Recent figures I obtained have revealed Kildare has some of the lowest numbers of IDA Ireland sponsored site visits over the last four years. The IDA visits, which can lead to direct investment and employment opportunities in the county, have been severely lacking in Kildare since the current government took office. I have highlighted the lack of strong representation from the incumbent Kildare government T.D.’s on this issue for some time. Kildare has only received five IDA visits over the past four years. For the fourth largest county in Ireland with a sufficient motorway links, infrastructure, and a willing workforce it is disappointing more visits have not been made.
Tag Archives: Kildare North
Submission on Maighne Wind Farm
Submission receipt from An Bord Pleanalá
Yesterday was the closing date for submissions on the Maighne Wind Farm. The proposal here is for 47 x 167m tall turbines dotted right across the rural landscape from south Meath across North West Kildare. I attended many of the meetings organised on this and listened to community concerns. I also met with Weston Aerodrome last week and was alarmed to discover they had not even been notified, despite the impact on light aircraft in the vicinity. Following our meeting they are also lodging a serious submission. I have inspected turbines up close at Mount Lucas and elsewhere and dealt with a wind turbine planning application before in Eadestown last year. In short I think they are over-rated in terms of energy production and under-regulated in terms of design and operation. There is a place for them as part of a wider energy package and in clustered locations well away from housing, but dotted across a scenic rural landscape in close proximity to houses and natural amenity all the way around is not it.
My submission re Maighne Wind Farm was made to An Bord Pleanála yesterday, and is as below: Continue Reading →
FG Silence On Constitutional Crisis Deafening
Fine Gael silence on the parliamentary privilege issue is deafening. The right of elected parliamentarians to make statements in the house without fear of litigation is absolute. Article 15.13 of our constitution enshrines that right and it is a pillar of modern democracy, not just here in Ireland, but across the common law world. If there are abuses of it, and that can happen, the answer is not to injunct half the national media, but to tackle it in the proper manner, through the internal procedures of the house. This is an absolute right and only the citizens of Ireland can alter that in any way through referendum. It is an assault on parliamentary democracy and on our constitution to even humour any other scenario.
Continued Capital Expenditure in Transport Critical for Kildare
I spoke recently at a Transport Policy Conference in Clane organised by Kildare North Fianna Fáil and chaired by Timmy Dooley TD. One of the key points I made was calling on the Government to restart capital funding for transport infrastructure projects. Commuters will have noticed that at train stations across Kildare North there are increased passenger volumes. For instance, Maynooth station was recently listed in the top 10 busiest stations in Ireland.
Investing in train line infrastructure and rolling stock is important now as the economy starts to recover and public transport needs to remain a viable choice for residents across Kildare North, so many of whom commute to Dublin for work and study. This is a policy area I’ve been vocal on for years. This Government, and future ones, must give a commitment to investing in transport infrastructure.
Seeking Nomination for General Election
On Monday 12th January 2015 I announced my intention to seek the Fianna Fáil nomination for Kildare North in the next General Election. Speaking at a meeting of our local organisation in Sallins, I was grateful for overwhelming support from both the public and party members.
Kildare North needs jobs, houses, investment and infrastructure and solutions at local and national levels. Having three out of four government TDs has been no help and it’s time for a fresh, constructive and challenging look at politics for Kildare North and nationally. I would relish the opportunity to contribute to building a new politics in this country and building a better future for Kildare.
Ultimately the local party members will decide on which candidate they want to represent them in the near future. I look forward to the challenge ahead. Tús maith leath na hoibre!