Dont let lying HSE get away with it

At the start of the Summer, the HSE announced that Wexford General Hospital would lose a twenty five bed unit during the holiday season due to staff shortages. There was no doubt in any ones mind, bar those paranoid shinners, that the beds would be back, available to our sick when September came. Last week came the announcement that the beds are to remained closed until at least 2014, despite the fact that up to thirty two patients were regularly left on trolleys during the Summer months.
Downgrading by stealth?
Or are we still just paranoid shinners?

When the HSE announced their decision to remove the beds on a "temporary" basis three months ago, we voiced objection. We alone highlighted the HSE's promise and our hope that it wouldn't be forgotten through our network of rural and urban newsletters and through our facebook groups. We alone suggested that this was the beginning of the downgrading of Wexford General.
Paranoid shinners. Always negative. Always thinking the worst.
On this one, I really hate to say it. We were right.

Wexford General Hospital has lost twenty five beds. That's downgrading in our book. Doctor Colm Quigley said that he did not think that "people yet realised the full scale of the crisis".
Crisis? But Colm, you said the beds were only being closed for the Summer. You didn't mention crisis then. In fact, you played down any attempt to highlight one.
A HSE spokesman bizarrely went on to claim that the lose of the twenty five beds would "enable [the hospital] to improve the facilities for existing in-patients".
In a draconian move, the management of Wexford General have issued a written warning to all staff, threatening sanctions and possible sacking for anyone who speaks out about the crisis in the hospital.

There was me thinking that the HSE and the hospital were belong to, and funded by the Irish people! Turns out there a private business, who can sack staff for alerting the public to a rapidily deteriorating situation.
Does the HSE believe that by prolonging the stealth downgrading of our county hospital, the people of Wexford will grow tired of the subject and lose interest, allowing them to carrying out the cutting of Wexfords health services?
If they do, they're very much mistaken.

Even if every sane person in Wexford loses the run of themselves and turns their back on our vital hospital (which is extremely unlikely), there will still be one group left to protest and highlight the HSE's incompetence and lack of planning.
That's right, those old paranoid shinners.

Traffic calming methods for Duncormick

An accident Waiting to happen?
Duncormick needs speed ramps now!

Rathangan Sinn Féin are calling on the council to deal with dangerous speeding traffic in the village of Duncormick.


Duncormick village is now home to many young families, who’s children are being endangered by reckless, speeding drivers day and night. No precautions have so far been put in place. Sinn Féin Councillor Anthony Kelly recently visited Duncormick to see for himself the situation that exists.
“The people of Duncormick are long overdue a solution to this problem,” Cllr. Kelly said, “Its true that funds are tight at the moment, but people come first and the people of this village deserve to feel safe and to feel that their children are safe. We don’t want a terrible accident in Duncormick before we decide to take action.”


Rathangan SF are now collecting names for a petition to introduce traffic calming measures in Duncormick.When completed, Cllr. Kelly will deliver it to the county council. Cllr. Kelly has also promised to speak to the county council’s senior engineer about the problem, and to work on
possible solutions.


If you feel that there are other areas of your parish that require traffic calming measures to be put in place, then contact Rathangan SF or Cllr. Kelly, and we will get to work on the problem immediately.

Yes We Can

This weeks edition of a local Wexford paper contains a two page piece on the Facebook subculture of our county.
Within this is a half page article on the use of facebook by Wexford politicians. It goes into detail about a few politicians Facebook profiles, including Fianna Fail's Michael Sheehan, who popularised his account by adding an Obama campaign style picture of himself.
There is No mention of the party who uses Facebook the most in Wexford, Sinn Féin.
Of course, we have gotten used to this media censorship by now.

The very same local paper which printed this article also edited pictures of the last Wexford Health Rally to exclude images of Sinn Féin members.
They also ran a pulic survey which concluded that 100% of the population would welcome the Queen of England here on a state visit, despite the ludicrous cost of said visit to the Irish Taxpayer, which of course was not mentioned.
Newspapers are supposed to report an unbiased, true account of the news. Instead we get a section 31-esque stance. A world view where Sinn Féin is airbrushed out of existence, and where our councillors are regularly misquoted or have their best statements credited to an opposition representative.
Maybe this explains why we are the biggest political user of Facebook in Wexford. It gives us a chance to break through the censorship curtain and tell the people of Wexford what we really represent and stand for. Them.

Can we overcome this media censorship and manipulation?
Yes We Can.

Are you entitled to the Winter Fuel Allowance?

