Archive for January, 2008

Helen Speaks out for Renewable Energy

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on January 30, 2008
in Climate Change/Flooding and Helen Corry
. 0 Comments

GREEN Party election candidate Helen Corry has said of her campaign that she will be be championing the rights of decent working families to build up sustainable businesses in farming, renewable energy, plumbing and electrical trades.
“These hard working people have the tools and skills to save the planet from global warming,” she said, pledging to fight the influence of those trying to stop Northern Ireland from playing its part in combating climate change.

Employed by Royal Mail, Helen Corry also jointly manages an NGO with her father, focussing on planting trees in waste ground thoughout Northern Ireland. To date they have succeeded in planting over 230,000 trees and have laid hedges and planted forests from Ballyward to Gransha and up to Dromore and Quilly.

Helen polled more than 1,000 first-preference votes in the elections last march and said she expected to considerably improve on that performance in the coming by-election.

She had been nominated, she said, primarily by people working in the agricultural sector and angered by recent DUP ministerial decisions diverting money from the farming and renewable sectors.

“The decision by Minister Dodds to discontinue the Reconnect scheme,” she said, “will badly affect NI companies like Balcas, producing wood-pellet central heating fuel from raw materials produced by Northern Irish Farmers at a time the industry is only developing.”

“To add insult to injury, minister Robinson last week declared that he will be opting out of UK building standards championed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and ex-Secretary of State Peter Hain. The farming and renewable energy sectors were not consulted before the decision was made. Sixty-eight companies in Co. Down are threatened by this notorious decision and at a meeting hosted by the Green Party last week we counted 180 jobs at threat in Down.”

“We need to Focus on Greening the Future for Our Children”

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on January 29, 2008
in Helen Corry
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helan corry img, originally uploaded by downgreenparty.

GREEN Party candidate Helen Corry Pleasant (24) has described the Dromore by-election as ‘the same old people fighting the same old wars that are largely irrelevant to people’s ordinary lives.’

Helen said, “This by-election is all about Unionist in-fighting and the same old divides within Unionism and Nationalism with the four Unionist parties fighting each other on one side and the two Nationalist parties fighting each other on the other.

“We have an unnecessary election that no-one wanted forced on us by the DUP in which no-one else is talking about the future of our children in an increasingly unstable planet.”

Mrs. Corry Pleasant said the election had not come at a good time for her, only weeks after the birth of her baby, but the birth of her first child, she said, had made her even more determined to make “our little bit of the planet” a better place for everyone’s children.

She added, “I am also making an election issue of the effective abolition of the renewable energy industry in Northern Ireland by Ministers Dodds and Robinson, with abolition of the reconnect grant, which is going to affect all home owners in Northern Ireland as well as the farming community, who were becoming increasingly involved in producing renewable fuels.”

Press Cuttings: Helen By election Robin Harper 1

Robin Harper MSP Canvassing Dromore

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on January 26, 2008
in 5. EVENTS and Helen Corry
. 0 Comments

Down Greens Canvassing with Robin Harper, originally uploaded by downgreenparty.

During Helen Corrys election campaign Robin Harper MSP of the Scottish Greens supported Helen Corry and spent a day canvassing with Helen and other Green Party members in Dromore Town on the 26th January.

Robin is Co-Convenor of the Scottish Green Party, and Green speaker on education at Holyrood. On 6 May 1999 the Scottish Green party made history when Robin became the first Green parliamentarian to be elected anywhere in the UK. Following the 2007 elections to the Scottish Parliament Robin Harper was once again re-elected as an MSP.

Helen Corry said “It was a pleasure to meet Robin Harper and I was delighted when he agreed to go canvassing in Dromore! This was a great event which I feel has further strengthend the East-West links of the Green Parties on these islands”.

On the same day Robin Harper also opened the very first Green Party constituency office in Northern Ireland in North Down.

