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Minister’s scheme labeled “useless” and “not fit for purpose” by the Irish fishing industry

Sinn Féin TD for Donegal Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has again called on the Minister for the Marine, Michael Creed, to work with his government colleagues to deliver the financial supports needed "to bail out our coastal fishing communities in this unprecedented crisis".

Deputy Mac Lochlainn was speaking following the issuing of press releases by all of the main fish producer organisations, appealing to the Minister to “meet them half way" and deliver the financial supports needed.

He said:

“These statements by the fishing industry are a damning indictment of the total inaction of Minister Creed and this government. As they state, not one additional cent has been provided to the fishing community in this unprecedented crisis with markets collapsing and indeed, the Minister has effectively turned his back on the entire fishing sector.

"The Minister knows very well that the temporary tie up scheme he announced will fail as it is too little, too late. The fishing representative organisations had called for a tie up scheme to be operational for the two months of April and May as well as a further period of support in June.

"Instead, the Minister has announced a scheme that has been labeled 'useless and 'not fit for purpose' by the fishing industry. This very limited scheme will be operational from June 1st and that will not incentivise a tie up of fishing vessels.

“This is the latest example of a Minister and a Department that has not been acting in the best interests of our coastal fishing communities. But the stakes are now higher than ever and the Minister must change course and finally do what is right by this vital sector that is worth over 1.2 billion euro to the Irish economy and that employs over 16,000 people.

"I again appeal to Minister Creed and the government to step up and meet the fishing industry “half way” as they have today appealed for and to bail out our coastal fishing communities in this unprecedented crisis”.

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Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire has said that there are many issues that need to be resolved with the Minister for Education's calculated grades model.

He was speaking following the publication of the guide to implementing the calculated grades proposal, stating that further detail was welcome but there are serious issues still to be addressed.

He said:

"The success, or otherwise, of providing calculated grades depends to a significant extent on the commitment, dedication and professionalism of teachers. I know they are determined to do right by their students and to make this work in very difficult circumstances.

"It is extraordinary that it has emerged that the legal protections for teachers to protect them from litigation is not to the satisfaction of the ASTI. The Minister needs to engage on an urgent basis with the union and to ensure that whatever adjustments are necessary to provide full protection is in place.

"If the Minister wants this to work then he needs to rectify this and get the union on board.

"I still have significant concerns regarding the potential for school profiling. The language of the Department has shifted in this document - partially I expect from public pressure - but I am still deeply worried that the past results of a school will limit the potential of strong cohorts of students in schools where results have been weaker. In my view it needs to be dropped.

"I will be writing to the head of the steering group on calculated grades, Dr. Áine Lawlor, asking her to address this. School profiling cannot mean that students miss out on courses that could change their lives or fail when they should not.

"I am also very worried that there is no Plan B for students who are repeating or studying outside of school, where they aren’t taking a subject or the Leaving Cert under a ‘Registered Teacher’, and there isn’t felt to be sufficient evidence to give a calculated grade. For students who are partially or wholly studying for the Leaving Cert outside of traditional school settings, they deserve an equal chance to get to third-level and there needs to be a Plan B to allow that.

"The solution to the Leaving Cert impasse as far as I am concerned needs to focus on opening up third-level and creating more places to allow as many students as possible to get their first choice course. Tackling the disadvantage that has gotten worse in recent weeks involves opening up access, not closing it down."

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In a joint statement Sinn Fein spokespersons Catherine Kelly MLA and Kathleen Funchion TD expressed serious concerns about the future of childcare provision in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Childcare has never been a political priority, south or north and this pandemic has highlighted the fragility of current provision. We are issuing this joint statement because many of the difficulties are island wide. Childcare is a piecemeal service delivered on a shoestring and that’s just not good enough. It’s not good enough for children or their parents; it’s not good enough for providers and their workers.

“Sustainability is a huge concern going forward. Without adequate intervention now some services will never reopen. This will leave many children without a childcare placement and many highly qualified staff facing unemployment.

