Thursday, October 25, 2012

Delays in student grants will cause hardship for many- Cllr. Fiona Kerins

Sinn Fein Cllr. Fiona Kerins has voiced her anger at the fact that the grant applications of approximately 6,047 students in Cork are still being processed. Cllr. Kerins stated that the delays will undoubtedly be a source of hardship and stress for those affected and that it may lead to students being forced to drop-out of their courses.

“It is unacceptable that students are facing this level of uncertainty regarding funding two months into the academic year. Students are depending on these grants in order to ensure that they can afford their place in college and so that they can concentrate on their studies without the anxiety that this surely causing.”

Cllr. Kerins continued by criticising the new SUSI on-line system for the processing of student grants, saying:

“The new system is clearly failing. There are 52,430 grant applications still being processed nationally. The website needs to be improved and a proper tracking system has to be put in place. This would go a long way to alleviating the fear that these students are experiencing. The standard of communications regarding the status of applications is extremely poor. I can imagine that helpdesk staff are doing their best in very difficult circumstances. It is clear that the people in government either don’t realise or don’t care about the very real hardship that this is causing to students and their families today.”

The new system was supposed to improve the processing system but it is cumbersome and inefficient. It is clearly not fit for purpose and has lead to the very real prospect of students dropping-out of their courses. Is this something you would expect of a government that touts the idea of a knowledge-economy so regularly? I suspect there wouldn’t be a problem if they approached the payment of student grants with the same expediency as they do when paying the bondholders.”

ENDS
For further comment please contact Cllr.Fiona Kerins on 0851091758

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Full text of Cllr.Fiona Kerins' speech in support of home help workers campaign against cuts

Speech given by Cllr.Fiona Kerins in Cork City Council last night in support of Sinn Fein's motion calling on council to support the Home Help workers campaign against cuts in hours and funding:

I truly cannot believe that I am standing up to address a situation like this tonight. The economic crisis and this government’s austerity agenda has ensured that the people of Cork are faced with extremely tough times.

But just for minute, let us all imagine that each of us is facing these tough times as an elderly person who has become infirm or that maybe you have a disability. Suppose that one of the things, that allows you to cope, is the fact that you receive home help or that you have a home care package. Suppose, that despite the challenges, you take great strength and hope from the fact that this service allows you to live with dignity and independence in your own home and in your own community. I hope that we all have a clear picture of that in our heads.

Now let’s try to imagine that you are a worker. You are a worker who is committed to delivering the highest quality of care to your clients. You are trained and educated to provide that care, but you do it not just because it’s your job, but because it’s your vocation. You do it because you know that without your care, the people you help would struggle to have an acceptable, humane quality of life. So you go out every day and you work as hard possible. You do it to make a living but more importantly you do it to provide a vital service to those in need.

That isn’t such a bad picture when you think about it. You have people who need help in the home and you have the right people caring for them- dedicated people, who know the value of their work.

Then let us suppose that your government, who you assume would ensure that this dynamic is properly funded and maintained and that your rights are protect, sets out on a campaign to strip the service until it is rendered redundant and useless. Imagine that they decide to cut approximately 1,000,000 contact hours from the service and that they slash approximately €10 million in funding over the course of 12 months. Imagine that you are an elderly or disabled person sitting by the fire in the evening watching 6.1 News and that you have to hear reports of this nature over and over again. Where would your confidence go? You would become frightened for the future very fast indeed.

Imagine that you are a home care worker rushing from work to collect the kids from school. You husband is out of work and ye are already struggling to make ends meet. Then you hear these reports over the car radio. You too would become uncertain and scared.

That is a lot of fear.

It is not such a nice picture now, is it? The home care workers of this city play a critical role not only in enhancing the quality of life of older people and supporting their preferred wishes, but also in reducing pressures elsewhere in the healthcare system, including acute hospital services.

