Stack calls on Mary Lou McDonald to withdraw remarks on IRA murders
Fianna Fail General Election candidate, Austin Stack, has called on Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald to withdraw remarks that she made on RTE’s Morning Ireland radio programme today.
On the programme McDonald, when asked if she was Taoiseach, did she feel it would be appropriate that she would attend the funeral of IRA murders. In reply Ms McDonald stated: “it is absolutely appropriate when a person dies that they are shown respect”.
Reacting to this development Mr Stack whose father Brian was murdered by the IRA said “there is no level at which it would be appropriate for a Taoiseach to attend the funeral of IRA murders especially those who murdered loyal servants of the state.”
Continuing, Stack commented “these remarks are particularly insulting and hurtful coming on a day when Ms McDonald will visit Portlaoise where the IRA blew up and murdered Garda Michael Clerkin and where my father who was murdered by the IRA was a Chief Prison Officer.
“Will Mary Lou McDonald call into the Prison Service Training College when in Portlaoise today and lay a wreath at the memorial to my Dad that is there? I very much doubt it, will she visit Garrahinch and pay her respects at the site where Garda Clerkin was blown up? I very much doubt it.
“Being Taoiseach means you are head of government and your first loyalty must be to those who serve the state, not those who tried to destroy it, and it is in this context that Ms McDonald falls well short as Taoiseach material.”
Speaking later in St Mary’s Hall in Portlaoise, Mary Lou McDonald said: “The point that I have made, and I’ll repeat it, I believe in respect for the dead.
“And, you know, funerals are moments of goodbye and grieving for lots of people. And I made the point, and I’ll make it again, I was at the funeral of my great friend Martin McGuinness.
“At that funeral were former Taoiseach, President of the United States, because he was a public figure. But, you know, I don’t like this idea of using funerals and rituals of grieving as a mechanism to score points. I think it’s crass. I really think it’s very crass.”
Moran joins picket line with frontline Hospital staff in Portlaoise
Independent candidate Aisling Moran joined frontline hospital staff in Portlaoise today as they protested the chronic shortage of personnel and the risks that causes.
The lunchtime picket was organised by SIPTU and the INMO to highlight the pressure on hospital workers, failure by the HSE to fill vacancies over a prolonged period and the chronic shortage of staff which is putting inordinate pressure on their members.
Aisling Moran has repeatedly raised concerns for frontline staff throughout her campaign and even long before hand at numerous Council meetings.
“The stress and strain they are under is unbearable and unsafe both for staff and patients. I have time and time again spoken of how they are not in the frontline but rather the firing line, and the victims of poor management and failed government policies.
“There wasn’t a penny, not a mention in the budget of nurses, no plan to recruit and retain them as they emigrate in their droves. The same can be seen in teaching and in the guards, so many other jobs where this government repeatedly fail to take action to attract staff who can’t afford a home or even pay rent. Meanwhile in the workplace they are run off their feet and unable to cope safely with what’s demanded of them,” Moran maintained.
Showing solidarity at today’s protest at Portlaoise Hospital was Aisling’s wife, Fiona, herself a former nurse.
“I quit, I had to get out, I was a nurse, but we were underpaid, understaffed and undervalued, I just got sick of it and left,” she explained as she spoke to the SIPTU and INMO members on the informal picket.
For her part Aisling Moran asserts there is a different way, a better way to treat nurses and healthcare workers, rather than insulting them with pious platitudes, broken agreements, and dangerously low staffing levels.
“It’s infuriating to listen to the Taoiseach in the leaders’ debate last night talking about how he understands the problem; how he’s glad that question was asked; how he understands peoples’ anger, as if it has nothing whatsoever to do with him.
“Simon Harris has been in Government since 2011, 14 years he’s had to solve these issues.
“Along with the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin they are both former Ministers for Health and they have the health service in a disastrous and dangerous state, even though the country is supposed to be awash with money. Now they are offering more sympathy when what’s required is more staff and better pay and conditions.
“He’s talking about the ‘Rainy Day Fund’, well the rainy day is here in the health service, in housing, in childcare, in disability services, in special needs supports, and all he has to offer is tea and biscuits and ‘I feel your pain’. The public are sick of it, and he’ll get his answer on Friday,” asserted Cllr Moran.
