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Fighting Fire and the Government – Grady given clearance to run for the election

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Martin Grady has been given clearance to run in June’s local elections after winning a court case he took against the Department of Housing and Local Government.

Last month, Grady, a third generation politician, was notified by the Department that he was eligible to run for the upcoming election.

Mr Grady is a retained firefighter with Kerry County Council.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage stated that local authority employees who earn more than the maximum salary paid to a clerical officer may not contest elections.

The circular stated that if a retained firefighter wishes to be nominated for local elections their total earnings for the previous year will be used to determine eligibility.

Grady argued that the retained firefighter’s salary was not close to that of a clerical officer and that government officials were using additional payments like call-out fees to determine his total wage. He said this was unfair as there is no certainty how many times he may or may not be called out any given year.

He took his stance to the district court on Thursday morning where a judge overruled the department’s original stance.

“When I was informed of the circular and statutory instrument after going through it in detail I felt it was unjust to target any public sector employee and take away my democratic right to run for election,” Mr Grady told the Killarney Advertiser.

Mr Grady went through the circular and Statutory Instruments with his solicitor Dan O’ Connor and Barrister Liz Murphy and made the decision to go ahead and fight this matter through the courts.

With less than 24 hours to the court date in Killarney, an updated circular was issued from the Department of Housing and Local Government, where the wording  changed and allowed him to run in the upcoming local elections.

“I’m glad these changes were made however it shouldn’t have taken this to make those changes, Darragh O Brien is the Minister for Housing and Local Government, clearly his focus and priorities weren’t where I feel they should have been on delivering houses and serving the people, where he has the luxury of a full time fire service in Dublin,” added Grady.

“I can assure the people of Killarney Municipal District my focus and priorities will be in the right place, whatever their needs are I’ll be hardworking making sure Killarney is a place for the present and our future generations. I’d like to thank everyone for their support and good wishes.”

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Network Ireland Kerry discuss sustainable success

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Network Ireland Kerry held their third annual collaboration event last Wednesday at the Rose Hotel, Tralee. The theme was: “The Journey to Sustainable Success” which brought three industry experts together to talk about their own journey to sustainable successful.

Business professionals, entrepreneurs, and financial leaders came together for this highly anticipated event to learn about the journey from becoming a start-up, to a small-to-medium enterprise (SME), and a large SME.

The event was opened by AIB Branch Liaison for Network Ireland Kerry and AIB Castleisland Branch Manager, Colleen Shannon. It was MC’d by AIB Tralee Branch Manager, Stephen Stack.

Sarah Farrar of AINMHÌ, Garrett Dillon of Mr. Binman and Dillon Waste Ltd. and Susan Quirke-Crowley of Mounthawk Montessori School Group were among the speakers at the event.

These leaders spoke about their challenges, milestones, and breakthroughs they encountered, from launching an idea to scaling operations nationally.

Tara Elzingre of Tara Elzingre Consultancy, Zaneta Labuz-Czerwein of Rustic Boowa and Sharon Hartnett of U Coaching promoted their businesses for ‘Minute on the Mic’

Emily Reen, Network Ireland Kerry President, described the event as a testament to the power of partnership. She said: “The event underscored a powerful message: sustainable business success is not a solo journey. With the right partnerships, teams and financial tools, businesses of all sizes can grow with purpose, resilience, and long-term impact.”

Network Ireland Kerry will host their next monthly event on November 12 in Killarney and in collaboration with the Kerry Local Enterprise Office, titled: “Gain Competitive Advantage in Your Business”. This event will be MC’d by Karen Ronan, 2025 National Vice President of Network Ireland and CEO of Galway Chamber. This event is open to non-members and members, and everyone is welcome from 6 pm for networking and refreshments, with the event taking place from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm.

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Minor injury clinic to open by this time next year

The Killarney Local Injury Clinic is expected to be open by Q3 2026, according to the HSE. The proposed unit will be located on the grounds of St Columbanus Home. […]

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The Killarney Local Injury Clinic is expected to be open by Q3 2026, according to the HSE. The proposed unit will be located on the grounds of St Columbanus Home.

The timeline was confirmed in response to a Parliamentary Question from Fianna Fáil TD Michael Cahill, who said the project will follow the relocation of the Community Nursing Unit from its current site to the grounds of the old St Finan’s Hospital. Once the transfer is complete, construction of the injury clinic can proceed.
Deputy Cahill described the two new health facilities as “a fantastic addition for Killarney and the wider East, Mid, and South Kerry regions” and noted they will help reduce waiting times at University Hospital Kerry A&E.
“I will continue to push for enhanced health services for our people,” added the Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Older People.
The new clinic is expected to provide urgent care services for local residents, easing pressure on hospital emergency departments and improving access to timely treatment in the Killarney area.

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