Alex White byelection Archives

A Fair Deal for a Fair City

28th May 2009

Dublin Manifesto Yesterday saw the launch of Labour’s Manifesto for Dublin on the Millennium Bridge. I joined Deputy Leader Joan Burton, Dublin Central by-election candidate Ivana Bacik and some of the many Labour Councillors to launch what I believe, is a new vision for Dublin.

This city of ours has enormous potential. A quarter of the Irish population live in the capital. Tourists continue to flock to the city and in the sunshine of today, it can be a cultural mecca.

Yet, the city has suffered under the 15 years of Fianna Fáil-led governments with bad planning, bad resources and right now, a bad unemployment problem. Our plan for the city, like the rest of our campiagn, is about jobs, jobs, jobs.

We must get our city back working again. Something as simple as stimulating and supporting small and medium enterprises in the city can be the precursor to an increase in employment. Labour also proposes that a council apprenticeship scheme be set up, which not only will retrain and upskill workers, but contribute to the work of the four local authorities in upkeeping the city and county.

Dublin Manifesto 2 But the manifesto also addresses some issues which will serve to improve the lives of Dubliners. As a cyclist, I find the city’s streets a nightmare at times. Labour proposes to prioritise safe, uninteruppted 24-hour cycle lanes that will increase safety.

We will also reverse the current cuts to Dublin Bus services.

This manifesto seeks to address two fundamental matters in Dublin: to get Dubliners back to work; and to improve the lives of all Dubliners, right across the city. Labour councillors have worked hard in order to improve this city, but for a real difference we need to change nationally. A strong Labour in the Dáil can only be better for our capital city.

More :: Read ‘A Fair Deal for a Fair City’ by clicking here (PDF)

The Time is Right

26th May 2009

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

Eamon pedals Alex to the Dáil

19th May 2009

Eamon Gilmore leads as Alex gives a helping push

Yesterday, Eamon hopped on his bike in order to push Alex White to the Dáil! We had a photocall outside the gates of Leinster House with the Labour Leader. The media seemed to take a liking to Eamon’s Tour de Merrion Square, with the aid of a little push by myself!

The Irish Independent:
‘”I hope we’re not breaking the law, lads?” he [Eamon] half-laughed anxiously, but the boys in blue weren’t the slightest bit bothered. They were outside Leinster House where weird stuff happens on a regular basis.’

You can see all the photos on my Facebook page. Simply click on the link on the right hand side.

Committing to the educational needs of Dublin South

15th May 2009

Alex signs the dotted line...

Yesterday on the canvass trail, I travelled to Holy Trinity NS which is based in Leopardstown. Holy Trinity is like many schools in our education system - they are without a permanent building.

They invited all candidates in the Dublin South by-election as well as Councillors to visit the school and sign a pledge insisting that, if elected, they will make the school a top priority. As you can see from the photo, I happily signed the dotted line.

The school currently houses 107 pupils and 11 staff but the parish has a population of 31,000 – the equivalent of Co. Leitrim! The Gallops has a young, growing population and it is predicted that in the future, 600 children in the area will need a primary place. And it is not only their education which is being affected.

There is a social and community element to what the school is seeking. A permanent school building would be the hub of the locality - a place to meet, greet and hold community meetings. This is something the local area needs and something that was neglected in the past.

The school is currently spending €124,000 per year on prefab accommodation and this will only increase unless something is done quickly.

Since September 2008, Labour have proposed a School Building Programme that would help those unemployed in the construction sector, let the State receive value for money and house the 40,000 children currently in prefabs.

The parents, teachers and pupils at Holy Trinity represent what is best about our civic culture. They certainly put it up to politicians at their campaign launch yesterday. The solidarity and commitment shown by this community in their quest to secure a school building is really impressive.

Alex on Today with Pat Kenny

14th May 2009

There was another Dublin South by-election debate earlier this morning, this time on RTE Radio 1’s Today with Pat Kenny. I was once again joined by candidates George Lee, Shay Brennan, Shaun Treacy and Elizabeth Davidson for a round-table discussion on the issues that might sway the voters on June 5.

