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Sinn Féin TD’s Seán Crowe and Martin Ferris were joined by Pat Doherty, MP, at today’s meeting of the Good Friday Agreement Implementation Committee which was addressed by the Six County Secretary of State Owen Paterson, MP.
During the historic engagement, the first time The North’s Secretary of State had ever addressed an Oireachtas Committee, the Sinn Féin representatives raised a number of issues including the need for full disclosure on the Dublin/Monaghan bombings, outstanding issues relating to former political prisoners and the Tory Government’s decision to cut the North’s Block Grant by 400 million.
Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe was scathing in his remarks in response to the refusal of Mr Paterson to meet the requests of the Justice for the Forgotten Group, who are seeking the release from the British Government of all of the documentation relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.
Deputy Crowe said: “The refusal of the British Government to make public the documents relating to the 1974 Dublin, Monaghan bomb atrocities shows they have much to hide.
“The complicity of British state forces in these and many other killings must be dealt with. Their refusal to disclose the truth is causing a good deal of pain for those who lost loved ones during that terrible event. It is simply not good enough to say a “synopsis” of information has been released to the families and serious questions need to be answered over the integrity of the RUC and Garda investigations.
“There is compelling evidence that collusion occurred here and Owen Paterson and his cabinet colleagues must disclose the truth.”
North Kerry TD Martin Ferris raised the failure by the British Government to expunge the records of political prisoners he reminded Mr Patterson that a number of outstanding issues from the Good Friday and St Andrew’s Agreement’s remain to be addressed.
“We have the bizarre situation,” he continued, “where high ranking members of the North’s Executive are restricted in terms of travelling and in the jobs they can apply for because of the time they spent as prisoners during the conflict.
“There can be no longer any prevarication on this issue and the British Government must meet its obligation and address this issue as a matter of urgency.”
West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty challenged The North’s Secretary of State to get the British Government to make available the amount of money raised in taxes in the North. He also criticised the Tory party’s decision to cut £400 million from the North’s Block Grant despite the previous agreements that had been made with the Labour administration.
After acknowledging David Cameron’s apology to the families of those murdered on Bloody Sunday after the publication of the Saville Inquiry, he asked Mr Patterson would the honours awarded to those responsible for the atrocity be removed as had happened to former Royal Bank of Scotland CEO Fred Goodwin.

Tóibín welcomes registration of agreement between employers and contract cleaners

Peadar Tóibín TD, Sinn Féin spokesperson on jobs, enterprise and innovation, today (Friday) welcomed the registration of an agreement between contract cleaners and employers.
Peadar Tóibín said: “I want to congratulate SIPTU and the workers who campaigned long and hard to ensure their rights were protected.
“Contract cleaners are some of the most vulnerable employees. The registration of an agreement to safeguard pay and conditions between them and their employers is a positive step forward and is to be welcomed.
“This agreement has been struck at a time when the media has reported cases of severe exploitation of vulnerable and low-paid workers and when some sections of the business community seem intent to further erode their rights, pay and conditions.
“This agreement demonstrates the benefits to employees and employers of protections offered by the JLC system. It demonstrates that responsible employers have nothing to fear from robust legislation on workers’ rights.
“I hope that the government recognises this and will strengthen the safeguards in the legislation currently being discussed on JLC workers and agency staff. “Our economic growth cannot and will not be built on diminishing the rights of low paid and vulnerable workers.”
ends

Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonald TD has welcomed the Justice Ministers public acknowledgment that he is considering an investigation into the former Mother and baby Bethany Home.

Speaking today Deputy McDonald said:

“It is a testament to the tireless efforts of the survivors of Bethany Home that they have finally forced the government to move on this issue. However the minister’s consideration must quickly move on to a commitment to investigate Bethany Home and in turn to recognition and redress.

“A dearth of information clearly illustrating the state’s culpability in both the Magdalene Laundries and Bethany Home already exists thanks to the dogged work of survivors and their support groups. Whilst the Minister for Justice’s public acknowledgement that he is considering an investigation is a step in the right direction, action is what is now required.

“Survivors of these institutions have been through so much and simply want the state to acknowledge what we in fact already know, that the state failed to step in and protect the women and children in these institutions.” ENDS

Sinn Féin Housing Spokesperson Dessie Ellis TD has welcomed the introduction of the Family Home Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill to the Dáil today.

Deputy Ellis described the Bill as conservative in terms of the overall package of measures required to deal with home repossessions, negative equity and arrears.

Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon Deputy Ellis said:

“Sinn Féin welcomes this Family Home Protection Bill and we commend Deputy Stephen Donnelly for introducing it.

“The Bill itself is a conservative measure in terms of the overall package of mechanisms that are needed to address the problem of not only home repossessions, but arrears in general, and negative equity. If enacted it would allow a judge the authority to consider a range of factors when a lender is seeking repossession of a family home.

“170,000 people are in mortgage arrears of 90 days or more. That’s 8.1% of every mortgage. That represents an almost 60% increase in two years. It is a scandal that this Government could go in and fight an election campaign, telling people that they would help them, and then almost a year later have done very little, aside from publishing one very long overdue scheme of a Personal Insolvency Bill.

“Even some of the moderate proposals of the Expert Group on Mortgage Arrears remain to be implemented, despite the growing numbers of arrears cases. One simple initiative that could be introduced tomorrow if the Government had the political will to do it, would be to ensure that assessment of housing need should not have to wait for legal proceedings for repossession to be brought against the borrower where a mortgage is clearly unsustainable. Furthermore, a mortgage to rent scheme could be introduced.

