Coffey and Breathnach to represent Fianna Fáil in General Election

Cllr Declan Breathnach

Councillor Declan Breathnach and Drogheda-based solicitor Emma Coffey were last night chosen to represent Fianna Fáil in the forthcoming General Election in the Louth/East Meath constituency at a selection convention in The Grove in Dunleer.

Ms Coffey, who hails from Dundalk, was practically decided upon before last night’s convention following a directive from the party to choose a man and a woman.

Knockbridge man Breathnach, who has been on Louth County Council since 1999, then seen off competition from Anthony Moore, Liam Reilly and John Temple to join her on the party ticket for the next election.

The father of two is principal of St Paul’s National School in Walshestown. Emma, meanwhile, works as a self-employed solicitor in Drogheda and has one young daughter with her husband.

Cllr Breathnach took part in the 2011 General Election and will be hoping to win the seat set to be vacated by his fellow Knockbridge man, Seamus Kirk, who is retiring from politics when the current Dáil dissolves.

Meanwhile, former Fine Gael councillor Michael O’Dowd has been confirmed as Renua Ireland’s candidate in Co Louth for the forthcoming election. The former Mayor of Drogheda will now be going head to head with his brother, Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd for votes.

Reported unrest in Fianna Fáil after female candidate is selected for General Election before convention

Drogheda-based solicitor Emma Coffey, from Dundalk, will be contesting the General Election for Fianna Fáil

There is reported unrest in Fianna Fáil in Louth ahead of Monday night’s selection convention ahead of next year’s General Election.

It is understood that an instruction from the party’s headquarters has dictated that Drogheda-based solicitor Emma Coffey be put forward for the election in order to satisy gender quotas.

The preference towards the Dundalk-born woman based on her sex is understood to have annoyed others in the party who feel more qualified candidates are being overlooked.

Last month five people put their name forward for the convention, with Coffey – who only joined the party in recent months – the only woman.

Sitting councillors Liam Reilly and Declan Breathnach have put their names forward, as expected, with Breathnach the favourite for the second candidacy as he hopes to build on his 2011 General Election performance.

Also in the hat is party activist John Temple, who is best known for his work with the College Heights Residents’ Association, and Drogheda barrister Anthony Moore.

Ms Coffey’s automatic selection appears to particularly detrimental to Moore based on geographical factors, with the party due to put just two names forward for the election.

Drogheda barrister Anthony Moore said the decision to choose Ms Coffey before convention was undemocratic

Speaking on LMFM yesterday, Moore said members of Fianna Fáil had paid €40 for the right to vote but that right had now been taken from them. Around 260 delegates are entitled to vote on Monday night in The Grove in Dunleer.

When asked had Ms Coffey been parachuted in for the election, he replied: “It certainly seems like that.”

He also questioned whether it was legal for the party to select a candidate purely based on their gender and said that the current strategy could backfire on the party given Emma still lived in Dundalk and therefore could struggle to obtain votes in Drogheda. He further called on her to renounce the offer from the party, saying it was “not democracy” and “wouldn’t happen in North Korea or China.”

Meanwhile, John Temple confirmed to LMFM that he would be Emma’s director of elections but said he would remain in the race for the selection convention on Monday.

The party have never failed to take a seat in Co Louth but a new candidate will have to gain election following current TD Seamus Kirk’s decision to retire.

A woman has never been elected to the Dáil in Co Louth although more female candidates are expected across the country this year, with parties set to be fined unless they meet a female quota of 30%. The national constituency committee of Fianna Fáil confirmed they would be putting forward one man and one woman for the election in Louth.

Renua Ireland are also expected to put forward a candidate for Louth in the next few days with former Fine Gael councillor Michael O’Dowd, brother of local TD Fergus O’Dowd, tipped for the position.

Candidates so far confirmed to be running in Louth in the next General Election are as follows:

• Sinn Féin: Gerry Adams and Imelda Munster
• Fine Gael: Fergus O’Dowd and Peter Fitzpatrick
• Labour: Ged Nash and Mary Moran
• Direct Democracy Ireland: Anthony Connor and Pat Greene
• People Before Profit: Garrett Weldon
• Independence Alliance: Kevin Callan

Five put their name forward for Fianna Fáil convention in Louth

Schoolteacher Cllr Liam Reilly from Dromiskin

Cllr Declan Breathnach

Drogheda barrister Anthony Moore said the decision to choose Ms Coffey before convention was undemocratic

John Temple from College Heights

Drogheda-based solicitor Emma Coffey, from Dundalk, will be contesting the General Election for Fianna Fáil

Five people have put their name forward for the Fianna Fáil convention to decide the party’s candidates for the next General Election.

The party have never failed to take a seat in Co Louth but a new candidate will have to gain election following current TD Seamus Kirk’s decision to retire.

Sitting councillors Liam Reilly and Declan Breathnach have put their names forward, as expected, with Breathnach hoping to build on his 2011 General Election performance.

