Declan Bree

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Declan Bree (born 1951) is an Irish politician, founder and former member of the Sligo/Leitrim Independent Socialist Organisation, is currently the longest serving member of Sligo Borough Council. In May 2007, Bree resigned from the Labour Party, citing differences with their pre-electoral pact with Fine Gael, and his clashes with party leader, Pat Rabbitte.

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 currently Chairman of the Health Service Executive’s Regional Health Forum West, and he is also 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 Dáil 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 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 Secretary of the National Association of Labour Councillors, President of the Connolly Forum (Sligo) and he is also 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 Éireann, 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.

The State military files released last year after 30yrs which highlighted the whereabouts and activities of suspected 'subversives', included Declan Bree as well as other prominent activists such as Tomas MacGiolla, Cathal Goulding, Captain James Kelly and Ruairí Ó Brádaigh. Councillor Bree in answer to this new notoriety, said 'This reflected the general paranoia of Church and State in the Ireland during the 60s and 70s', and 'Practically everyone active in left wing politics at the time was considered dangerous and subversive', he added.

At the 2004 Labour Annual Conference, Bree argued against the pre-electoral pact with the right wing Fine Gael party. In autumn 2005, Bree, a strong supporter of travellers rights, clashed with Labour Leader Pat Rabbitte over the issue of Traveller accommodation in Sligo.

In early 2007, Bree described as “unacceptable and unchristian” a decision to refuse a pensioner lunch in St. John's Hospital, on Christmas Day. (See www.declanbree.com)

While the Health Service Executive did not comment on the case a local SIPTU Trade Union official said that the pensioner had been told in September 2006 that he was not allowed to use the canteen in the hospital. The union official called upon Bree to apologise for his remarks. Bree pointed out that he had a moral obligation to speak out against injustice and repeated his remarks