“Myself and my colleagues in Sinn Féin have been saying for years that the State’s social housing policy was completely flawed. I remember back in 2006, Arthur Morgan who was then TD for Louth speaking about how the State needed to address issues within housing policy and have plan to address negative equity – despite the fact house prices were still rocketing at this stage. The establishment parties said we were mad – and now look where we are.”

Full text of Deputy Ellis’ speech follows:

Speech on Family Home Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011

Sinn Féin welcomes this Family Home Protection Bill and we commend Deputy Stephen Donnelly for introducing it.

The Bill itself is a conservative measure in terms of the overall package of mechanisms that are needed to address the problem of not only home repossessions, but arrears in general, and negative equity. If enacted it would allow a judge the authority to consider a range of factors when a lender is seeking repossession of a family home.

Under the current legal framework, where a person is in any arrears and the lender seeks repossession, the Court must comply with the request, regardless of any other factors that they may wish to consider. It does not matter whether this loan was given irresponsibly in the first place, whether any reasonable person or institution would have looked at the borrower’s financial circumstance and thought that they would never be able to repay that loan. It does not matter whether the lender complied with the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears or whether the lender has had any interaction whatsoever with the borrower in terms of trying to help them keep their home, or how much they owe on their home loan or whether they would perhaps in the future be able to pay this off.

Not all lenders take that attitude, but I am sure there are members of the judiciary who preside over repossession cases that only wish they could turn back the clock and ensure that the likes of Start Mortgages, notorious for issuing repossession proceedings, never existed. While not all lenders are out to get the borrowers – and one can’t help but think that this is because the banks can’t sell repossessed properties even if they want to – we should all take careful note of the actions of banks which lead people not being able to keep up their mortgage repayments due to repeated increases in interest rates of variable rate mortgages.

I want to take the opportunity while speaking to place this Bill within the broader issue of the right to housing in relation to over-indebtedness. This State never incorporated the right to housing in to its domestic legislative framework. Not only that, but it also opted out of Article 31 of the European Social Charter which affords the right to housing. We have an out-of-date legal system that is not fit to deal with or provide adequate solutions to, the problems of our time.

While some people went crazy borrowing, the Government down through the years allowed a culture of consumer-borrowing to develop on a property market built on sand. This over-borrowing, in tandem with banks throwing money at people like there was no tomorrow brought us to the catastrophic level of insolvent customers and mortgage arrears, voluntary surrendering of homes and house repossessions.

170,000 people are in mortgage arrears of 90 days or more. That’s 8.1% of every mortgage. That represents an almost 60% increase in two years. It is a scandal that this Government could go in and fight an election campaign, telling people that they would help them, and then almost a year later have done very little, aside from publishing one very long overdue scheme of a Personal Insolvency Bill.

Even some of the moderate proposals of the Expert Group on Mortgage Arrears remain to be implemented, despite the growing numbers of arrears cases. One simple initiative that could be introduced tomorrow if the Government had the political will to do it, would be to ensure that assessment of housing need should not have to wait for legal proceedings for repossession to be brought against the borrower where a mortgage is clearly unsustainable. Furthermore, a mortgage to rent scheme could be introduced.

Myself and my colleagues in Sinn Féin have been saying for years that the State’s social housing policy was completely flawed. I remember back in 2006, Arthur Morgan who was then TD for Louth speaking about how the State needed to address issues within housing policy and have plan to address negative equity – despite the fact house prices were still rocketing at this stage. The establishment parties said we were mad – and now look where we are.

People are left in terrible situations without access to appropriate housing supports due to difficulties of over-indebtedness and unemployment sometimes leading to family breakdown. Families are caught in a horrible situation where they may be in arrears but possibly have a chance in the future to repay their mortgage, but the court is compelled to repossess their home – then they cannot become eligible for housing supports until their home is ordered as repossessed by the courts.

Yet, still the Government cut the budget available for social housing support on an annual basis.

It is clear that the State must put in place appropriate policies and supports to ensure that those at risk of homelessness because of over-indebtedness or unsustainable mortgages have access to supports which would permit them to remain in their homes or access suitable alternative accommodation.

This Bill may be a fairly conventional mechanism, but it is merely one of a range of options that should be introduced. It would have some small impact on rebalancing the law where a borrower has no right to appeal to the Court to be allowed to retain their home. I do not subscribe to the view that absolutely everyone needs to own their own home. Housing policy in general should be reoriented towards the public provision of social housing – and I do not mean the ghetto council housing of the past, but a new and better form of social housing.

In saying that, it is clear that this does not exist at the moment, and Fine Gael and the Labour Party, given their apparent hatred of having the State provide any kind of service people, let alone go so far as to say sometime like housing is a right – means they are ideologically prevented from ever bringing in a newer, better, housing policy.

We must be real and acknowledge this, so where the State is unwilling to provide social housing for a population, they must be enabled to retain their homes where possible. The State facilitated their entry in to over-indebtedness and unemployment. The State now has a responsibility to facilitate their entry out of it.

This Bill would have the effect of allowing the Court to consider all of these factors when a repossession application is being heard.

This will not have any impact on the Personal Insolvency legislation once it is introduced. As I said last week, publishing the Scheme of the Bill was an important step in the move towards publishing legislation on personal insolvency which is long overdue.

Many people’s large personal debt is due to not being able to service the mortgage on the family home, so we hope that this will be one part of a range of measures designed to address these issues.

