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Sinn Féin President and Louth TD Gerry Adams has warned that the government’s planned cuts to the Community Employment scheme will have a “grievous impact on many community based projects and services across the state.”
Deputy Adams was speaking in the Dáil on Wednesday evening during a Private Members motion opposing the government’s cuts to the Community Employment Scheme during which he pointed to the “disastrous social consequences of the austerity policies of this government.”

Deputy Adams said:

“These consequences are evident every day in the cuts to essential public services; the numbers of young people leaving our shores; the cuts to DEIS schools; the slashing of school guidance counsellors; the attack on rural communities through the septic tanks debacle; stealth taxes; the crisis in our health service, and now the imposition of cuts to Community Employment schemes which will in effect see the end of many such schemes.

“At the same time the government hands over billions of taxpayers’ money to zombie banks – as much as €20 billion last year. Next month €3.1 billion – almost as much as the total cut in the budget – will be paid to Anglo-Irish.”

Deputy Adams continued:

“The attack on Community Employment Schemes is an attack on vulnerable and disadvantaged communities across the state and on the long term unemployed who are trying to get back to work.

“Community Employment Schemes provide essential services and should be protected against budget cuts.

“The savage cuts introduced in the last Budget means that CE Schemes are threatened with a massive 66% cut in their training and education grants, which means many schemes will not be able to function.

“If Labour Party TDs truly believe that these schemes play a vital role in communities in terms of providing services such as community childcare then they should support this motion.”

The Sinn Féin spokesperson on the environment, community & local government, Brian Stanley TD has challenged Minister Joan Burton on proposed cuts to Community Employment (CE) schemes and in particular the cuts affecting lone parents.

Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Stanley said:

“Twelve months ago a lone parent with three children who was working on a CE Scheme would have received €504 per week. That income has now been cut to €297 per week.

“This government made a decision in Budget 2012 to cut CE Schemes by €41 million while at the same time increasing the budget to TÚS by €54 million. TÚS has no training and no education aspect and does not aim to bring people back into full time employment. It was a very expensive short term headline grabbing exercise. If this government was serious about supporting job creation it would invest the money in CE. CE has a proven track record in supporting people and providing essential services for our communities.

“Many Labour Party TDs were themselves involved in establishing and managing CE Schemes. These same TDs now stand over cuts which will be detrimental to the 20,000 workers in CE Schemes and the communities they serve.

“The government must rethink this slash and burn strategy. It is not more reviews we want but a total and immediate reversal of this budget cut.”

Speaking today during a Dáil debate on the Government’s proposed cuts to community employment funding, Sinn Féin Donegal South West TD Pearse Doherty accused the government of “attacking disadvantaged communities”.

Deputy Doherty also accused Minister Joan Burton of “hiding behind the Troika and selectively quoting academic research to justify cuts to projects for the long term unemployed, older people and people with disabilities.”

Deputy Doherty said:

“The Government is proposing to cut €27.5 million from the community employment scheme budget in 2012. This is exactly the same amount of money as the Government allowed NAMA to spend on legal fees to private companies since 2010.

“Under pressure from a strong campaign Minister Burton has announced a review of the proposed cut. This is nothing more than a smoke screen to give cover to the embarrassment of Labour backbenchers faced with local anger over the cut.

“The decision to cut this funding is nothing more than an attack on disadvantaged communities. It is an attack on the long term unemployed, on older people and people with disabilities.

“In my own constituency of Donegal South West there are 68 organisations sponsoring community employment schemes. They range from the Irish Wheelchair Association and the Alzheimer Society to numerous local community associations.

“All of these projects and the wider communities they service will suffer as a result of the proposed cut.

“What is worse is that the Minister in her speech yesterday tried to hide behind the Troika, blaming them for ‘not recognising the social value of CE’. Worse still the Minister selectively quoted academic research to justify her decision to attacks community employment schemes.

“Community Employment schemes provide a valuable service to both the unemployed and to disadvantaged communities. Cutting their funding is wrong. Indeed at a time of rising unemployment and social inequality the Government should be increasing investment in community employment.”

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Peadar Tóibín TD today tabled an amendment to the Competition (Amendment) Bill. The amendment would mandate the government to respond to reports and recommendations from the Competition Authority. The government refused to accept the amendment and voted it down.

Deputy Tóibín stated, “Since coming to power this government has lectured our business community and workers on the need to enhance our competitiveness. In practice the government has translated this rhetoric into attacks on the low paid JLC and agency workers.

