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<title>Se&#225;n &Oacute; Feargha&#237;l - Recent appearances (From KildareStreet.com)</title>
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<dc:date>2009-04-15T16:11:16+00:00</dc:date>

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<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-04-09.327.0&amp;m=628#g342.0">
	<title>Cystic Fibrosis: Motion | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-04-09.327.0&amp;m=628#g342.0</link>
	<description>-----that a high-quality dedicated support system is now in place across the country, with St. Vincent&acirc;��s hospital at its centre.  In light of calls for more localised provision, we do need...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="342.1">-----that a high-quality dedicated support system is now in place across the country, with St. Vincent’s hospital at its centre.  In light of calls for more localised provision, we do need clarity, and I urge the Minister and the HSE to address this matter as soon as possible.</p><p pid="342.2">In Ireland we have a frighteningly high incidence of this condition.  One in 19 people is a carrier, and a child of two carriers has a one-in-four risk of symptomatic illness.  The incidence in Ireland is approximately one in every 1,400 babies born.  This compares with an incidence of one in 4,000 in the United States; incidentally, the incidence among the Asian-American community is just one in 32,000.  The statistics serve to illustrate that this illness must be prioritised in terms of health policy.  Due to the high incidence of the condition, we need not just to support sufferers but to build on the expertise developed in this area and work to make Ireland a centre of excellence in the area of CF research and patient management.  Already the HSE has funded the development of a CF register to record relevant data which could be put to such use.</p><p pid="342.3">With this condition, early diagnosis is key to achieving optimal care and outcomes.  Many countries are now implementing neo-natal screening, often included in the Guthrie heel-prick test.  This can provide a diagnosis within the first week of life, as opposed to some unfortunate circumstances in which a child could be of school-going age before diagnosis is confirmed.  In such cases valuable time has been lost where early aggressive management could have been initiated.  It is important, therefore, that we move rapidly to the point where we have universal routine screening for CF at the neo-natal stage.  In addition, this early diagnosis would offer parents the opportunity to seek genetic counselling at a much earlier stage than might otherwise be the case.</p><p pid="342.4">As with any illness, there are three aspects to patient care which need consideration; namely, the physical, psychological and social elements.  As politicians the greatest impact we can have is by ensuring that an appropriate and safe environment is provided to minimise the exposure of susceptible patients to potentially life-threatening infections.  Hence the need to proceed urgently with the delivery of the specialised units.  The psychological well-being of a person is as important as his or her physical health.  A child with CF can feel isolated, as can any child with a significant chronic illness, due to prolonged hospital stays.  The childhood of those with CF tends to be shorter than most because of the realities of serious illness.  Teenage years are difficult at the best of times, but for the CF patient there is the added realisation of premature mortality.  It is essential, therefore, that we provide the necessary psychological and counselling supports and ensure an environment exists in which CF patients can live their lives to the full and realise their true potential.</p><p pid="342.5">We know the impact of this disease on patients’ loved ones, and we therefore acknowledge that the introduction of the dedicated units will at least significantly reduce the fear that is currently associated with hospital admissions and the risk of hospital-acquired infections.  In the pioneering manner in which the Minister, Deputy Harney, is proposing to address this matter, the Government is demonstrating, as it must, a true and tangible commitment to giving CF the high priority it deserves.</p><p pid="342.6">It would be remiss of me not to pay tribute to the young Kildare woman Ms Orla Tinsley, whose courageous campaigning and highly effective communication skills have resulted in unprecedented levels of public and political awareness of CF, to the benefit of sufferers throughout the country.  In doing so she has by her personal example demonstrated to other people with this condition how substantial their personal achievements can be.  She has also shown young people in general what can be achieved by targeting their energy, ability, idealism and clarity of thought towards issues of importance in our society.  I commend the Minister on her pioneering action and I commend the amendment to the House.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-04-09T12:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-04-01.449.0&amp;m=628#g452.0">
	<title>Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-04-01.449.0&amp;m=628#g452.0</link>
