The Informer E
Summer
Exec News Bites Exec Co-Option Eric Keane, former National Panel poll topper and
nda Kenny TD, Leader of Fine Gael has launched a Young Fine Gael (YFG) campaign entitled 'Working to Get You Working' aimed at pressuring This Edition: the Government to implement Fine School, Regional Reports, Councillor Corner Gael's plan to getand 30,000 young people off the Live Register this year various other bits and pieces!
It’s time for another Informer! Since the last one in Killarney branches across the country have held AGMs so welcome to the new committee members and also to the new branches. If you’re having an event or meeting pop the details into an email and send them to bridnmurphy@gmail.com and we can advertise them on facebook, twitter and yfg.ie.
Director of Policy has been appointed to fill the vacancy on the National Executive, left by Sarah Moore.
Fine Gael and Young Fine Gael are in full bye-election mode. 19th of June saw Young Fine Gaelers from all over the country descend on Ballybofey to canvass for Cllr. Barry O’Neill. With another two bye-elections in Waterford, where our candidate is Senator Paudie Coffey and Dublin South YFG can make a real difference and help to secure wins for Fine Gael. If you’re around either Donegal or Waterford and at a loose end, I’m sure there are leaflets to be dropped and doors to be canvassed! Spread the word its Fine Gael in Fianna Fáil out!
New Website We are currently working on a new website which we hope to have up and running in the coming weeks. Email on any ideas or suggestions you have for the new website.
Communicating Email on details of your upcoming Events to bridnmurphy@gmail.com to have it
Summer School is being held the 9th/10th and 11th of July in Tramore County Waterford. There will be a number of political sessions on Saturday and Sunday morning. In addition to this a host of outdoor activities are available in Tramore, including surfing, Splash World, amusement and fun parks, golf driving range and horse riding. A great weekend is promised and here’s hoping the sunny south east lives up to its name. Further details on booking etc can be found in this edition and also on yfg.ie. A busy few months ahead YFG wise and politically. Young Fine Gael is actively canvassing and leaflet dropping for the upcoming bye-elections whenever they will be held. So if you have a spare weekend go visit Donegal or Waterford, lovely places!
advertised on the website, facebook and twitter
Summer School 9th-11th July Tramore County Waterford
Until the next edition! Bríd Murphy Director of Communications YFG bridnmurphy@gmaill.com 085-1538027
Dublin With the new year came the launch of the YFG "Working to Get You Working" Jobs campaign nationwide. Dublin branches really hit the ground running with their efforts, and campaign events are ongoing. In order to co-ordinate these efforts an inaugural Dublin Branch Delegate meeting was held, with the committee of DCU YFG kindly hosting the meeting on their campus (as well as bringing us to the SU Bar for pints afterwards!). Following on from this meeting, every college branch has organised information stands, leafleting and campaign days, all of which have had a positive response from students, with seminars and debates on the Youth Unemployment theme also planned for the coming months. The local branches have also been hard at work, with former YFG President, Cllr. William Lavelle, organising a public meeting based on the campaign in conjunction with the newly revitalised Dublin Mid-West YFG branch. Dublin South YFG will be leafleting shopping centres and public areas in their constituency while Dublin North Central (Alfie Byrne Branch) and Dublin North/North-East/North-West (Gen. Richard Mulcahy Branch) will be organising leaflet drops of the campaign literature. The campaign was officially launched in Dublin by Enda Kenny, Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney, along with YFG President Barry Walsh and Dublin Regional Organiser Alison Meagher, in a photo-call which garnered fantastic media coverage for YFG and our policies. Enda was once again linking up with YFG in February, when he addressed a packed lecture theatre in UCD. The party leader gave a rousing speech and answered questions about Fine Gael's NewERA policy. More recently, the committee of DIT Young Fine Gael hosted Deputy Fine Gael Leader and Finance Spokesperson Richard Bruton, while Ireland East MEP Mairead McGuinness dropped in to Trinity YFG for a lunchtime talk. The new Dublin Regional Council was elected towards the end of last year and have been hard at work ever since. Under new DRC Chair Alan Gallagher, the DRC organised the massively successful Youth Unemployment photo-call just before Christmas and have plenty of social events and seminars planned for the coming months. On the more social side of things, St. Pats Young Fine Gael organised a speed-dating event to raise money for the victims of the recent Haitian earthquake. Although none of us found our true love (as far as I'm aware...) a fantastic night was had by all. And whoever would have thought that our Branch Development Officer was such a Romeo‌ We are very much in AGM season and there have been new committees elected all over Dublin, I want to take this opportunity to wish them all the best of luck, and I am on hand if there is anything you need help with. Upcoming AGMs include UCD on the 13th April, DIT, DCU, and many more! It is all go in the Capital. Over the next few months we'll be pressing ahead with an interbranch debating competition as well as organising a trip away. If you have any queries or suggestions, then please get in contact with Alison Meagher, Dublin Organiser, 0862069255 or ameagher@tcd.ie.