“Across the island, we need to take childcare seriously. The problems of underfunding and fragmented provision, north and south, were here before the virus. The pandemic exposed that reality. There will always be a role for private provision but childcare is too important to be left to the market. The provision of childcare needs to become an integral part of the government’s economic thinking, not a side show, not an add-on, not an after-thought.”

MLA Catherine Kelly was speaking out after childcare providers in the north had been left without support for weeks.

“Announcements have not been matched with support. Hopes were raised when support for small businesses was announced. But it hadn’t been designed with childcare providers in mind and many within the sector did not match the criteria. 

“The majority of childcare businesses have closed. Their workers have been furloughed but there is little support to ensure premises will survive being mothballed. £12m was allocated by the north’s Department of Finance weeks ago but the Department of Health, which is administrating the support scheme, has been slow to process access. Applications only arrived last Friday and are so complex that even submitting an application is going to be difficult.”  

TD Kathleen Funchion was speaking after a government scheme to relocate early years workers into the homes of health workers was cancelled. 

“It was impossible for early years providers and workers to sign up to it. There was no insurance in place to cover early years staff to work in homes. If Government had consulted with the sector this sort of issue could have been identified and addressed.  This goes to the heart of a lot of the difficulties, a lack of dialogue with those actually delivering the service.”

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Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan has said the announcement of up to 125 redundancies at Wrightbus in Ballymena will come as a blow to the local economy at a time when it is already under pressure. 

The North Antrim MLA said: 

"News that up to 125 workers at Wrightbus in Ballymena will be made redundant is a huge blow and my thoughts are with the workers and their families at this time. 

"This will have a major impact on the local economy in Ballymena and north Antrim at a time when many are already under great financial strain as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It is also disappointing that these workers will be made redundant rather than enter the furlough system and I would call on Wrightbus to consider that option. 

"I have spoken to management at Wrightbus and urged them to engage with trade unions and ensure the workers are kept up to date with any developments. 

"Workers who are affected should be offered retraining or upskilling opportunities and support to find alternative employment." 

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Mark WardSinn Féin TD for Dublin Mid West Mark Ward has said the government must provide answers to questions regarding state funding for Pieta House. 

Speaking in the Dáil today, Teachta Ward questioned the Minister for Health on the additional state funding of €343,824 per quarter for Pieta House.

Teachta Ward said:

“Last week in the Dáil, I had a brief debate with Minister Simon Harris in relation to Pieta House and additional funding the government will be providing to the organisation during and post Covid-19.

“In both oral and written responses from the Minister, he stated that there will be an additional funding of €114,608 per month or €343,824 per quarter to provide 300 hours of therapy per quarter for high risk clients.

“This works out at €1146 per hour for therapy sessions. The average cost for a private psychotherapy session is in the region of €70 to €120 per hour.

“So, for example, 300 sessions at the higher level of €120 per hour would cost €36,000. The state is paying €343,824. That is a difference of €307,824 per quarter.

“I received information that some self-employed therapists who counselled clients for Pieta only charged the organisation €24 per hour. Yet the state is funding Pieta to the tune of €1146 per hour.

“The government are already heavily invested in Pieta to the tune of €2.03 million per year, which covers the Helpline & Suicide Bereavement Liaison Officer (SBLO) service plus funding towards the organisations Suicide Bereavement & Intervention Crisis counselling Services.

“Pieta House has also availed of the wage subsidy scheme. Despite this, several clinical staff were let go and others offered redundancies.

“Today, I asked the Minister to inform the house exactly what services in Pieta House is the state funding being used for. 

“Is any of this additional funding being used to pay for redundancies?

“Does the Minister think that we are getting value for money at €1146 per therapy session when it would cost the state €120 privately or €24 per session from a self-employed therapist in Pieta House?

“He did not answer any of these questions.

“Pieta house provides an essential service but it is only an essential service due to lack of investment in mental health services by your government and previous governments.”

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Sinn Féin MLA Declan McAleer has urged people to continue to be responsible and act within social distancing.

 

The party’s agriculture spokesperson was speaking after it was announced that forests and country parks owned by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) are currently being prepared to gradually lift restrictions.

