Councellor Declan Bree

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ABOUT DECLAN BREE

Councillor Declan Bree, has an outstanding record in both local and national politics as a campaigning voice for social justice.

He was first elected to Sligo Corporation and Sligo County Council in 1974 and has retained his seat on both authorities at each subsequent election. He was Mayor of Sligo in 2004 and was Chairman of Sligo County Council in 1986. He is the current Deputy Mayor of Sligo.

He is the outgoing Chairman of the Health Service Executive’s Regional Health Forum West, and he is also outgoing Chairman of the Western River Basin Advisory Council

He has served at many levels in local, regional and national politics, including membership of the Borough of Sligo Vocational Education Committee, the County Sligo Vocational Education Committee, Sligo Harbour Commissioners, the Board of Sligo North West Airport, the Sligo/Leitrim Regional Development Organisation, the Board of Management of the Sligo Institute of Technology, the North Western Health Board, the Border Regional Authority, the Governing Body of University College Galway, the E.U. Committee of the Regions and he served as a Dail Deputy for Sligo/Leitrim from 1992 to 1997.

A member of Ireland’s radical socialist youth organisation the Connolly Youth Movement in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, he went on to become National Chairperson of the movement. A founder and former Chairperson and General Secretary of the Sligo/Leitrim Independent Socialist Organisation he has been a lifelong political activist campaigning on issues stretching from the campaign against the war in Vietnam and the movement for Civil Rights in Northern Ireland to the current campaign against the war in Iraq.

He was a member of the Labour Party from 1992 until his resignation from the Party in May 2007. He was the Sligo/Leitrim Campaign Director in both Divorce referendum campaigns and he was a life long member of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement. He was also active in solidarity campaigns with Chile, Nicaragua and East Timor. He continues to actively support the international campaign of solidarity with Palestine and with the Republic of Cuba.

He is the President of the Connolly Forum (Sligo) and he is Secretary of the Gralton Labour History Committee (Leitrim). He is a patron of the People’s Movement - Gluaiseacht an Phobail

An active trade unionist he is a former member of the Western branch Committee of the Federated Workers Union of Ireland. He is currently a member of the Sligo branch of SIPTU. He is also a member of the Executive of the Local Authority Members Association.

Involved in numerous voluntary and cultural organisations over the years he is a member of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, a former Sligo County Secretary of Comhaltas, and was Cathaoirleach of the host branch of Comhaltas when Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann was awarded to Sligo. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Hawk’s Well Theatre and a member of the Board of the Model:Niland Gallery.

As a pastime Declan Bree enjoys reading, attending the occasional play or concert when time permits, listening to good traditional and folk music and enjoying a pint of Guinness in good company.


www.declanbree.com

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DECLAN BREE’S RESIGNATION LETTER

Mr John Dunne
Secretary
East Ward branch
Labour Party
Sligo.




Dear John

I wish to tender my resignation from the Labour Party.

As you will be aware I have had serious concerns about the direction the Party has taken under its present leadership. In this context, like many Labour Party members in the constituency, I could not in conscience participate in the general election campaign nor could I support the Labour Party candidate in the constituency.

Over 20 months have passed since the Party Leader chose to attack me in the pages of the “Irish Times” on the basis of totally unfounded and false allegations. The record will show that to date he has failed to retract the allegations and apologise.

That Pat Rabbitte chose to make an attack on me in such a public manner on the basis of totally unfounded allegations – and indeed allegations which I read of for the first time in the “Irish Times” on the 6th of September 2005 – was particularly shocking and unacceptable.

Mr Rabbitte wrote ‘in Sligo Cllr Bree used his position as Mayor to stop an accommodation site going into his own electoral ward and sought to put it into the ward of a colleague that already has three such sites.’

However the minute book of Sligo Borough Council will confirm that the only proposal in regard to my ward, the East Ward, was an amendment to the Traveller Accommodation Programme to the effect that a location be sought in the ward for the provision of apartments for newly wed young travellers. The minutes will confirm that I, as Mayor of Sligo, and the other councillors, supported the said amendment.

That Mr Rabbitte would claim that the office of the Mayor of Sligo was abused for personal or political advantage is an allegation that in my opinion cannot be ignored.

In all my years as a political activist and in my 33 years as an elected representative I am proud of the fact – and the record will show – that I have always striven to protect the rights of minorities, whether immigrants, gays or travellers.

In June 2004, after a wait of 30 years, I was privileged to be unanimously elected Mayor of Sligo. To be chosen as Mayor of one’s own native town is a unique honour and in that context I pledged to fulfil my role as first citizen in a manner befitting the position.

During my year in office I carried out my duties as Mayor to the very best of my ability and I particularly ensured that the office of first citizen was not used or abused for personal or partisan political purposes. At the conclusion of my term I can only say that I was overwhelmed at the positive and warm messages of thanks and congratulations I received from all sectors of Sligo society - community groups, chamber of commerce, voluntary organisations – and from every member of the Borough Council regardless of political affiliation.

Never, not even on one occasion during my 12-month period in office, did any citizen of Sligo or any elected representative suggest that I ever abused my position as Mayor of Sligo. Not one citizen or elected representative ever alleged that I used my position as Mayor of Sligo, to stop an accommodation site going into my own electoral ward and sought to put in into the ward of a colleague.

I found it incredulous that seven months after the Borough Council had dealt with the issue of the Traveller Accommodation Programme that Mr Rabbitte would make such false allegations and such serious allegations.

