Local Kildare-Naas Issues
Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) . The creation of new jobs and exports in SMEs is essential to the local and national economic recovery. I will be promoting the new €6.8 billion from the Pensions Reserve Fund (ISIF) /Other Equities support for SME businesses. These new Funds will infill where Banks were failing down on support. Local Authorities, through the new Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) will need to promote the local availability of these funds to assist SME developments.
General Business /Retail Sector
I
will continue to promote Local Authority assistance to existing businesses in
Kildare.I will continue to seek a more equitable business field for Town Centre
Shopping against the advantageous conditions allowed to ‘out of town’ shopping
centres. This includes seeking a less restrictive planning regime for Town
Centre living accommodations, reduced development levies for long term unused
sites and an easing of planning conditions that presently require car parking
or payments for hospitality businesses. I will continue to advocate that only
barrier controlled, payment system car parks should be authorised to provide
commercial car parking services, thus avoiding the use of ‘Clampers’.
Hospitality
Theme Park. I have been promoting for a long time, the co-development of a
Horse Racing Ireland/Hotel/Entertainment/Theme Park, in the area of The Curragh
Racecourse, with the potential for thousands of jobs, where a wide range of
equine related activities could be performed during daytime, whilst exhibition
centres and traditional entertainments would contribute in evenings, in
conjunction with normal horse racing, classic race meetings, international
visitors, Irish diaspora and Dublin day trippers, with a wide range of Ring of
Kildare alternative tourist attractions available locally.
Social/Community
Housing. There are over 5,000 applicants on the Kildare-Naas Housing Register
for Social/Community houses. New houses in this category are essential to allow
families to leave ‘expensive rent supported accommodations’ and get on with
building a normal life in their own homes
Men’s Sheds started as a social development in Australia a short number of years ago and has spread quickly throughout the free world. It is a social gathering of men, some experienced with crafts, trade/ technical skills or professional, literary and administration skills, who want to share time, experiences, knowledge and abilities for mutual and community benefit, in a suitable environment as an alternative to their own workshop or home. Seamie is delighted to have spearheaded the drive to obtain a suitable premises and co-found the first such Community Men’s Shed, at Rathasker Road, Naas.
Naas United FC
As President of Naas
United FC Seamie has enjoyed the experiences of the club achieving Club of the
Year in the Kildare 2012 DFL, winning the Senior Championship, League, u19s and
several other underage competitions. Despite not yet realising their main
development objective of having their own grounds or club house but with
13 teams, a membership approaching 300 and a very hard working committee,
Seamie is confident that the solidarity within the club will see them achieve
greater success on the field and their own home ground in the near
future. The clubs contribution to youth and sport development is a huge social
benefit to the town and Seamie is delighted to assist the committee's drive to
continue that contribution and make it the best club in Leinster.