Leinster Photography & Video

08/06/2024

And the tally is on🍀🤞🙈

04/06/2024

👏

Thanks to LMFM this morning, where I spoke about Meath being a commuter town to Dublin, yet our transport links are stuck in the 1990s when Ratoath was a small village.

We need,
✅Direct bus
✅Feeder to M3
✅Local Links between villages & to service rural areas
✅€9 Monthly Ticket

03/06/2024

Here is a wee video I made to promote herself in the final week of the campaign for Eilish Balfe Labour Party Local Election Candidate Ratoath LEA🤞

27/05/2024

08/05/2024

07/05/2024

07/05/2024

CHECK OUT this wee website that my team have put together for the Local Election on 7th June.

https://www.eilishbalfe.ie/

20/04/2024

Get the latest updates from MapAlerter and subscribe to new alert categories across Ireland.

20/04/2024

Today marks the launch of Go Purple Day, which is taking place on Friday 3rd May 2024. Go Purple Day is the national Domestic Violence awareness campaign which consolidates community partnerships between Domestic Violence Services and An Garda Síochána. The national campaign was started by Garda Stacey Looby when she was stationed in Navan Garda Station back in 2020 and has grown huge momentum and support over the past four years.

Sinead Smith, CEO, Meath Women’s Refuge & Support services says:

“Go Purple Day is an opportunity for all of us to raise awareness of domestic violence and supports that are available. Women experiencing abuse may have feelings of being trapped, being afraid in their own home and that they are alone, not knowing where to get help. Meath Women’s Refuge & Support Service are always here to listen and support women and concerned family members. So please know you are not alone and our 24 hour Freefone helpline1800 464646 is always open. We now also have a new Webchat service on our website where women can contact a trained staff member for one-to-one support.”

On Go Purple Day, members of the public are invited to wear purple, host a coffee morning or fundraising event for your local refuge and share a message of support on social media.

For more information or to make a donation, please visit https://www.dvservicesmeath.ie

20/04/2024

A LIBRARY FOR RATOATH?
When I read the article in the community centre newsletter in March about the idea of a library for Ratoath, I thought “What a great idea!” Then I wondered, with all the other facilities that people in Ratoath have been looking for like a park, safe roads and paths, better transport, a health centre etc, would others agree that a library was important for Ratoath.

So, we did a little survey to find out. We thought that if we could get about 200 responses from people in the area, that it would give some idea of how people felt about the library issue. Were not claiming that this is a scientific survey but it’s the best information that we have about people’s attitudes to a library in Ratoath that we currently have.

We stopped the survey after 214 responses. Out of those responses, 189 people (88%) said that they were “in favour of campaigning for a public library in Ratoath”. No great surprise there, as many people raised this with me recently when I was canvassing as they knew I had raised this issue.

Then we asked “How important do you think having a public library in Ratoath is?” Only 25 (12%) people thought it was not important while 121 (57%) said it was ‘extremely important” and 56 said it was “very important”. Only 10 people said it was “somewhat important”. So, it seems fair enough to conclude that a lot of people want a library in Ratoath and that for those people this is a very important issue.

Lastly, we asked if people were “in a position to join a group that would examine the feasibility of developing a public library in Ratoath”. We asked this question because we know that getting a library for Ratoath is not a simple matter and that it would take a lot of planning and campaigning to be successful. We were surprised that 79 people (37%) said that they were in a position to join such a group.

In February this year, I asked Alan Kelly TD, to ask a Dáil question of the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she plans to provide a library in Ratoath and if she will provide funding should a site be identified.

She replied saying that
“The delivery of public library services, including the provision of library premises, is a matter for each local authority in accordance with the Local Government Act, 2001. Accordingly, the delivery of library services in Ratoath is primarily a matter for Meath County Council. My department funds a Libraries Capital Programme 2016 – 2022, which is currently fully committed.

However, Meath County Council may wish to explore other funding sources such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), which is administered by my department, or the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), which is administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Meath County Council is required to consult with my department and the Local Government Management Agency prior to the development of plans for a new public library in Ratoath. They will then be requested to submit a proposal to my department for technical assessment to ensure that the project complies with the 'Public Library National Standards and Benchmarks' which guides the development of the public library service.”

25/12/2023

Thanks be to god it’s our last night with these little divils!! It’s bittersweet Eilish Balfe..😜

23/12/2023

Ooooo Santa decisions decisions..🎄🤞🏻

25/09/2023

Indoor torture over at castleknock ltc….🥵

30/08/2023

Don't delay travel