Never in the history of the Labour Party has a Party leader attempted to vilify and smear a Labour Party colleague in such a manner.

Some people have suggested that he was fed incorrect information. However, 20 months have passed since he made the allegations, and to date he has failed to apologise.

With regard to the current election campaign in the constituency I should point out that I bear no personal animosity to the Labour Party candidate Cllr Jim McGarry. He has been active in politics in Sligo for quite a number of years and has his own legitimate political views.

However the record will show that he never shared our values and he consistently voted against Labour at County Council and Borough Council meetings over the years.

Labour Party members have made the point that Cllr McGarry voted time and time again to impose Service Charges while our members and supporters were vigorously campaigning against the charges.

Members have highlighted the fact that Cllr McGarry supported and voted for the Privatisation of the Refuse Service while we were campaigning to retain it as a public service.

Members have highlighted the fact that while we were to the fore in the Anti-War movement in Sligo, Cllr McGarry voted against a motion a calling on the Government to halt US war planes using Shannon Airport.

Party members also highlighted the fact that when we were campaigning and calling on the Government to hold a referendum to insert an article on non-alignment and neutrality in the Constitution, Cllr McGarry voted against such a move.

I also have major difficulties with the ill conceived decision of the Labour Party to enter into a pre-election agreement with Fine Gael. You will recollect that I vociferously opposed this proposal made by the Party leader and I spoke against it at Party Conference. Essentially what the Labour Party under Pat Rabbittes leadership is doing is giving the kiss of life to the party founded by General O’Duffy, rather than seeking to lead a left led government and fighting the general election as a Left party with its own values and with its own independent policies.

It is for all these reasons that I am resigning from the Party and that I cannot bring myself to vote for the Labour candidate in this election.

In fact it is my view that in many constituencies, including Sligo/North Leitrim, the Labour candidates are only being used to ‘sweep up’ Labour votes for Fine Gael.

There are many colleagues in the Labour Party in all parts of the country who I have worked with over the years and whom I admire and it is my intention to maintain contact with them and to continue co-operating with them in my role as a socialist activist and public representative.

As you will be aware I have consulted widely in recent months with activists and supporters and with those who share our values and the great majority are strongly of the view that it is timely for me to resign from the Labour Party.

I therefore tender my resignation.


Yours Etc.



DECLAN BREE



16th May 2007

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Poor Continually Betrayed by Rich Easter Ceremony told

In today’s Ireland the poor are continually betrayed by the rich and it is the latter that bear the brunt of Government designed inequity in our taxation, education, health and public transport systems said Galway City councillor, Colette Connolly, when she spoke at the Connolly Forum Annual Easter 1916 Commemoration Ceremony in Sligo on Easter Sunday.

Led by flag-bearers carrying the Tri-colour and the Plough and the Stars, a large number of participants marched from Cairns Drive to the Republican Plot in Sligo cemetery to hear Cllr. Connolly deliver the oration.

Cllr. Declan Bree, who presided at the ceremony told those attending “the proclamation of 1916, the founding document of the Irish Republic, set out the vision of an Ireland politically and economically independent, an Ireland in which all the children of the nation would be cherished equally. And for Connolly and the other leaders, an Ireland in which working people would be the masters of their own destiny. It is against this measure that we must look at the Ireland of today and ask ourselves how far the ideals and values of Easter 1916 have been realised.”

Delivering the oration Cllr Connolly, said “It gives me no pleasure to say that we live in a society that is far from the socialist ideals of James Connolly. We have a two tier health and education system and an appalling lack of investment in public transport.

“The 1916 Proclamation’s ideal of ‘the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland’ has never been achieved. Our current constitution instead protects the inviolable rights of property owners.

“In Dublin in the period before the Rising the most appalling conditions prevailed comparable only to Calcutta. There were over 5,000 tenements 1,500 of which were declared inhabitable by the Housing Commission in 1914. Most of these accommodated 40 people in each house with only one toilet. And it struck me as ironic reading through Connolly’s writings this week to learn that the vast majority of these houses were owned by the Aldermen and Burgesses of Dublin Corporation.

“Today, you will equally find varying property portfolios amongst some City and County Councillors, T.D.’s and Ministers. Indeed, one of our Ministers recently declared ownership of 17 houses.

“It is not surprising then that this Fianna Fail/P.D. government introduced the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) ostensibly to provide better quality housing to those in the rental sector offering as it does fixity of tenure, fixity of rent. In reality, however, it is a license to print money affording greedy developers the opportunity to buy multiple properties, with the guarantee that they can rent these to the Local Authorities ensuring their mortgages are paid by the taxpayer.” said Cllr Connolly.

“It also must be said that Irelands two tier health system is fundamentally unjust and undemocratic and makes a mockery of the principle of cherishing all of the children of the nation equally. However this is what the free market profit led approach to health favoured by Fianna Fail and the P.D.’s, has delivered for us.

“Those are just some reminders, if we need them, of how much remains to be done if we are to realise the ideals of the men and women of 1916. That is why for us the narrow definition of freedom which for many does not go beyond the slogan of a united Ireland is unacceptable.” Cllr Connolly said.

Mr John Dunne, Chairman of the Connolly Forum, read the 1916 Proclamation. Following the oration as a lone piper played a lament, Ms Brenda Barr, laid a wreath on behalf of the Executive of the Connolly Forum. The ceremony concluded with the National Anthem.

[Papa C.]

Nice speech there by Cllr. Connolly. Informative and true. Thanks for posting comrade.

[dangeresque]

It's great to see there is a voice like that in the elected chambers.