Category: stillorgan

Alex White selected as Labour general election candidate in Dublin South

13th December 2010

Senator Alex White will run for the Labour Party in Dublin South in the forthcoming General Election.

He was selected at a convention last Saturday in Ballyroan Community Centre, Rathfarnham.

Speaking afterwards, White said he was “pleased and deeply honoured” to have been selected.

“This is the most vital General Election in our lifetime. The recent budget, the four-year plan and the EU-IMF deal have been the bills for economic failure - bills that the public will have to pay off well into the future.

“In Labour we have a profound sense of fairness and social justice. We now need to marry those politics to a message of hope. Hope that we can begin a process of renewal that will transform our politics and economy for the collective good. Huge challenges face our country. But they are challenges that together we can overcome. Labour’s vision and politics must be at the heart of our recovery.

“In the coming months, I hope to bring that message to the doorsteps of Dublin South. I very much look forward to it.”

The Time is Right

26th May 2009

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5QtMYiSfS4]

By-election confirmed for Friday June 5th

28th April 2009

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley TD has just confirmed to the Dáil that the government will move the writ so that the by-elections in Dublin South and Dublin Central will take place on Friday June 5th.

I welcome the announcement and after what will be 11 months, the people of Dublin South will finally have a full representation in the Dáil.

Community meeting in Whitechurch tonight

19th March 2009

Tonight in Whitechurch, in the local National School - Scoil Mhuire, sees the start of what I hope will be a series of community engagements across Dublin South.

These meetings are about creating an opportunity for me and our local councillors, Paddy Cosgrave is our councillor for the Rathfarnham ward, to listen to the concerns and learn from the ideas local people have on how we’re doing right now as a community, an economy and a society.

If you know of anyone who lives in the area, or indeed, if you fancy coming along yourself, then why not let them know that we’ll be there from 8pm.

More: View the area on Google Maps

Alex receives a lesson in Science!

9th January 2009

awyoungscientist 
Yesterday, I was pleased to attend the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in the RDS and meet with pupils from some local schools. I was thoroughly impressed by the high standards the students have set themselves this year, and local students were particularly inspiring!

I managed to catch up with students from Wesley; Our Lady’s Grove Secondary School; St. Columba’s and Pobail Scoil Naomh Choilm Cille.

Above is a photo of myself with Danielle Ronan from Mount Anville Secondary School. She explained to me her project on producing Siamese Fighter Fish!

More :: View more photos of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the Labour Flickr Site

Local schools to lose 14 teachers in budget cutbacks

29th October 2008

Senator Alex White, Labour Leader in the Senate and his party’s candidate in the Dublin South by-election, has expressed dismay at the fact that primary schools in Dublin South will lose up to 14 teachers under the new pupil-teacher ratios set by the Government as a result of the Budget changes.

Speaking prior to a Labour Party motion in the Dáil on class sizes, Senator White stated that: “The Government are saying that class sizes will be increasing by only one child. In reality, it’s much more serious than that. Schools will lose teachers, every child’s education will be compromised, and class sizes in Dublin South will be as high as 32.

“The worst case is St. Colmcille’s National Schools in Knocklyon, who will lose an extraordinary 5 teachers according to initial figures from the INTO. This is the same school that, in the last election, the Government promised to redevelop, ending the plight of 500 students in prefab accommodation. Today, the Government will still not let the school apply for planning permission.

“The INTO have also reported that Taney NS, Dundrum and St Mary’s NS, Lamb’s Cross will each lose a teacher. Holy Cross NS, Dundrum will lose 3 teachers and Oatlands NS, Stillorgan will lose 4 teachers under the new rules. 14 teachers is a shocking number to be lost in one constituency, and this doesn’t include the loss of English Language Support Teachers.

“The Government has responded by insisting that these measures are required in these tight budgetary times.

“However, Minister O’Keeffe is ignoring the fact that the people who will be most affected by his cuts are children, who in many cases already have had to endure high class sizes, and low standard accommodation.

“What Labour is asking tonight is simply for the Minister to stick to his own Programme for Government - which promised to decrease class sizes, not increase them.”

More :: Labour’s Private Members’ Motion will be taken in the Dáil at 7.30 pm tonight. You can view the proceedings live by clicking here.