Press Cuttings: Helen By election Robin Harper 1

GREEN PARTY ALARMED BY ATTITUDE TO RECYCLING SCHEME

Published
by
John Hardy
on January 24, 2008
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Bryansford, Cadogan Enright, Castlewellan, Council, John Hardy, Newcastle and Recycling
. 0 Comments

Cadogan Enright

 

Down Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright has expressed alarm at the ending of funding for a curb-side recycling scheme in Newcastle. This issue was first raised by Newcastle Green Party Coordinator John Hardy.

Cllr Cadogan Enright said that the three and a half thousand residents of Newcastle, Bryansford and Castlewellan who use this scheme are way ahead of the District Council on this issue.

Cllr Enright stated “We are missing an opportunity by allowing this recycling scheme to fold. Our capability for recycling in Northern Ireland has a lot of room for improvement and I am seriously worried that the Council is missing a trick here.”

He continued “I attended the Audit Committee of the Council last week and discovered that the Department of the Environment are refusing to pay Down District Council £67,000 for dumping at Drumnakelly landfill site.”

Cllr Enright pointed out that this amount was enough to keep the inter-church recycling scheme going this year.

“Failing to collect charges at Drumnakelly dump is causing cut-backs in recycling schemes. This is upside-down logic as it will only increase the amount of rubbish going to the dump by 300 tonnes per year, filling up valuable spare capacity. Ths scarce space can be sold by the council for a profit.”

The issue of funding for the scheme was raised by Cllr Enright at Council before Christmas. At a meeting of the Council last week (late January ‘07), Councillors Enright and Clarke proposed a motion to grant further funding to the group, but this was defeated by the combined SDLP, DUP and UUP votes.

“This loss of funding has resulted in job losses and is a step backwards in our waste policy in Down District. When curb-side collection becomes mandatory and recyling targets are raised from the current 38% progressivly up to 80% we will have to tender for this service and either Bryson House in Belfast or some multinational will benefit taking jobs and profits out of our area and we will lose capability for the Newcastle Inter-Church Association” Concluded Cadogan Enright.

Press Cuttings: interchurch in observer cadogan, Interchurch 4, Inter Church Recycling Scheme 2

NEW SEAT FOR BALLYNAHINCH BUS STOP

Published
by
John Hardy
on January 24, 2008
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Ballynahinch/Spa, Cadogan Enright, Pat Ward and Traffic/Rat Runs/Roads
. 0 Comments

busstop1The Green Party in Down District have been campaigning for a much needed seat for the bus shelter on Windmill Street in Ballynahinch.

Down Councillor, Cadogan Enright, has said that the seat will be very helpful addition to the shelter. “I have been approached by a number of elderly people who have had to stand at the bus stop, which is on a steep hill, holding their shopping and wait on a bus. As you can imagine, this is very tiring and it is a burden on older people.”

The Green Party, through local co-ordinator Pat Ward, contacted Translink, who stated that bus shelters were the responsibility of a private company, Clearchannel, and so they forwarded the complaint in relation to the seat.

Cllr Cadogan Enright said “Initially they told us that it was not possible because of the slope on Windmill street. So our Downpatrick office pressed the issue and showed where bus-stops in similar locations had seats, eventually they conceded the point.”

“The Green Party has since received a letter confirming that a seat will be installed at the end of January. Cadogan concluded”

“This is a very busy bus stop, servicing the main bus routes, as well as a number of schools in the town. The addition of a seat is long overdue and will be a welcome rest for those using the service”, said Pat Ward.

Welcoming the news was local man Bobby Caughey. “I use the bus every day for journeys into Ballynahinch and it can be difficult having to stand at the bus stop for a long period of time waiting on the next bus. It will be great to have a seat to rest on.”

Cllr Enright added, “We understand that there have been promises of a seat at this shelter before which came to nothing, but we now have written confirmation that a seat will be installed and we will ensure that the company follows through with their word.”

