GNAW Picket On Top Oil

by cadence Fri Apr 04, 2003 01:22

Just wonderin' why there's no march on saturday 5th April? I know the Shannon march is the 12th but it seems I've been marching every saturday for the last month, or at the dail, or U.S. embassy. Don't let the cops get you down, their brutality yesterday is all the more reason to show them we won't give up our democratic right to peaceful protest.Or mass civil disobedience...which i happen to be rather fond of....

by olive_oyle Fri Apr 04, 2003 11:12 Dublin

Here are some interesting facts on Tom Stafford / Tedcastle Oil Products (TOP Oil). The Stafford family funeral home shows that they are always happy to make money from death. Don't expect them to cry over a few thousand dead Iraqis!

Peripheral relationship to the issue:
http://www.irlgov.ie/debates-01/s28june/sect1.htm
and on the sec2.htm that follows.

Mr. O'Dowd: The Minister addressed some of the issues that have arisen, but I received representations from Mr. Donal Gordan, a director of Tedcastles Oil Products. It is a major Irish-owned company which has concerns about the Bill. I am sure the Minister and her Department received a copy of the letter, but I wish to outline some important parts of it. He stated that Tedcastles operates through its subsidiary, TOP, a national network of 170 service stations and provides a wide range of commercial and agricultural fuels. The company considers, in common with other indigenous fuel companies, that its ability to source fuel supplies from the national refinery in Whitegate is essential to its ability to compete with the major international oil companies.

More of their lobbying activities are on:
http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/index.html?http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/D/0538/D.0538.200106210030.html
where Jim Higgins (Dublin West) seems to have had some input.

TOP in Amiens Street appears to be the good old Tom Stafford Motors. Check out:
http://www.geocities.com/cyclopath2001/Page3.htm

Picture is half way down page. Points out that "Unregistered vehicles parked in 'Pay & Display' bay outside premises of 'Tom Stafford Motors Ltd'.These have present every day since the photo was taken. It is unknown whether or not the owner of this company has any arrangement with the Corporation to be exempted from parking regulations."

FF Cllr Tom Stafford is brother of Clr. John Stafford, Cathaoirleach of Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly? His address is 60 North Strand Road, Dublin 3.
http://216.239.57.100/search?q=cache:9Tc_oHZ6c8gC:www.seregassembly.ie/foi/foi_section_15.doc+Stafford+TD+D%C3%A1il&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Also seems that Cllr Tom Stafford was appointed to Dublin City Transportation Authority
http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/index.html?http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/D/0499/D.0499.199902020140.html

Cllr John is former Lord Mayor of Dublin:
Millennium needle gets council green light
Former Dublin lord mayor, Cllr John Stafford (FF) voted for it describing it as ``a beacon of light'' while his brother, Cllr Tom Stafford (FF) objected, saying it was ``nothing to write home about''.
http://unison.ie/irish_independent/index.php3?ti=41&issue_id=5751

T Stafford and Sons Funeral Homes share the same address on the North Strand as the Bould Councillors:
http://www.funeralnet.ie/show.asp?County=Dublin&offset=10

There used to be stories of rough handling of opposing factions within FF in the area, if I can dig up anything, I will, if anyone else can, please advise.

by Ant Fri Apr 04, 2003 15:56

Nice work on putting all those links relating to our friend Tom. Keep it up.
I would normally have some sympathy for a franchise owner being picketed for selling Top Oil but Tom won't be getting any from me.