 

The West Tyrone MLA said:

 

“DAERA has announced it is preparing to gradually lift restrictions on forests and country parks it owns.

“They have also been working with a range of providers of informal outdoor recreation sites such as parks, nature reserves, walking routes and associated facilities, to prepare for their reopening.

 

“It is important as restrictions are gradually lifted on a phased basis, in line with scientific and medical advice, that people continue to be responsible and act within social distancing measures.” 

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Sinn Féin MP Francie Molloy has welcomed the scrapping of the boundary commission proposals on changes to electoral constituencies and said that any proposed changes to the system must be based on democracy. 

The Mid Ulster MP said: 

“These boundary commission proposals to change general election constituencies had caused deep anger in the nationalist community in the North.

“If these proposals had of been implemented, it would have been an affront to democracy and resulted in thousands of citizens in the North being effectively disenfranchised.

“Confirmation that the present boundary commission proposals have now been scrapped is to be welcome, however the retention in ‘Rule 7’ in future proposals for the North is absolutely unacceptable.

“The use of Rule 7, the so called ‘gerrymander rule’, would allow the British Government to go under or above the average electoral quota. 

“This is extremely concerning and would effectively mean that not all votes carry the same weight.

“Rule 7 is a wholly undemocratic electoral rule that exclusively applies to the North. 

“This rule must be excluded from any proposals and consigned to the dustbin of history. 

 “We cannot go back to the dark days of gerrymandering and the disenfranchisement of large swathes of the community."

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Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty TD has reiterated the need to maintain income supports for workers and families after the latest Consumer Market Monitor from UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School has found that disposable income collapsed by 25% in April, with a sharp drop in spending for 2020.

Teachta Doherty said:

“Today’s Consumer Market Monitor from UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School underlines the need to support demand and household incomes for the remainder of 2020.

“The monitor shows that disposable incomes fell by 25 percent in April, with a sharp decline in consumer spending this year.

“Not only do these figures underline the need to support the incomes of workers and families and spending, they also make clear the importance of these supports for the recovery of jobs and the economy.

“Reducing or removing income supports will further reduce disposable income and spending, making recovery even harder for our SMEs.

“As the Chief Economist of the ECB and former Governor of the Central Bank Philip Lane said earlier this week, income supports are crucial to support the wider economy.

“With the future so uncertain and consumer confidence so low, the Minister for Finance must support the economy by stimulating demand. The best way to do this is to continue supporting the incomes of workers and families.”

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Órlaithí Flynn MLA has praised the flexibility of the addiction community and voluntary groups in responding to COVID-19.

The inescapable rise in demand for services was heard loud and clear by the health committee.

Speaking after an evidence session involving members of the NI Alcohol and Drug Alliance, the Sinn Féin spokesperson for Mental Health said:

“Addiction services were already under increased strain before the lockdown and after hearing from organisations on the frontline it is clear that demand is rising still.

"Many of the services have had to change and, in some cases, close their doors due to the nature of the lockdown but the needs of some of the most vulnerable service users do not disappear.

"It is clear the most deprived communities have higher rates of addictions and mental health conditions. Now is the time for the Department of Health to address the issue of dual diagnosis. 

“Dual diagnosis is where an individual's mental health condition and addiction are interlinked but services are not equipped to responding to address this complex situation.

“The evidence we heard was that the level of cooperation and communication with councils, the Public Health Agency and the PSNI has been good during this crisis.

“This needs to continue and be enhanced as we the lockdown eases.

“I was heartened to hear that the organisations and their staff were eager to get back to fully supporting their services users but they will need the support and resources to do this.” 

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Sinn Féin MLA Karen Mullan has welcomed support from a leading education union for the suspension of academic selection.

The Foyle MLA said:

“There is now increased support across society for the suspension of academic entry exams and I welcome the latest intervention from The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO). 

“This is absolutely necessary to allow our teachers, school staff and of course pupils to prepare for a return to school, rather than the stress of a high-level exams. 