Press Cuttings: Bus Stop Seating

Helen Corry Contests Dromore By-Election

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on January 22, 2008
in Helen Corry
. 0 Comments

, originally uploaded by downgreenparty.

The Green Party has selected 24-year-old Helen Corry Pleasant to contest the forth coming by-election in the Dromore electoral area of Banbridge District Council. Ms. Corry already ran in the areas Assembly election last year and hopes to improve on her vote and take the seat.

The daughter of recently retired Downpatrick Green Party councillor Bill Corry, Helen is married to Darren. The couple recently celebrated the birth of their son Conan. During the day Helen delivers the post for Royal Mail, while her spare time is dedicated to planting trees. To date Helen, along side her father and other volunteers have planted over 230,000 trees and hedges from Ballyward to Gransha.

Ms. Corry said: “I believe in the Green Party mantra ‘think globally, act locally’ that’s why I do my bit by planting trees. I passionately believe that each of us can make a difference. By recycling and reducing our waste we can make a difference, that’s why I’m reusing my election posters from last year. By sourcing locally produced food we are reducing air miles and helping the local farming community. I also intend lobbying for improved public transport in an effort to get people out of their cars.

Issues that Ms. Corry intends pursuing if elected onto the council include a scheme for local schools aimed at encouraging vegetable plots, promote organic food production among the farming community, promote farmers markets in the area so that the farmer can sell directly to the consumer, push for better public transport and child care facilities in the area.

Ms. Corry said: “My baby is just 3-weeks-old, I understand how difficult it is for young mothers to get out and about to meet others. If I am elected I’ll campaign and lobby to improve crèche and child care facilities in the area. Public transport is so under funded and that’s a real problem if you’re in a rural area.”

The Green Party is anti nuclear and has actively campaigned and lobbied for more support to the alternative energy industry and the right of people in social housing to have alternative energy installed in their homes. Helen Corry said that “In this campaign I will be championing the rights of decent working families to build up sustainable businesses in farming, renewable energy, plumbing and electrical trades. These hard working people have the tools and skills to save the planet from global warming and I will be fighting the influence of a small cabal of building companies trying to stop Northern Ireland from playing its part in combating climate change”.

The Green Party is also campaigning for an independent Environmental Protection Agency for Northern Ireland.

Press Cuttings: Helen By election 1

Belfast Pride March 2007

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on January 18, 2008
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, 5. EVENTS, John Hardy and Supporting Minorities / Human Rights
. 0 Comments


 

Pictured are members of the Green Party including John Hardy of the the Down District Greens.

The Green Party and Young Greens took part in this year’s annual Belfast Pride march on Saturday 4th August in Belfast City Centre.

The party joined with a diverse range of participants – from a wide range of businesses and interest groups to the PSNI, to support the message, as participant group Amnesty International put it, that “love is a human right.”

Newcastle Green Party representative John Hardy said: “The recent homophobic comments by Ian Paisley Junior in Hot Press magazine in May, and with the ongoing problem of abuse and attacks on members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) community, the Green Party views their participation in the Belfast Pride march as a chance to show their solidarity with members of the LGBT community, and to demonstrate that these issues are important, whatever your sexual orientation.”

GREENS SUPPORT RENEWABLE ENERGY BUSINESS – PUBLIC MEETING

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on January 17, 2008
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, 4. GREEN PEOPLE, 5. EVENTS, Brian Wilson, Cadogan Enright and Ciaran Mussen
. 0 Comments

SOUTH DOWN – with cadogan, originally uploaded by downgreenparty.

Photo includes Cllr Ciaran Mussen, Cllr Cadogan Enright and Representatives from the Renewable Energy Industry.

The Green Party held a meeting last night (Thursday 10th) in the Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatick to address the lack of Executive support for renewable energy installers in County Down, which could lead to the loss of over 180 jobs in county Down and over 1000 jobs across Northern Ireland.