“There are anti- competitive practises in this state. They can be found across industries such as the concrete industry, within retail where multinationals exploit their dominant market position with below cost selling and within the commercial rent sector with landlords refusing to end upward only rent reviews.

“Today the Dáil was discussing the Competition Bill, and Sinn Féin proposed a modest amendment that would have mandated the Government to provide a response to reports and recommendations of the Competition Authority.

“The government refused to include this in legislation and opted to continue to ignore the Competition Authority. They have also opted to ignore suggestions from myself with regards incentivising whistle blowers, properly resourcing the authority and facilitating civil fines.

“Failure to invest resources in the Competition Authority is costing this economy and government massive amounts of money and the cost benefit case for increasing the gardaí available to the authority from two individuals is clear.

“This was an opportunity to put in place a robust authority and to demonstrate to our businesses that the government is determined to tackle anti-competitive practises that undermine growth, cost jobs and drive up prices.” ENDS

Responding to the publication of the Finance Bill 2012, the Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said the Bill “protects the wealthy and punishes low and middle income families”.

Deputy Doherty also criticised the Fine Gael/Labour Government for “protecting the rich and powerful in the same way as Fianna Fáil did in the last government.”

Deputy Doherty said the Bill will further depress the economy and impose hardship, unemployment and emigration on citizens.

Doherty said:

“Fine Gael and Labour are repeating the mistakes of Fianna Fáil. They are introducing a Finance Bill that will heap more taxes on low and middle income families while at the same time giving a tax break amounting to millions of Euros to high earners. They are doing so without any guarantee that this new tax break will result in a single job being created.

“The Finance Bill enacts in law the series of indirect tax hikes introduced by the Government in the last budget. VAT is increased, excise duties are increased and deposit interest retention tax is increased. These are all measures which hit the least well off disproportionately; which hit disposable income and consumer sentiment; and which hammer already struggling businesses. They are measures which leave us in the least likely position to emerge from economic crisis.

“There is some good news within this vastly technical bill - but it is good news for the wealthy. The Special Assignee Relief Programme announced in the Budget is set out here. It allows companies to bring in highly paid individuals from outside the state and have their tax liability on earnings between €75,000 and €500,000 written off by 30%. This is the equivalent of approximately €130,000 tax free for the high end of this bracket.

“Over the five years of the period this benefit is allowed, that individual will earn up to €650,000 tax free. It is not spelt out, nor is it believable, how one high earning individual could come to this state and create more jobs purely because of a larger tax free incentive for themselves. The Government is aware that we currently have 14% unemployment in this state and its answer is to offer tax incentives to high earners in other states to come work here. You couldn't make it up.

“In this Bill we also see the various incarnations demanded by the property investment lobbies - a reduction in stamp duty for commercial property transactions and exemptions from stamp duty for property transfers between offshore investors. What we don't see, because the Minister told us on Budget day in another embarrassing U-turn that he wouldn't be introducing it, is a review of upward only rents. These rent agreements are putting viable businesses out of operation right now. These businesses create jobs, landlords do not.

“There is a lot of detail in this Bill which my party will want to examine further, but what is abundantly clear is that this Government is repeating the mistakes of the last. This Bill protects the wealthy and punishes low and middle income families who are being bled dry in order to pay off an ever-growing banking debt.”

The Sinn Féin spokesperson on the environment, community & local government Brian Stanley TD is attending a national meeting of Community Employment supervisors in Portlaoise today. The meeting is being organised by SIPTU & IMPACT.

Speaking before the meeting Deputy Stanley said:

“I will be attending this afternoon’s meeting to lend my support and that of my party to the campaign against Community Employment cuts. These schemes provide essential community services which would not, or could not, be provided by the private or public sector.

“The government’s proposed cut will force many schemes to end. CE schemes were originally set up to assist the long-term unemployed in getting back to work. With over 183,000 people now long-term unemployed, CE is needed more than ever, but Minister Burton is attempting to drastically cut its funding.

“My party has tabled a Dáil motion in opposition to these cuts and we will call a vote on the motion tonight. I will be taking the opportunity at today’s meeting to urge CE Supervisors to lobby their TDs, in particular government TDs, to support our motion and to oppose cuts.

“I am calling on all TDs from all parties, who support the role Community Employment has played in their communities, to do the right thing tonight and support our motion.”

