Q & A with Cllr Shane O' Connor

Name : Shane O'ConnorAddress 170 Cherrywood Park Clondalkin Dublin 22

Party: Sinn Féin

Constituency; Clondalkin Newcastle Rathcoole Saggart & Brittas Ward

Why did you decide to put your name forward for election ?

I had decided to put my name forward for local election again because,..I feel.the experience over the last five years working closely with numerous groups , organization's communities & constituents is a very interesting, challenging, educational & is a great honour & privilege I believe if reelected I can continue to make positive change in our community

What is your political history ?

I was born into a republican family in Terenure & since the voting age of 18 years it has been instilled the importance of voting it was during my time at third level education I joined the U.C.D Sinn Féin Cumann

What changes do you plan on making ?

There are a number of pressing issues effecting our communities & council policy needs to be addressed in areas around anti social behaviour, rent arrears & tenants representation in this area , planning that impacts on our communities.

Why should people vote for you ?

I am asking for your vote so that I can continue to be a strong voice within our community & to work in partnership to resolve any issues

Clondalkin Sinn Féin Public Health Meeting

For immediate release 24th April 2009:
Public Health meeting to be held in Neilstown- O'Connor
Sinn Féin Clondalkin Councillor Shane O'Connor and north Clondalkin representative Matthew Mc Donagh have called a public meeting on health in Neilstown. The meeting will take place Thursday 30th April at 7pm in Neilstown Community centre. Speaking from his Clondalkin base Councillor O'Connor said:

“This meeting has been organised in response to numerous requests from local people to come up with real solutions to the ongoing problems in our health service and in particular the problem of youth mental health.” The Clondalkin Councilllor continued “We're assembling a broad group of people to address this forum, ranging from local residents to local youth workers, and indeed our own Health Spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó'Caoláin will be in attendance. Our main speaker on the night wil be Dr Tony Bates who is founding director of Headstrong – The National Centre for Youth Mental Health in Ireland. Headstrong is an independent charity committed to championing the mental health needs of young people and to working with communities to design and implement comprehensive systems of care and support for all young people.
Tony’s core professional training is as a clinical psychologist, with a special interest in working with mindfulness-based programmes in mental health settings. He is also a full-time writer and editor of Ireland’s current mental health policy – A Vision for Change.

Cllr O' Connor concluded by adding that; “The main objective of the meeting is to highlight the real concerns that local people have about our health service and in particular youth mental health and to try as a community to come up with some realistic solutions. We're trying to give a real voice to the people, we in Sinn Féin are doing our best to bring democracy to the people and believes that the Children's and Adolescent Mental Health Services should prioritise the promotion of positive mental health, the prevention of mental ill health, and the provision of accessible and effective treatment” ENDS

For further information on this meeting contact Organiser Kevin Tunney on 0879317624

Councillor O' Connor at Dublin Easter Commemoration

Ó Connor slams €200million cut in social housing spend

Clondalkin Sinn Féin Councillor and local election candidate Matthew McDonagh has slammed the Government’s cutting of €200 million from the social housing fund and the commitment to expand the use of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for public infrastructure projects in the emergency budget announced today. Speaking after the budget was announced today Councillor O Connor said, “At a time when more and more people are becoming dependant on social housing due to the unemployment crisis the Government has taken a retrograde step in cutting the social housing budget by €200 million inevitably causing the loss of yet more jobs. “With rising unemployment in the construction sector the government should actually be looking at providing additional resources, or loan guarantees to local authorities to commence an expanded social housing new build programme. That would represent a significant boost to the sector and to the overall economy at the current time. The Government also needs to look at purchasing a quantity of the existing unoccupied newly built homes throughout the state. “At the same time the Government has also announced its commitment to expanding the use of Public Private Partnerships for public infrastructure projects. “The failure of the PPP model has caused hardship for thousands of families throughout the state where they have been used by the Government for public housing projects. They have also cost the state and motorists many millions of euros in road tolls when they have been used for the building of roads. Their use has been a failure to everybody other than the private companies who have made massive profits at the State’s expensive. And when there is no longer a profit to be made the private side simply walks away. “There is no place for PPPs in modern Ireland. Public infrastructure projects should be funded directly by the public exchequer for the benefit of everyone.

Foxettes performing their routine before trip

Foxettes Majorettes with tricolour presented to them from Clondalkin Sinn Féin

Clondalkin Sinn Féin Councillor Shane O' Connor wishes Foxettes well in their competition in Belgium