Cllr Cadogan Enright, Down District Green Party Councillor, chaired the packed meeting which was attended by over forty business owners, who are facing an uncertain future due to the ending of the Reconnect Grant Scheme.

Cllr Enright explained, ‘We in the Green Party were approached by a number of installers who were concerned at the decision by DETI to end the grant scheme, which provides homeowners up to 50% of the installation of renewables and was a major source of business for the growing industry.’

‘The meeting was very well attended and showed the passion of the installers in this sector, as well as their frustration at Minister Nigel Dodds in ending the grants, given the threat to their job security.’

Many installers expressed alarm at Minister Peter Robinson’s decision to opt out of new UK building regulations requiring renewables in all new houses in NI, which would have included a 50% stamp duty exemption as incentive. Other installers expressed concern that the civil servants managing the Warm Homes scheme were recommending to Minister Ritchie that expensive fossil fuels be used in preference to cheap renewable systems.

‘This is a growing indigenous industry in the private sector which employs over 1000 people in 95 companies across the North. The Executive should be encouraging its growth, not cutting off a vital lifeline, especially when the Grant Scheme is proving so popular’, Cllr Enright said.

The meeting was also attended by Brian Wilson, Green Party MLA for North Down, Green Party Cllr Ciaran Mussen of Newry and Mourne Council and Cllr Joe Corr, who was representing Green Party Minister for Energy Eamonn Ryan in Dublin. The aim was to set out a campaign for renewable energy at Council, Assembly and intergovernmental level.

Brian Wilson fully supported the installers and said, ‘I have raised this issue many times at the Assembly, and I think it is essential that the Executive has a strategy for energy which encourages NI businesses and helps to reduce our carbon emissions.’

A major outcome of the meeting was the unequivocal agreement amongst installers that a lobby group was needed for their industry which could put pressure on the Departments to take action. Key players in the renewable industry from around Northern Ireland are meeting in Downpatrick next week to establish their new industry forum.

Ruth McGuigan, of the new Renewable Energy Forum, said, ‘We, as installers, are part of the green economy which is providing jobs and growth to NI. We are urging the Assembly to continue the Reconnect grants and put in place legislation that will make renewable energy a part of all building and energy plans in the future.’

Cllr Enright concluded, ‘This meeting provided a voice for the installers who are facing great difficulties in what is a crucial industry. However, it was also positive in that it put in place a campaign to ensure that renewable energy installers are given the support they require.’

Cllr Enright welcomed support from local SDLP, DUP and Sinn Fein Councillors that they would support motions on these issues at Down District Council, and thanked Minister Eamonn Ryan for his intervention at intergovernmental Ministerial level.

 cadogan-ciaran-conor.jpg

Pictured from left are Cllr Cadogan Enright, Cllr Ciaran Mussen and Connaire McGreevy from Rozell Renewables at the Renewables Meeting.

Press Cuttings: renewable meeting democrat, renewable meeting observer, renewable meeting recorder, renewables meeting 1

John Gormley meets the Young Greens

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on January 10, 2008
in 5. EVENTS, Mark McCormick and Nuclear
. 0 Comments

Young Greens Student Council Campaign, originally uploaded by downgreenparty.

Green Party leader and Irish Minister for the Environment John Gormley visited Belfast on Thurs Nov 1st to meet the first ever Greens Society at Queens.

Minister Gormely said: “I’m delighted that the QUB Greens Society has proved so popular, recruiting 134 members in its first year, is really quite amazing and goes to show that young people in Northern Ireland understand and feel connected to Green politics.”

QUB Greens spokesperson Mark McCormick, from Downpatrick said: “We are so pleased Minister Gormley took the time to come and meet us today and if we do as well as we expect in the University’s Council elections, then it will again prove, that for young people, the future is the Green Party, it just doesn’t carry the shackles of ethnic tensions which burdens the other main parties, it is not territorial but instead thinks globally and acts locally, it is the future.”

