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Tag Archives: Deputy Pat Breen

FG select Carey and Breen for Dáil race

Clare Fine Gael Deputies Joe Carey and Pat Breen will contest the next General Election for the party following its Dáil selection convention. [doptg id=”78″] The two outgoing deputies were selected on the FG party ticket following a vote of 330 Fine Gael delegates in the West County Hotel, Ennis on Friday night. Shortly after the convention got underway, chairman and MEP, Sean Kelly confirmed that Ger O’Halloran, who narrowly lost out on winning a seat on Clare County Council in the 2014 Local Elections, had withdrawn his name. Having addressed delegates in a wide-ranging speech, Senator Tony Mulcahy withdrew from the contest and before voting took place it was confirmed Senator Martin Conway had also quit the race. This left three candidates Deputies Carey and Breen and Councillor Mary Howard to battle it out for just two places following a directive from Fine Gael party headquarters for delegates to select two candidates on the night. MEP Kelly announced that …

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Conway has no plans to go independent

CLARE Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway said he has no immediate plans to run as an independent candidate if he is not selected as one of the party’s candidates at their Dáil selection convention this Friday night. Speculation has been rife that the Ennistymon-based Senator might run as an independent if he is not chosen on the ticket. However, Senator Conway is confident that he will get a chance to run for Fine Gael at the next election and feels he should be added as a third candidate, if he is unsuccessful at convention. Asked if he would run as an independent candidate, he said, “No one can predict the future. Running as an independent is a situation I wouldn’t countenance. I have no immediate plans to run as an independent. “I believe my performance over the last few years, my proven vote-getting record and my geographical position makes a strong case for why I should be part of the …

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Minister Pat Breen

Clare TD visits Ibrahim Halawa in Cairo

The Chairman of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade Pat Breen visited Wadi Al-Natrun prison in Cairo for a 90 minute meeting with Ibrahim Halawa on Wednesday afternoon. This follows a meeting between Deputy Breen and members of the Halawa family at Leinster House on Monday. Deputy Breen said that he found Ibrahim in reasonable spirits, despite the serious challenges of his detention over the past two years. “Earlier today [Wednesday] I met with Ibrahim Halawa in the Wadi Al-Natrun prison. I found him a young man in reasonable spirits in what are very trying circumstances. On behalf of the committee, I relayed our ongoing interest in his case and the concerns of his family in relation to his health and well-being and that I would bring these concerns to the relevant authorities. Ibrahim was appreciative of my presence and thanked the committee for its ongoing interest in his case. I expressed the committee’s continued support to him …

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Minister Pat Breen

Breen meets Halawa family in Leinster House

The Chairman of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade Pat Breen has this afternoon met with members of the family of Ibrahim Halawa in Leinster House in advance of his visit to Egypt. Last month, Deputy Breen accepted an invitation from the Egyptian authorities, which followed a formal Committee request to visit Cairo. Deputy Breen says the meeting with the Halawas and their representatives was an important listening exercise, which will inform the official visit to Cairo, which begins on this Tuesday. “Today marks the two year anniversary of Ibrahim’s imprisonment in Cairo and the Committee has considered the case on an ongoing basis over the course of his detainment. All Committee Members are united in our grave concern for the well-being of Ibrahim Halawa. This afternoon’s meeting with Ibrahim’s sisters was a valuable opportunity to hear the family’s concerns for Ibrahim’s health and well-being. The discussions will inform my visit – on behalf of the Joint Committee …

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Minister Pat Breen

€1,056,700 extra funding for Clare roads

Additional funding of €1,056,700 has been allocated for the maintenance and strengthening of local road network in Clare. Twenty per cent of the funding can be used for Community Involvement Schemes (CIS) whereby an individual, or a group of people, with the consent of the road authority, can carry out maintenance and improvement works on local roads. This allows community participation, either in money or through the provision of road-machinery, excavators, road building material or labour in having lightly trafficked roads maintained to a good standard. Ten per cent can be invested in Local Improvement Schemes (LIS) – roads and laneways that have not been taken in charge by the council, the maintenance and improvement of which is a matter for the relevant landowner. In addition, approval can be sought from this extra allocation to fund urgent road safety projects which local authorities wish to progress this year. Deputy Pat Breen said the additional funding will ensure that Clare County …

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Excluding Conway would be ‘political stupidity’

IF Fine Gael were to re-run its 2011 three-candidate electoral strategy in Clare with the same candidates, it would equate to “political stupidity”, according to Senator Martin Conway. That time the party held its two seats, which will surely be the limit of its ambitions for the next election, which is due within nine months, but the North Clare man said he must be included on the next ticket. Senator Conway said, “I don’t anticipate at this stage that I won’t be a Fine Gael candidate. If I wasn’t going to be a Fine Gael candidate, I’d expect to have been told at this stage, as a sitting member of the Oireachtas. I’m working on the basis that I’m going to be a candidate. North and West Clare always had a TD over the years and now that there’s a Sinn Féin candidate [Noeleen Moran] in Ballyvaughan and most likely a Fianna Fáil candidate in Miltown [Michael McDonagh], it would …

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New cars for Clare gardaí

THE Clare Garda Division has received seven new cars so far in 2015. Fine Gael TD, Pat Breen and Senator Tony Mulcahy, in confirming the detail, said the fleet of new vehicles will help the fight against crime in communities throughout the county. “Our local gardaí will be really bolstered by this influx of new vehicles,which is part of the Government’s comprehensive plan to fight crime. As well as strengthening our Garda force and increasing the numbers of vehicles, the Minister for Justice, France Fitzgerald, is bringing in legislation to strengthen our response to burglaries. Too many people have had their homes violated and the proposed measures include longer sentences for repeat offenders,” they said. In a move to support the victims of crime, the minister is also planning to bring in legislation to allow for implementation of the EU Victims Directive, and new Garda Victim Support Offices will be established in Garda Divisions throughout Ireland, including Clare.

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Progress on rural broadband roll-out

Eircom’s has announced that they are to significantly expand access to high speed fibre broadband in rural Ireland, benefitting a number of areas in Clare. Deputy Pat Breen this spells good news to the communities of Behagh, Ballyvaughan, Craggagh, Caher, Carron, Doonaha, Inagh, Knock, Kildysart, Kilkishen, Kilkee, Kilmaley, Kilmihil, Kineilty Cross, Lissycasey, Labasheeda, Ogonnelloe, Ruan, Rahey Cross, Tiermaclane and Whitegate. “This expanded footprint means eircom will invest €400 million in fibre over the next five years, hugely benefitting families and business in the county. “The National Broadband Plan is a partnership between the commercial sector and the State to deliver high speed broadband to every home, school and business in Ireland. The Government has played a major role in creating the conditions for accelerated telecoms investment by highlighting to broadband providers the potential profit to be made by expanding into rural areas and by securing commitments from them to invest. Today’s investment is a clear indication that eircom recognises the …

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