This article is from page 53 of the 2007-03-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 53 JPG
GORT’S Adrian Feeney became the latest candidate to throw his hat in the ring for the General Election When he announced his candidacy last week.
Feeney, who has been Chairman of Gort Chamber of Commerce since 2004, will run in the hotly contested Galway East constituency as an inde- pendent candidate.
Indeed, Feeney may be one of three non-party candidates to run in this constituency come election time, as Kinvara group RESCUE have not ruled out putting forward a single-issue candidate to campaign for Seamount College. Cairde Cuan Chinn Mhara could still announce a candidate to campaign for a sewer- age treatment facility in Kinvara.
Community issues are likely to form a large part of Feeney’s mani- festo. “These days, our economy is booming. The country is awash with money,’ he said. “I know that with- out the volunteers, many vital com- munity services and facilities simply would not exist.
‘Almost everything requires fund- raising. As chairman of Gort chamber for two years, I know how much time and energy is spent trying to source
funding and fill out grant application forms for community projects. This should not be the responsibility of volunteers or community organisa- tions. It makes no sense to me.
“What are we paying taxes for? Surely if there 1s a need within acom- munity, it should be met by our gov- ernment. Why are we paying twice for the one facility or service?”
This is not Feeney’s first attempt to enter the world of politics as he ran an unsuccessful campaign as an In- dependent Community Candidate in the 2004 local election.
“We elected representatives to speak on our behalf. Public office is about accountability. I am ac- countable to my employer. Who are politicians accountable to, if not to the community? What they have produced is a litany of failures,” he continued.
“Tuam is still without a hospital. Gort is still without a reliable water service. Kinvara still waits for a sew- erage treatment plant. 50,000 gallons of raw sewage pour daily into the waters of a prime tourist area.
‘“Kinvara School is threatened with closure. Farmers spend their time form-filling and dealing with ap- plication procedures for grants and payments.”