Community Employment workers will this evening hold a protest at the Dáil ahead of a vote on a Sinn Féin motion opposing cuts to CE Schemes.

The protest is intended to call on all TDs to support the motion to ensure that vital community services are not lost.

The protest will take place at the Kildare Street Gate at Leinster House at 5pm this evening.

Sinn Féin spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh is available to talk to media at 3pm on the plinth at Leinster House.

For more information contact Shaun Tracey on 0877735218.

The Sinn Féin health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD has said that the Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the Health Minister James Reilly are trying to hide the real impact of the massive loss of staff from the health system and the resulting cuts to services.

He said the huge impact on mental health services as revealed by the Psychiatric Nurses Association is a case in point.

Deputy Ó Caoláin said:

“We now know that nearly 4,000 people will have retired from the health services from September last to the end of this month. This is a massive loss of numbers, skills and experiences from our public health system. It has been done in an unplanned and untargeted manner and there is no contingency plan to deal with it.

“In the Dáil today the Taoiseach Enda Kenny tried to deceive the people about the impact of these staff losses and cuts. His Health Minister James Reilly is trying to do the same.

“The reality is that these are cost cutting measures and the numbers of staff and the services they provide are not going to be replaced at the same level we have seen up to now. It means reductions in front-line workers and in front-line services all round.

“The Psychiatric Nurses Association has revealed today that some 400 front-line staff are to retire from mental health services before the end of February. These services are already under massive strain. In one HSE area 17 people requested admission to in-patient mental healthcare over Christmas and all were refused, one of whom later died by suicide.

“The Taoiseach and the Minister should stop trying to deceive the public. They should recognise that these savage cuts are costing lives and they should begin the process of reversing them now.”

Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe has offered his condolences to the family of a teenage girl who died in a shooting incident in Tallaght last night.

Deputy Crowe described the 16 year old’s death as “an outrage” and has demanded that the government allocates additional resources to the Gardaí so they are better able to respond to the rise in gun crime and drug dealing in Tallaght and the greater Dublin area.

He said: “I understand that the 16-year-old girl was one of four people sitting in a car at Brookview Way at around 10.30pm when she was fatally wounded after shots were fired by a car that pulled up beside where they were parked.

“This outrage is an accumulation of rising criminality in Tallaght. For months tension has been high and there have been numerous shooting incidents and petrol bomb and pipe bomb attacks on homes in the area. There has also been widespread intimidation that has resulted in families being forced out of their homes. In one incident a youth allegedly had a gun held to his head for refusing to hide drugs.

“I am also greatly disturbed at the age profile of young people who are involved in serious crime. Community and youth leaders have pointed out that teenagers regularly carry knives and other offensive weapons, with some using the justification that they are protecting themselves from attack.

“In the past we were told that the CAB would target lower level criminals but there is no evidence that this has happened.

“There are people in Tallaght who have never worked a day in their lives driving expensive cars and living the high life.

“Garda cutbacks and the loss of other resources are greatly hampering the state’s response to what is happening.

“Added to this are the cuts to Community Employment Schemes and DEIS schools, youth services, community services and youth liaison posts have all been cut, which will lead to more young people falling through the gaps and ending up on the wrong side of the justice system.

“The shooting of this young girl has ratcheted up the level of tension in the area and community and youth leaders are very worried at the widespread availability of weapons.

“Every resource must be made available to bring to justice the people responsible for this reckless and brutal attack and I would appeal to anyone who has information on criminal activity to report what they know to the relevant authorities.” ENDS

Education Minister, John O’Dowd, has emphasised the importance of raising educational standards during a visit to Millburn Primary School in Coleraine.

During the visit the Minister had the opportunity to meet staff and pupils and was given a presentation on improvement projects the school is involved in. The Minister was also particularly keen to hear about the school’s commitment to learning from educational experiences in other countries.

The Minister said:

“It has been a pleasure to visit Millburn Primary School today.

“I have in place a coherent set of policies designed to improve educational outcomes and to address the root causes when pupils are not achieving to their full potential. The challenge is to ensure the effective implementation of these policies by schools.”

The Minister continued:

“As well as learning through the core curriculum, the children at Millburn Primary School are involved in a number of other activities. These include a range of services offered through the Extended Schools Programme which has been funded by my Department.

“These schemes include a breakfast club, after school’s homework and literacy clubs, as well as fitness, football and athletics programmes aimed at promoting physical activity.”