I will be calling upon the minister to take on board the concerns of members of the public and civil society bodies working in this area as well. It is absolutely essential that the timeframe indicated by the minister is held to. We cannot continue to put off addressing the problems of those who cannot meet their mortgage commitments and are facing mountains of debt.

ENDS

Sinn Féin MLA Raymond McCartney has welcomed the £18m of European funding for a Conflict Transformation Centre on the former Long Kesh site.

Mr McCartney said,

“The redevelopment of the Long Kesh site will not only create jobs but will also be a shining example of how the North accepts diversity.

“The building of a Conflict Resolution Centre will see it becoming a venue for assisting other troubled parts of the world and also a resource for those researching the Irish Peace Process.

“From the beginning Sinn Féin have sought to have the Long Kesh site developed in order to maximise the economic, historic and reconciliation potential of the site; this is a site of national and international importance.

“The listed and retained buildings including an H block, the prison hospital, visitors and administration blocks, will be open to the public. There will be the opportunity for the many stories of the gaol to be told.

“As republicans we obviously think of the many people who have went through the gaol throughout its history and of course the prisoners struggle for political status. Others including those who worked there also have their story to tell.

“We need to celebrate diversity and the Long Kesh site is one that has a history that is different to many of us. Respecting each other and each other’s history is essential as we move further away from conflict.

 “We believe that there are many benefits for the wider community to engage with the history of the gaol but we now need to see work progress and the site developed and open to the public as soon as possible.

“This funding will I believe kick start the process of transforming the former Long Kesh site into an asset that will serve all the people in the years ahead not only in providing a first class facility in conflict resolution and tourist attraction but also as an economic driver in the Lisburn area.”

Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe today challenged the British Secretary of State for the North Owen Patterson to meet with the Justice for the Forgotten Group and the families of the victims of the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings.

Deputy Crowe was speaking at the Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Committee where he challenged Mr Patterson on the British Government’s refusal to handover files relating to the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings.

Speaking afterwards the Dublin South West TD said:

“The British Secretary of State says that his colleague William Hague handed over a synopsis of the files in the hands of the British but this is not good enough. The Irish people want full disclosure.

“The British Government has refused to comply with a unanimously passed all-party Oireachtas motion calling for full disclosure and co-operation from the British on an inquiry into this atrocity.

“The Irish people are not stupid. They know that collusion was part and parcel of Britain’s dirty war in Ireland.

“But this is about the victims and their families. They need closure. Any and all files in the possession of the British authorities relating to the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings must be handed over immediately.” ENDS

Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Dessie Ellis TD has branded the leasing initiative involved in the release of NAMA units for use as social housing as poor value for money and a scheme which will see the state pay twice for housing it will not kept control of.

He made his comments following the Minister of State for Housing Jan O’Sullivan’s refusal to address these issues and her claims this was a good deal.

Deputy Ellis said:

“I welcome the prospect of the use of NAMA property for social housing but there are a lot of questions to be answered.

“We are paying out nearly half a billion for Rent Supplement and the Rental Accommodation Scheme which add not one housing unit to the stock of the state or voluntary organisations. And now the state wants to pay twice for NAMA units which it will most likely return to the hands of developers through NAMA in the long term.

“The state needs to invest in housing. We need more than a short term band aid solution which is only pushing the lack of social housing forward into the future. We need to support voluntary housing in providing homes and start to actually build and buy homes.

“Leasing has been a failure in terms of provision and value. A lease for 11 years, the average currently, costs roughly 66,000 euros while the average cost of purchasing for social housing is 169,000 euros which serves the state for much longer and provides tenants with security.

“We are in the dark on how this use of NAMA units will work and the progress in assessing the units currently being considered for their suitability as housing. We also must provide for people who require single bedroom units which were lacking in previous agreements between NAMA and voluntary housing units despite huge costs.

“The minister must be clear in these issues, she must demand clarity from NAMA and she must work to insure that whatever is done is sustainable and value for money and not yet another bargain for developers at the expense of the public purse and those in need of housing.” ENDS

Sinn Féin Health Spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD has described as “fantasy” the claim by Health Minister James Reilly that there is a “dynamic contingency plan” in place to address the gaps in service caused by the retirement of 3,700 HSE staff.

Deputy Ó Caoláin said:

“Minister Reilly’s claim that he has a ‘dynamic contingency plan’ to deal with the massive reduction in staff in the HSE is fantasy and hype. There is no such plan.

“In reply to a detailed Dáil Question from me regarding the centralised co-ordination of plans to address this very serious situation the minister made no mention of any ‘dynamic contingency plan’. Instead the minister repeatedly cited the HSE Service Plan 2012 which implements the government’s cut of €750 million from the health budget.

“In his reply to me the minister says he has asked the HSE Board to submit to him its assessment of the likely impact of retirements at the end of February and to identify ‘pressure points’ and to develop ‘appropriate measures to deal with significant departures’.

“The truth is that neither the minister nor the HSE know the full extent of the impact of these departures.

“What is needed is a real ‘dynamic plan’ to protect and defend front-line services, lifting the recruitment embargo and putting in place a programme to reopen the over 2,000 acute public hospital in-patient beds currently closed.” ENDS

QUESTION NO: 174

DÁIL QUESTION addressed to the Minister for Health (Dr. James Reilly)
by Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
for WRITTEN ANSWER on 01/02/2012

* To ask the Minister for Health if he is responsible for centralised coordination of contingency plans to address the severe shortfall in Health Service Executive staff, especially in front-line services, that will follow the departure of thousands of employees under early retirement at the end of February 2012; if he has satisfied himself that such contingency plans exist; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

- Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin T.D.

