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Irish Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
The new faces of local democracy: Meath's first firefighter councillor on year one
One year into his term, the Dunshaughlin Station Officer has said that the reality of life as a councillor has been more demanding than he thought. 'The most surprising thing about being a councillor is that it's so busy. I didn't know it would be this busy,' he said. 'It takes months to understand the system. I still don't fully understand it — that could take a couple of years.' Cllr Blake's journey to the council as he described it was unexpected. In June 2023, Cllr Blake, who has been in the fire service for more than 25 years, joined colleagues in strike over pay and working conditions. 'We weren't looked after and we were treated very badly,' he said. 'The strike went on all summer. Even while we were on the picket line, calls were still coming in. We were put under moral pressure to respond.' One call in particular still stands out. 'One day there was a cardiac arrest locally. We decided to put down the posters and go to the house to help. We were doing that for free. The nearest brigade was from Ashbourne, and they arrived about 15 minutes after us. Then we went straight back to the picket line.' Cllr Blake, a Sinn Féin member since 2020, soon received an unexpected call from Meath East TD Darren O'Rourke. 'I thought he wanted to talk about the strike. Instead, he asked me to run for the council. I told him, 'I'm a fireman, I have no education.' I just didn't think politics was for me.' Initially, he turned down the proposal, twice. But by September 2023, with the deadline approaching, he reconsidered. 'I thought, what have I got to lose? In October we started canvassing. It was really hard because I'm from here, and when I was knocking on doors people were saying, 'What are you doing?'' Before the campaign could take off, Blake faced an obstacle. Both Meath County Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage initially ruled him ineligible to run. The reasoning was that, as a council employee, his candidacy would create a conflict of interest. 'They thought I couldn't have two jobs from the council, so they tried blocking me from running,' he said. A decision by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to reverse its position on firefighters contesting Local Elections paved the way for Cllr Blake to run. In the 2024 local elections, he was the only newcomer to secure a seat in the Ratoath Electoral Area, taking the final position after a marathon two-day count. 'During the first vote I was under a lot of pressure. I was told I didn't have a chance. People were coming up to me in the street, shaking my hand — and that made me sad because I thought I was going to let them down. When I was elected, it was pure shock.' Cllr Blake said he has been learning the ropes of local democracy while also balancing his role as a firefighter. 'It's really hard juggling being a councillor and a firefighter, but I've got the hang of it now and it suits me. I enjoy it.' 'You learn from the older councillors — how they speak, how they run meetings. You have to put in the work at the start to gain ground for yourself, and I think I've done that over the last year. You can't help everyone exactly the way they want, but you do your best to be a voice for them.' 'If someone brings an issue to me, I try to represent them without fail,' the councillor said. Earlier this year, local parents approached Cllr Blake about dog fouling on the main street. 'Some mothers told me they were coming across dog dirt when pushing buggies. The council wouldn't put up a dog bin, so I sponsored dog litter bags myself and put them up on the wall.' The village, which had around 700 residents when Cllr Blake was growing up, now has over 10,000. 'We've had a massive influx of people. The streets are the same, but the traffic is way up. I'd say we have the biggest volume of traffic in Meath. The roads are in a bad state, with potholes everywhere.' Housing is another concern he raised, both locally and nationally. 'There aren't enough social or affordable houses in Meath. I'd love to see the council buy more land for both. House prices and rents are through the roof. When we were canvassing, we saw so many adult children living with their parents because the housing crisis is so bad.' He added: 'People blame people coming into the country, but it's not them — it's the government not building enough houses. Before the famine, there were 8 million people living in Ireland; now there are only 6 million. There's loads of room for everyone. Irish people have moved all over the world. You can't be Irish and be anti-immigration or racist.'
The Irish Sun
04-08-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
€16 electricity price hike fear for EVERY Irish household as data centre costs cut amid €250 budget energy credit calls
SINN Fein is demanding the Government intervene and stop another price increase on electricity bills. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities is preparing to increase the network cost on bills to pay for future capital investment. 2 Sinn Fein's energy spokesman, Meath TD Darren O'Rourke 2 Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said they are not prepared to come up with a package of energy credits to help families in this years budget Credit: Getty Images - Getty Yet at the same time the price of power for the big data centres around the country, which use up a large percentage of the Irish supply, are to be reduced. Sinn Fein slammed the proposed price increase for consumers and price cut for the data centres and said the timing is all wrong - especially with over 300,000 householders in arrears. It wants the Government to come up with a package of energy credits to help families in the forthcoming 2026 October Budget. The party's energy spokesman, Meath TD Darren O'Rourke, fumed: 'The CRU is preparing to hike the network costs that you have to pay but to cut them for data centres. 'The same data centres are hoarding more and more of the energy we produce, stalling the delivery of badly needed homes and putting our grid under real pressure. 'Big energy companies are intent on continuing to jack up their energy prices, all while raking in eye-watering profits. 'The Government pretends these issues are outside of their control but they are not. They are political decisions. 'They need to scrap the cut to costs for data centres and crucially use this Budget to bring forward badly needed support to help families and small businesses who are struggling with sky high energy costs. 'The Budget must include energy credits and extend the reduced VAT on electricity and gas bills until the end of the year.' Energy Minister Darragh O'Brien has already firmly ruled out energy credits to help with electricity and heating bills in October's budget. He said the €250 credits handed out to every Irish household as part of Budget 2025 cost the State €3.5billion. But the Fianna Fail man said the lower nine per cent VAT rate on gas and electric should be retained to avoid hiking energy prices further. Speaking to the Independent, he said: "I will be bringing an interim report to Government in advance of the Budget and we will assess that as to what measures can be taken. IRISH CUSTOMERS PAYING MORE "I think the vat reduction from 13.5 per cent to nine per cent is a very important one, one that I would like to see extended into next year. That decision will be taken at Budget time." Recent figures from Eurostat showed that Irish consumers are paying on average €350 a year more for their electricity than most European countries. Irish people pay on average €1,800 a year for their electricity - 30 per cent more than the rest of the EU. The proposed increase at the moment from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities will add at least €6 a year on household customer bills. The money will be used to pay for ESB Networks and Eirgrid's proposed €14billion investment over the next five years to upgrade their networks in Ireland to meet current and future demand. Both ESB and Eirgrid are seeking €16 a year on bills. The final decision will be made later in the year.