In conclusion the Minister said:

“I have enjoyed my visit to Millburn Primary School today and I thank everyone involved for their welcome. I would also like to commend the Board of Governors, Principal, teachers and all the staff for their continuing hard work.”

Sinn Féin MLA Paul Maskey has welcomed the survey by the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) that has revealed the amount of money spent on consultants has been substantially reduced.

The Sinn Féin MLA who is also the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was speaking prior to a meeting of the PAC:

“I welcome this report as a step in the right direction. A lot of hard work has been done by the Public Accounts Committee and a report we submitted to the DFP making recommendations has obviously been taken on-board.

“We are still taking this issue very seriously and are starting another inquiry today. The PAC will have the Permanent Secretary of the DFP at the committee meeting today and will be raising these issues to find out what other progress can be made.

“A lot of this consultancy work can and should be done in-house – by civil servants, as this would further reduce the costs. The DFP should do a trawl throughout the civil service to ensure that the consultancy skills are available in the departments.”

Sinn Féin to hold key internal conference in Drogheda

On Friday 10 February 2012Sinn Féin will hold a major internal party conference in the Boyne Valley Hotel in Drogheda.
Almost 100 key leadership activists from all levels of the party and across the island, will come together to discuss the party’s approach to building a new republic.
Among those taking part will be party president Gerry Adams TD, deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald TD, and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.
Also present will be TDs, councillors, MLAs and ministers, as well as party strategists and activists.
The party meeting is taking place two weeks after a very successful conference in the Millennium Forum in Derry. Almost 1,000 people, including a sizeable section of unionist opinion, attended the Derry event. The Millennium conference was the sixth in a series that has attracted large numbers of people from every walk of life to capacity packed halls in Monaghan, Dublin, Cork, Galway, Newry and Derry.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said: “Uniting Ireland is Sinn Féin’s key political objective. Making progress on this involves building political strength, developing strategies, challenging partitionism, engaging with other political parties and society, reaching out to the diaspora and taking part in a dialogue with our unionist neighbours.
The Good Friday Agreement and the all-Ireland political institutions are an important step in this direction, but more effort is needed.
Friday’s meeting will examine progress made thus far, evaluate current strategies and examine how Sinn Féin can move this project forward. Partition has failed the people of Ireland, North and South, the unionists and the rest of us.
A new agreed Ireland based on the rights of citizens is needed. This is best achieved by unity through reconciliation. That means building on the progress that has been made toward uniting Ireland. All of those who desire Irish unity face many challenges but it is clear that there is already significant support for it.
Our focus must be on building even greater popular support for re-unification; to develop governmental and non-governmental structures and policies which transcend the border and engage with unionist opinion with the aim of persuading it that their identity, self-interest and quality of life will be best served in a new Ireland, a new republic for the 21st century.”

Note to newsdesks: The party leadership will be available at 11.45am on Friday at the Boyne Valley Hotel, to speak to the media.

ends

Speaking in the Seanad today, Senator Kathryn Reilly called on the Minister for Defence to come to the House to address the fact that the Department of Defence is looking for a premises to rent in Cavan to accommodate Reserve Defence Force training, while simultaneously closing and selling the existing state-of-the-art army barracks that is there. Senator Reilly was reacting to a request for tender featured in the local newspaper.
Senator Reilly said:
“The people of Cavan have been told that the barracks is being closed to make savings, but there is no economic gain from closing barracks like in Cavan. This is especially the case, when the Department of Defence wants to rent a premises in Cavan to train the Reserve Defence Force. Why sell a state-of-the-art facility to rent another space? It is complete madness.
“What does Minister Howlin have to say in relation to his comprehensive spending review when he is paying rents and other costs associated with renting a property, when the department already has a fine facility in Cavan?
“That doesn’t sound like savings to me. Or the best possible return for the country. The reality is that no financial gain could be made from the sale of these barracks not least when this advert demonstrates there are plenty of uses the barracks can be put to within ownership of the Department of Defence.
“The displacement by soldiers and their families affected by the barracks sale is grossly unfair and for them to see this in today’s paper is a kick in the teeth.
“Shutting this barracks is not the answer. And the rouse of savings and of no alternatives will not wash.
“The Minister of Defence needs to come before this House and explain this as a matter of urgency.”
ENDS

Sinn Féin’s EU spokesperson Senator Kathryn Reilly has written to European Commission President requesting that Sinn Fein be afforded the opportunity to meet with the EU Commission reps being sent to discuss how Ireland intends to use the “youth jobs initiative” agreed at last week’s council meeting. Last week President Barroso wrote to An Taoiseach to outline his way of working on this issue.