REPLY.
The Government has determined that, in line with its commitment to reduce the size of the public service, health sector employment numbers must be reduced to approximately 102,000 in 2012.

The cumulative impact of staff reductions from this year and previous years represents a significant challenge for the health system in delivering services. The priority is to reform how health services are delivered in order to ensure a more productive and cost effective health system.

The most recent information available from the HSE indicates that, over the period from September 2011 to end-February 2012, some 3,700 health service staff will have retired from the health service. Of this total, approximately 1,500 persons have already retired during the four-month period to the end of December 2011, while the remainder have indicated that they will leave by the end of February 2012. It should be noted that these figures refer to the number of individuals rather than wholetime equivalents (WTE). It should also be noted that this data is subject to change in the event of additional applications being received or existing applications being withdrawn.

The health and personal social services that will be delivered by the HSE within its budget and anticipated staff complement are set out in the National Service Plan for 2012, which I approved on 13 January. It is clear that the cumulative impact of staff reductions from this year and previous years represents a significant challenge for the health system in delivering services. It increases the need for reform including greater flexibilities in work practices and rosters as well as redeployment. The Service Plan includes a commitment to addressing these issues within the context of the Public Service Agreement. It also commits the HSE to minimising the impact on services by fast tracking new, innovative and more efficient ways of using reducing financial and human resources. The Plan reflects the need to move to new models of care across all service areas which will treat patients at the lowest level of complexity and provide quality services at the least possible cost.

Other reform initiatives set out in the Plan include the development of proposals to protect the viability of community nursing units and to increase the intermediate care capacity for older people; a significant strengthening of primary care services; the enhancement of community mental health teams; a more tailored approach to disability services; and progression of the clinical care programmes.

I intend to review the Service Plan once the full impact of the staff leaving at the end of the 29 February “grace period” is known. In advance of this, I have asked the HSE Board to submit as a matter of urgency its assessment of the likely impact of retirements to the end of February, to identify particular pressure points and to develop appropriate measures to deal with significant departures in a given service or area.

The HSE is currently finalising detailed service plans at regional level and these regional plans will take account of the effect of the current reduction in staff numbers.

The under-representation of women, for a variety of cultural and structural factors, will require more than quotas to resolve it, according to Sinn Féin Senator David Cullinane.
The Waterford senator, who is the Sinn Féin spokesperson on political reform, was speaking during a debate on the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011 in the Seanad today.
“Women are massively under-represented in the Oireachtas, and this has impacted upon the quality and balance of debate there.
“The people have shown that when female candidates are selected they are just as happy to vote for them as for males.
“These measures tackle and manage one of the symptoms of the problem. They do not tackle the root causes of under-representation of women, nor indeed of the more marginalised sections and classes of our society.
“They still face huge obstacles in terms of childcare, the times at which meetings are held, access to finance, the time that is required to be dedicated to political activity and indeed the male-dominated culture in Irish politics.
"I would ask the minister to work with other ministers to tackles issues such as childcare and to take more lasting measures to improve the involvement of women in politics generally, and indeed not just in elected roles.
Senator Cullinane commended the minister for taking measures to increase transparency on political funding and in limiting corporate donations, but that unless corporate donations were banned, big business would continue to have too significant an influence on Irish politics.
“Political parties have for many years been seen in this state as being far too close to big business, indeed many commentators would have noted that the Galway tent was a factor in failing to halt the overheating of the property market and the unsustainability of the tax base.
“I welcome the fact that the minister is reducing the maximum donation that a political party can accept in a year to €2,500, the requirements for audited accounts, the creation of a register of corporate donors and the reduction in the minimum donation that must be declared by a political party to €1,500 and by a candidate to €600.
"While that is clearly a positive step towards a more transparent political system, the minister has a chance to remove the spectre of the Galway tent from Irish politics once and for all, he should grasp it, by effectively banning corporate donations.”
ends

Education Minister, John O’Dowd, has welcomed the publication of a Working Group Report aimed at increasing the use of school premises by local communities.

The Report was completed by a Working Group, established by the Department and made up of key educational stakeholders. It makes recommendations aimed at enhancing the community use of schools and includes case studies of existing good practice in a number of schools.

Having considered the Report, and taking account of the views received from a range of external partners, the Department of Education has also today published its comments on the Report and set out proposals for the way forward.

Commenting on the publication of both documents, the Minister said: “In September I laid out my vision for the future of education here. In my statement, I spoke of how we as a society value education – it is fundamental to all our futures and to the futures of our local communities.

“To achieve this, I firmly believe that strong, viable and sustainable schools must be at the heart of local communities - building relationships and genuine engagement and being responsive to the needs of the wider community.

“Many schools across the north already make their facilities available to the wider community. Over the coming months, further detailed guidance for schools will be developed by the Education and Library Boards, working with the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools and in close conjunction with the other school sectors. In the meantime, I hope the Report and the helpful case studies and templates support schools overcome real or perceived barriers to enhance community use.”

The Minister concluded: “Given the pressures on the education budget, it will not be feasible to implement all the recommendations contained in the Report. However, the wide-ranging nature of the recommendations means that this is not a barrier to greater use of school premises and I am grateful to the Working Group for the contribution the Report has made towards informing developments on enhanced community use of the schools estate.

“I now strongly encourage school leaders and Boards of Governors to consider opening the doors of their school for use by the community and to take into account the case studies and, when developed, the guidance prepared by education partners. I want to see our schools operating at the heart of the community.”

