Garrett Weldon to contest General Election for People Before Profit Alliance

Garrett Weldon

Dundalk man Garrett Weldon has declared his intention to stand in next year’s General Election.

The 44-year-old, who now resides in Louth Village, is set to put his name forward as an independent candidate representing the People Before Profit Alliance.

The community work told The Dundalk Leader that he took the decision to stand as he believes change is needed to secure a better future for the country.

He said he was aware of the issues people were facing at this time and vowed to fight to abolish water charges and the property tax. He also said he would be challenging the corporate tax system and banking system if elected.

The father of two has a team of 10 behind him already and has vowed to meet as many people as possible in the build-up to the election. He also said he would only take the industrial wage from his TD’s salary if elected with the remainder – including his expenses – going back into the community.

Local senator forced to abandon her car after “frightening” experience outside Dáil

Senator Mary Moran

A local senator was caught up in a water charges protest outside the houses of the Oireachtas last night.

Senator Mary Moran was forced to abandon her car when demonstrators, protesting against water charges, staged a sit-down protest on Kildare Street.

Tipperary Senator Denis Landy was also affected.

The house authorities have requested the presence of the Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan today to ensure access to Leinster House for TDs, Senators and staff, with protesters expected to return to Kildare Street this morning as debate over water charges amendments resumes.

Moran told TheJournal.ie she was “horrified at the violence and animosity shown to gardaí” and described the experience as “frightening”.

She added that it was “a very sad day for democracy”.

The scene on Kildare Street yesterday

Callan to run in next General Election in Louth

Cllr Kevin Callan

Former Mayor of Drogheda Cllr Kevin Callan has been selected to run in the next General Election as the Independent’s alliance candidate for Louth and East Meath.

Cllr Callan was elected to Louth County Council in last May’s elections as a Fine Gael candidate but resigned from the party last November in protest of the government’s handling of the introduction of water charges.

He was first elected to local politics in 2009 after a previously unsuccessful bid in 2004.

Louth has the second lowest registration rate for water charges in the country

Louth has the second lowest registration rate for water charges, according to new figures published in today’s Irish Examiner.

The figures reveal that just 28,814 of the 44,043 eligible households, or 65%, have registered to date.

That was on a par with Dublin, with only Leitrim (57%) having a lower rate of sign-ups.

The figures were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from Irish Water and show the numbers registered across the 26 counties as of February 23^rd.

Estimates on the percentage registered in each county were compiled comparing the Irish Water figures with the 2011 census data on private households from the CSO. The actual number of dwellings in each county is likely to be more.

Louth County Council supplies tenant information to Irish Water

Those in council houses throughout Louth have been receiving letters this week from the local authority, notifying them that their details have been supplied to Irish Water.

Louth County Council say that they are legally obliged to comply with the request for details on who lives in each of their properties under Section 26 of the Water Services Act 2013.

Despite councillors voting in February not to hand over tenant information to Irish Water without their consent, the council has now admitted that they have supplied the name and address of tenants to the utility company so that they can bill them for water charges.

Anyone who wishes to raise the matter with Irish Water can do so by calling 1890 448 448 while the Housing Department of Louth County Council can be contacted in Drogheda on 041 9839306.

The first Irish Water bills are being sent to homes around the country this week, with everyone – whether you have registered for charges or not – expected to receive one within the next eight weeks.

A copy of what the council sent to tenants can be seen below:

Dundalk woman Maeve Curtis speaks out against water charges

Dundalk woman Maeve Curtis was amongst the guest speakers at the Right2Water’s protest in Dublin at the weekend.

Maeve, from Greenacres, has been one of the most vocal from this area against the introduction of water charges and accused the government of “enslaving the nation to banks.”

Check out her speech in full above.

Council will not be passing on tenant information to Irish Water

Louth County Council will not be handing over tenant information to Irish Water without their consent.

The decision was made at Monday’s meeting at Co Louth Golf Club in Baltray, where it was also agreed not to add outstanding water charges to the rent account of tenants.

Water charges have been in place since January, with the first bills expected in April. However, hundreds of thousands of households around the country have yet to sign up for them, with protests continuing.

There had been fears that the local authority may force its tenants into paying but this will not be the case after councillors pointed out that this would be in breach of data protection rights.

RNU Dundalk protest at local filling station

The Dundalk branch of the Republic Network for Unity (RNU) held a protest at Niall Clarke Oils’ Topaz Garage on the Dublin Road on Friday night.

The small group, carrying banners and the tricolour, were protesting against water charges and took issue with Denis O’Brien’s involvement in Topaz.

The group have called on locals to boycott the filling station until water charges are abolished.

Water protest event in Dundalk this Saturday

Right 2 Water will host a white line picket event to protest against water charges this Saturday at the Market Square in Dundalk.

People are asked to assemble from 1.30pm with the event , which is being supported by Sinn Féin, coinciding with a march.

Water protest planned for Dundalk next Friday

Anti-water charges group Right 2 Water will be holding a ‘people’s assembly’ in Dundalk next Friday at 2pm to protest against the charges.

The event in the town centre will feature members of the Detroit Water Brigade, a volunteer-led alliance of Detroit citizens and their international allies who have worked to bring emergency relief to families facing water shut offs.

Local protesters are also planning to be in attendance at the national assembly in at Dáil Éireann in Dublin on Wednesday at 1pm.