John Gormley

This morning I attended the Star of the Sea Boys National School, Sandymount, Science and Engineering Display. The boys had put a lot of work into the project. All credit to them, Una Condon, the principal, and the teachers. Afterwards I chatted to the teachers in the tea-room about the state of the electoral register.

On Saturday last (6th May) I met Felipe Arreaga Sanchez and Patricia Cervantes at a meeting organised by Amnesty International at the Dublin Food Co-op. I promised to raise their issues in the Dáil.

Yesterday (7th May) I met Kevin Humphreys in the morning in Ringsend Park to discuss Dublin City Council proposals for the redevelopment of the park. I took the afternoon off; went to Dalkey for a walk; took the kids for a swim in Marion pool at around 5.

Back to today. I issued 2 releases one in relation to the new ‘green’ ministerial cars, the other on Michael McDowell’s anti-inicineration leaflet. I spoke to Ruairi Quinn about the latter at lunch time. We both agree that Michael Mc has a brass neck. Do some people actually fall for this guff? The government - he’s a member of it - gave the go-ahead for a public-private partnership for a mass burn incinerator on the Poolbeg peninsula before Christmas. He now says he’s opposed to it, as he did at election time. His leaflet is full of typos and misinformation. I will respond. This sort of cute hoor politics gets my goat.

I spent this afternoon dealing with housing cases.

In relation to the new green ministerial transport, Dick Roche and Noel Dempsey are now in the same league as David Cameron - having their cake and greening it. Cameron is poser. He cycles to work but has his minions transport his clothes and papers to Westminister in a car. Were are the CO₂ savings there?

Just after 9am this morning I spoke to workmen from the City Council who were cutting down trees in Ringsend Park. I asked them to stop as there hasn’t been proper consultation with residents about phase two of the park development. I know this because I am a resident. I was involved from the beginning in the phase 1 development - the refurbishment of the playground, and most residents are very pleased that this is going ahead. However, nobody that I know has seen the plan for phase 2. I rang Kevin Humphreys of the Labour party to arrange a meeting for early on Saturday morning. I hope the matter can be resolved to the satisfaction of all the interested parties.

I put out a statement on Judge Harding Clark’s criticism of the HSE.

I’m trying to catch up with constituency work from home. This evening I will attend a graduation ceremony in Clanna na Gael for Ringsend District Response to Drugs (RDRD). Minister Noel Ahern is the guest of honour.

I intend to do a major revamp of this site in the coming weeks. Watch this space.

I spoke yesterday evening at a Mark Dearey fundraising dinner at Ghan House, Carlingford. A very beautiful setting, with good food and good company. I travelled up in the train and got a lift back late last night. I’m fairly tired today as a result. If Mark can make inroads into Drogheda he stands a good chance in the election.

I only managed to get a bit of the interview between Michael Mc and Eamon Dunphy. If the texts were anything to go by, it would appear that the Minister emerged victorious. Michael Mc did mention an off the record comment made by Eamon Dunphy during an ad break. Even though the interview was recorded they decided to keep in this reference - a good editorial decision.

I chaired two meetings this morning - the parliamentary party and the weekly planning meeting. I also chaired the Management Committee meeting and later attended a meeting on Dublin Bay. This was a follow up to Ciaran Cuffe’s recent conference on the issue.

I have to attend two local events followed by a local constituency meeting in Rathgar. I’ll be home tonight by 10, if I’m lucky.

Fianna Fáil has done a survey telling us that the electoral register is inaccurate. It’s front page news. The opposition has been saying this for months but we’ve seen little response from the person in charge, Dick Roche. They should have used the census as an opportunity to clear up the mess. It has always amazed me how FF can speak out of both sides of their mouth, and apparently get away with it. We have seen other examples in DSE. They’re all opposed to the incinerator, yet they introduce legislation which permits the building of one.

Cycling to the Dail this morning, I notice that Lucinda Creighton has posters up around Grand Canal Street advertising a a local meeting. Richard Bruton is speaking. I thought this sort of postering in the Dublin City Council area was illegal. I’m also fairly sure that Fine Gael supported the introduction of the poster ban. The Greens and smaller parties felt such a ban would stop anti-war groups and the like from publicising demonstrations etc. Now that FG have decided to ignore the ban I hope they will reconsider their earlier position on this.

I’m speaking in Dundalk tonight at a fundraising dinner for Councillor Mark Dearey. Mark’s an excellent candidate. Local polls are showing him doing quite well. He’s well organised, has a good team behind him and is a good media performer. Definitely one to watch.

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.