O'Keeffe dismisses school campaingers because there are no votes in it for him!

[The Dude]

Surprised more wasn't made of this, then again it is Ned O'Keeffe.

Basically the school in Rathcormac, a village outside Fermoy on the main Cork-Dublin road has 2 permanent classrooms and 10 prefabs for over 200 children. The parents council there went to O'Keeffe, their local TD to ask for support in securing funds for a new school on a site they have ready to go.

O’KEEFFE REBUTTAL STUNS RATHCORMAC

Outspoken Fianna Fail TD Ned O’Keeffe has confirmed that he told the chairperson of the parents' council of a local national school that ‘there are no votes for Fianna Fail' in the school’s village when approached for help in securing funding from the Department of Education.

Claire O’Flynn, chairperson of Rathcormac’s Scoil Bhride Parents' Council said that Deputy O’Keeffe made the ‘disgraceful’ remarks when she contacted him on the ongoing issue of overcrowding and the reliance on temporary classrooms at the school.

“He said that he had no votes in Rathcormac and that he would only speak to people in places where he had votes. He said that as far as Fianna Fail were concerned Rathcormac was ‘no use to us’ and asked me who I voted for,” Mrs O’Flynn said.

Mrs O’Flynn added that Deputy O’Keeffe suggested that his son, Cllr Kevin O’Keeffe, polled badly in the village at the recent local elections.

“Of course the people of Rathcormac will support their local man,” she continued, referring to newly elected Fine Gael Cllr Pa O’Driscoll - a Rathcormac native - “but surely politicians should realise that it’s not a vote against the others.”

Speaking to The Avondhu Deputy O’Keeffe reiterated his belief that there are no votes for his party in Rathcormac.

“I also said what was told to the people of Rathcormac already by the Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe, that the new school would be built when the Government has the funds to do so,” he added.

From here: Avondhu Press -News Stories

The Corkman this week carried the same story, unfortunately I can't source it online.

[Supermanpolitician]

Why would anybody be surprised by this?

[Greener]

O Keefe is Ireland's biggest gombeen ejit. A despicable poser (remember when he granstanded, and left FF for a week over Harney in 2007 (bearing in mind his vitriolic hatred for the PDs)). He was there to support amnd prop up Haughey, Rynolds, Ahern and Cowen. While hob nob with Burke, Lawlor, Flynn, and the rest. His ilk is whats wrong with irish politics. He is an ignorant muck savage who should stick to his pigs, cattle, and horse ********************e. Then he can start annoying Peter Mandleson with the rest of his malignant interest group

What a waste of space, and oxygen. Its amazing to think that this fool is legislating for us. Its a daming indictment of the people who elect this gob********************e. And to think, he is within 2 years of representing Ireland in Europe. Imagine what he will have to say when the ALDE put forwards another proposal to abolish the common agricultural policy

[lapsedmethodist]

Surprised more wasn't made of this, then again it is Ned O'Keeffe.

Basically the school in Rathcormac, a village outside Fermoy on the main Cork-Dublin road has 2 permanent classrooms and 10 prefabs for over 200 children. The parents council there went to O'Keeffe, their local TD to ask for support in securing funds for a new school on a site they have ready to go.



From here: Avondhu Press -News Stories

The Corkman this week carried the same story, unfortunately I can't source it online.

I hate to have to say this, but why would anyone approach a politician for this. Why not go to the Dept of Edu and get some kind of response? If the Dept refers you to the pols, then you have a clear case of corruption. All you have now is the fact that O'Keeffe is a gobsh1te, something everyone knows for a 40 mile radius.

[Gimpanzee]

What this? People whingeing when parish pump politics bites them on the ass? Fair play Ned O'Keeffe you've done the state some service by showing up the system for what it is.

[Cato]

Well, at least he's honest. Rare in a FFer, I know, but he's obviously one of a few.

Really this kind of gombeen parish-pump politics has to come to an end. One should be able to claim for these things on the basis of rights under the law, not because of political stroke pulling. Time to reform the system.

[goosebump]

What this? People whingeing when parish pump politics bites them on the ass? Fair play Ned O'Keeffe you've done the state some service by showing up the system for what it is.

Well, that is true to certain extent, but I'm sure it wasn't his concern.

It also says a lot about the people of Cork for continuously electing a gombeen of the highest order, which is what O'Keeffe is.

In the end of the day, TDs are paid to be advocates as well as legislators, and their advocacy shouldn't be dependent on how many votes they received in a particular area.

He should have just entertained her, banged out a boiler plate letter to the Dept and left it at that.

[imokyrok]

I got a similar response from an FG candidate when I asked why his party had supported a damaging local vote. That's why I believe it will take another couple of generations before we have decent politicians.

[sarahj]

It also says a lot about the people of Cork for continuously electing a gombeen of the highest order, which is what O'Keeffe is.

In fairness, you can't go blaming the whole of Cork for his election. His constituency is a small part of Cork and those people elected him two years ago, a lot has changed since.

His son ran for local elections recently and was decimated which shows what Cork people think of his family now.;

[red-365]

I hate to have to say this, but why would anyone approach a politician for this. Why not go to the Dept of Edu and get some kind of response? If the Dept refers you to the pols, then you have a clear case of corruption. All you have now is the fact that O'Keeffe is a gobsh1te, something everyone knows for a 40 mile radius.

Bless! Having been involved in campaigning for a permanent school building, I can tell you that you will get nothing done unles you have a local TD making your case. Dept officials informally said to me that everything in our proposals made perfect sense, and that there was no good reason why the building should be delayed, but that to push it over the line, we would need the support of a Govt TD. Sad but true.

In my case at least, there was no corruption in the sense of money changing hands, but it's definitely not the way things should be done.