Tag Archives: Programme for Government

A NEW Rural Ideas Forum could help reduce rural depopulation in Clare if it is properly implemented, according to Clare Beef Plan secretary, Bláth Cooney. However, Ms Cooney has warned this proposal, which is contained in the new Programme for Government conflicts with existing policies of urbanisation and large-scale afforestation and also the new EU Protected Areas plan, which proposes to designate 10% of the country as very high level special protected areas. She pledged the Beef Plan Movement will monitor the implementation of the consultation process and insist that the commitment to support farmers and local food businesses is honoured. “Some of this support is framed as a drive to improve land management to reduce emissions. It is important to recognise that in general farmers know their own land and improvements must be proposed in consultation with farmers rather than being imposed upon them. “This system has worked well in the locally-led schemes. The longest-established of these is the …

SENATOR Róisín Garvey has pledged to arrange a meeting of the seven Oireachtas members to discuss how the key issues facing Clare can be addressed. In an interview with the Clare Champion, Senator Garvey stressed the three new senators and four Dáil deputies had to work together to revitalise Shannon Airport, tourism and small and medium enterprises that have been hit hard by Covid-19 restrictions. “It is very important that the seven Oireachtas members work together. I think there is a lot on rural development, remote working and Greenways such as the Ennis to Kilkee Greenway in the new Programme for Government. “If we would get wifi hubs in villages and towns, that would help people to work remotely. There are also plans to upgrade derelict buildings in villages, which has been difficult to do because it is very bureaucratic and expensive up to now. “It is important to bring people back to live in towns and villages,” she said. …

THREE Clare Fianna Fáil Councillors Alan O’Callaghan and Tony O’Brien have broken ranks with the party by publicly backing a no vote against the proposed Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green Party coalition. Another party colleague, Councillor Pat O’Gorman is “edging towards a no vote” before ballot papers are sent out to about 750 members of the local Comhairle Dáil Ceanntair, who must return it before the deadline of June 25. Councillor O’Callaghan has also been appointed as one of the spokespersons for a new national campaign called “Fairer Future”, which is encouraging other FF members to vote against entering into government with Fine Gael. Describing itself as a “grassroots campaign of proud FF members”, this group contains more than 50 councillors from 14 counties who are actively campaigning with hundreds of other party members to defeat the new Programme for Government (PfG) negotiated by the three parties. In an interview with the Clare Champion, Councillor O’Callaghan stated that he …

A NEW Ennis based community group advocating for “healthy and happy streets” believe investment in walking and cycling infrastructure in the proposed Programme for Government will have a positive impact on public health and the local economy. The proposed Programme for Government includes a ring-fenced investment of €360m in walking and cycling infrastructure throughout Ireland. Better Ennis have welcomed what it describes as a “serious investment” in active travel infrastructure. The Programme for Government includes the commitment to develop a national network of greenways – not only as tourist amenities, but designed and implemented so that they can be used by students, commuters and people enjoying cycling as their daily physical exercise. There is a focus on increasing the numbers of children walking and cycling to school and Better Ennis say will have a “huge positive impact” in reducing traffic within Ennis town. “It is important that the active travel infrastructure is well designed, implemented, and maintained, and in that …

The decision by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to sacrifice the long awaited €500 million Shannon LNG project to secure a coalition with the Green Party has been welcomed by environmental groups including Futureproof Clare. Criticism of the proposed Shannon Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal near Tarbert had intensified in recent months, with celebrities like Cher and Mark Ruffalo speaking out over its proposed use of fracked gas. US company New Fortress Energy were promoters of the terminal which would have been the first of its kind in Ireland. Futureproof Clare has welcomed the commitment to scrap the Shannon LNG terminal project and to ban the importation of fracked gas in the proposed Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’. “The ban on all new offshore gas and oil drilling in Ireland’s waters is revolutionary in its commitment to leave fossil fuels behind as we transition to a low-carbon society and economy. Ireland would become the first country in the world …

DEPUTY Michael McNamara is to wait to see how members of the three coalition parties vote on the Programme for Government before making his mind up on whether to support the history-making arrangement. The view of grassroots members of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party, who will be balloted individually by post, are expected to be made public by June 26. In the meantime, the Independent Clare TD said he saw very little in the 126-page document which would benefit the midwestern region. “There would appear to be no input from this region in the document,” he said. “I would have to ask what influence, if any, TDs from Fianna Fáil, the Greens or Fine Gael have. There are lots of details about planned infrastructure for Dublin, but no definite details for many projects outside of it. There’s no reference to Shannon Airport or to balancing aviation policy. When it comes to farming, there seems to be great …

Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Communications Timmy Dooley has hit out at the Social Protection Minister following the issuing of a circular to all staff in his Department relating to social welfare payments. The notice states “Customer wishes should be facilitated where they choose to receive their social welfare payment at their local post office”. The Clare TD explained, “Far from actively encouraging payments at Post Offices, as is the commitment on page 48 of the Programme for Partnership Government, this circular merely outlines the options open to social welfare recipients and instructs staff to “facilitate” customer wishes. “The previous Government attempted to divert business away from Post Offices by asking social welfare recipients to collect payments from a bank rather than their local post office. These latest circulars will do nothing to reverse the damage that has already been done; they just pay lip-service to the commitment made in the Programme for Government. “This gesture by Minister Varadkar is deeply …