	<description>I value the opportunity to contribute to the debate on this multifaceted Bill, which aims to address a number of issues of significance in the housing area.  At the outset I pay tribute to the...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="452.1">I value the opportunity to contribute to the debate on this multifaceted Bill, which aims to address a number of issues of significance in the housing area.  At the outset I pay tribute to the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran, and his predecessor in the portfolio, Deputy Noel Ahern, for the work that they and their officials have done in putting together a piece of legislation that has to date won broad-based support.</p><p pid="452.2">I have personally long been convinced of the critical importance of public policy on housing and social housing in particular.  There are few who would argue with the fact that a quality built environment impacts on a household’s quality of life.  It also has an influence on the individual sense of personal worth, educational attainment, health and well-being and employment potential.  Any legislation in the area is of major importance.</p><p pid="452.3">Sections 14 to 18 of this Bill introduce a requirement for local authority members to make and adopt a services plan for their jurisdiction and imposes subsequently on the authority manager a requirement to bring forward a housing action plan to implement the members’ proposals.  On the face of it this is a very sensible approach, building on the existing system of local area plans, county plans and county housing strategies.  The introduction of the housing services plan and a managerial implementation plan completes the circle.</p><p pid="452.4">The problem may be the risk which exists for those thousands of families on our nationwide housing list that the making of these plans becomes an end in itself and that we continue to see inadequate or inconsistent output from our local authorities.  Since the launch of the strategic management initiative and the advent of the Better Local Government strategy — which, in my opinion, has given worse local government — we have seen a significant increase in the output at local authority level in particular of glossy plans and reports with no commensurate improvement in the quality, extent and range of services delivered in all areas under local authority remit.</p><p pid="452.5">Social housing provision is a case in point.  The Government has regularly been castigated in this House for the growing waiting lists but the Government has sought over many years to encourage and pressurise urban and county councils into increasing their output and availing of the funding on offer from Government.  Whereas some authorities have responded admirably, many have not, including some controlled by the parties which have been critical of Government.  In response to a parliamentary question on outputs in my own county tabled in late 2007, it emerged — to my surprise — that Kildare County Council had drawn down on average only 69% of available funding between 2002 and 2007 for social housing construction or purchase.</p><p pid="452.6">I acknowledge that the situation has improved significantly since 2007 in County Kildare but it is nonetheless the case that when I was elected to this House in 2002, I expected to have to lobby Departments and Ministers to secure funding for infrastructure for Kildare, including housing, and not the reverse, where my local authority had to be pressurised to avail of what was on offer.</p><p pid="452.7">The difficulties which have existed with some local authorities around the country in terms of their social housing output, and notwithstanding the fact that overall output may have increased, indicate that housing has lost its position as a primary local authority function.  Had it not, and had elected members and county managers in particular not pursued other agendas, far more could have been achieved during the years of plenty.  It is to our considerable discredit as a nation that those on our local authority waiting lists remain among the most marginalised people in Irish society.</p><p pid="452.8">Sections 19 to 24 of this Bill address the areas of social housing support, and in particular the making of an allocations scheme, or a scheme of letting priorities as it would have been commonly known.  This was referred to by Deputy Ó Snodaigh.  It is important that in making an allocations scheme, local authority members are cognisant of the fact that they have a crucial role not just in building houses but also in building communities.  That is a far more difficult challenge.  It is necessary, particularly in the allocation of new housing schemes, for this fact to be taken into account, and any scheme made should ensure the diversity which exists in society at large and in the county in question is reflected in the new local communities created in these estates.  In other words, it is essential that new housing schemes include people who vary in age and nationality, people who are single and married, people with disabilities, people who are unemployed and people who work every day.</p><p pid="452.9">Achieving this type of balance and integration would go a long way towards preventing the anti-social behaviour which many Members have referred to and the marginalisation of social housing projects around the country.  To achieve this end, the allocations schemes adopted around the country will need to be a lot more comprehensive and sophisticated than they have ever been in the past.