Portlaoise needs more taxis … Fall of 14% since 2019 not sustainable
Independent Pauline Flanagan has said the 14% fall in the number of taxis in Laois since 2019 needs to be tackled immediately.
Ms Flanagan said: “The falling numbers of taxis has serious implications for personal safety and businesses.
“We have to tackle the prohibitively high costs that taxi-drivers face and find better ways to support and encourage taxi-drivers.
“They are a critical social resource who should not be left to the ravages of the market.
“The absence of taxis also has a crucial impact on businesses that depend on late-night customers, from rural restaurants to bustling city pubs, and stifling local economies that thrive on a vibrant nightlife.
“The absence of taxis also has serious implications for customer and worker safety.
“It will be a priority for me to make it far easier for people in urban and rural areas to get a taxi and to make it easier for people to get into the taxi business.
“I will work closely with representatives to end a scenario where fewer taxis are now available for a growing population.
“One in seven taxi drivers leaving the market is not a sustainable situation. If there is a problem we need to solve it, not talk about it.”
Mullally calls for reinstatement of Portarlington–Kildare village bus service
Independent candidate for Laois, Elaine Mullally, has called on Dublin Coach to reconsider its decision to cancel the Portarlington–Kildare Village bus service.
The cancellation, announced earlier this week, has sparked concern among local residents, particularly those who depend on the route to travel to work in Kildare Village and Kildare Town.
Mullally criticised the decision, describing it as “deeply disappointing” at a time when public transport is being promoted as a sustainable alternative to car travel.
“This cancellation could leave some workers unable to commute, potentially costing them their jobs,” she said. “It also sends the wrong message about supporting public transport and reducing car dependency.”
Mullally acknowledged that declining passenger numbers may have contributed to the decision but argued that this decline is partly due to ongoing reliability issues and the condition of some older buses.
“If Dublin Coach improved the reliability of the service and invested in better buses, passenger numbers would likely increase,” she said.
The Independent candidate has called for the route to be reinstated immediately and pledged to actively promote the service within the local community if it is restored.
She has also appealed to Dublin Coach to extend the service at least until January, to give affected passengers time to arrange alternative transport or find new employment.
“Pulling the plug on this service just before the busy Christmas period is particularly harsh,” Mullally said. “If the service cannot be maintained long-term, Dublin Coach should at least give passengers a reasonable transition period.”
Mullally concluded by urging Dublin Coach to prioritise the needs of the local community and work towards a solution that balances passenger needs with operational sustainability.
Vote for a candidate that is likely to be in Government, says Fleming
Seán Fleming TD, Minister of State, has encouraged all voters to vote for a candidate that will likely be in the next Government and who can deliver for Laois.
“This Friday 29th November, people in Laois will get the opportunity to vote for a candidate that they believe will deliver for them, their families, their communities and for Laois,” he said.
“I believe that it is important that we elect a candidate from a party that will likely be in Government following the election, where they can deliver for the County.
“As a local TD, since re-entering Government, I have worked very hard and delivered for Laois and I am seeking support to continue this work and continue delivering for the County.
In Laois:
- Fianna Fáil in Government has built over 2,500 new homes for people and families since 2020. We will increase the number of new private, affordable and social homes.
- We are investing €30 million in our hospitals in Portlaoise, Mountmellick and Abbeyleix. Our hospitals in Laois are safe for generations to come following significant new Government investment in our hospitals.
- We are increasing investment in education and special education to support our young people.
- I have delivered on the new Kolbe Special School in Portlaoise, which is now well under construction. We have more than doubled the number of special education classes in Laois schools since 2020.
- We will deliver further and permanent supports to help address the cost-of-living crisis that is affecting many families and small businesses.
- I have ensured that IDA purchased and is developing a 45-acre site in Portlaoise to attract international companies to create jobs in Laois for local people.
- We are and will continue to support towns and villages and support our farmers to produce good quality food and earn a worthwhile living into the future.
I and Fianna Fáil in Government are committed to working to deliver for the people of Laois and I am seeking voters’ number one vote on Friday 29th November.”
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