With these cuts, we are passing through the looking glass of austerity. Any way you chose to cut this up, the result is the same. The government is attacking the elderly, people living with disability and workers who have given life-times of commitment to community care.

If only they showed such determination when dealing with the bankers and the German Chancellor.

But, while some of you here are from the government parties, you do not have to go along with everything they say. You do not have to buy into this insanity. Look first to you own conscious on this issue and help put a stop to this madness. There is an old saying that goes “you can judge a society by the way it treats it most vulnerable members.” The history books will be heavy and they will not judge us kindly if we do not prevent this from happening.

Please support this motion. Let’s support the home helps in their campaign and send a message to this government that enough is enough.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Cork Sinn Féin launches jobs plan

Cork Sinn Féin launches jobs plan October 22, 2012 Speaking at the launch of his party’s job creation plan Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Jonathan O’Brien said: “In the last four years Ireland has shed more jobs than any other western state per capita since the Great Depression. Last year the economy lost 33,400 jobs. In 2011 our communities lost 87,000 to emigration. There are approximately 26,000 people on the live register in the Cork Metropolitan area. Some communities in my constituency have an unemployment rate of close to 50%. We need jobs. We need to stimulate growth in the economy and we need to kick start the private sector.” “People say that the government’s jobs strategy isn’t working. I would go further and say that they don’t seem to have a strategy apart from paying lip service to concept of job creation. They seem more than happy to augment and endorse Troika-led retrenchment. Private investment has reduced by €30 billion. Government has withdrawn €24 billion. “Sinn Fein’s €13 billion stimulus package would be funded from a combination of sources namely the National Pensions Reserve Find (NPRF), The European Investment Bank, the private pension sector, and by not cutting the billions from the capital budget as planned by the government over the next four years. We have met with representatives of both the Irish Pensions Industry and the Credit Union sector and found we that the overwhelming response was centred on creating jobs, growth and investment in communities.” “An investment of this scale would create about 156,000 jobs and retain up to 15,000 existing jobs. Smart investment will secure sustainable jobs and our national competitiveness into the future. “This policy, which recognises the scale of the crisis, will invest in essential infrastructure; help entrepreneurs by removing obstacles to doing business and supporting them to retain and create new jobs; exploit the potential of existing and new state enterprises particularly in broadband rollout, renewable energy and eco-tourism and invest in agri-food and rural communities. ” This crisis was caused, in part, by caused by the collapse in employment when the construction sector and the banks became undone. This was felt as sharply in Cork as anywhere else. The number of people employed in the construction sector, in Cork, fell by 54% between 2006 and 2011. The plan provides solid commitments in terms of the funding re-training and new skills acquisition programmes for those experiencing long-term unemployment” “As part of this we will prioritise investment to: •Revive the sugar beet industry and construct a new bio-refinery plant in the South East with the potential to create 5,000 jobs (€350 million) •Invest in the rollout of next generation broadband across the 26 counties. (€2.5 billion) •Kick start investment in water infrastructure (€500 million.) •Proceed with A5 dual carriageway (€400 million) •Regenerate the Cork dockland area. (€600 million) •Regeneration projects in Limerick and Dublin. (€960 million) •Build an additional 100 schools and refurbish 75 more over the next three years in addition to current capital commitments. (€350 million) •Establish 50 new Primary Health Care Centres. (€250 million) •Develop an €1billion investment in sustainable energy: wind power industry and wave energy. “We will seek to support business to create jobs by: •Introducing a job retention scheme to protect 15,000 jobs (€100 million) •Delivering value for money and jobs by opening up state procurement to small companies. •Giving the option to self-employed people to pay PRSI as it is applied to PAYE employees in order to receive the same entitlements in the event that they become unemployed. •Abolishing upward only rents. •Capping utility costs for a period of three years. •Examine a temporary rebate on fuel for transport firms. •Prioritising prompt payments by ensuring the 15-day rule is adhered to by state agencies. •Examining the use of tax credits for sourcing local Irish produced materials. •Tackling the costs of doing business on the border, including credit card transaction fees, telecommunication charges and dual tax and payroll systems. “Sinn Féin has developed a comprehensive, costed and government-ready proposal to chart a course out of recession and into growth. We want to see the government meet the gravity of the crisis with the appropriate response. Historic levels of unemployment and emigration need a profound shift in government policy.” For further information please contact Deputy Jonathan O’Brien on 0860274142 ENDS