The Working Group Report and the DE Comments paper can be found on the DE website: - http://www.deni.gov.uk/index/communityuseofschools.htm

Agriculture Minister, Michelle O’Neill MLA, has announced that a total of £234.4million of 2011 Single Farm Payment has been paid out to farmers.

The aim was to pay 90% of claims by the end of January 2012. Reviewing the results, the Minister said: “We have now been able to complete over 90% of Single Farm Payments, with a further £19million paid out during January, bringing the total to £234.4million.”

Looking ahead the Minister said:

“The objective is to finalise the remaining claims at the earliest possible date. My Department is taking all possible steps to achieve this, but we must administer the scheme in a way that avoids disallowance.

“In many of the remaining cases we will be unable to pay immediately, particularly to those with on-farm inspections that have identified land eligibility concerns and which may require changes to farm maps. These require complex assessments which take longer to clear. In other cases we are not able to process a payment because farmers have not provided their bank account details to enable a payment to be credited to their bank account. I would remind farmers who have not already done so, to supply their bank account details without delay.”

Not all of the remaining claims will be due a payment because of ineligibility or the application of penalties under scheme rules.

Speaking in response to today’s Central Bank growth forecast downgrade Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said that, “this makes a mini budget more likely” and “demonstrates once again that austerity not working”.

Deputy Doherty said:

“Today’s announcement that the Central Bank is downgrading its 2012 DGP growth forecasts by 1.3% makes a mini budget more likely.

“It also demonstrates once again that the government’s policies of austerity are not working.

“This is the sixth downgrade of Irish growth forecasts for 2012. Sinn Féin has consistently said that to follow the policies of cuts and tax increases on low and middle income earners will not lead to growth in our economy.

“Today’s figures represent a serious challenge to the government. The Minister for Finance is previously on the record in response to questions from me that a 1% in GDP reduction in as a rule of thumb would see a loss of €800 million in revenue from the state.

“This government has signed up to the Troika demands a deficit of 8.6% in 2012. Meeting this figure could result in the government being forced to introduce a mini budget to make the necessary cuts.

“This is an issue Sinn Fein raised with the Troika. Their response was that we could cross that bridge if and when we come to it.

“The government needs to realise that austerity does not work. It is not only hurting the economy but hurting ordinary people and families. The Centrals Bank’s projections of GNP, which is a better reflection of the Irish economy, are even worse suggesting that domestic growth will shrink by 0.7%. Clearly the Government’s policies are making the crisis worse.” ENDS

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Deputy Jonathan O’Brien today called on the government to improve health services in Cork and condemned the HSE Service Plan, stating its so-called reforms and cuts would “equal longer waiting times, more hardship for patients and more stresses and strains being placed on staff members.”

Deputy O’Brien said;
“Yesterday, my constituency colleague Deputy Dara Murphy said that the government was aiming for the target of having no one on a trolley for more than nine hours.
“It is my view that the target of this government should be to have no one on a trolley. In the Accident and Emergency departments of Cork, people wait hour upon hour to see a doctor – waiting on a trolley for nine hours will not be an achievement.
“The government may speak of reform of the health service but if this Service Plan is anything to go by then reform equals cuts, and those cuts equal longer waiting times, more hardship for patients, and more stresses and strains being placed on staff.
“Any policy which will see the number of home help hours slashed or staff not being replaced cannot, and never will, deliver a functioning healthcare system based on need and free at the point of delivery.
“The Service Plan itself explicitly states ‘the bulk of reductions that the HSE is required to deliver in 2012 will impact increasingly directly on frontline services.’ It is clear now, that the Minister for Health James Reilly and the HSE need to go back to the drawing board with this Service Plan.”
ENDS

The Oireachtas Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation today discussed the government’s proposed, Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill. At the committee Sinn Féin’s spokesperson Peadar Tóibín TD proposed a set of amendments that would close loops which could be exploited to maintain inequality and would undermine the legislation.

Speaking after the meeting Deputy Tóibín said:

“This legislation comes about due to an EU directive to ensure equality of pay and conditions between agency workers and permanent staff.

“In the past some employees have exploited agency staff as a low paid alternative to employing staff. This fails the employee and our economy.

“As drafted the legislation includes a loop hole that would allow for a new class of agency worker to be defined that would not be entitled to the safeguards in the directive. This is a disgrace and today I tabled an amendment to remove this clause and ensure that all agency staff will be treated equally.

“My amendment also sought to bring this legislation in line with best practice and equality legislation as this is something that the minister has failed to do.

“The minister states that he is seeking to strike a balance between equality and some employers’ desire to discriminate between two citizens to seek a competitive advantage. He is thus using inequality as a policy to create and support jobs which is unacceptable.

Sinn Féin Education Spokesperson Seán Crowe has described as a ‘serious blow’ the decision to end The Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative (MLPSI). The Dublin South West TD was speaking after educationalists involved in the initiative made a presentation to the Dáil’s Education Committee.

Deputy Crowe said:

“Some 545 schools participate in the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative which aims to create a positive attitude towards language learning, creating links between primary and post-primary schools and facilitating and supporting diversification in the curriculum.

“The initiative is now in its thirteenth year and Minister Quinn’s budget proposals will bring to an abrupt end.

“The majority of modern-language teachers have said to me that, were it not for the project, few if any of their pupils would have studied the language at primary level. It has made a huge difference to rural schools and has given children from disadvantaged schools an opportunity to compete with wealthier children whose parents can afford private tuition.

“This decision will also result impact negatively on the job prospects of Irish students.

