Other News In Brief

Community Employment Supervisors To Strike Over Pensions

Community Employment supervisors who are seeking pension security are holding strikes today at six locations across the country.

They will take to the picket lines in Letterkenny, Galway, Athlone, Waterford, Cork and Dublin at the Department of Social Protection offices.

Over 250 employees are believed to have retired without a pension since a 2008 Labour Court recommendation.

Forsa Assistant General Secretary Brendan O'Hanlon said they have been waiting too long and enough is enough: "Our members have been extremely patient and their patience has run out. They feel they have no other option now other than to take industrial action to highlight their situation that many of them across the country, even since this claim was initiated back in 2008, have since retired and haven't benefitted and a lot of them haven't made any pension provision on the basis of that."

FF Select Barry Andrews To Run For Dublin Seat In EU Elections

Fianna Fáil have selected Barry Andrews to represent the party in Dublin for the upcoming EU elections.

Voters will take to the polling stations in May of this year to select their representatives for the European Parliament.

Mr Andrews has stood for the party at both local and national level, acting as a councillor, TD and Cabinet Minister.

He was nominated at a party convention today, Monday 18 February.

Speaking at the convention, he commented: "I would like to thank the members of Fianna Fáil in Dublin city and county for the opportunity to represent the party in this critically important election. Dublin has been without a Fianna Fáil voice in Brussels and Strasbourg for too long. It is clear from the level of engagement in this selection process, the membership of the party are determined to fix that and I am very excited at the prospect of working with them.

"At such a crucial time for Europe and Ireland, with the impact of Brexit still largely unknown, a strong voice for Dublin is more important than ever."

Labour Welcome €600K Investment In Kinnegad

Labour have welcomed €600,000 of Rural Regeneration and Development funding for Kinnegad.

The money will be used to develop a number of projects including a town park and other community facilities, such as a library and the rejuvenation of Main Street.

Deputy Willie Penrose said: "The announcement of a €600,000 investment in Kinnegad is very welcome. This reflects the growing needs of towns in Westmeath and comes on the back of trojan work done by the local group, the Kinnegad Action Plan Steering Group.
 The facilities, such as a town hall and park, which are both much needed, have been a long time coming. For too long Kinnegad, and the Midlands as a whole, have been overlooked, and have not secured the strategic state investment that the town needs. I hope this is the first of many more investments in the Westmeath."

Denis Leonard, Chair of the Kinnegad Action Plan Steering Group and Labour candidate for Kinnegad, also welcomed the funding.

He commented: "This is the first serious investment in Kinnegad by the government in conjunction with the County Council in decades. The initial allocation of €600,000 for the feasibility studies and planning in the coming months will be followed by a fund over the coming years that will deliver a new community hall and leisure facility, a library and adult education centre, a town park, an enterprise centre and the rejuvenation of Main Street."



(JG/CM)