Your Country needs you

[gspain]

The national stadium debate continues to rage and the latest planted stories place Abbottstown as back on the agenda. While I have no particular allegiance to any venue I do think it is imperative that a stadium is built and this is not just another excuse to do a few feasibility studies (i.e. bury a decision for another 2-3 years). The cabinet meeting next month will either say yes or bury the decision.

Anyway you can do your bit by writing to the government TDs and letting them know where you stand on a national stadium.


A list of TDs can be found here (note I've no connection with the site just found it on google)

http://www.parentslobby.org/TDs.htm

or a lot of them are listed here

johnny.brady@oireachtas.irlgov.ie martin.brady@oireachtas.irlgov.ie johnbrownetd@eircom.net jcallanan@iolfree.ie breenpat@eircom.net ivor.callely@oireachtas.irlgov.ie pat.carey@oireachtas.irlgov.ie john.carty@oireachtas.ie donie_cassidy@oireachtas.irlgov.ie michael.collins@oireachtas.irlgov.ie b.cooper_flynn@oireachtas.irlgov.ie john.cregan@oireachtas.ie martin.cullen@oireachtas.ie webmaster@educ.irlgov.ie tdempseyff@eircom.net johndennehytd@eircom.net devins@iol.ie john.ellis@oireachtas.irlgov.ie Frank_Fahey@entemp.ie michael.finneran@oireachtas.ie tony.killeen@oireachtas.irlgov.ie breene@eircom.net dermot_fitzpatrick@oireachtas.irlgov.ie sean.fleming@oireachtas.irlgov.ie patthecopeg@eircom.net jglennon@oireachtas.irlgov.ie ngrealish@cllr.galwaycoco.ie minister.hanafin@taoiseach.gov.ie mhoctor@eircom.net cecilia.keaveney@oireachtas.irlgov.ie billykelleher@eircom.net seamus.kirk@oireachtas.irlgov.ie tomkitt@tomkitttd.ie conor.lenihan@oireachtas.irlgov.ie cllrtmcellistrim@eircom.net johnmcg@eircom.net donalmoynihanccc@eircom.net mjnolan@oceanfree.net sean.ofearghail@irlgov.ie willie.odea@oceanfree.net liz.odonnell@oireachtas.ie denis.odonovan@oireachtas.irlgov.ie noflynn@eircom.net ned.okeeffe@oireachtas.ie tom.parlon@oireachtas.ie sean.power@oireachtas.irlgov.ie eoin.ryan@oireachtas.ie maesexton@eircom.net brendan.smith@oireachtas.irlgov.ie info@defence.irlgov.ie dan.wallace@oireachtas.irlgov.ie joe.walsh@daff.irlgov.ie ollie.wilkinson@oireachtas.irlgov.ie michael.woods@oireachtas.ie

Sample letter below but feel free to use your own text


Dear Sir/Madam,
I'm an avid football fan and follower of our national team as well as our national league.

I am writing to express my support for a proposed national stadium. The IRFU/F.A.I. proposal does appear to have merit however it is imperative that this government do something about a national stadium whichever proposal is deemed appropriate. We would gladly support Abbotstown, Lansdowne Road or whereever.

This government has already given €140 million to the GAA for the redevelopment of Croke Park in the Taoiseach's constituency and can provide full funding for every half baked scheme for equestrian sports in the finance minister's constituency. The same government continue to dither and prevaricate when it comes to football and rugby. While it is great to see money going to sport I only see it going to sports which I have no personal interest in and could not support a government that neglects the sport which I am passionate about.

Our national football team are now faced with playing "home" world cup qualifiers in the UK from September 2004 and our rugby team will not be far behind. This is a disgrace. This would be compounded however if it is allowed to happen without any definite plans and support from the government for a new home for football and rugby.

If this is allowed to happen through continued government inaction then I will urge fellow football and rugby fans to campaign against and vote against Fianna Fail and Progressive Democrat candidates in future elections.

[republic]

This is an excellent suggestion. However to make it worthwhile it would be far more preferable if a co-ordinated effort could be made to progress this issue.

Rather than a couple of people indiscriminately banging off emails to random TD's would it not be better to approach this in a logical manner? How about group letters to John O'Donoghue, Jimmy Deenihan (FG Spokesman on Sport), Jack Wall (Labour). Don't know about the PD's but their record indicates that they know nothing (and care less) about sport. Not sure who the Green Party spokesman is and don't know if SF (other than Martin McGuinness) generally care about anything other than GAA but maybe it might be worth following up?

A guy called Niall Ginty established the National Stadium Action Group a few years ago. While this seemed to be very much a 'one man operation', he was involved with handing out leaflets prior to some internationals in Lansdowne. If I recall correctly, he also leafletted some areas of Dublin prior to the last general election exhorting voters not to support parties who did not commit to building a national stadium. Haven't heard from him in a while so I'm not sure whether he's still involved....

[gspain]

Appreciate there would be lots of better ways to do this but aletter to a TD does have an effect.

Lets them see the groundswell of opinion out there.

Looks like the spin doctors ahve got to work already spinning stories on problems re Lansdowne and Abbotstown. Trust Rooney and Browne have the guts to play hardball with them.

There is no indication that the PDs have changed their stance one iota. Decent polo ponies and croquet lawns are more of a concern for their target voter.

I believe Bertie is genuine but he needs to stand up to the PDs and maybe Rooney and Browne could just help him along.

I don't see any point in trying FG or Lab. it is a government decision and hopefully not a decision to procrastinate and prevaricate.

[gspain]

Can I ressurect this again?

I'm getting rresponses by the day from the TDs I contacted. It does make a difference.

Can I ask you please e-mail them and let your feeling known on a national stadium.

The government MUST not shelve this decision for another year or two.

A letter writing campaign will make a difference.

[republic]

Originally posted by gspain
Can I ressurect this again?

I'm getting rresponses by the day from the TDs I contacted. It does make a difference.

Can I ask you please e-mail them and let your feeling known on a national stadium.

Can you provide some information re. the responses you have received to date, GSpain?

[gspain]

Mainly letters (I included my name and address). Passing letters onto the minister for sport.

Conor Lenihan said he fully supported me and that it was the PDs who were the stumbling block. He's right but I reminded him that his aprty has 81 seats and they have 8.

Most tDs have replied at this stage even if it is just to note receipt of the letter.

It is more th eeffect your letter will have rather than anything you'll get back is what will make the difference.

If you want a national stadium it is worth sending an e-mail. you can make a difference.

[John83]

I've just written to O'Donoghue. Hopefully I'll get a response.


No, scrap that - hopefully he'll just build the bloody stadium.

[finlma]

This is a really good idea but I think it would be even better if someone could put it on a website so everyone can send the link to friends. That would be the quickest way of getting a large response.
If someone has the time to quickly put a website together with John O'Donoghue's email and postal address with the letter to send I think there would be a huge response.

Anyone have the time?

[Cosmo]

.....or better still if everybody just posts it on their own clubs mb's!!

[gspain]

Sample letter and list of government TDs in the first post of this thread.

Feel free to change,use,steal whatever.

Please write to your own TDs and John O'D as a minimum but I'd suggest e-mailing the whole lot - I just sent the same e-mail and cc'ed the lot of them.

Interestingly on today's Star Fran Rooney has appealed to all local leagues to put pressur eon their TDs. I'm doing this off my own bat and have never met or spoken with Fran but glad he agrees it is important.