Ireland East Meath YFG recently held their agm in attendance were local public representatives Shane McEntee TD and County Councillors Anne Dillon Gallagher, Suzanne Jamal and Willie Carey. Guest speaker on the evening was former Taoiseach and EU Ambassador to the United States John Bruton. Mr Bruton welcomed the launch of the branch and also commended the Young Fine Gael campaign „Working to Get you Working‟. Mr Bruton said that it is necessary to get young people back to work whether is be through internships or government tax incentives to encourage businesses to employ graduates. He also stated, that while times are tough they may be the making of us, citing both Microsoft and Nokia as examples of companies that were established in times of economic difficulty. Mr Bruton believes Fine Gael should continue to encourage innovation among young people, something which the present government are failing to do. Shane McEntee TD welcomed the branch launch. Recalling the help the youth party provided for his by-election campaign in 2007, he encouraged the branch to get involved both locally and nationally which would be a recipe for success in the next election. Deputy McEntee commented that Fine Gael will not win the next general election by default, that it will require hard work by all those involved. Deputy McEntee has also said that he will offer as much support and advice to new branch as possible while they work to build up the membership. Kilkenny YFG AGM will took place on Saturday 10th April in the Club House Hotel Kilkenny. Senator John Paul Phelan was the guest chair on the night who along with Deputy Phil Hogan spoke of what a great asset the new YFG branch would be to the public reps in the area as well as a great platform for young people in the area. A great night was had by all and the newly elected committee were delighted by the number who travelled to the AGM. Wicklow YFG has been an active branch of Young Fine Gael for a number of years. A testament to the branch was it's recent Local Election campaign which saw two town council seats and one county council seat being filled by Wicklow YFG members. The recently elected officer board includes chairperson Michelle Stedman, vice chair Oonagh Murphy, Treasurer John O‟Briend, Secretary Robert Magee and PRO Adam Harris. Maynooth YFG recently held their AGM and their new chairperson Michael Stanley outlined the upcoming events for the rest of the academic term. They also held an on campus jobs campaign, which was a great success. They are currently preparing for the upcoming college year after a great faircare meeting and public meeting about the pathology of drugs, this year promises to be a busy one. Colm Murray Ireland East Organiser, 086-3986245, youngmurrayfg@gmail.com
Ireland South With the summer here and exams finished or unfortunately for some only beginning branches in Ireland-South gear-up for an exciting summer. Here's a taste of some of the things that have happened and are happening around the constituency in some of our branches. On Friday the 9th of April the Tipperary South branch hosted a quiz in The Coachman Bar, Clonmel. A great night was had by all with the Slave Auction providing the entertainment for all. The South-Tipp branch has also been to the forefront of a campaign to lobby for the retention of services at South Tipperary General Hospital. They set up the "YFG South Tipp support 'Save our hospital Action group' " on facebook which has attracted hundreds of members. Following the resignation of Minister Martin Cullen due to health reasons Waterford joins Donegal South-West and Dublin South on the expanding list of battlegrounds for bye-elections. The two branches in the constituency have been quite vociferous on issues important to them in recent weeks. WIT YFG have kept close to the pulse of the WIT student population during the WITSU Elections. The branch highlighted clear irregularities and problems with the election process and voiced concerns over certain aspects of the running of WITSU. They mounted pressure on the relevant authorities to try get the answers that should be readily available to the student body as it stands. Some members of the branch also travelled to Brussels last month to visit the Institutions of the European Union courtesy of Fine Gael's Ireland-South MEP Sean Kelly. They also held very successful end of year events such as a Comedy Night in Escape Nightclub in Waterford City amongst other things. The Waterford Branch campaigned against the recent decision by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey to cut the Search and Rescue operation run from Waterford Airport. The proposal would have seen a reduction of 24 hour service to 12 hour daylight only service and saved a meagre â‚Ź1million. It was also successful in its application for YFG Summer School 2010 which will be held in Tramore. The new Cork South Central branch has had successful recruitment days since it had its AGM. There was a contingent of new faces present from the branch at Conference in Kilarney. It also recently had a social night in Cork City. UCC YFG, also located in CSC, was to the forefront in a campaign to scrap a Graduation Conferring Fee. Their campaign saw them in national print media as well as Tv3 news and various radio stations. The fee for this year has been scrapped and the campaign has been heralded as a great success. Well done to all involved. The Middleton YFG branch was launched recently in the Middleton Park Hotel. The event was very well attended and things are beginning to look good for winning a second seat in Cork East come the next General Election. University of Limerick YFG's year is also drawing to a close. The branch was out in force in Killarney with one of the biggest YFG delegations from any part of the country. In the past few weeks they've been very busy hosting different meetings and events including a movie night with the Collins 22 Society, a discussion with local Fine Gael Public Reps regarding the future of Limerick City without a Cabinet Minister and bowling to name but a few. Their AGM was well attended and from the new chairperson Colm Taylor we are assured of The MRC will be organising an event for soon after the exam period. Watch this space. Keith Winters, Munster Regional Organiser. 087-9600880, keithyfg@gmail.com