Senator Reilly said:

“I have written to President Barroso requesting my Sinn Féin colleague Peadar Toibín and I meet with the representatives of the commission to learn the detail of what they are proposing and to present them Sinn Fein’s ideas on tackling youth unemployment.

“There is a general consensus that this ‘jobs initiative’ is too short on detail and too conveniently timed to distract from the signing of the austerity treaty to be taken seriously but I am prepared to meet the Commission and listen to their plans.

“We in Sinn Féin have detailed plans to tackle youth unemployment. What is needed is a detailed and funded plan, not half-hearted initiatives which go hand-in-hand with austerity pacts.” ENDS

The government needs to drop the registration charge for septic tanks entirely and to fund the remediation of water tanks according to Sinn Féin Senator David Cullinane, speaking on the order of business in the Seanad today.
The government has reduced the registration charge from €50 to €5 for a defined period. While we welcome any reduction, the minister has missed the point. The registration charge is not the root of people's concern. People are concerned because they have no idea what standards will be imposed and by the possibility that they will have to pay thousands of euros to replace their tanks.
The minister has failed to provide the standards to the public. They do not know what will be expected nor whether they will get any support from the state for remediation of tanks.
People living in cities and towns do not have to pay for remediation of water mains other than through their taxes. Why should people in rural areas pay for the remediation of their septic tanks when they pay the same taxes? Sinn Féin fully supports protecting our water supply and the wider environment, but clearly the government must come out with a clear indication that any upgrading of household septic tanks will be fully funded by the Department of Environment.
Senator Cullinane also noted that the government has been inconsistent on this issue, and called on the public to continue to oppose the charge
"The government is panicking and now seems to be embarking on a course of government-by-press-release. The Water Services Amendment Bill was debated for countless hours but the government refused to accept opposition amendments on the quantum of the registration charge and on grant aid. However due to opposition pressure, and crucially pressure from the public, the government has backed down, although the substantive issues remain unresolved. I call on the public to maintain pressure on their public representatives to ensure that the government puts an end to this charge and pays for remediation work.”
ends

The Sinn Féin spokesperson on social protection Aengus Ó Snodaigh has tonight moved a motion in opposition to the cuts to Community Employment Schemes.

Speaking in the Dáil Deputy Ó Snodaigh said:

“They say a society should be judged by how it treats it’s most vulnerable. So too should a government be judged by what it chooses to cut or support. This government’s priorities are becoming clearer by the day. Tonight we are focusing on the cuts to Community Employment but Fine Gael and Labour have also chosen to cut funding to disadvantaged schools, to a host of social welfare payments and they also chose to send frontline services into disarray with the early retirement scheme.

“Two weeks ago when I debated this issue with the Minister I charged that after she decided on the cuts in Budget 2012 she only announced a review to allow her backbenchers give the impression they were active in highlighting this attack on communities. Her failure to reject that charge is confirmation to all that this review is little more than respite for her backbenchers, not a genuine row-back from a mistake.

“By voting for cuts to Community Employment Schemes the Labour Party and Fine Gael are undermining the fabric of Irish society in more ways than one. They are undermining and damaging the already overstretched, underfunded yet efficient community infrastructure. They are undermining the activation agenda. They are undermining recovery and rehabilitation and they are condemning lone parents and their children to long-term social welfare dependency.

“Our motion tonight calls on the government to immediately reverse the cut of 66% to the CE Schemes training and materials budget and to immediately reinstate the training and materials budget to 2011 levels. I would urge all TDs from all parties to support it when it comes to a vote tomorrow.”

The Sinn Féin spokesperson on jobs, enterprise and innovation Peadar Tóibín TD today met with representatives of household insulation firms and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

Speaking after the meeting Deputy Tóibín said:

“Following Budget 2012 the Minister agreed changes to the grants to households seeking to avail of external insulation. Since these changes a number of insulation contractors have reported a drop in demand and have had to lay workers off.

“I along with the representative of the contractors raised the issue directly with the SEAI which is responsible for the administration of the grants scheme.

“I believe that the cut to the external insulation grant will affect the cost to the consumer and will drive down demand. This as we have already seen inevitably leads to job layoffs and business closures. This will mean that fewer homes will be able to afford insulation and will ensure families continue to be trapped in energy inefficient homes.