“Academic selection is wrong and unnecessary and puts undue pressure on children.

“All of the evidence from leading human rights and equality organisations, the children’s commissioner and leading trade unions support the call to abandon academic selection altogether.

“I am calling on schools to take the sensible and necessary decision to suspend academic testing.”

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'Farm to Fork’ must deliver better incomes for Farmers - Chris MacManus MEP

Sinn Féin has responded to the European Commission’s proposed ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy by claiming that it will fail if it does not deliver better income for farmers.

Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus, who sits on the EU Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, said, “The Farm to Fork strategy released by the European Commission sets ambitious environmental targets but it also promises to improve incomes and ensure financial support goes to farmers who work and maintain the land rather than ‘entities and companies who merely  own  farm  land’.

“For me this is the key issue because environmental targets will only be reached if farmers are adequately supported. The European Commission needs to follow through on ensuring it is active farmers that ultimately benefit from financial support, and that supports translate into decent incomes.

“We have heard similar promises in the past and seen repeated failures to affect any real change. Many farmers are still struggling to make a living.

“Trust is at an all time low between many farmers and the European Commission after the Commission announced plans to severely cut CAP funding. This budget proposal is currently being revised, leaving farmers with ongoing uncertainty about the future.

“The Farm to Fork strategy points to the need for ‘better targeting’ of income support to farmers’ which is undoubtedly true. However, better targeting of support can in no way be a substitute for adequate levels of funding.

“There will also be concerns that the farm to fork strategy falls under the responsibility of the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety rather than the Agricultural commissioner given the clear implications for farmers and rural communities. 

“Sinn Fein will continue to push for more funding for CAP that reflects the increased challenges being set for farms. And it should be ensured that these funds end up with active farmers who work and maintain the land.

“I believe farmers stand ready to lead an environmental change but they cannot do it when they are undervalued and underpaid”.

ENDS

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Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn has welcomed the initial action plan on mental health but warns that the public expect mental health services to be more than a Cinderella service. 

 

The Sinn Féin spokesperson for Mental Health said:

 

"The inclusion of specialist services is to be welcomed, especially the commitment to develop perinatal mental health services with a decision in autumn. 

 

"This needs to be both community and inpatient services.

 

“I pressed the Health Minister and the Chief Medical Officer on the need for urgency on this decision at the Health Committee.

 

"The action plan also included a COVID-19 specific mental health response, Sinn Féin has been pressing hard for the inclusion of this from the start of the lockdown.

 

“However, the level of funding for additional services remains unclear.

 

"If mental health is a priority, as previously stated by the Minister, then it needs to be adequately resourced and funded.

 

“Mental health services, especially those that have been stood down due to COVID-19 surge, are simply inadequate to meet demand.

 

"If the Health Minister believes that health services cannot return to normal then there must be a focus on ensuring that mental health services including suicide prevention and crisis services are not returned to being a Cinderella service.

 

“The Department must include local community groups into the co-production of future services, if they are to be suitable and meet the public need.”

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Sinn Féin MLA and Minister in the Executive Office, Declan Kearney has commended Ionad Teaghlaigh Ghleann Darach, Crumlin for their response to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.

Speaking after a visit to the centre, the South Antrim MLA said:

“I was delighted to have the opportunity to call with the staff and volunteers at Ionad Teaghlaigh Ghleann Darach in Crumlin, to see at first hand the work they have been doing to help support health care workers on the frontline during the COVID-19 emergency.

“As the NHS was beginning to take the strain of the Coronavirus pandemic, and with many planned projects at Ionad Teaghlaigh cancelled owing to COVID-19 restrictions, the staff and volunteers turned their attention to the growing demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).  

“Following a community wide appeal, the centre brought together a team of local seamstresses who, working in isolation from their kitchens and bedrooms, began producing scrubs and face masks for use in hospitals and care centres.

“To date, 32 volunteers have produced over 300 sets of scrubs, 280 masks and 70 visors, all of which have been distributed to health care workers in Antrim, Lagan Valley, RVH and Craigavon hospitals as well as local care homes. 

