Tag Archives: Fianna Fáil

Fianna Fáil claims regarding the future of the Free Travel Scheme have been dismissed by Clare TD Pat Breen. “This issue arises every year ahead of the Budget and it is only scare mongering to suggest that the Free Travel Scheme will not be protected by this Government,” the Fine Gael deputy said. Mr Breen said it was Fianna Fáil who imposed a cap on funding for the scheme under their National Recovery Plan, 2011-2014. “In spite of the tight budgetary restrictions over the past few years, this Government has managed to protect the scheme and we are committed to its full retention,” he said. The scheme provides free travel for all people living in the State aged 66 years or over, as well those who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. There are currently 828,000 people who have direct eligibility and €77 million is expended on the Scheme annually. “I am very much appreciate the importance of …

Things went pretty much according to plan at Friday night’s Clare Fianna Fáil general election selection convention, with TD Timmy Dooley and GAA county board chairman, Michael McDonagh safely through. A lot of delegates were of the opinion that a third candidate would help them sweep up more votes and get two seats back for Fianna Fáil after the election. The fourth seat has been keenly contested over the past number of elections, with small margins deciding the outcome. With Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy the third placed convention candidate, ahead of Rita McInerney from Doonbeg, the likelihood is that she will be the one added to the ticket if party headquarters take on board the wishes of Clare Fianna Fáil. Following Dr John Hillery’s strong performance in the last election, it is expected that Fianna Fáil supporters in West Clare will be making an all out effort to give their area a voice in the person of Michael McDonagh, a …

MARY Crawford, a member of the national Fianna Fáil 1916 Coiste, has appealed to people in the county to contact the party, if they are interested in having their family members recognised for their roles in that era. “One of the things that Fianna Fáil hopes to do in every county is to get a list of people who were involved in the era 1916 to 1923 or who had relatives involved and who would like to be part of this commemoration. “We are trying to build up a bank of names of people who were involved in the period and to recognise their contribution,” Ms Crawford explained, stressing that the initiative applied to all people, whatever their role. “A medallion will be presented to the families to mark their contribution. Any information we get, I’ll be handing it over to Helen Walsh of Clare County Council. We’ll work with any groups. There are a lot of groups trying to …

Dr John Hillery has sensationally quit from the race to secure a place on Clare Fianna Fáil’s General Election ticket. In a surprise move, the son of former President of Ireland, Dr Patrick Hillery confirmed he is withdrawing his name ahead of next Monday’s nomination deadline for the Clare Fianna Fáil’s General Election selection convention. The consultant psychiatrist confirmed he wasn’t asked by the party to withdraw from the race. Having consulted with his own political supporters, Dr Hillery decided he hadn’t enough time to mount a credible campaign ahead of the selection convention, which will be probably held next month. He criticised party headquarters for the delay in providing a definite timescale and date for the convention, which made it extremely difficult for prospective candidates with full time jobs to juggle local canvassing with work. “Candidates have a lot of work done and at this stage I felt I had too much work ahead of a possible convention in July. …

THE publication of a so-called fictitious internal Fianna Fáil poll with percentage ratings for five general election candidates in Clare was designed to hinder the election chances of some contestants. That’s the charge levelled by Clare GAA County Board chairman, Michael McDonagh, who issued a scathing attack on the unnamed source who provided information for a media report. Mr McDonagh, who will be one of the five general election candidates seeking a party nomination before the closing date of June 22, launched his broadside as senior party figures at local and national level insisted no official poll was completed on their behalf at this stage. The contents of the report prompted Mr McDonagh to vent his anger in a hard-hitting statement issued to The Clare Champion. “When an individual, well-placed and trusted Fianna Fáil media source gives an interview to the press about the results of an internal Fianna Fáil opinion poll that has never taken place, you know you …

Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Transport Timmy Dooley has questioned whether the Labour Party was ever taking seriously the concerns around the possible sale of the State’s shareholding in Aer Lingus after it was indicated the Cabinet would only make its decision when it knew the intentions of Ryanair. Deputy Dooley said the comments attributed to Tánaiste Joan Burton “exposed the lack of genuine concern within the Labour Party about maintaining a strategic national interest in Aer Lingus.” Deputy Dooley said, “It is very disappointing to hear that Labour and the Cabinet are prepared to take their cue on Aer Lingus from Ryanair. Not only is Ryanair a competitor of Aer Lingus it is a major shareholder and will make its decisions based on commercial interest not national interest. The Labour Party should be making its decisions as part of the Government in the long-term interests of the country and shouldn’t be waiting to a get a steer on what direction it should go from Ryanair. “The …

CLARE Fianna Fáil will host a public meeting at the West County Hotel tomorrow (Tuesday), at 8pm to inform voters on the upcoming marriage equality referendum as well as helping people to register to vote. Meanwhile, Clare Fine Gael will launch their campaign for a Yes vote in the Marriage Equality Referendum on Thursday, May 7 in the Auburn Lodge Hotel in Ennis. The party in Clare will hold a public meeting the same night to outline why the electorate in Clare should come out and vote in favour of this referendum. Speakers will include openly gay TD, Jerry Buttimer from Cork South Central; director of GLEN (The Gay and Lesbian Equality Network) Brian Sheehan, Mairead Doyle from Michael Houlihan & Partners, Ennis and chairman of Clare Young Fine Gael and openly gay teenager, Michael Taylor.

Sinn Féin has selected Noeleen Moran as a candidate to contest the next General Election in County Clare. Ms Moran, who stood for the party at the local elections in May, was selected at a party convention t in the West County Hotel. Ms Moran said, “I am both proud and honoured to be selected to represent Sinn Féin in Clare. Locally, the party has been growing steadily and we are now in very good shape. We are in a very strong position to contest the General Election whenever it may come. “The people of Clare have been subjected to years of austerity under the reign of Government representatives. It is disgraceful what the ordinary people of this country have had to endure under the current Government and the Fianna Fáil-led administration that came before it. The savage cuts to our health system and other vital frontline services have been deplorable. “It is time for change. There is a lot …