A Fuel Allowance is a payment under the National Fuel Scheme to help with the cost of heating your home. It is paid to people who are dependant on long-term social welfare or Health Service Executive (HSE) payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. The scheme operates for 32 weeks from September to the end of April.

You may qualify for a fuel allowance if you are getting:
State Pension (Contributory) or State Pension (Non-Contributory)
State Pension (Transition)
Widow's or Widower's (Contributory) Pension or Widow's or Widower's (Non-Contributory) Pension
Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme
-Blind Pension -Invalidity Pension -Disability Allowance -Deserted Wife's Benefit or Allowance
Guardian's Payment (Contributory) or Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory) Farm Assist -One-Parent Family Payment -Pre-Retirement Allowance -Prisoner's Wife's Allowance
Long-term Jobseeker's Allowance (15 months) -Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance
Social Security Pension from an EE/EEA country or a country with whom Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement -Special Department of Defence Allowance
If You are taking part in Back to Work Allowance (BTWA), Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA), Rural Social Scheme, Revenue Job Assist or FÁS Community Employment and are entitled to keep your secondary benefits



The Fuel Allowance is €20 per week.
If you are not getting a social welfare payment, your Fuel Allowance can be paid directly into your account in a financial institution or you can collect the allowance at your local post office using your social services card.

Wexford Sinn Féin condemn ESB Hikes

Cllr. Anthony Kelly has demanded that the government abandon its plans to introduce a new levy which will push electricity prices up by 5%. Cllr. Kelly said such a levy was untenable at a time when many families were already struggling to meet bills, including electricity bills.

Cllr. Kelly said, “The government must abandon its plan to introduce a new electricity levy. People struggling to pay bills including electricity bills are astounded that the government would propose introducing such a levy at this time that will drive costs up by a further 5%. This move shows how far out of touch Fianna Fáil and the Greens really are.
They have no understanding of the difficulties which people, many of whom have lost their jobs, are facing. Have they not seen how many people are already having their electricity cut off because they are in arrears?”
“This move will also cost jobs as the price hike will hit
struggling businesses. It simply doesn’t make sense to proceed with such a levy at this time. Sinn Féin would not introduce such a levy which simply punishes ordinary households. All other opposition parties should make a clear commitment to reverse this levy if they get into government.”

Local bus link to be closed

Rathangan Sinn Féin has learned that our local bus link, "The Rural Bus", is to end service of local routes in the next few weeks.
A recent piece in a local newspaper claimed the bus service was not being used. Sinn Féin can reveal that this is total lies, and is similar to propaganda spread to discredit the Rosslare to Waterford Rail link, which may also discontinue services in a few weeks.
The Rural Bus is used, and relied upon by many people in your community, especially old age pensioners and young people. The service provides a vital link to the local towns for these people.
The Rural Bus service is funded by the Rural Transport Programme (RTP), which arose from a commitment by the Department of Transport in the National Development Plan 2000-2006 to support the development of pilot transport programmes in rural areas. If the service is to be terminated, it will be because Government funding has been removed.
Sean Fitzpatrick and his Nama protected elite friends owe the state millions, but continue to live the highlife. Not even bankruptcy will change that.
You, the honest tax payers, are expected to give up all your services to allow the Government the funding to bail out these criminals.
Don't let the Government or the media pull the wool over your eyes!
Stand up - Fight Back.

South Wexford to lose its rural bus service.

If the train service on the South Wexford Railway Line (Rosslare Hbr to Waterford) is discontinued a rail-replacement bus service is due to be implemented. In their quarterly performance report to the National Transport Authority, a document which any member of the public may view, Bus Éireann speak in glowing terms of this bus service which will give “Improved social and economic inclusion for the area of South Wexford.” (page 13).

At present there is a local bus from Waterford to Wexford at 945am every morning (except Sundays) which returns from Wexford mid-afternoon. Unlike its express counterpart on Route 40 which stays firmly on the N25, the cross-country route provides a crucial service to many villages and rural communities and serves different areas on different days. It allows people to travel into Wexford for a few hours for shopping, appointments and onward journeys.

However if the rail replacement bus service is introduced the present 945am bus will be replaced by a 10am departure which will no longer serve different areas on different days. It will operate via Campile and Wellingtonbridge every day leaving many villages and stretches of road without any bus service.

For instance at present on Fridays it serves Foulksmills, Raheen and Taghmon whereas on Saturdays it serves, inter alia, Clongeen and Rochestown. On Mondays and Thursdays it links Hook Peninsula communities such as Templetown, Tintern and Saltmills, to the county town. On Tuesdays it picks up in Carrig on Bannow, Rathangan, Baldwinstown and Bridgetown, bringing the locals to Wexford town, regular passangers on this service have been informed that this service will terminate when the train service terminates.