“The loss of the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative comes at a time when many employers have signalled the importance of developing expertise in foreign languages as a means of helping the country out of its current difficulties. Surely any fool could see it is counterproductive to remove an essential scheme that has been instrumental in extending the learning of a new language to primary level children.

“The move is all the more surprising as it comes at a time when much of the hope for our economic recovery is reliant on exports. France, for example, is Ireland’s fifth largest trading partner, but we are closing off the possibility of pupils having the opportunity to learn its language. The same can apply to languages such as German, Spanish, Italian and Mandarin.

“When we look at other European countries, even those that are currently experiencing economic difficulties, they continue to prioritise the learning of a second and third language. Learning languages is an essential skill that is needed for young people to be able to compete in an increasingly global marketplace.

“It is essential that a review of the modern language provision be undertaken which would accurately inform the Minister for Education and Skills of the benefits of early modern language learning to students and as well projected industry needs and help inform future curriculum reform.

“A National Strategy for Primary Modern Languages needs to be developed which would foresee the opportunity to learn a modern language being extended to all children by 2020. In the interim, the MLSPI should be allowed continue to support teachers and schools who wish to offer this learning opportunity to their pupils.”

CRIOCH

Sinn Féin’s Education Spokesperson Seán Crowe TD believes the government’s decision to no longer provide School Guidance Counsellors on an ex-quota basis will cause a crisis throughout the secondary level school system.

Deputy Crowe was speaking in support of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors who today made a presentation to the Dáil’s Education Committee.

Deputy Crowe said:

“Guidance counsellors provide a professional counselling service to students at a fraction of the cost of other state funded counselling services. It is a service that represents exceptional value for money as they provide a wide range of supports for students who might otherwise have to wait for up to two years before being seen by outside agencies.

“In addition to pastoral, guidance counsellors give essential advice on a wide range of career options. They work with vulnerable students some of whom may be at risk of dropping out of school.

“Added to this is the actual cost to the state of funding a student in third level, estimated to be somewhere in the region of over €20,000 per year. Without appropriate guidance and information the numbers of students making wrong choices and dropping out of college will increase, at a huge cost to the individual and the state.

“Regardless of the pressures being faced by the government to implement budget savings, it is the view of Sinn Féin that cuts to frontline services in education that promote and support young people’s mental health must be considered untouchable.

“An EU observer recently pointed out that in Ireland, 50 people are unemployed for every job vacancy compared to the three to one ratio in Germany, the lowest it has ever been. This shocking figure starkly illustrates just how important the role played by guidance counselling in schools and they are essential in preparing school leavers so they are fully prepared for the labour market or further education to enhance their employment prospects.

“As the Irish Guidance Counsellor’s submission correctly points out, the reduction in a counselling service in schools comes at a time when young people urgently require the support of the counsellor in schools on a one to one basis. To contemplate reducing such a service is unacceptable and the minister is wrong to suggest that the decision as to the allocation of teaching resources in a school lies with school management.

“Removing the ex-quota guidance counselling allocation means that the service will be greatly curtailed. This at the very time when the role they provide within the school system is essential to the well-being of our student population. The minister must revise this decision immediately.” ENDS

Sinn Féin TD Jonathan O’Brien has called on the Irish Independent website to remove an article which he says is deeply misleading and will deepen anti-migrant and anti-social welfare claimant sentiments among the public.

Deputy O’Brien was referring to an article today about an unemployed Polish woman living in Donegal in which a Labour Party Senator was quoted as saying he would gladly pay for the woman’s flight home.

He said selective quoting and bad translation from an original article in a Polish newspaper were used by the authors to depict the woman as someone who is taking advantage of the social welfare system in this state.

The Cork North Central TD said;

“This piece covered an article that originally appeared in a Polish language newspaper and cherry-picked, then misinterpreted what had been said, leading readers to believe that the woman and her partner at the centre of the piece were bragging about the high-life they have on the dole in Ireland. This type of bad journalism can only deepen anti-social welfare claimant and anti-immigrant sentiment among Irish people.

“It is a poor reflection on the newspaper, when the Polish Ambassador Marcin Nawrot has to write a letter to the editor to highlight mistranslations and blatant omissions of key quotes from the original article.. ‘Magda’ was very clear in her interview that she did not ‘want to live at the State’s expense’ and for that reason was using her social welfare payment to ‘start up her own business.’

“This quote was conveniently ignored by the Irish Independent. The authors also fail to quote ‘Magda’ when she says she likes to go to the local coffee shop for a three euro coffee rather than making it at home as she likes to put some money back into the local community.

“I am not surprised with the actions of the Labour Party Senator Jimmy Harte who offered to pay for Magda’s flights home. This has after all come from the party, who now believe that social welfare payments are some kind of privilege or hospitality, instead of waking up to the fact that it is their austerity policies that create the conditions where people end up dependent on social welfare.

“I am asking the Irish Independent to remove this article from its website.” ENDS

Sinn Féin spokesperson on environment, community & local government Brian Stanley TD has today revealed that only three per cent have paid the Household Charge. Deputy Stanley called on the government to scrap the charge.