Cut to Child Benefit unnecessary and should be opposed – Nugent

Cut to Child Benefit unnecessary and should be opposed – Nugent Sinn Fein Councillor Mick Nugent is to urge Cork City Council to oppose any attempt to cut Child Benefit payments. Speaking on the Sinn Fein motion opposing the proposed cut, which comes before council tonight, Cllr. Nugent said: “If this was genuinely about seeking a better contribution from the wealthy then it would be focused on income and not on a universal payment for children. The minister is refusing to show the details of the leaked report and so Sinn Fein has a very real concern regarding the proposed means test. Where will the threshold be set? We could be faced with situations in which full payment is denied to people who are most dependent on it. The government need to come clean regarding the details of the report in order to calm fears.” Cllr. Nugent said that the proposed cut flies in the face of the idea of cherishing all the children of the nation equally and that there are very real and workable alternatives. Cllr. Nugent continued: “Sinn Fein has proposed a third tax rate of 48% on incomes over and above €100,000. This would bring in €365 million while the proposed cut in Child Benefit amounts only to €200 million. This would raise much needed finance without running the risk of the vulnerable being impacted adversely. Secondly, if savings are to be made with regard to spending on children, the first thing to go should be the subsidy for private education, which sees taxpayers funding privilege. There are better ways to bolster public finances without burdening the struggling classes even further.” The Sinn Fein representative for the North-West ward said the move was indicative of a government with a socio-economic perspective that places ordinary people on the bottom rung of the ladder. “The cut is unnecessary. Minister Bruton is trying to spin this one as though she is a modern-day Robin Hood. She is not taking from the rich to give to the poor. It is deplorable that a Labour minister, a member of a party who said that a vote for them is a vote to protect Child Benefit, will oversee this cut. It’s yet another broken promise made by the Labour party to the people at the last General Election.” “It is simply another cut being actioned in order to subsidise the continuing bailout of the banks. I think it is a cynical and divisive move. The government hope that by being perceived to target the rich that they will more readily achieve a public consensus on limiting government social responsibility. Such a consensus will only have consequences for ordinary people and those consequences would be devastating.”ENDS For further information please contact Cllr. Mick Nugent on 087675579 -- Darren O'Keeffe Public Relations Officer Cork Sinn FeinTel: 0852081872 Sinn Fein Councillor Mick Nugent is to urge Cork City Council to oppose any attempt to cut Child Benefit payments. Speaking on the Sinn Fein motion opposing the proposed cut, which comes before council tonight, Cllr. Nugent said: “If this was genuinely about seeking a better contribution from the wealthy then it would be focused on income and not on a universal payment for children. The minister is refusing to show the details of the leaked report and so Sinn Fein has a very real concern regarding the proposed means test. Where will the threshold be set? We could be faced with situations in which full payment is denied to people who are most dependent on it. The government need to come clean regarding the details of the report in order to calm fears.” Cllr. Nugent said that the proposed cut flies in the face of the idea of cherishing all the children of the nation equally and that there are very real and workable alternatives. Cllr. Nugent continued: “Sinn Fein has proposed a third tax rate of 48% on incomes over and above €100,000. This would bring in €365 million while the proposed cut in Child Benefit amounts only to €200 million. This would raise much needed finance without running the risk of the vulnerable being impacted adversely. Secondly, if savings are to be made with regard to spending on children, the first thing to go should be the subsidy for private education, which sees taxpayers funding privilege. There are better ways to bolster public finances without burdening the struggling classes even further.” The Sinn Fein representative for the North-West ward said the move was indicative of a government with a socio-economic perspective that places ordinary people on the bottom rung of the ladder. “The cut is unnecessary. Minister Bruton is trying to spin this one as though she is a modern-day Robin Hood. She is not taking from the rich to give to the poor. It is deplorable that a Labour minister, a member of a party who said that a vote for them is a vote to protect Child Benefit, will oversee this cut. It’s yet another broken promise made by the Labour party to the people at the last General Election.” “It is simply another cut being actioned in order to subsidise the continuing bailout of the banks. I think it is a cynical and divisive move. The government hope that by being perceived to target the rich that they will more readily achieve a public consensus on limiting government social responsibility. Such a consensus will only have consequences for ordinary people and those consequences would be devastating.”ENDS For further information please contact Cllr. Mick Nugent on 087675579 -- Darren O'Keeffe Public Relations Officer Cork Sinn FeinTel: 0852081872

