Search Results for 'public services'

The Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, recent opinion polls, and normal political activity are all being overshadowed by the perilous state of the economy. I have always believed that politics follows economics – to coin Bill Clinton’s phrase “It’s the economy, stupid”.

The Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, recent opinion polls, and normal political activity are all being overshadowed by the perilous state of the economy. I have always believed that politics follows economics – to coin Bill Clinton’s phrase “It’s the economy, stupid”.

The Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, recent opinion polls, and normal political activity are all being overshadowed by the perilous state of the economy. I have always believed that politics follows economics – to coin Bill Clinton’s phrase “It’s the economy, stupid”.

Sinn Fein Councillor Kathleen Funchion has called on the electorate in Kilkenny to once again vote no to Lisbon.

Although nominations have yet to close for June’s Local Elections, attentions are already being focused on the likely results and the potential mayoral pacts that may be created post June.

Sinn Fein county councillor Gerry Murray has described as extraordinary the admission by the Government that it does not know how many schools across the State are using prefabs. Last week the Department of Education confirmed that it does not have a complete list of all primary and secondary schools using prefab buildings; it just has data collected from a sample survey of 900 schools. Shockingly there are more than 2,605 prefab units being used in the 900 schools surveyed.

While the Soldiers of Destiny in Mayo march towards their long awaited Nemesis this June those other political foot-soliders, the Blue Shirts may be marching towards a clash with hubris.

Fine Gael’s Deputy Michael Ring, spokesperson on community, rural, and Gaeltacht affairs, has said the €35 million in savings brought about by the party’s Oireachtas reforms could be used for services like transport for hospital appointments, water and sewerage schemes, roads, etc. Dep Ring said the package included a reduction by eight of the number of junior ministers, cutting the number of joint Oireachtas committees by 10, ending the practice of paying fees to those holding positions on those committees, no ministerial pensions to be paid while the member is still serving in either house of the Oireachtas, direct elections for 20 of the Seanad seats, and extending the Dáil sitting week from three to four days.

Mullingar man Rashid Butt has just become the town’s newest, and youngest, peace commissioner. He received his appointment by post last week, and is probably the first person from an ethnic minority, and definitely the first Muslim in the country, to receive this honour.

It is time for the government to move immediately to heal the damage done to the relationship between workers in the public sector and the private sector, according to Kilkenny Labour Party councillor Seán Ó hArgáin. He was speaking following a canvass in Kilkenny city at the weekend where he said he encountered huge anger among public sector workers at what they believed was a nasty and demeaning campaign against them in recent months.