“I commend Ionad Teaghlaigh Ghleann Darach for their enterprising community spirit in a time of great need. I also want to thank each and every one of the volunteers for their tireless efforts.

 “The response from so many individuals within the community has been truly inspiring. Each has given generously of their time and skills to provide real, practical help to our frontline heroes during the current pandemic.”

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Sinn Féin TD for Cavan/Monaghan Matt Carthy has said that the refusal of the Minister for Health Simon Harris to attend two sessions of the Dáil tomorrow is unacceptable, and that his stance is insulting to workers that he will be advising to return to their jobs.

He said:

“I am shocked that the Minister for Health Simon Harris is refusing to attend two sessions of the Dáil tomorrow - where strict physical distancing applies - to discuss the situation of workers in meat factories who are working in confined conditions for hours on a daily basis.

“The situation as it currently applies is that there is one rule for ordinary workers who are expected to work in shops and factory floors all day, but another rule for Ministers and TDs who can safely practice physical distancing in the workplace.

“This is a completely unacceptable situation, and it is clear that the guidance being provided to the Oireachtas is at odds with that given to ordinary workers. This is the Minister who will be guiding workers across several sectors to return to their jobs over coming weeks. It is remarkable that he is refusing to fulfil his obligation to be accountable to the Dáil.”

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Sinn Féin win support for key Brexit amendment on workers’ rights: MacManus

Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus has won support from the powerful Economics and Monetary Affairs Committee for a key amendment which will help protect workers’ rights and the free movement of services on the island.  The accepted amendment means the Committee, which will feed into the parliament’s position, has now adopted a position that these issues should be covered in a future agreement with a post-Brexit Britain.

MEP MacManus said:

“I am delighted that this amendment has won the support of the Economics and Monetary Affairs Committee. Sinn Féin’s credibility on this issue fostered by Martina Anderson and staff and our previous MEPs allowed us to win support for this key amendment.”

“The Irish protocol covers Irish workers working cross-border but other EU workers in this situation were not dealt with. Their issue is now firmly on the table thanks to Sinn Féin. Those who did not cause Brexit should not pay the price and the all-Ireland economy must not be a victim of a Tory Brexit. Once again, Sinn Féin have won widespread support for this position from the EU.”

The Midlands Northwest MEP concluded: “We will pursue this victory at all levels to ensure that the rights of workers on the island and the all-Ireland economy are protected. This is my first amendment tabled as an MEP and shows that Sinn Féin are fighting for and winning victories for Ireland where it matters.” ENDS

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Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has welcomed the European Commission’s latest semester report for Ireland, which calls on the Irish government to increase the provision of social and affordable housing.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“The latest European Commission semester report for Ireland makes a number of observations on housing policy.

“It reaffirms the statistics that unfortunately most of us are familiar with; the number of households on social housing waiting lists, 10,000 homeless people and persistent rental inflation. It also warns that an increase in unemployment and people at risk of poverty remains high.

“The report calls on the government to increase the provision of social and affordable housing.

“Housing policy is a matter for individual member states. However, this echoes what many politicians, stakeholders and the public have been saying.

“No matter who forms the next government, they have a clear duty to embark on an ambitious delivery programme of public homes on public land to tackle social and affordable need.

“This approach will stimulate the economy by creating construction jobs, taking people off the dole and paying tax, while delivering the much-needed affordable purchase, rental and social homes.

“We need to see at least a doubling of capital investment in public housing.”

ENDS//

Note to editors: A copy of the report can be found at the following link - https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/2020-european-semester-csr-comm-recommendation-ireland_en.pdf

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Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew has called for the implementation of a soft opt-out organ donation system in the North.

Speaking the Sinn Féin spokesperson said:

“Today, a soft opt-out organ donation system  will come into effect in England.  

“As a result, organ donation will become automatic unless people opt out, potentially saving up to 700 lives per year.

“Organ transplantation is the only effective treatment available for many patients who experience organ failure. 

“In the north alone, approximately 14 people die each year while waiting for a transplant. As of December 2019, there are 142 people waiting for a transplant here in the north.