The QUB Greens members spoke to Minister Gormley about the upcoming student council elections and how the Student Council has been plagued by ‘party politics’ in the past. They also discussed what plans they have for the year and how they will campaign to improve QUB’s environmental performance. Before Minsiter Gormley left Queens to travel to Stormont the QUB Greens presented him with a QUB Teddy Bear to thank him for his visit!

Minister Gormley then went on to meet Green Party MLA Brian Wilson at the Stormont Assembly. The main focus of this meeting was the discussion of the Sellafield Nuclear Plant which poses a great threat to humans and the environment.

Minister Gormley said: “I note with concern reports that the THORP nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield may restart operations. The Irish Government has consistently made clear to the UK Government its concerns regarding Sellafield. Our long held view is that it operates at an uneconomic, environmentally damaging level. That coupled with its poor track record in safety has been conveyed to the UK on a regular basis. The re-opening of THORP will merely contribute further to the continuing discharge of radioactive material to the Irish Sea. That is a concern for the people of the Irish Republic and I expect to the people of Northern Ireland.”

Shortly after John Gormleys visit Mark McCormick, QUB Greens Co-Chair and Down District Green Party Youth Co-ordinator was deemed elected to the QUB Student Council. Mark met the quota being elected on the first count. Three other QUB Greens where elected to the Student Council as well, which was a massive achievement to a political society in its first few months of existence.

The QUB Greens Election Poster Student Council Elections 2007

GREENS CALL FOR SENSIBLE SEWERAGE SOLUTION IN NEWCASTLE

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on January 4, 2008
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Cadogan Enright, Climate Change/Flooding, Council, John Hardy, Newcastle and Pollution
. 0 Comments

Pictured are Green Party Newcastle Coordinator John Hardy pointing out the location to  councillor Cadogan Enright and other Green Party members in Newcasle

Green Party Cllr. Cadogan Enright has questioned the practicality of the planned £2million dilute sewerage storage tank in Newcastle’s Castle Park.

Speaking at the site of the proposed installation he said, “While I recognise the need for a solution to the poor sewerage infrastructure in Newcastle, it does not seem to be the most practical solution to place a giant sewerage tank under the boating pond”.

“The real solution to this problem is to use the £2.5million budget in the Newcastle Drainage Area Plan to separate the flood water and sewerage systems in Newcastle. In the meantime, to prevent the system from overloading, we must stop any further large development in the Newcastle area.”

“The failures in bathing water standards have been found to be caused by storm overflows from the Newcastle sewer system during wet weather. This has led to serious environmental pollution on the beach and in the rivers. Not only does this affect the local people and their health, but it also has a detrimental effect on the tourism on which Newcastle relies.”

Cllr Cadogan Enright believes that the Water Service is trying to solve the problem of sewerage by creating a bigger problem of a tank, which would create more difficulties. “Although this tank is being sold to us as a temporary solution to allow for the upgrading of the sewerage system, it could end up becoming the only solution if further funding is not available. We could get a short-term solution which becomes a long-term nightmare.”

The location of the tank was also worrying for the Green Party Councillor, as its installation will require the boating pond to be drained, the tank installed and the river allowed to flow over it again. Meanwhile, discharges further upstream from the treatment works at Castlewellan will continue to flow into the river.

Cllr Enright said, “Not only will the draining of the pond have an effect on marine life, but once it is complete it will sit at a point where three large rivers meet and this will ultimately result in sewerage spill in the centre of town.”

The Green Party Councillor explained that the tank was being proposed because Newcastle’s sewerage and flood water systems are combined and so during heavy rain the system overflows and pollutes rivers and the sea. This tank is supposed to hold the dilute sewerage until the Treatment Works at the harbour is ready to process it.

“There are no guarantees that the tank will work properly or that it will remain unbreached during heavy storms, which is ridiculous given the proposed site of the tank at the mouth of three rivers. Our tourists could be boating over three layers of sewerage.”

Press Cuttings: Newcastle Sewage Problems