Speaking today in Leinster House, Deputy Stanley said:

“In response to a parliamentary question I put to Minister Hogan, it has been revealed that only three per cent of those liable for the charge have paid.
“Out of a total of 1.8 million households only 63,011 have registered while 51,401 of the 1.6 million households liable have paid the charge.
“The government’s plan was that funds generated from the household tax were to be channelled in to paying for local services. At this rate, councils across the state will be left in dire straits when it comes to funding their services.
“The government’s recent budget slashed the funding to local authorities by a massive 84%:a cut of €160 million. The household charge was imposed in an attempt to plug the gap. My party said at the time that it was unfair and unworkable and that many local authorities will be bankrupt because of this severe cut. The government must now scrap this tax and restore the local government fund.
“Sinn Féin will continue to campaign against this unjust charge.”
ENDS

Full response below:

For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 31st January, 2012.
Ref No: 4866/12
REPLY

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Mr. P. Hogan)

The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides the legislative basis for the household charge. Under the Act, an owner of a residential property on the liability date of 1 January 2012 is liable to pay the household charge, unless otherwise exempted or entitled to claim a waiver. The household charge is on a self-assessment basis and it is a matter for an owner of a residential property on the liability date to determine if he/she has a liability and, if so, to declare that liability and pay the household charge.

The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) is administering the household charge system on a shared service/agency basis for all county and city councils. I understand, from data provided by the LGMA, that as of 27 January, 2012, a total of 63,011 properties were registered for the charge, which has been paid in full in respect of 51,401 properties while 11,610 will be met by direct debit in four instalments. The LGMA does not have the sub national details of the registrations sought in the Question.

Cathy Power
Sinn Fein press director 26 counties and Leinster House
0872422657

Sinn Féin’s EU Affairs spokesperson Senator Kathryn Reilly has challenged the government about its intentions after the EU announced that a youth jobs initiative would go hand-in-hand with the fiscal compact.
“The announcement of this so-called initiative, as 25 member states signed-off on an austerity treaty, is an attempt to deflect attention from the fiscal compact which will prevent any serious job stimulation for a generation.
“Last week I challenged the EU affairs minister, Lucinda Creighton TD, about using unspent structural funds to stimulate our economy. She said that this didn’t apply to Ireland as we are no longer in receipt of large structural payments. Yet, now we are told that this is a core part of the so-called jobs initiative.
“This initiative has been dismissed as a political stunt while austerity is being imposed and an attempt is underway to put austerity into law.”
Senator Reilly, who is the youngest member of the Oireachtas, continued:
“What is needed to tackle youth unemployment in Ireland is genuine, funded stimulus, not stunts and definitely not an austerity treaty.
“I look forward to engaging with Minister Creighton and the Commission to see what details and Euros are behind this initiative and to put forward positive ideas to help Irish youth back to work.”
ends

Sinn Féin health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD has said that the HSE Service Plan 2012 is a plan for the “wholesale destruction of services”. He said it was “austerity in action”.

Speaking in the Dáil during statements on the HSE Service Plan Deputy Ó Caoláin said:

“The HSE National Service Plan 2012 implements the continuing regime of cruel cuts begun by the Fianna Fáil/Green Government and now continued by the Fine Gael/Labour Coalition. This is a plan for the wholesale reduction of services across all sectors of our healthcare system.

“It is no wonder that the Government will do anything to avoid a referendum on the EU austerity treaty because this plan and the widespread cuts to vital services represent austerity in action.

“When Minister Varadkar insulted the intelligence of the Irish people by asserting that a referendum would be undemocratic he said it would focus on issues not related to the referendum question. Of course he and his colleagues know very well that a referendum debate will indeed focus on the cuts imposed by this Government – and rightly so because, if the Austerity Treaty is adopted, this State will be locking itself into an economic straitjacket that will mean years and years of further cuts to our services in health and education and social welfare.

“This Service Plan spells misery in 2012 and beyond for people who use our health services and the staff who have to deliver those services. These are the public health services on which we all depend, the public services that must still be in place and must be provided while the private sector can pick and choose which services it will provide based on the profit motive.

“The Health budget reduction of €750 million as a result of Budget 2012 comes after the €1 billion reduction in 2011.

“The Minister for Health James Reilly has claimed that front-line services can be preserved through greater efficiency. This is directly contradicted by the plan which states: ‘The bulk of the reductions that the HSE is required to deliver in 2012 will impact increasingly directly on frontline services.’

“We now know that some 3,500 staff are leaving the HSE at the end of this month. And we also know that there is no plan to ensure that the services affected by this exodus will not be drastically curtailed.

“The Minister for Public Expenditure has tried to portray the redundancies as almost a technical industrial relations matter. The truth is this is all part of the drive to drastically reduce public services and the public pay bill in pursuit of the doomed austerity programme of this Government. The key point is that the recruitment embargo remains in place, with some exceptions, and that this further and dramatic exodus from the public health services will deal a body blow to the provision of services to patients.”

Sinn Féin Justice Spokesperson Jonathan O’Brien has called on Minister Alan Shatter to establish proper sentencing guidelines as part of a range of measures to address prison over-crowding.

Deputy O’Brien was speaking following a presentation today by the Probation Service and Irish Prison Service, at the Sub-Committee on Penal Reform.

Deputy O’Brien said:

“In today’s committee meeting, presentations were delivered by the Probation Service and Irish Prison Service which detailed the 30% increase in the prison population in Ireland between 2006 and 2010, which has placed a massive strain on the ability of the prison service to accommodate prisoners in humane conditions.

“This is not due to a significant increase in cases attracting a prison sentences but because the average length of sentences being handed down has increased. The minister now needs to take a fresh look at how a reform of sentencing policy can reduce the prison population.

“Sinn Féin recognises the critical role of sentencing in the justice system. In our view, sentencing and penal policy objectives should focus on community protection and rehabilitation. We understand that custody does not make a meaningful contribution to justice unless it is underpinned by an effective regime that serves crime prevention and offender reintegration objectives.

