Category Archives: Press Releases

Time for Government to Leave our Primary Schools alone!

Councillor John Paul Feeley has called on the Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn TD and the Government to stop attacking our primary schools in response to a demand from Minister Quinn that schools drop religion in favour of maths and literacy.

‘Minister Quinn seems to have some sort of fix on the issue of religion in our schools. He seems to think that the education of children is purely about producing economic units instead of well rounded citizens and that the solution to every ill in the primary system involves an attack on religion and more often than not the Catholic Church.’

Noting that Minister Quinn is presently implementing a policy that has designated 48% of our national schools as ‘small’ and therefore subject to a higher pupil teacher ratio that will, this year see 148 small schools lose a further teacher the Fianna Fáil Councillor stated that Minister Quinn is following an ‘anti-rural, anti-small school and anti-faith policy’ in the Department of Education.

‘One of the key elements of a Republic is the right of citizens to equality and the free practice of religion. Across this region schools of all Christian dominations serve their community and it is the duty of Government to protect the right of all religions to have such facilities. Many of these schools cater for pupils of other religions or indeed none and do so in a respectful manner. It is worth noting in UK and the US schools with a religious ethos at their core are growing and are achieving the highest academic results whereas this present Government seems determined to blindly follow its anti-faith policy.’

Councillor Feeley commented that he felt that Minister Quinn was pushing a Labour Party ideology rather than a well thought educational policy.

‘We want an education system that respects religion, that has high literacy and numerous standards. That can be achieved in our current system if the Minister respects local schools and gives them proper support not constantly undermining their future, not constantly cutting funding, not constantly reducing teacher numbers.  It is a disgrace that he constantly attacks them and uses every opportunity to run-down the contribution of the various churches to education in Ireland.’

Concluding Councillor Feeley called on the Fine Gael Party to stand up for small schools and for the role of religion in our primary schools.

Cavan County Council to pursue access to Cuilcagh Mountain

Fianna Fáil Councillor, John Paul Feeley has called on Cavan County Council to pursue the provision of proper access for walkers to the summit of Cuilcagh Mountain noting that Cuilcagh is a key location within the wider UNESCO Marble Arch Global Geopark it is a unique visitor attraction in its own right as the highest point in County Cavan.

‘There are significant numbers now seeking to climb Cuilcagh whether as individuals or in organised groups such as those organised by local festivals in Swanlinbar or Glangevlin or the Cavan Lions Club. I want Cavan County Council in conjunction with local landowners and other agencies to provide carparking at an appropriate location and a marked walkway to the summit.’

Highlighting the importance of the location of Cuilcagh Mountain, the highest point in the County, Councillor Feeley referred to the impressive views from the summit across adjoining counties, the national monuments, the importance of the mountain in the mapping of Ireland by the Ordinance Survey who used it as a point of sight from Slieve Donard to Croagh Patrick, Slieve Snacht and Keepers Hill.  In addition the Cavan County Councillor noted that there is a huge increase in the number of walkers anxious to climb locations such as Cuilcagh.

‘In recent years there has been a hugh increase in the numbers engaged in hillwalking. More and more people want to pursue activity based holidays and areas such as County Cavan and particularly County Cavan are well placed to take advantage of this market and initiatives like the Cavan Walking Festival, the development of walks all over the County and in particular the huge investment ongoing in and around the Cavan Burren’

There is an substantial investment underway under the Border Uplands Programme and the Harnessing Natural Resources Programme to create a neckless of attractions or to enhance visitor experiences in the catchment of the Marble Arche Geopark including the investment in the Cavan Burren, the development of an Interpretative Centre in the Market House, Blacklion, the restoration of Dowra Garda Station, improvements at the Marble Arch Caves Visitors Centre and ongoing investment in walks and other attractions such as the River Walk in Blacklion.

‘There are a number of locations around Cuilcagh Mountains which would be suitable to develop as an access point whether from Gowlan, Glangevlin, Corlough or Swanlinbar or indeed in County Fermanagh. I would think as a start the obvious place would be in Glan Gap and I have asked Cavan County Council to take the lead in this project and prepare plans that can be actioned once funds become available.’

Part of the site is designated as a Special Area of Conservaton but Councillor Feeley noted that rather the best way to protect a site visited by significant numbers of people is to to ensure that they are guided through the site in a controlled and safe manner.

When the matter was discussed at a recent meeting of Cavan County Council the proposal received unanimous and cross party support. Responding to the proposal, Eoin Doyle, Director of Services noted tat in the context of the other developments in the region this would be an obvious and welcome proposal and would be followed by the Council in respect of the funding which might be available.  He confirmed that Cavan County Council had commenced a study of the location and are anxious to see the development take place.

Fine Gael Councillors Cut Road Maintenance Grants

Fianna Fåil Councillor, John Paul Feeley has expressed his disappointment with the decision of Fine Gael Councillors to cut funds available to for maintenance on local and regional roads by € 400,000 in 2014 in spite of clear warning of the impact of such a cut on the condition of our roads in the coming year and into the future.

‘The Fine Gael Group have admitted that having met with Minister Vardkar, that he and their Government colleagues are unwilling to reinstate funding from Central Government to fund works on private lanes serving dwellings and agricultural holdings this year or into the future, instead of fighting and delivering for the County, the Fine Gael Councillors and by implication their Oireachtas members have admitted that they have no influence and are now getting Cavan County Council to do Minister Varadkar and Hogan’s dirty work. There will be more pot-holes on Cavan Roads, more roads not surface-dressed, less money for public lights, less money to deal with flooding and all down to the Fine Gael Councillors,’

Director of Services, Joe McLoughlin outlined that his engineers have advised that we are only spending half of what is needed to maintain the roads to the minimum standard and that since 2008 the level of funding available from Government has fallen by around 40% as has the contribution from the own resources of the County Council.

‘It is reckless in the extreme to reduce out already inadequate roads budget and allow our roads deteriorate further. It’s is worth noting that in the past the Fine Gael Party presided over the destruction of the roads of count Cavan and led to our county earning the sad title of the ‘Pot Hole County’ and the Fine Gael Councillors seem determined to follow this route again.’

Concluding Councillor Feeley noted that it was sad that for the second time the Fine Gael Party have removed funding for the Local Improvement Scheme and on this occasion when they admit at national level that it is to abolished in all respects and now leave it to local authorities.

“I call on the Government to provide proper funding to Cavan County Council to fund the Local Improvement Scheme in 2014 and into the future.’

Feeley nominated to UCD Governing Authority

Fianna Fáil Councillor, John Paul Feeley has been nominated as a member of the Governing Authority of University College, Dublin for a four-year term commencing on the 1st January 2014. Councillor Feeley was one of eight Councillors nominated by the Association of City and County Councils, formerly known as the General Council of City and County Councils, a nominating body under the Universities Acts, 1908 and 1997.

The Governing Authority is made up of not more that forty persons including the University President, representatives of the Professorial, non-professorial, non-teaching staff, students, past and present, the Minister for Education and Science and The Lord Mayor of Dublin and the eight nominees of the Association of City and County Councils. It oversees the operation of the largest university in the country which attracts students from throughout the country.

“I am very honoured to have been nominated by my fellow Councillors as a member of the Governing Authority of our largest University. It will, I hope be an interesting and informative position. The Third Level Education Sector has a huge role to play in the creation of our economic revival, not only in terms of educating the next generation but also the re-training and continued development of the current workforce who are working in the most challenging of circumstances’