Irish Independent
27-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Meath East TD says children's disability services 'chronically understaffed'
Speaking in the Dáil last week, and coinciding with the 50 hour sleepout protest of 14-year-old campaigner Cara Darmody, Teachta Darren O'Rourke highlighted that there are staffing shortages within the region's four Children's Disability Network Teams (CDNTs). He said: 'In Meath, in CDNT 2 covering the Kells area, and CDNT 5 covering the Navan and Slane area, one in four therapist posts is vacant. Figures released to me by the HSE, confirm that to be the case. In CDNT 4, covering the Ashbourne and Dunshaughlin area, it is worse, one in three posts is vacant. In CDNT 6, covering the Trim area, it is worse again - almost two in three posts are vacant, or 62pc.' A children's disability network team provides specialised support and services for children who have a disability and complex health needs associated with their disability. The CDNT supports a child's development, wellbeing and participation in family and community life. 'There is a complete lack of capacity in the system, and it isn't a new development. It is a chronic situation, and it means children with disabilities cannot access the essential assessments and therapies that they need.' "It is simply not good enough. There needs to be an urgency from the government to fill these posts - not just in Meath but right across the state.' Mr O'Rourke added that the staffing gaps also hit primary care services. He revealed that since April 2022, 1.5 whole-time equivalent paediatric occupational therapist posts based in Ashbourne and Dunshaughlin are vacant, meaning there is no occupational therapist in that primary care service. 'It is a natural instinct for a parent to want to get every help necessary for their child to reach their full potential but the services simply aren't there,' the Sinn Féin TD said. "On Assessments of Needs (AONs), the government must stop breaking the law. Instead of proposing to change the law itself, they should invest in children's disability services, ensure we train and employ sufficient therapists to meet the obligations provided for in the DIsability Act. Children need assessments and they need therapies. Government are failing on both counts."
Irish Independent
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
RSA plans fall short say frustrated Meath representatives
The Road Safety Authority announced its plans to reduce driving test waiting times nationwide to 10 weeks. This has been met with 'cautious' optimism by Navan's local representatives - who say the town's backlog, currently standing at 41 weeks (one of the longest waits in the country), remains a pressing issue. The mayor of Navan, Cllr Edward Fennessy said: 'Whilst I welcome today's announcement, I do so with caution. We've heard it all before.' He added: 'Backlogs in this service have a serious knock-on effect right across the spectrum. Younger people and rural communities are particularly hard hit. Not having the independence to travel to work, school, or college puts them at a very unfair disadvantage.' 'The issue has always been about capacity. We don't have enough test centres. We don't have enough testers.' The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is also set to open new driving test centres and expand the hours for tests in an effort to reduce the massive backlog in waiting times. Meath East TD Darren O'Rourke said he is not convinced that these measures 'will go far enough.' 'At the root of the backlogs is a lack of capacity within the system. The RSA and the government need to ensure that capacity is in place. This must include not just increasing the number of test centres but also the working hours of the test centres as well,' he said. 'The delays are having a significant impact on people, especially the younger people. Getting a driver's license is a rite of passage, it is an opportunity for independence. It is also an opportunity to access education or employment.' Mr O'Rourke added that many parts of Meath don't have access to good public transportation service. Meanwhile Councillor Emer Tóibín said this is an issue that has 'taken so long to deal with it' 'This has been going on for years but it just got particularly bad now,' she said. 'The impact on young people is awful. The government failed to be pro-active, it is now reactive. The measures proposed don't go far enough to allow people to get on with their lives. Every young person's life is on hold' In the Navan centre, the expected time of sitting a test if you applied today would be January next year. But the RSA hopes that the proposed plans will bring the average waiting time down from 27 weeks to 10 weeks by early September. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
Irish Examiner
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Watch: Ugly scenes mar College Corinthians' Munster Youth Cup win over Pike Rovers
The Munster Football Association have launched an investigation into the ugly scenes that marred College Corinthians' Munster Youth Cup final victory over Pike Rovers. Padraig McGrath was the hero as Corinthians defeated Rovers 3-1 in the JAKO Ireland Munster Youth Cup final at Turner's Cross on Sunday afternoon. But the showpiece occassion ended in controversial circumstances as players and supporters clashed on the pitch in injury time and also after the match between the Cork and Limerick teams had concluded. The boiling point is believed to have come after a player from each team was sent off by referee Darren O'Rourke late on before Corinthians were soon crowned champions. A mass brawl then ensued before the guards were called and arrived in huge numbers while an ambulance was also required to aid an injured College Corinthians player, although he did not require hospital attention. "I can't go into anything at this stage as this is so fresh, but a fair and full investigation will take place immediately once we get the referee's report," Barry Cotter from the MFA told the Echo. The MFA committee will meet in the coming days to discuss the incident while College Corinthians and Pike Rovers have not commented on the incidents.