“Sinn Féin is opposed to the use of mandatory sentencing, and we welcome the recent Law Reform Commission report on the issue. While advocates of mandatory sentencing argue that it makes sentencing more consistent and makes judges more accountable for their decisions, it is a blunt tool that holds the potential for miscarriages of justice.

“I am calling on the Minister for Justice to introduce sentencing guidelines to ensure consistency, supported by a training programme for the judiciary and a Sentencing Guidelines Council to provide monitoring in this area, as part of a broad range of measures to address prison overcrowding.”

ENDS

Speaking as the latest CSO unemployment figures were released today Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Peadar Tóibín TD said:

“It has been nearly a year since this government took office and there are still almost 440,000 people on the live register. The figures include a dramatic increase in long term unemployment with almost 200,000 people unemployed for a year or more.

“Fine Gael and Labour policy over the past year has failed to tackle unemployment with around 76,000 people estimated to have emigrated. It appears that the government is relying on emigration to address the jobs crisis. The austerity treaty agreed this week will tie the hands of future governments and lock the next generation into flat growth and high unemployment.

“This government has plenty to offer in terms of platitudes and promises but sadly neither creates jobs. We are told that jobs are the number one priority but frustratingly this government has failed to draw down funds from the European Globalisation Fund and the European Progress Microfinance Facility. Promises have been broken on upward only rent, unfair rates, rigid energy costs and enterprise development reform.

“It is time for the government to bridge the chasm between rhetoric and action.”

Education Minister, John O’Dowd, has responded to headlines that the statementing process for children with special educational needs will be scrapped.

Mr O’Dowd said: “Children with special educational needs are among the most vulnerable in our education system. Much good work has been done in recent years to meet the needs of such children in mainstream schools and special schools.

“To provide schools, parents, and most importantly the children themselves with a system that is fit for purpose, I am moving to simplify and speed up the process of meeting the needs of the child.

“I was shocked to hear reports this morning suggesting that the statementing process was to be scrapped. Headlines like these will only raise fears among parents about the future provision for their children.

“I want to re-assure parents that statutory support for their children will not be scrapped. Instead, my proposals will see Co-ordinated Support Plans (CSPs) put in place to support those children with a special educational need. CSPs will reduce the length of time a child has to wait to receive support and will have a clear focus on improving educational outcomes and expectations.

“The present system is heavily bureaucratic and sees too much effort invested in feeding the system as opposed to supporting children. This has to change.

“I want to ensure schools are better equipped to deal with the needs of SEN pupils and that, where additional support is required, it can be provided without having to go through the current, protracted statutory assessment process.

“I am committed to dealing with the shortcomings, delays and inconsistencies in provision evident in the current system. I am in the business of improving the support we provide to children with a special educational need – not scrapping the support already in place.”

Sinn Féin defence spokesperson, Jonathan O’Brien TD, called on defence minister, Alan Shatter TD to ensure there would be a comprehensive debate as well as a Dáil vote on Ireland’s defence forces participating in a European Battlegroup that could cost the state anywhere up to €10.7million.
Speaking following the meeting of the Select Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence, the Cork North Central TD said:
“The participation of the Irish Defence Forces in European Battlegroups marks a further diminution of what is left of Irish neutrality. It is very clear that there is already a strong lobby within the EU to create an EU-wide army and that this proposal represents a step in that direction.
“A briefing document on the Memorandum of Understanding concerning the establishment of the Battlegroup, given to me by the minister, details how the standby costs for participation alone will be €380,000. We have no idea of where the 175 Irish Defence Force members will be deployed. If they are deployed, the additional cost will be €10.7million. It is unacceptable that in an economic climate where the minister is shutting down army barracks and having a massive negative impact on adjacent communities, that money on this scale should be earmarked for diminishing the State’s already fragile neutrality.
“During the committee meeting on this Battlegroup Agreement, I told the minister that I will be seeking a full Dáil debate on this and would be calling votes on the motion. Any Irish involvement in an EU armed force inevitably leaves Ireland open to being dragged in to future wars with potentially dubious motives. It is unlikely the total money spent on EU missions will be reimbursed.
“Sinn Féin is against any move towards creating a European army, and we are certainly against spending €10.7million to fund it. I will be asking all members to vote against this agreement when it comes to the Dáil.”
ENDS

Michael Colreavy, Sinn Féin TD for Sligo-North Leitrim, has criticised proposed plans for the use of hydraulic fracturing or fracking as a means of gas extraction in the Lough Allen Basin.
Deputy Colreavy highlighted the fact that there are real concerns about the use of fracking, both for the health of the people in the surrounding areas, and also environmental concerns.
Speaking on the issue Deputy Colreavy said: “The use of fracking has been outlawed in France and in Bulgaria. In England, near Blackpool, fracking has been suspended due to strong evidence that it was a contributing factor to a number of earthquakes. The practice, if introduced into Ireland, could well have environmental and health implications for people in the vicinity of the fracking activity. The practice is not likely to benefit the people of the area because, just like the gas, the money too will flow out of Ireland.”
Deputy Colreavy added: “People will be excused if they are sceptical of Tamboran Resources promise of jobs to the area. The practice of fracking will cause more harm to the area than benefits. The real potential for job creation in the North West region is in the development of clean, renewable energy.
Most people in Leitrim, Cavan, Fermanagh and other areas realise that this practice could have a huge impact on their lives and their surrounding area. This has been clearly demonstrated by the massive groundswell of opposition to fracking. Sinn Féin will stand with the people in their fight against it.
ENDS