Ireland West
Donegal South West YFG launched their by-election campaign and elected a new committee Ballybofey on the 18th of June, this coincided with a YFG leaflet drop for Cllr. Barry O‟Neill the Donegal South West Bye-election candidate. A great time was had by all, and a big thank you goes to the many who have travelled for both weekends. This time round nearly 5,000 houses were dropped, great work done, a bit to do though so if you have a free weekend Donegal beckons! The two newly created branches in the party leaders home county are getting off to a great start. Achill recently had a successful trip to Leinster house where they were met by their three local deputy's and also given a tour of both the houses. They are meeting frequently and are making solid progress. Claremorris also have a schedule over the coming number of weeks that will keep the branch busy Achill YFG will be holding a Fundraiser Friday the 16th of July at 9.30pm. In Lourdies 'The Pub', Dooagh, Achill. There will be many great prizes on the night including a Signed Mayo Jersey (Courtesy of John O'Mahony TD), Regatta Jackets, Vouchers and much More! Everyone is welcome! Hope to see you all there! For More Info: E-mail us at achillyfg@gmail.com or visit our website : achillyfg.webs.com
NUIG Simon Coveney – Came down to the university campus to discuss his NewERA policy document in early February, a good crowd gathered for a refreshing speech and a lively interaction of idea‟s and questions which was followed by more of the same in the College bar. Deputy Charlie Flanagan appeared in NUIG spoke about Fine Gael‟s plans for Ireland A fine speech that touched on numerous topics in the Law category was even given a full page in one of the local papers later in the week. Dail Trip – On a day the Greens did a Uturn on Willie O‟Dea‟s fate as Minister for Defence, Senator Fidelma Healy Eames showed great courtesy looking after us well on the day and ensured all who made the trip had an enjoyable day out. Monaghan YFG In January Monaghan YFG kick-started the new year by having their branch launch in the Old Coach Inn, Castleblaney. The night went well with Orlene Ferrick being elected as the new Chairperson of the branch. Already the branch is actively planning a day of campaigning on the streets of county Monaghan. We wish them all the luck!! Soccer Competition Clare YFG travelled to Craughwell in East Galway in late February to face Loughrea YFG in a return leg of the fixture which was played a few months ago. This time home advantage again proved the decider as the visitors never fully regrouped after a poor start. From Donegal to Clare we are sending out the clearest message to young people in our jobs campaign “WORKING TO GET YOU WORKING”. A meeting of the North West Regional Council will take place, keep an eye on YFG.ie for further information. As well as this a meeting of the International Committee will be held in the region so all in all a busy few months for the region and its new branches. Gregory Lawless, Ireland West Organiser 086-0808847 gregoryjlawless@gmail.com
Policy Corner
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Branch Development Corner There has been a great increase in the number of YFG branches in the last number of months with lively new branches being and the rejuvenation of activity in other branches right across the country. We would like to welcome a number of new and relaunched branches to the YFG fold; Monaghan ,South Tipperary ,Cork South Central , Dublin Mid West, Dublin Central, Kevin Oâ€&#x;Higgins (amalgamation of IADT and Dun Laoghaire Branches), Claremorris, Achill, Donegal South West, Kilkenny. If any branches require any additional support in any way, please contact Branch Development Officer John Morrissey. Mobile: 0879028518. Email: jonmorrissey@gmail.com
National Secretary Co -Option
Hello, My name is Er ic Keane and I was recently co -opted on National Executive as to the National Secretary. For those who don't me, in the past I serve know d as Chair of the Un iversity of Limerick Br Chair of the Social Aff anch, airs Committee and Director of Policy on previous executive. the In recent times the lev el of communication between members an executive has increa d the sed hugely and I ho pe that this trend co To that end, if you ha ntinues. ve any issues you wo uld like to bring to the tion of the National Ex attenecutive, whatever the y may be, please do hesitate to contact us not National Secretary: Eric Keane Mobile: 0879441514 Email: keane.eric@ gmail.com
YFG Summer School 2010 will be held in Tramore, from the 9th to the 11th of July. To show our appreciation for your help and dedication to the Party throughout the year I would like to invite your branch to the YFG Summer School. It will be held in The Grand Hotel, Tramore, Co. Waterford from 9 – 11 July, 2010. There will be a number of political sessions on Saturday and Sunday morning. In addition to this a host of outdoor activities are available in Tramore, including surfing, Splash World, amusement and fun parks, golf driving range and horse riding. Delegates can avail of two nights accommodation, lunch on Saturday, an afternoon surf lesson and an evening meal on Saturday night. In order to secure a place at Summer School a non-refundable deposit of €22 is required. You can book online at www.finegael.ie/yfg, or send a cheque* or postal order to National Youth Officer, 51 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2 (no cash please). Based on last year's Summer School, we anticipate a strong demand for places. As a result, we will initially be limiting bookings to 8 per college branch and 4 per non-college branch. We will review this limit in a number of weeks and advise your Branch accordingly.