You can listen to the debate by clicking here. The piece begins at 17mins 20sec.

Are you on the Register?

14th May 2009

Tomorrow is the final day that County Councils will receive applications for inclusion on the Supplementary Register and for a postal vote.

If you’re unsure as to whether you’re on the Register, you can check it by visiting checktheregister.ie and entering your details.

Cynics will tell you that it doesn’t matter whether you vote or not. I disagree. Late last year millions of people – many of them first-time voters – decided to vote for change in the United States. President Obama’s victory showed that it is possible to imagine a politics beyond the usual.

Every vote counts. The make up of the Irish government could change just as dramatically as in the U.S., but only if people changed their preference and if larger numbers of those entitled to actually exercise their right to vote.

Remember, no vote, no say.

Alex on TV3

14th May 2009

Last night, I took part in a Dublin South by-election debate on TV3’s Nightly News with Vincent Browne. My fellow panellists were also candidates on June 5: Fine Gael’s George Lee, Fianna Fáil’s Shay Brennan and Sinn Féin’s Shaun Treacy.

You can view the programme in three parts by clicking here, here and here.

Politics more than a vanity project

11th May 2009

“Serious times demand serious politics. After a week in which a journalist has been virtually deified for joining Fine Gael, it’s time to get real” said Alex White, the party’s by-election candidate in Dublin South.

“I am putting myself before the electorate because I believe passionately in the power of politics to inspire all of us to bring about change. Politics is not a vanity project. For me, it’s about fundamentally changing the political direction of our country.

“For years we have endured a pseudo contest between two conservative parties. We need to break out of the redundant party mould of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, which is contributing so much to our national paralysis.

“The electorate is entitled to ask what George Lee stands for.

“Fine Gael seems to think that he should be elected simply because he is well-known and new to politics. He himself has said very little. But some of what he has said is astonishing, dangerous and regressive.

“He believes the HSE should be subjected to more competition in order to deliver vital health services. This is exactly the PD philosophy of ‘competition at all costs’ that has led to the madness of co-located hospitals. George also wants to sell off Bord Gais. Has he learnt nothing from the debacle of Eircom?

“There is no doubt that Brian Cowen’s government is discredited. But I do not believe that Enda Kenny’s Fine Gael offers any genuine alternative. Enda Kenny’s leadership has little public credibility while Eamon Gilmore surpasses him consistently in polls, and in the Dail” said White.

“Bluntly put, Enda Kenny is not the leader the country wants. Celebrity endorsements will not change that.

“Nothing captures the emptiness at the heart of the Fine Gael’s electoral strategy in Dublin South more than Brian Hayes’s remarks over the weekend: ‘People are losing their jobs and George [Lee] has huge credibility because he has been on TV talking about it for so long’.

“Is this the best they can do?”

White on George Lee’s prospective candidacy

5th May 2009

The announcement by Fine Gael that George Lee is to be its candidate in the Dublin South By-Election is intriguing, given his repeated denials up to the weekend that this was to be the case.

However, I welcome his entry into the field. George Lee has made a significant contribution to economic debate over recent years and has been a forthright critic of government policy. I have no doubt that he will be a formidable candidate.

The real challenge now is not just to describe or explain our economic crisis and its causes, but also to bring forward solutions. We are facing a deep economic crisis, but we also have a crisis in the ability of our political system to respond. People are crying out for radical new ideas and also for a clean break with the past. I honestly believe that we will never achieve that if our politics continues to be dominated by two parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, whose differences are based on an old and forgotten controversy from the 1920s.

This is truly a time for change and not for more of the same.

I look forward to debating these issues with George Lee and with other candidates in the Dublin South By-Election. I am confident that my work over the years on the ground in Dublin South will be a significant factor in ensuring that Labour wins this crucial election on June 5th.

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.

Tag: byelection