Why No City Centre Manager?

 

Independent candidate Davy Hyland at one of Newry’s many pot-holes

 Every prominent town throughout Ireland "normally" has a town manager whose main priority is to promote and highlight the outstanding characteristics of the individual town and to resolve any issues that affect or detract from the towns’ development
and progress.

Independent election candidate Davy Hyland has said "Given that Newry has had the "honour" of city status for the past decade, it seems mighty strange that this area has had NO City Centre manager for several years and yet the office (based in Hill Street) continues to be funded from several sources, the main one being Newry & Mourne District Council and you the ratepayer."

Hyland continued "No one can deny the fact that Newry City has problems on several fronts- The Hill St area is a ghost town after 6pm, footpaths and streets in the city centre continue to deteriorate, the river and canal are in a shocking state of neglect band disrepair whilst in the Drumalane Rd and Dominic St areas local residents are up in arms over the loss of car parking facilities outside their own homes.

"These issues and many others would be in the domain of a City Centre manager and yet such a person does not exist. "

Hyland concluded "It is high time for the issue to be resolved and a full time accountable City centre manager appointed ASAP."

Educational Maintenance Allowance Must Be Defended

The Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is under threat in the North of Ireland following the decision by the Tories in Westminster to Scrap it altogether in England.

The EMA is paid to young people from lower income families who commit to continuing in further education.

However in the face of massive budget cuts, Stormont ministers are considering whether to follow the example of their colleagues in England and axe it here.

There will be no changes to funding during the 2011/2012 academic year but no guarantees about it’s future survival have been given after this time.

Davy Hyland stated "Around 24,000 students in the North currently receive the EMA and hence it is a vital lifeline into further education and training for many of our young people."

Hyland further stated that "young boys and girls are already bearing the brunt of the draconian cuts and abolishing the EMA would be another step towards consigning a generation of these young people to the scrapheap

Newry- Glasgow Celtic Links

Visit Parkhead at any Celtic home game and you are bound to come across a good few "Newry heads" who have made the pilgrimage to Glasgow whether by air or by sea.

Call into any Newry pub for an Old Firm match and you’ll come across scores if not hundreds of Hoops fans.

The affinity, indeed love, for Glasgow Celtic is very strong and shown in many ways. A number of Celtic supporters clubs, including St Mary’s, St Brigid’s, AOH (sadly no longer with us), South Down Number 1 and Ballyholland are based in the Newry area and make regular trips to Celtic Park.

Some of the local football teams such as Newry Celtic, Cleary Celtic and Killowen Celtic proudly wear the Hoops colours every Saturday in the Carnbane league.

Perhaps the best and longest link between the two is Willie Maley who both played for the club and was their longest ever manager who gave 52 years of unbroken service to the club.

Willie was born in Newry in April 1868 and was brought up in the Linenhall Square (Mourneview Park) area of the town.

It has long been a hope of Newry fans that a fitting memorial should be erected in the city which would not only honour Willie Maley, but also recognise the links between the people of this city and the Glasgow Celtic Football Club.

Cuts Target Our Most Vulnerable Children In Newry

Children with severe learning disabilities attending Rathore school in Newry are in danger of losing their Music Therapy sessions due to the cuts in the health service budget.

Davy Hyland said:"This service provides weekly sessions for individuals and groups enriching the lives of children with behavioural and multisensory needs as it has a calming effect on pupils and can also help with communication.

It is outrageous that the health minister could even consider removing funds for such a critical service for young children across the north.

It is important we raise awareness and support for the families of the children who attend Rathore School in Newry for we cannot sit back idly and let the government at Stormont target our most vulnerable, young and old. "

Hyland concluded: "We the people of Newry should speak out loudly and clearly on this matter and let those in power know that enough is enough. If we allow them to remove budgeting for such a vital service, we are opening the door to even more cuts within the health & social care trusts, and our most vulnerable children will suffer even further. "

Bottle Banks for Armagh Road

During a leaflet drop of the Armagh Road (Drumgullion ward) a number of local people approached Davy Hyland regarding the non-provision of Bottle banks in the area.

One irate householder complained that he had to travel miles across the city if he wanted to deposit bottles, cans and papers in a green and environmental fashion.

Given the fact that two new supermarkets are being built in the area, surely space should be provided to allow the installation of council bottle banks