Local Independent City Councillor John Halligan has called on the people of Waterford to remember well what Fianna Fail and the Green Party have done to the Irish economy, which has greatly affected them and their relatives.
“Due to the insatiable greed of bankers and developers, most of them cronies of the Fianna Fail Party, the Irish economy is now devastated by thousands of job losses, a severe reduction in the standard of living, a ruined health service and hundreds of thousands of people reduced to poverty”, he stated.
“In the local election on June 5, rather than be apathetic I would appeal to voters to come out and send a direct message to Fianna Fail and the Green Party that their time is up and that they cannot be trusted to represent the people of Waterford City in the future”.
Drug Force funding cut
Specifically, the outspoken councillor, who has persistently fought for meaningful measures to counter anti-social behaviour, condemned a 15 pc cut by the government in funding for local Drugs Task Forces.
He said that at a time when many communities throughout the country were plagued by the scourge of illegal drugs, the Task Forces in question had a proven record of helping many hundreds of people caught in the nightmare of drug addiction.
“For their advice, educational assistance and constant communications with those afflicted, the Task Forces are essential in the fight against illegal drugs”, he asserted.
“The greatest threat to Irish society at present is the twin problem of drug addiction and crime associated with the illegal drugs trade and cutting funding for Task Forces which are such a help shows how out-of-touch the government is with the reality on the ground.
“Instead, substantially more funding should be made available for a service which is certain to pay for itself many times over in terms of crime averted and reduced misery for all associated with the problem”.