Cllr Eamonn Walsh – Fianna Fail

PRESS RELEASE: 1/05/2012

Tallaght Fianna Fáil Councillor , Éamonn Walsh Ironman challenge

Electoral contests are nothing in comparison to Tallaght Central Councillor, Éamonn Walsh’s greatest task yet by entering the Ironman Triathlon in Regensberg in Germany on June 17th next.

Councillor Walsh says, ‘I have decided to set a new challenge for this year and have enrolled to do an Ironman in Regensburg in Germany. The Ironman consists of a 3.8km Swim, 180 km cycle and a 42 km run in the one day! ( i.e. 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile cycle and a 26 mile marathon run).
Walsh says ,‘This is going to be an enormous undertaking but I have been training a lot and I have now 7 weeks training left so it’s all systems go!’
Walsh says, ‘The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul has done and continues to do, tremendous work over the years in assisting people and families of all backgrounds through their financial difficulties.
All of the money raised will go to the local branches of the St Vincent de Paul in his area.
‘I have covered all the administrative costs, flights, accommodation, registration fee etc. Every cent raised will go to the VdeP.’
The St Vincent de Paul donation website is www.svp.ie/Fundraisers/Ironman2012.

Walsh says he hopes to raise a €1,000 euro or more for the event.

‘I would hope that along with friends, businesses in Tallaght and beyond might be able to assist me in this challenge to raise the money for such a good cause’

www.svp.ie/fundraisers/ironman2012.

ENDS

The latest report from Met Eireann to the Council states that 25 to 30 mm of rain is expected to fall in the period from 6am Wednesday 25th April 2012 to 6am Thursday 26th April 2012. It is possible that in excess of 25 mm will fall within the period from 9am to 9pm on the Wednesday 25th April 2012. (Warning valid from 9am Wednesday, 25th April 2012 until 9pm Wednesday, 25 April 2012)

The predicted amount of rainfall over this period is less than half as much as during the event which caused extensive flooding in the County on 24th of October 2011 when approximately 80mm of rain fell in a 24 hour period.

South Dublin County Council staff and crews are actively monitoring the situation both on the ground and in liaison with Met Eireann and the Emergency Services. Council crews have been active on the ground taking measures such as cleaning gullies and removing debris from all river screens in flood prone areas including:-

Killinarden Estate

Knockmore Estate

Aranleigh

Castlefield /Glenvara, Knocklyon /Homeville

N81 at Brittas

Woodford Downs

Willington/Wellington/Templeville

Whitehall Road

Robinhood

Sandbags have been stockpiled in Council parks and other Council premises adjacent to those areas that have experienced flooding in the past, Council staff will be available to deliver sandbags to specific locations in the event of any threat of flooding arising. Those areas very badly affected last October have already been provided with sandbags. In addition pallets of sandbags have been provided to vulnerable estates.

Contact Numbers are 9 am to 5 pm 01 414 9000

Out of Hours Emergency number [From 5pm] 01 457 4807

Tel: 01-4149307

PRESS RELEASE: 24/04/2012

‘Shambolic’ handling of water charges

Councillor Éamonn Walsh (Tallaght Central) (FF) has described the FG/Labour Government’s handling of the water charges proposals as ‘shambolic’.

‘Labour and Fine Gael dazed by the gross mishandling of the household charge where a willing citizen couldn’t even pay the fee at the post office are now about to make a hames of the water charge.’

Walsh says, ‘Fine Gael and Labour have passed umpteen Council motions in the past 3 years opposing water charges whilst in control of the Council, but in Opposition in the Dáil. Bizarrely, they continue to support the opposition of the water charge despite their senior colleagues in Government proposing the introduction of water charges.

Walsh asks ‘Where has the Labour Councillors’ bleating about it, gone now?

Has another U-Turn been done again?’

Councillor Walsh says ‘the proposal that the meter charge installation will cost €800 over 20 years for each householder in standing charge alone before usage is calculated is outrageous given that some installers calculate a €300 charge including labour and machinery.