“The COVID19 pandemic has also placed additional strain on the organ donation system with transplants down around 80% from this time last year.

“This is a challenge that we must proactively seek resolutions to overcome.

“I believe that key to this is the implementation of a soft opt-out organ donation system.

“Soft opt-out donation will deliver and increase the available organs for donation, better reflect the views of the population and help to normalise the conversation around organ donation in our society. 

“It is time for the north to have soft opt-out organ donation.

“Sinn Féin will continue to actively work towards this soft opt-out system.”

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Louise OR' ReillySinn Féin spokesperson on Health Louise O’Reilly has said that health and safety advice for workplaces should be consistent across all sectors and that there can be no case where there are protections for politicians that are not available to other workers.

Speaking today, Teachta O’Reilly said: “As society and the economy begins to reopen, many people will return to offices, factories, shops, building sites and other workplaces.

“People who had been stood down from work, or are working from home, will now return to workplaces where it will be more challenging to adhere to social distancing and other precautionary health measures.

“It is very important that all employers ensure that the health advice from government is adhered to, and that no difficulties are put in the way of people working in a safe and secure manner in a healthy and safe environment.

“In order to allow for this, it is important that definitive health and safety advice is provided for the different sectors of the economy as it reopens.  

“This health and safety advice must be universal – there can be no upstairs/downstairs or two-tier advice given.

“Yesterday, we saw worrying evidence of this when members of the Oireachtas Covid-19 Committee were told that they could not hold meetings for longer than two hours.

“They were further told that if any person present in the committee meetings for longer than two hours contracted Covid-19, then those who were in their presence for over two hours would have to self-isolate for 14 days.

“This advice for TDs is in total contrast to the advice that workers are getting in other jobs.

“Workers in meat factories and building sites are certainly not getting the same advice from the government, despite facing the same exposure.

“Workers need to be assured that they will be protected when they return to work and the only way to do this is for the government to ensure that there is a uniformity to the advice given and there there are no double standards applied."

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Sinn Féin TD for Meath East Darren O’Rourke today called on the Minister for Transport Shane Ross to provide support and assistance to all school transport operators and not leave some behind due to technicalities.

Speaking today, Teachta O'Rourke said;

“Today I have written to the Minister for Transport highlighting his unfair treatment of some school transport operators, and have called on him to remedy this situation and provide support to maintain these services.

“In what is a blatantly unfair situation, financial support has now been provided to those bus operators who are contracted under the School Transport Scheme. Yet those providing the same service, who were contracted directly by a school or a group of parents, have been left behind without any help.

“When schools do reopen, thousands of children and their parents will rely on these bus services to bring their children to and from school, and so it’s vital they are given the support they need to weather this difficult economic time.

“As a State, we should be encouraging this method of transport, as it takes a significant amount of car journeys off the road every day and reduces dangerous congestion outsides schools.

“I believe this short-sighted policy of not helping these bus companies through this difficult time will have long-term negative consequences, such as fewer companies available to provide this essential service going forward, leaving many parents in a very difficult position come September.

“Minister Ross needs to act now to maintain these school routes and protect jobs in the sector.”

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Sinn Féin MLA John O’Dowd has welcomed the economy committee‘s commitment to raise its objections with the British government over the scoring mechanism for immigration, which will discriminate against the very front line workers we have been relying on in the fight against the Covid 19 pandemic. 

Mr O’Dowd said:

“I raised concerns at today’s economy committee about the British government’s Immigration Bill which will mean health workers and other frontline staff facing greater barriers to working for the benefit of our society and economy.

“The economy committee has once again put on record its opposition to this bill and its flawed point-scoring system. 

“ This bill is driven by the xenophobic nature of some policy makers rather than on the needs of the health service or the economy.

“The multi-national ground of our health service staff at all levels proves beyond doubt that those fighting the Covid-19 virus are heroes  from all nations of the globe.

“They are key workers, many of whom would be barred entry under the proposed new British government’s scoring mechanism.”

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