Letter to the Taoiseach

CONGRATULATIONS to you, Taoiseach, to Gerry Murray and to all the people of May. Beating Cork and dethroning the All-Ireland champions was some achievement. A different story at our end in Tyrone. I knew we were up against it when Hector lined up me and Mick Galvin to talk up the big match on his RTE 2 FM Breakfast Show. Galvin & Co got the better of us in ‘95. When I did get the length of Croke Park, things began to look up as I scored a virtual penalty at the Ulster Bank stall and was given one of those wee footballs.
Anyway, back to Hector for a moment. I really like his initiative of encouraging farmers throughout the country to write “Keep Her Lit” on their round bales. He wants people to phone him up if you see them on the N11 or wherever.
Mention of roads and I am glad to hear that you remain committed to the A5/N2 project which links us in the North-West to the rest of the country. We can phone in to Hector as well but we have a different phone line and all which Hector needs to repeat more often.
What else has the summer brought for you?  As well as Roscommon, did Gay Mitchell’s nomination for the Áras really rot your socks or was that merely a rumour?  Some think the winner has yet to enter the race. Who knows?  Any word on our voting rights in the Six Counties, Enda?  What annoyed me about the Tyrone-Dublin match (apart from Connolly and the Brogans) was the fact that Pat Gilroy’s men will have a vote and Mickey Harte’s won’t.
Other than that, as an MLA I have been very busy in my ‘ten-weeks off’ from Stormont, beavering away with all kinds of constituency work. In mid-Tyrone, we are fighting a strong campaign for rural equality in terms of broadband access and we are also fighting for more degree courses in Omagh to allow more people from low-income and middle-income families to access higher education.
Can you do anything about the Passport Office?  I know they are really busy at this time of year but lots of people are complaining to me about worse than poor access. And that is me saying this, someone who has had a great relationship with the Passport Office for years.
The Poc Fada at Stormont went really well again and our new Louth TD came second only to Mark Sidebottom of the BBC in the Celebrity event. Back in Tyrone, I’m preparing to interview the great Mick O’Dwyer on behalf of the Kinturk Cultural Association in the Lough Shore. Ahead of Mayo’s great clash with Kerry, Taoiseach, what would you like me to ask him?