“It will also stagnate what is an extremely important environmental initiative. The reality is that this government talks up green sustainable jobs yet cuts necessary funding. At this pivotal point in the Irish economy we need to build on the success of the SEAI to deliver warmer homes to citizens and deliver jobs to our workers.”

“The latest report from the Consumer Council identifies the north of Ireland as the most expensive place in Europe to purchase petrol or diesel.

“This is a further indictment of the British government's failure to introduce fuel price stablising measures. Over 70% of the cost of petrol and diesel consists of Excise Duty and VAT, therefore as prices increase so too does the British Exchequer's tax take. The British Government needs to take action to minimise the effects of increasing oil prices by freezing or reducing the level of taxes applied to petrol and diesel.

“Action also needs to be taken to ensure that when the world price of crude oil falls that the reduction is passed on to consumers as rapidly as increases are imposed.

“It must be recognised that increased fuel prices not only affects motorists but has a knock-on affect on transport and business costs which are inevitably passed on to consumers in the form of increased price of goods and services.”

Speaking today Mr Maskey said:

“When asked for his position regarding the transfer of fiscal powers to the Assembly from Westminster the Finance Minister, Sammy Wilson, flippantly dealt with the issue by stating that he doesn't want to see it happen as he is a unionist. This is completely unacceptable.

“How can anyone have any confidence in Sammy Wilson to deliver a reduction in corporation tax or any other powers when this is his position. On a week when the North of Ireland is identified as having the highest diesel prices in Europe and the Assembly debated the regulation of the home heating oil industry’s spiraling prices this is the Finance Minister's response.

“Fiscal autonomy would place local politicians in a much stronger position to tackle the economic crisis head on. Instead  Mr Wilson would much prefer Westminster, the parliament that cut £4bn from the local budget to remain in charge of our financial future?” 

Sinn Féin Economy Spokesperson, Conor Murphy MP, MLA has called on Insurance Companies to explain the criteria used to arrive at the premiums charged for car insurance here and particularly when issuing policies through local Brokerage Agencies.

Conor Murphy said:

“I have been contacted by a number of constituents in recent weeks querying massive increases in premiums and the practice of Insurance Companies operating in the North of Ireland charging even more exorbitantly increased premiums if you deal through a local broker rather than directly with the Insurance Company.

“Not only do we pay excessively more for Insurance here than in Britain and elsewhere- sometimes up to 70% more - but it would now seem that if we decide to shop locally we are again penalised by being charged at times an additional 50% for purchasing Insurance through a local Broker.

“Constituents have told me that in the course of shopping around for the best price they have been quoted as much as £200 more by local brokers compared to what the main Insurance Company quotes direct for the same policy.

“When investigating how this could arise I have discovered that brokers only work on under 10% commission which exposes the fact that even allowing for the small remuneration received by the brokers the Insurance Companies are inflating the cost of insurance purchased locally by hundreds of pounds. How can companies justify identical Policies from the same Insurer costing hundreds of pounds more through a Broker? This additional premium goes directly to the Insuring Company not the Broker.

“Insurance costs are high enough here without this additional rip-off by Insurance Companies. I intend to contact the Office of Fair Trading with the view to having it investigated and recompense considered for those who have been victims of this unacceptable practice.

“Claims of legal costs, personal injury settlements etc, being higher here made by Insurance Companies to justify higher premiums do not explain or justify this type of rip-off pricing practice.

The Sinn Féin spokesperson on the Environment, Community and Local Government Brian Stanley TD has said the public will not be bribed by the government’s reduced septic tank registration charge. Deputy Stanley said Minister for Environment Phil Hogan must ensure that the upgrading of septic tanks will be fully paid for by the state.

Speaking today Deputy Stanley said:

“The government must stop playing mind games with the registration cost. The registration fee, regardless of cost, is not the biggest concern for families. The key issue is the standard against which their tanks will be assessed and the cost of upgrading.

“The minister has moved the goal posts on several occasions. The appeals process was to cost €200 now it is reduced to €20 while the registration is now a once off €5. All these changes, while welcome, were brought about by public pressure. But the core issues for the public are the funding of upgrades and the standards.

“The current situation is farcical. We have legislation that demands the registration of septic tanks and the upgrading of these septic tanks but there are no standards to assess them by and no financial assistance for households to carry out the necessary work.

