New blog, Terenure, and the Nuclear debate
Given that we’re now about 12 months from the General Election I thought it would be an appropriate time to start a blog. I don’t have a huge amount of time so the entries will be fairly sporadic.
I attended Terenure Residents Association last night - the only TD from Dublin South East to do so. Gay Mitchell and Michael Mulcahy were there from Dublin South Central plus a good representation of councillors and approximately 40 residents - Michael Mulcahy had done a head count. While the Gardaí gave a report about local crime, Michael - with whom I often discuss elections - bet me that Michael McDowell would top the poll in Dublin South East with a surplus of 2,000 votes! I took the bet immediately, which is for a magnum of champagne, if you don’t mind.
The problems raised by residents include litter, traffic, the proposed skateboard park - a discussion which became very heated - and the development plan for Terenure village.
I missed Eamon (Ryan) on Prime Time but saw it on the Net this morning. He was debating with Dr Ed Walsh about the question of nuclear power. Ed Walsh came across as pompous and arrogant. At the end he even asked Eamon was he ’scientifically literate’! Eamon won hands down. The point is, of course, that the Green Party arguments opposing nuclear power in Ireland are based totally on scientific findings.
Bertie says publicly that he’s opposed to nuclear power, but his speech to the Engineers Ireland conference yesterday was equivocal. He’s clearly under pressure from certain quarters to leave the door open for nuclear power.