Also in the hat is party activist John Temple, who is best known for his work with the College Heights Residents’ Association.

Drogheda barrister Anthony Moore has also put his name forward along with another Drogheda-based solicitor, Emma Coffey, who was born in Dundalk.

It is expected the convention will take place before the end of September, with two candidates being put forward to contest the election.

Fitzpatrick won’t seek re-election in Louth in next General Election

Peter Fitzpatrick outside the Dáil with his wife Ann and children Daramay, Grace and Stephen

Local TD Peter Fitzpatrick has announced that he will not be seeking a nomination to run for Fine Gael in the next General Election.

The former Louth GAA manager was elected to the Dáil in the 2011 General Election, taking the final seat ahead of Fianna Fáil’s James Carroll.

His debut in local politics, Fitzpatrick earned 7,845 first preference votes before being elected on the 13^th count with 12,323 votes.

It had been expected that Fitzpatrick – from Belfry Gardens –  would allow his name to go forward for the next election but he confirmed this morning that he would not be seeking a nomination at next month’s Fine Gael selection convention for the Louth-East Meath constituency.

In a letter to party members he said that he would be taking the next few weeks to reflect on his future plans and would be make a further statement at that stage.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Fitzpatrick said: “I wish to confirm that I will not be seeking the Fine Gael nomination for the Louth / East Meath Constituency at the forthcoming selection convention.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Fine Gael members who have helped me over the past four and a half years and in particular thank the six branches who had nominated me as their candidate for the upcoming selection convention.

“Over the next number of weeks and with the help of my family I will be reflecting on my future plans and will make a further statement at that stage.”

The 53-year-old is the second local TD to announce his retirement from politics, with Fianna Fáil’s Seamus Kirk also set to step down at the next elections.

Fitzpatrick’s Fine Gael colleague Fergus O’Dowd is expected to stand again with the party weighing up the option of running two other candidates.

Kirk accuses Government of undermining post office network in Louth

Seamus Kirk TD

Local TD Seamus Kirk has accused the Government of continuing to undermine the post office network across County Louth.

Deputy Kirk made the comments after the Department of Social Protection issued another letter to social welfare recipients recommending that they use financial institutions to receive their welfare payments.  The letter claims this represents the best payment option.

The Fianna Fáil TD said: “It has come to my attention that the Department of Social Protection issued further application forms in recent days, urging social welfare recipients to avail of financial institutions as the primary payment option to receive welfare payments.”

The correspondence sent by the Department states “The department recommends direct payments to your current, deposit or savings account in a financial institution. This is the best payment option for you as you can receive your payment at a time and place that suits you”.

Deputy Kirk said: “This is yet another attempt by the Government to undermine the Post Office network which is the very fabric of rural Ireland by encouraging customers to bypass the local post office. Considering that the largest element of business delivered at Post Offices is the payment of social welfare, which accounts for over 30% of all business, moving welfare payments away to the banks will accelerate post office closures.

“The commitment that was made by Fine Gael and Labour to protect our Post Office network has been broken yet again.
“In February 2014 Fianna Fáil published detailed proposals that set out a plan for consolidating the existing work of the Post Office network while increasing commercial activity in every office. Our policy document recognises that Post Offices are the heartbeat of so many local communities across the country and need to be supported. Unfortunately it seems the Government does not share our view. The time has come for Fine Gael and Labour to stop its attack on what is a vital community service,” said Deputy Kirk.

St Malachy’s students donate part of confirmation money to Maria Goretti Foundation

Pupils from St Malachy’s Girls and Boys School in Anne Street showed there is plenty of goodwill amongst the youth of today by donating funds from their confirmation to the Maria Goretti Foundation in Lordship.

The two classes came together to present €685 from their confirmation money to the respite centre.

Meanwhile a further €1,800 was raised by Patsy Murphy and his team from the recent auction held at Milltown Hall in Kilkerley. Patsy made the donation recently alongside local TD Seamus Kirk.

Three Louth TDs pledge support for a Yes vote tomorrow

Gerry Adams with Sinn Féin councillors and activists at their Yes campaign launch in the Market Square last month

Three of Louth’s five TDs will be voting yes in tomorrow’s marriage equality referendum.

The Irish Times contacted every Dáíl and Seanad member to ask how they would be voting with only six Oireachtas members – John McGuinness, Jim Walsh, Michael Healy Rae, Mattie McGrath, Fidelma Healy Eames, Rónán Mullen and Feargal Quinn – indicating that they would be voting against the amendment. Pat Deering of Fine Gael was the only person who said they were undecided.

Local TDs Gerry Adams, Fergus O’Dowd and Ged Nash all pledged to vote yes tomorrow, although Seamus Kirk and Peter Fitzpatrick did not reply as to their intentions.

All three local Senators – Mary Moran, Jim D’Arcy and Terry Brennan – also said they would be voting yes.