“The legislation as it stands is extremely punitive. It dictates that householders will be dragged through the courts and may be fined up to €5,000 if they cannot comply with these secret standards. This threatening behaviour by Minster Hogan is unacceptable and will be rejected by the public.

“Sinn Féin fully supports the protection of our water supply and the wider environment. But the government must stop luring the public into a false sense of security with their €5 bribe. Minister Hogan must announce, sooner rather than later, that full funding will be made available to households.” ENDS

Sinn Féin MLA Caitríona Ruane has said that the issue of human trafficking needs to be addressed as more and more vulnerable people are finding themselves caught in what can only be described as modern day slavery.

Ms Ruane stated:

“Every day now we hear of more cases where vulnerable people are being abused and forced into lifestyles in order to finance criminal enterprises.

“Last week we heard about young males being forced to work in terrible conditions and we hear day and daily about young women forced into prostitution against their will.

“While I recognise the work that the PSNI and especially some of the women support groups have been involved in, it is important that more is done to highlight this abhorrent crime. 

“We also have examples of people being forced into domestic servitude, local enterprises or transported onward to other jurisdictions for similar purposes. 

“It is also important that we operate on an all Ireland basis to the prevention and detection of crime and the promotion of public safety is the right agenda for the Executive to be on.  One immediate action that could be taken immediately is the creation of an all Ireland sex offenders register.”

 “Sinn Féin has tabled a motion in the Assembly to highlight this vile trade in order to maintain a focus on bringing it to an end.”

Peadar Tóibín, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation has called on the government to act to secure the rights of workers at Galway Regional Airport who are engaged in a sit-in to secure their full redundancy packages.

Deputy Tóibín said Transport Minister Leo Varadkar’s decision to reduce support for regional airports undermined the business case for Galway airport and put jobs at risk.

He said:

“Yet again we have a dispute with workers forced into a sit-in in order to secure their rights to redundancy.

“It appears that despite workers having preferential status as creditors, the Bank of Ireland, of which the government is a major share-holder, moved to secure its loans leaving the workers without their full redundancy package.

“It should be remembered that this airport is a vital part of the regional infrastructure.

“The decision by Leo Varadkar to reduce support to regional airports further undermined the business case for the airport ultimately leading to its closure.

“It is imperative that the government acts to secure the rights of workers and to invest to secure and create jobs across the state.” ENDS

The Sinn Féin spokesperson on the environment, community and local government Brian Stanley TD has called on the government to make funds available to assist families in upgrading their septic tanks.

Speaking ahead of a series of public meetings in Laois and Offaly Deputy Stanley said:

“The government must come out with a clear indication that any upgrading of household septic tanks will be fully funded by the Department of Environment. Anything less is unacceptable.

“By failing to comply with EEC/EU directives dating back to 1975, consecutive governments have failed both the public and the environment. It is only with the threat of EU fines that this government responded with bully boy legislation which is heavy on punishment but light on supports. It is grossly unfair to expect rural households to foot the bill for years of government incompetence.

 
“Sinn Féin fully supports protecting our water supply and the wider environment. But the government must announce, sooner rather than later, that proper funding will be made available to households. This funding must fully cover any upgrading required to comply with new septic tank standards.

“The current situation is farcical. We have legislation that demands the registration of septic tanks and the upgrading of these septic tanks but no standards to assess them by and no financial assistance for households to carry out the necessary work.

“Sinn Féin will not be calling for householders to register their septic tanks until the standards are published by the government and until we are satisfied that this standards are fair and workable.”

Responding to Health Minister James Reilly’s statement that elective surgeries may have to be delayed while the HSE adapts to the loss of staff in the mass retirements at the end of this month, Sinn Féin Health Spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD said:

“Minister Reilly’s admission is an understatement. The loss of staff at the end of the month, combined with the ongoing recruitment embargo and the closure of hospital beds, mean that elective surgeries will be postponed in hospitals across this State.

“Last week Minister Reilly claimed there was a ‘dynamic contingency plan’ to address the staffing crisis caused by the mass retirements. Such a plan clearly does not exist. The loss of 3,700 staff from the public health services, as well as the other cuts involved in the €750 million slashing of the health budget in 2012, on top of the billion and half taken out of health spending in 2010 and 2011, will further devastate our healthcare system.

“The Government should lift the recruitment embargo and begin a programme to reopen closed hospital beds.” ENDS