their age they should have to face those whose innocence and childhood they stole,” said Mrs. Sinnott.
“In the past, members of orders accused of crimes were often moved within their order to another country or chose to leave the country themselves. Any who have left must be returned to Ireland by their orders or else extradited to face charges. Ireland cannot come to terms with this horror until the actual perpetrators who are still alive are sentenced as the criminals they are.”
Green Party (Europe) Received 1759 hrs
Green Party Ireland South European Election candidate, Senator Dan Boyle, has welcomed the comments of the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley TD, that a major initiative in the soon to be published White Paper on Local Government and the legislation that will follow that, will be the introduction of local referenda to decide matters of important local interest.
The Minister made his comments today in Carrigaline where he was canvassing with Senator Boyle and local election candidate Cllr. Dominick Donnelly. Dan Boyle that local referenda would be particularly important in place such as Carrigaline, where voters could confirm their desire to establish their own town council.
Referenda could also be useful in determining contentious issues such as the names of towns, as is currently the case in Dingle/Daingean Ui Chuis. I look forward to the early introduction of this legislation.
Republican Sinn Fein (local) received Saturday 0712 hrs
The revolving door system of early release from prison for some offenders is inflicting fear and terror on elderly people in the St. Joseph’s Street area of Limerick, a local community activist said today.
Sean O’Neill from Quinn’s Cottages in Prospect said that he has been contacted by concerned residents of the street over the early release of a man who had been imprisoned for a series of burglaries.
No sooner are prisoners released than the spate of robberies begin again he said. In the past few days three homes in the Emmet Place area of the street have been raided and the elderly residents left terrified.
In the latest case one elderly woman aged 83 was sick in bed when the robber struck and almost killed her with fright.
Already a priest from St. Joseph’s Church has been attacked and people living in the adjacent area are now victims to an upsurge of break ins and robberies.
The way these robbers are given early release from prison must be examined and a method introduced that ensures no early release for repeat offenders.
The lives of elderly residents are being put in danger by this practice and must we wait until some old age pensioner is frightened to death in their bed before the authorities move to reform the system?