Cllr Walsh says ‘a simple proposal of a flat charge by an economist, Richard Toll, formerly of the ESRI, for those without a meter which would be higher than a charge by volume for those with a meter, would encourage people to install a meter at much less expense for the Government than the Dept of Environment embarking on a scandalous waste of money by digging up roads and installing meters on Council land outside people’s houses to ensure that every house was metered.’

‘If water charges are to be introduced special exemptions will have to apply to those with grave medical conditions and to pensioners. These vulnerable groups are already being hit with this Government’s regressive VAT increases which has increased the cost of living on these groups.’

Councillor Walsh says ‘ If Labour an Fine Gael members of South Dublin County Council want to support their senior colleagues on these measures that’s fine but they can’t have it both ways’.

Ends

PRESS RELEASE: 27/03/2012

Tallaght Fianna Fáil Councillor urges full implementation of Mahon Report findings and recommendations:

Councillor Éamonn Walsh (Tallaght Central) (FF) has expressed his shock and dismay at the findings of systemic and endemic corruption in the planning process and urges the full implementation of the report findings.

‘Though this Tribunal investigated matters that arose some 20 years before I entered public life the shocking resonance and the consequences of these findings are still be felt politically but more importantly for the communities that suffered and continue to suffer as a result of these planning decisions.’

Walsh says ‘The report touches every political party in the state who held seats at local government level and in those circumstances all political parties, and especially the Government parties now with over a hundred Dáil members and control of many of the Councils in the state must be alert to potential corruption that ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’.

‘I therefore believe that Minister Phil Hogan should reopen, having closed the planning inquiries that the FF/Green Party government initiated, into planning irregularities in five local Councils’.

Councillor Walsh says that the swift decision by Fianna Fáil to immediately initiate disciplinary proceedings against those named in the report is to be welcomed.

‘The resignation by the Fianna Fáil leader on South Dublin County Council came as a shock to all of us on the Council and I have known Councillor Hannon for the past 3 years and found him to be motivated at all times by the public interest and the welfare of his constituents. Nonetheless his decision to resign from the party was the correct and honourable one and I would like to wish him personally and his family all the best in the future.’

Walsh says that there is a need for Fianna Fáil to make a fresh start in Dublin South West and to be seen to have done so.

Councillor Walsh says ‘Charlie O Connor has done tremendous work in the Tallaght and Dublin South West areas over many decades of service and is acknowledged by all, in all parties and none, to have had a genuine and sincere commitment as a hardworking public representative-something that I have seen at first hand and I would hope that his community service will continue.’

Nonetheless, the adverse finding by the Tribunal that a political donation that he received was ‘entirely inappropriate’ renders his holding of the position of Fianna Fáil Tallaght Area Representative untenable and in consultation with many of the ordinary members of the party I believe that he should resign from that position forthwith.’

Walsh says ‘Fianna Fáil, is bigger than any elected members, past or present. The ordinary decent and enthusiastic members that I know are patriots to their core.

Those who have never voted for Fianna Fáil and have even been the party’s opponents over the years know how let down and angry their decent Fianna Fáil friends and close relations feel about this report’.

Walsh says Ireland needs an honest and effective opposition party committed to the core values of public service that the Fianna Fáil party was founded on.

Fianna Fáil ideals of unity in Ireland, dedication to the Irish Language, positive commitment to defending Ireland’s interests at international and European Union levels as well as an active and progressive contribution to the welfare of all our citizens will endure.

A new beginning is needed. Now is the time.

ENDS

PRESS RELEASE: 20/03/2012

Tallaght Central needs Garda Vacancies filled immmediately.

Councillor Éamonn Walsh (Tallaght Central) (FF) has called on the Minister for Justice Equality and law Reform, Mr Alan Shatter, to appoint successors to Chief Superintendent Manley and Superintendent Dolan who retired recently after many years of fine service to An Garda Síochána and to the community.

Walsh says , ‘recent reports that the US state department is warning their citizens of increase in crime here in Ireland due to senior police personnel shortages and changes should be a cause for concern not just for any Irish person who is likely to be a victim of crime as a result of these cutbacks but also the detrimental effect this message might have on tourism: an industry that is being strongly promoted with the upcoming ‘Gathering’ event next year to promote people of Irish extraction to come to Ireland.’