THE proposed gasification plant in Gortadroma has been a “total slap in the face for local democracy”.
This was the view of Social Democrats General Election candidate for County Limerick, Senator James Heffernan, as he outlined some of the key issues that he feels need a “greater spotlight” during his campaign launch.
Senator Heffernan pointed out that a public representative’s job is to “represent the public” and insisted that they should not be involved in “closed door meetings and rushed deals”.
Speaking about the Gortadroma debacle, Heffernan commented, “Planning needs to be transparent. With a project of this scale every councillor should have been fully briefed and the local communities consulted before anything was signed.”
“The county council management and local representatives have really dropped the ball on this one. I hope that that was down to a lack of understanding, and possibly even naivety, and not anything untoward. I pleaded with management not to sign anything before local people were consulted but they rushed to get the ‘shake hands’ money that the company offered, without any consideration for people,” he claimed.
Another key issue for the Social Democrats’ election hopeful is the A&E Department at the University Hospital Limerick.
“It is like something out of a war zone. On our visit we saw people have to suffer the indignity of waiting on trolleys in a corridor. This is a stark example of the Government’s failure in health,” Heffernan declared.
He also sees the lack of a Cork-Limerick motorway as another issue that’s having significant impact on the lives of local people. This project, he feels, is badly needed for proper regional development.
“The roads that currently serve Limerick are way below standard and without the correct infrastructure we will not attract the right investments,” he said.
The Kilfinane native was first elected to Limerick County Council in 2009 as a member of the Labour Party and was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2011. He resigned the party whip in 2012 following claims of bribery offers in lieu of his vote for Budget 2013 which contained cuts to children’s allowance and disability services.
“The Labour Party “don’t have a recollection” about trying to bribe me to vote for cuts to the most vulnerable in society, children and the disabled. Well I have a very clear recollection of this happening. It did happen, and it was wrong.”
