Archive for October, 2008
Local Green Party members from Downpatrick and Newcastle have been instrumental in setting up a unique organisation to represent the renewable energy industry in Ireland.
On Friday 17th October, the Sustainable Energy Association was launched in Dublin by Eamonn Ryan, the Green Party Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. This is a major step for an organisation which began life in Downpatrick.
Back in January, Cllr Cadogan Enright organised a meeting for all businesses in County Down involved in the installation of renewable energy, to discuss their future. They were faced with economic crisis due to the ending by DUP’s Peter Robinson of the Reconnect grant scheme and the failure of DUP ministers to implement mandatory micro-generation in the building regulations introduced by Minister Hain.
This meeting was a great success, with over 40 local businesses in attendance. The skills and investment involved in the industry were obvious, and it was agreed at that meeting to establish an organisation to represent this sector and promote renewables with the Government and the public.
As a result, the Sustainable Energy Association was established and was later launched in Stormont by Green Party MLA Brian Wilson, with a large turnout from over 80 companies employing 3000 people across Northern Ireland and the Republic. Given the large number of companies from the Republic of Ireland who supported the organisation, it was decided to launch it in Dublin as an all-island body.
Green Party members continued to be involved with the organisation, as Newcastle local co-ordinator John Hardy has been helping to organise the events. He said, “I’m very proud to be working on such a necessary and rewarding project, as this industry is set to be crucial to energy and construction in the future”.
The Association was launched in Dublin by Minister Eamonn Ryan, who is a Green Party TD, and he welcomed the establishment of the organisation and praised those involved. There is also a link between Minister Ryan and Downpatrick, as local Cllr Cadogan Enright was a co-author of the energy policy currently being implemented by Mr Ryan in the all-Island energy market.
Cllr Enright said “It is encouraging to know that something which started locally has grown to this extent and will play an important role in influencing energy production and use in Ireland. It shows how acting locally can have a much greater effect. This is local politics in action as they were meant to be and Cllr Cadogan Enright congratulated Newcastle’s John Hardy for leading the association of Renewable Energy Businesses in such an effective way.”
Press Cuttings: Down Representatives to the Fore in Renewable Energy Promotion, Local greens are key to setting up of all-ireland body, Green Shades SEA Feature
DOWN Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright welcomed the Planning Service placing a temporary “blanket” Tree Preservation Order (TPO) on the Tobar Mhuire Monastery in Crossgar.
Cadogan Enright said “There was great sadness in the area when local people heard that this much-loved institution was to move and that Tobar Mhuire could be sold. The Green Party had been seeking to get the trees in the monastery subject to a TPO for some time, but this announcement made it all the more urgent to get the TPOs in place to ensure that any future development of the site would be sensitive to the valuable legacy on the site.”
“In addition to the Planning Service we contacted all other agencies and local groups to try and get them to express their concerns as well. Some of the woodland at Tobar Muire is pre-1600 and thus is very significant as less than 1% of the land in N.I. is covered by Ancient Woodland” continued Cllr Enright.
“The grounds of the Monastery are an important local resource and refuge for the people of Crossgar. This TPO will afford 6 months protection to all the trees within the site. During this period an aboriculturalists survey will be completed that will survey the health and condition of every tree.”
Cadogan Enright said, “We have been informed that once this survey has been completed, the provisional Order will be confirmed resulting in a tree specific Tree Preservation Order by the planning service. We welcome this timely intervention by the Planning Service”.
“The Green Party would like to thank the Woodland Trust for their help in this campaign, their prompt response to our request for help, when added to our own canvassing of the planning service seems to have got the results that local people were hoping for.” concluded Cllr Enright.
AREA TO BE COVERED BY TPOs - Click on the left link to download a map highlighting the area to be covered by TPOS.
Press Cuttings: Preservation order imposed on monastery's ancient woodland, Preservation order at Crossgar monastery welcomed
Down District Green Party member Mark McCormick speaks at the Green Party Northern Ireland Autumn Conference 2008.
The video above shows John Hardy’s speech at the Green Party in Northern Ireland Autumn Conference 2008.
Click on the above image to download the leaflet in support of the Down Community Health Committee.
This leaflet was distributed to the public along with a ‘Support the Downe’ campaign awarness sticker which people could place on their car or house window.
YOU CAN ALSO CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ‘SUPPORT THE DOWNE COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE’ LEAFLET
Click on the above image to download the Down District Green Party Newsletter for Autumn 2008. Alternatively Click Here.