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

O’Brien Calls on Government to Reverse Cuts to Home Help Hours and Home Care Packages

Sinn Fein TD for Cork North-Central, Jonathan O’Brien, has called on the Government to immediately reverse the cuts to Home Help Hours and Home Care Packages and to return funding to pre-budget 2012 levels.
Speaking in the Dail in support of the Sinn Fein Private Members Motion that called for the reversal Deputy O’Brien said:

“This action will see approximately 1,000,000 hours withdrawn from the system over the course of a year. The word ‘savage’ is the only one that I feel is appropriate to use when describing this programme of cuts. This move will adversely impact the well-being and the quality of life of thousands of elderly people and people with disabilities across the state ”
“The decision is a clear example of how austerity doesn’t really need a reason. It only needs an excuse. The Government, despite the obvious economic challenges, can’t ignore the fact that 91% of older people rely on state supports to prevent them from falling into poverty."

O’Brien condemned the government’s decision to cut €1.7m from Home Care Packages and €8m in funding for Home Help hours between now and the end of the year.

“The cuts being implemented right now will result in the loss of 450,000 hours by end of 2012. That is before this government implements the rest of its slash and burn approach to services that are vital to meeting the complex needs of older people and those living with disabilities. The minister needs to turn back from persecuting the most vulnerable within society and recognise the devastating impact of these cuts in our communities. I have first hand experience of the extremely high level of care, dedication and commitment demonstrated by those who deliver these critical frontline services. They are qualities on which you cannot put a price.”

Sinn Fein also called on the government to not only maintain but also to enhance home care front-line services and increase access to community care for older people. Deputy O’Brien stated that this would be best aided by the development of a National Positive Ageing Strategy before December 2013.
ENDS
For further comment please contact Deputy Jonathan O'Brien on 0860274142

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Heroin-Related deaths a hugely worrying development

Heroin-Related deaths a hugely worrying development Sinn Féin Cllr Mick Nugent has stated that news that 2 people have died & seven lie seriously ill in hospital due to a suspected tainted batch of heroin is a hugely worrying development, Cllr Nugent said " New of two deaths & the hospitalisation of seven other people due to a suspected tainted batch of heroin is a hugely worrying development, this once again illustrates the threat drugs poses to our communities, there were a number of deaths a few years back in the Northside from suspected overdoses of heroin and following a number of seizures use of the drug appeared to be in decline though still available on the ground in a number of areas, these deaths show there is still a serious issue to be addressed and should focus minds in the relevant governmental departments that budgets for front line agencies who are dealing with the treatment of addicts & providing other essential services should not be cut any further, I would also call on the decision to remove the free-phone 'Dial to Stop Drug-Dealing' number be reviewed as this is hindering the Gardaí in their work in targeting drug dealers, the Gardaí themselves have acknowledged this, these tragic deaths should concentrate minds and the multi-agency approach that is in place to deal with drug abuse re-enforced and supported". Cllr Mick Nugent 087=6755793