Accessibility: Rail Services are available from Dublin, Belfast, Limerick and Wexford to Waterford (www.irishrail.ie). Bus Eireann provide services from all major towns and cities to Waterford City. Tramore is served by the 360 route from the bus station and is roughly a 10-15 minute journey. Accommodation and Conference Facilities: The Grand Hotel ( www.grand-hotel.ie) The Beach Haven Hostel ( www.beachhavenhouse.com) You can book by clicking on the associated link and using the PayPAL Book Now button. Surfing: There will be a free surf lesson for those who to attend. Please book by sending an email to yfg@finegael.com. Tramore Surf and School Shop http://www.tramoresurfschool.com/ Other Activities: There are a multitude of activities available in Tramore and the surrounding areas. Tramore also provides lots of options for those who don’t wish to participate in the organised activity, including a long sandy beach, amusements and arcades, laser tag facilities, ( www.laserblast.ie) Splashworld ( www.splashworld.com), a local driving range, beachside cafes and Lake Tour stables (www.laketourstables.ie). BBQ – Saturday night: Jack Meade’s Traditional Pub ( www.jackmeades.com) specialise in barbecue catering.
Councillor Corner! Here in Councillor Corner we profile a Young Fine Gael Councillor and get their views on topical issues of the day. First up Cllr. Simon Harris
Shame on Fianna Fail - Opposing FG Motion on Special Needs, 24 hours after Govt bailouts Anglo Fianna Fail TDs vote against protecting Special Needs Assistants Posts in schools in Wicklow and throughout the country less than 24 hours after they voted in favour of bailing out Anglo Irish Bank yet again - where is their sense of priority? Where are their values? Fine Gael's Simon Harris has slammed the Government for voting against a motion by his party to protect the jobs of Special Needs Assistants in schools in County Wicklow and throughout the country. Councillor Harris has a long-standing involvement in special needs education and was the founder of the County Wicklow based Autism charity, "The Wicklow Triple A Alliance" and also served on a Committee responsible for overseeing the European Year of People with Disabilities in Ireland. Fine Gael tabled a motion in the Dail to protect special needs education from further cuts, in line with the concerns expressed by many parents, teachers and schools throughout Wicklow and beyond - yet Fianna Fail used its Dail majority to vote down the motion and re-affirm the cuts just 24 hours after they had voted to given billions in public funds to a failed, defunct bank. Speaking about the actions of the Government, Councillor Harris said, "Fianna Fail this week had a chance to stand up for children with special educational needs in County Wicklow and around this country and they chose not to do so. In a week that they voted to mortgage our children's future to failed, closed, defunct banks like Anglo, they couldn't even bring themselves to affirm their commitment to special needs education for those same children. What does this say about the values of the Fianna Fail Party? Have they really lost the plot? The Taoiseach said in the Dail he would sign any cheque he needed to for Anglo - it is a pity that Fianna Fail refuse to use the State cheque book - our own public money - to invest, protect and support vulnerable children in our education system. I have heard from and met with many parents and teachers in Wicklow who are truly concerned about the impact of yet further cuts in special needs education - how can Fianna Fail TDs continue to ignore their voices? At the next General Election, I intend to provide people with a very clear choice - I will offer myself as a candidate who will protect the vulnerable, support education, protect those who did not cause this recession but are now being asked to pick up the tab and refuse to endorse blank cheques for banks which offer no future to the Irish people. I am happy to allow people compare and contract that commitment with the actions of those in Fianna Fail. Who is Simon?! Highest percentage polling County Councillor in the country, highest ever vote received for Greystones Town Council, topped the poll for Wicklow County Council with 32% of the vote and led the party to win 3 out of 4 seats in his ward - a likely General Election Candidate, Simon is now working throughout North Wicklow representing Fine Gael. For more info on Simon's work join him: On Facebook: www.facebook.com/CllrSimonHarris On Twitter: www.twitter.com/CllrSimonHarris