</p><p pid="452.10">On the issue of allocations, I acknowledge the work done by environmental health officers.  In counties like Kildare they carry out individual assessments of need on the housing applicants and at all times they demonstrate consummate professionalism.  In this regard I suggest the need to introduce professional training to all those working in the housing area so that housing management in itself can be regarded as a lifelong profession rather than something people dip in and out of.</p><p pid="452.11">The sections up to and including section 27 deal with the rental accommodation scheme, an enlightened initiative on which I congratulate the Minister.  It gives some significant security of tenure to people in private rental positions.  This scheme must be resourced and promoted at local level, where its merits are not yet fully understood by either tenants or landlords, and I congratulate the Minister on placing the scheme on a statutory footing.</p><p pid="452.12">Sections 21 and 31 propose to remove the procedure whereby local elected members must give approval for the disposal of land or a dwelling in accordance with section 183 of the 2001 Local Government Act.  I would be grateful if the Minister would indicate why the matter of disposal would arise in respect of the rental accommodation scheme.  In any event, I object, as a matter of principle, to any provision that removes powers from local councillors.</p><p pid="452.13">Sections 28 to 34 deal with control and management and allow local authorities, by way of reserved function, to delegate the management and control of houses or estates to designated bodies, including those comprising residents of an area.  This is a progressive move and I warmly welcome it.</p><p pid="452.14">Section 34 also deals with anti-social behaviour.  As already stated, a better allocation system, coupled with Garda vetting of prospective tenants, would assist in preventing this growing phenomenon.  However, in estates where such behaviour already exists, far stronger action, including, if necessary, court proceedings and eviction, must be taken by local authorities.  The local joint policing committees have a major contribution to make in this regard in order that the perpetrators will be penalised and the innocent victims can enjoy the security of their homes and neighbourhoods.  In many people’s experience it has been the victims who have been obliged to flee their estates while the perpetrators of anti-social behaviour are allowed to continue to engage in their nefarious activities.</p><p pid="452.15">The incremental purchase scheme, which is covered in sections 35 to 40, is another positive new initiative to add to the variety of other schemes that support home ownership.  The scheme involves a number of restrictions and I ask the Minister to outline how housing authorities and approved bodies will identify the properties to be sold.  The scheme is generous in its provisions, particularly as it is intended to set the initial purchase price at 40% of the construction cost with the balance offset over 30 years of occupancy at 2% per annum.  Funds from these sales, whether completed by local authorities or approved bodies should, I suggest, be ring-fenced for further capital projects and should not be subsumed into current spending.</p><p pid="452.16">Sections 41 to 43, inclusive, deal with matters including the housing adaptation grants for older people and the disabled person’s grant.  This topic was addressed by Deputy Áine Brady at some length.  While I wholeheartedly agree with the points she made, I am of the view that the Bill could be further strengthened by the inclusion of a provision which would address the plight of applicants in counties such as Kildare, where the local authority has traditionally made totally inadequate provision in its estimates in respect of the matching funding required to make grant schemes work effectively and to meet the demand which inevitably arises on foot of the presence of a growing and ageing population.  I fail to understand how it is possible for the local authority in County Kildare to justify to the people who live there the fact that it allocates approximately €1.6 million in respect of these grants, whereas the council in County Donegal, which has a smaller population, allocates in excess of €4 million per annum.</p><p pid="452.17">Voluntary and co-operative housing has been an area of massive growth, particularly during the past decade.  At present, there are 679 approved bodies which have constructed and are managing in the region of 20,000 properties.  The quality of the units built and the management of the estates are, with very few exceptions, of a very high standard.  The sector, having made good use of the capital assistance and capital loan and subsidy schemes to provide specialised housing and meet the needs of mainstream housing applicants, can be extremely proud of its achievements.  The providers in this area vary in nature, from local conferences of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and local community bodies — providing in the most part for the needs of small groups of elderly people and of those with disabilities in their local areas — to major organisations such as Respond, which is responsible for in excess of 3,500 units at present, which has a nationwide remit and which addresses a broad spectrum of social housing provision, including that of agency services to local authorities.  