Under the plans it is apparent that Ballycullane will not only have lost its train service but also its Wednesdays-only bus service.

CIÉ need to take another look at their plans for public transport in South Co. Wexford. Their intent to close thirty-five miles of railway line and withdraw longstanding bus services from several rural communities are totally unacceptable.
(Special Thanks to Tanya Fenelon for this report)

Youth Unemployment out of control

Ireland now holds the highest emigration rates in Europe.

Incredibly large numbers of people are leaving Irish shores in search of work and will continue to do so, according to new data that has emerged.

According to recent forecasts by the ERSI (Economic and Social Research Institute), in the 12 months before April 2010, the number of people who emigrated from the 26 counties is expected to be 70,000.

Research has also shown that although the state has the highest birth rate and lowest death rate in the EU, Irish people continue to leave in their droves.

It is predicted that 120,000 people will have left by the end of April 2011.

These devastating figures all stem from one core issue - the inaction demonstrated by this incompetent Fianna Fail/Green coalition government. This country, north and south, is losing thousands of its able and willing young people while Brian Cowen & Co. are on national airwaves telling the public that the recession is over and that we have turned some metaphorical corner.

In memory of Seamus Costello

TRIBUTE TO A COMRADE
by JohnGilligan



The wind it blew cold that October, as I watched the sad cortege depart
And I knew the bright sunshine of springtime, n'er would ease the dead chill in my heart
As I slowly came down from that chapel and we went oh, so slow, to his grave
'twas for us this great lover of mankind, for us always his lifetime he gave

His brilliance shone forth like the morning, as he rose up to champion the weak
And our jailers in the island dungeon cowered when Costello dared all for to speak
For his was the voice of the worker and justice for all was his creed
and he told us "arise in your greatness, and conquer this world full of greed."

Not bigots nor hate can divide us, as we fight for the flag of the free
Not murder nor armies defeat us when we strike out for our liberty
And his voice it came back form the coffin, as I shouldered it close to my cheek
"Go on - ever onwards my comrades - 'til we build up that nation we seek."

"And no power in this world can stop you - the assassin has failed can't you see
And remember as you bury my body, my spirit as always is free.
And I stride along there beside you, as you march on to your destiny
And remember I was willing to trade it, my life for your liberty."

It was cold when we buried that hero, and many's the heart cried with pain
For we knew as we buried our comrade, we'd not see his likes e'er again
But his words seemed to ring in the morning, as we slowly departed his grave
"Remember you were born to be free then, not quisling, not lackey,not slave

And my work in this life was an honour, so take up my struggle with pride
Doing that this cold day is beaten, and I, Seamus Costello, have not died."

Your Parish Under Attack!

Your Parish Under Attack



Crime and Anti-Social behaviour is spiraling out of control in our parish.

Old age pensioners have been targeted for robbery and intimidation. Old people are afraid to go to sleep at night. Thugs have threatened to burn out innocent families. Local businesses are constantly robbed and vandalised. Witnesses have been intimidated and NO convictions have been made.

Its time for the people to stand up and stand united

This is not Limerick or Dublin. Don’t allow a bunch of mindless yobs to take over YOUR parish and run it into the ground.

This is the time to act

- Contact Gardai with any and all information that you have about the local crime wave. Don’t be afraid to report ANY suspicious behaviour in your area to the authorities. You could be preventing a violent crime by doing so.

- OAP’s are being targeted. Keep a close eye on your elderly neighbours. Keep in regular contact with them, and insure them that they are safe, while informing them to take precautions.

- Refrain from any vigilantism. The Gardai are trained and sanctioned to enforce the law. It is your duty as a citizen to report criminal activity to them, and not to take the law into your own hands. If we all work in unison with the Guards, convictions will be made, and this crime wave will be brought to an end.

- Report ALL robberies. Don’t allow the perpetrators to intimidate you or anyone else. All
statements of violence made against individuals or businesses should be reported to the Gardai.

- Remain vigilant and United.


Sinn Féin is committed to making our communities safer for our citizens in South Wexford. To do this, we intend to work with all genuine people and community leaders. Sinn Féin condemns any acts of vigilantism taken against these local criminals. Obviously it is tempting for people to want to defend their families, but remember, these scumbags want you to respond to them with violence so that they may justify their actions. The correct thing to do is to co-operate with the Gardai, and to testify in court against these people.


Our Fight is Your Fight