OGRA SHOP LOCAL SATURDAY CAMPAIGN

Cllr. Orla Leyden said that she is supporting Ogra Fianna Fails Shop Local Campaign this Saturday morning 19th April. Cllr. Leyden commended Ogra on this important initiative promoting the value of shopping local and supporting small businesses for the local economy. Cllr. Leyden added that in County Roscommon shoppers have the added bonus of free parking which is a great advantage and something that needs to be safeguarded.  People can stop and chat and enjoy their day out shopping without the pressure of a costly parking metre to think of. Roscommon is a great place to shop…and this Saturday is a reminder to us all that is important to support each other and shop local.

Fianna Fail Ogra’s message is clear “With this campaign we will be bringing a simple message to people. When you support your local businesses you are helping to create local jobs, which in turn will help sustain communities. Greater support for local businesses also means more product choice and competition, and the presence of more shops means better bargains and higher quality goods for the consumer”.

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Fianna Fáil  candidate in the Roscommon Local Electoral Area,  Cllr. Orla Leyden has accused Irish Water of making a mockery of the promise a free water allowance by seeking a €100 standing charge from every household in Roscommon before they even use any water.

“Over the past two years the Government has made several promises to households in Roscommon that they would receive a free allowance of water to cover basic usage. It now looks like this will be added to the ever-growing list of broken promises from Fine Gael and Labour,” said Deputy Cowen.

“Far from receiving a free water allowance as promised, we are now told that Irish Water wants to force every single household in Roscommon to pay €100 before they even turn on their taps. They will then clock up water charges of several hundred euro on top of the Standing Charge. 

“Minister Phil Hogan set up this quango, and he has ultimate control over its budget. He has spent the last few months dodging every single question about how much households in Roscommon will have to pay for their water. It’s becoming glaringly obvious that the Government is doing everything it can to avoid coming clean about this issue ahead of the local and European elections in a cynical attempt to salvage as many votes as possible. 

“It’s time for Minister Hogan and his Fine Gael councillors in Roscommon to start putting people before politics, and provide some clarity to households about the charges that will kick in in less than 6 months’ time. All aspects of the charging structure must be published without further delay as promised a number of weeks ago.

“I am calling on the Government to honour its commitment to providing households in Roscommon with a free water allowance, instead of forcing them to pay a hefty charge before they even turn on their taps.” Furthermore in County Roscommon nobody should have to pay water charges of any description until the water supply is upgraded in its entirety and made fit for public consumption, Cllr. Leyden concluded.





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Cllr. Orla Leyden supports Fianna Fails call on government for a moratorium on all pylon and wind turbine developments until the National Renewable Energy Action Plan is reviewed and reassessed.



Cllr. Orla Leyden a Fianna Fail candidate in the Roscommon Local Electoral Area representing the area around Sliabh Ban including Clooncah, Curraghroe, Ballyleague, Cloontuskert, Mount Cashel, Kilroosky areas is calling on the Fine Gael led government to put a moratorium in place that would prevent the development of wind farms in County Roscommon.



Cllr. Leyden said that she is concerned for the Sliabh Ban area where Coillte is preparing to build a wind farm. Cllr. Leyden who has opposed this development from the outset citing concerns for the local community’s health, depreciation of house values and the negative impact on tourism said that all wind farm developments need to be put on hold until after the review. The government cannot ignore the community in Sliabh Ban’s real concerns for their future.

There are alternatives, she added...for example a recent BW Energy report outlines more cost effective alternatives to Grid25, namely the conversion of Moneypoint from Coal to Biomass. This alternative costs 10% of the €3.8 Billion Grid25 spend, it represents even greater savings when the cost of turbines are taken into account.”

Cllr. Leyden said that she will continue to oppose wind turbines on Sliabh Ban. Cllr Orla Leyden has favoured a wind turbine distance of 1,500 metres from residences in the Roscommon County Development Plan 2014 – 2012 which will be voted on by the members of Roscommon County Council on the 14th April 2014.

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