You can check out how other politicians will vote here.

38 fewer Gardaí in Louth Division than in 2010, figures reveal

Seamus Kirk TD

Garda numbers in Co Louth have fallen substantially in the last five years.

Local TD Seamus Kirk has learned that there are now 38 fewer Gardaí in the Louth Division since 2010, having put forward a parliamentary question on the matter to Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald.

While Dundalk Garda Station hasn’t suffered like elsewhere, many smaller areas throughout the county have.

Commenting on the figures, Deputy Kirk said: “The figures that I have obtained show that Garda resources have been slashed by Fine Gael and Labour since they came to office. There are now 38 fewer Gardai in the Louth Division compared to five years ago.
“Drogheda has seen the most dramatic reduction in numbers with 22 fewer Gardaí being attached to Drogheda Garda Station since 2010. The reduction in manpower has occurred across the county with Ardee, Castlebellingham, Collon, Blackrock, Dromad and Hackballscross all experiencing personnel cutbacks.

“There is a feeling in communities in Louth that crime rates are on the rise. People do not feel as safe as they used to in their own homes. This comes as no surprise considering the cutback in resourcing for the Gardaí that the Government has overseen since coming to office.

“The Government has been attempting to downplay the crime crisis by hiding behind official crime figures. However Fianna Fáil has spent the past three years saying that gaping holes in frontline policing are leading to a spike in crime levels. Every community that I visit identifies rising crime levels as a top concern. It is no coincidence that these feelings are expressed at a time when Garda numbers are falling.

“It is time for the Government to admit that rising crime levels is a serious problem in our communities. Action must be taken to reverse this trend. More resources are needed for our police force, and this includes restoring manpower to Garda stations. The only resourcing initiative that the Government has announced for policing is a small intake of student Gardaí for this year. However it has been highlighted by Garda management that this intake will barely even cover the number of people retiring from the force each year,” said Deputy Kirk.

Labour expected to run just one candidate in Louth

Ged Nash with Labour leader Joan Burton

The Labour Party could be set to run just one candidate in Louth in the next General Election.

That’s according to a report in today’s Irish Independent, which suggests the party is preparing to radically downsize its number of candidates in a bid to han onto 20 Dáil seats.

That means they expect to lose as many as 12 of their TDs, with party strategists adopting a “greatly consolidated and reduced” approach to the number of candidates in a bid to avoid a split vote. Labour had 37 elected in the 2011 General Election but defections and walkouts seen them lose five of this total.

If one candidate is all that is put forward in Louth, then it is likely to be sitting TD, Ged Nash, who is a current Minister of State in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

That will lkely see Senator Mary Moran miss out on a candidacy, with the mother of five having taken 6,974 votes in her first campaign four years ago, including 4,564 first preference votes – a result that seen her come in sixth.

Meanwhile, Cllr Declan Breathnach – who took 6,001 votes in the last General Election – has declared his intention to seek a nomination from Fianna Fáil.

The party has yet to declare their candidates for the next election – which will take place sometime in the next 12 months – although current sitting TD Seamus Kirk has already announced his intention to step down.

Kirk hits out at “savage cuts” to Louth LEADER funding

Seamus Kirk TD

Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Rural Affairs Séamus Kirk has expressed outrage over the level of cuts to rural development funding in Co Louth.

The Knockbridge man says Louth communities are being hit with savage cuts amounting to nearly 31% under the LEADER programme.

Deputy Kirk has described it as yet another attack on Louth communities at a time when they can least afford it. He says every county is being hit with significant cuts but feels Louth has been singled out for a particularly harsh level of cutbacks.

“Communities across Co Louth have already seen savage cuts to resources and local services and we are now learning the extent of cuts to vital rural development funding,” said Deputy Kirk.

“The Government’s efforts on rural Ireland are based entirely in spin and optics, while behind closed doors they are engaged in a dismantling of rural communities.  The savage attack on LEADER companies is just the latest example.  The Government is taking power away from these companies by transferring the funding process from the Department to local authorities.  This is resulting in dramatic cuts to the level of funding available to local communities.

“Worse still, it’s happening at a time when rural communities in this region can least afford it. Our towns and villages have benefited greatly from LEADER companies and the local jobs they have created.  There is no doubt that the latest cuts to the programme will be seen on the ground and will have a major impact on job creation in rural Co Louth.

“People will be shocked to learn the level of rural development cuts targeted at Co Louth under the current LEADER programme.  It’s a major blow at a time that we should be encouraging sustainable growth in rural Ireland, as well as in our cities.  It is not enough for the Government to simply say that it prioritises rural Ireland. We need more than empty PR statements.  Communities here need to start seeing the crucial supports that will encourage local economic growth.

“The Government has broken yet another promise to rural communities in Co Louth.  The crucial role that Pillar II plays in rural Ireland must be maintained,” said Deputy Kirk.