I congratulate the Minister on granting to local authorities the power to devolve to such bodies further functions, including those relating to estate management.  In many instances, the bodies to which I refer have proven to be more effective than local authorities, particularly in the area of estate management.</p><p pid="452.18">I must declare an interest in respect of voluntary housing because for more than 15 years I have been actively involved with local communities in County Kildare in the establishment and management of locally-based voluntary housing associations.  To date, these associations have built or purchased in excess of 260 family units.  The relatively small but effective housing associations in County Kildare operate on the basis of a self-help philosophy and see social housing need as something that can be addressed, at least in part, by local communities using the financial supports that Government provides.  In practice, the experience in County Kildare has been that those in need of housing have come together to help themselves.  These people have anchored themselves in their local communities by establishing locally-based associations or by joining existing associations that is managed with the active support and participation of established community activists who bring with them project development and management expertise.  Without exception, the Kildare projects have been successful in the context of cost-efficient unit delivery and estate management.  At a number of locations, Kildare County Council has co-operated with these associations to deliver part of its own social housing programme on a joint-venture basis.</p><p pid="452.19">In the context of the Bill, however, a number of issues arise.  Section 22 confers on county managers the authority to make allocations in accordance with an allocation scheme drawn up by members in respect of dwellings provided by approved by voluntary housing bodies.  In County Kildare, some 100% of units allocated under the former rental purchase scheme — currently the capital loan and subsidy scheme — have been allocated to households drawn from local authority waiting lists following consultation and agreement with the local authority.  Will the Minister ensure that there is nothing in section 22 which would prevent or discourage self-help initiatives of this type, which have worked successfully in County Kildare, particularly in circumstances where the power might be given to a county manager to allocate houses on a scheme to qualifying applicants other than those who had been directly involved in the development of the project as a self-help initiative?</p><p pid="452.20">I warmly welcome the fact that the Minister has decided to include the sector in the incremental purchase scheme.  In light of the difficulties that exist, I acknowledge the pragmatic approach that he is adopting in the Bill in allowing voluntary providers to determine the extent to which they will participate in the process.  While the incremental purchase scheme is a forward-looking initiative, the Bill fails to address the plight of those who already live in properties provided by voluntary associations.  Very few of those who live in homes funded by the capital loan and subsidy scheme have chosen this form of accommodation over local authority accommodation.  Rather it is the case that there was no other reasonable alternative available to them.</p><p pid="452.21">We now have two forms of social housing provision, namely, that provided by local authorities and that provided by the voluntary sector.  Both forms are being 100% funded by the Exchequer and both providers have drawn their tenants from the same local authority waiting lists.  Those who have chosen the voluntary accommodation have done so because, in the vast majority of cases, they have had no real alternative.</p><p pid="452.22">At present, local authority tenants can avail of tenant purchase schemes whereas tenants of voluntary housing associations cannot do so.  In view of the position I have outlined, it is fundamentally unjust that voluntary tenants cannot avail of tenant purchase schemes.  I implore the Minister to amend the Bill to address this issue or to at least indicate that he will bring forward a new legislative proposal, within a reasonable timeframe, to address a matter which I firmly believe runs contrary to natural justice.  Nowhere is that injustice more evident than in the schemes in County Kildare I referred to earlier where tenants, who came together to cause the housing project to be built, see their joint venture neighbours in council owned properties avail of tenant purchase while they, whose initiative caused the houses to be built in the first instance, cannot.  That is an indefensible position and something that must be addressed.</p><p pid="452.23">I refer to the remedial works scheme.  Deputy Upton spoke yesterday of the importance of the schemes currently under way and the type of developments throughout the country which gave rise to the need for remedial schemes.  Valuable work has been done in my own constituency in locations such as Kilcullen, Newbridge and Athy.  The Minister has an application on his desk for a remedial scheme for St. Patrick’s Park in Rathangan, and I urge him to look positively on that.  I express a fear that as we move, not just pressed by developers, bankers or others, as suggested by Deputy Upton, towards creating a much more dense urban environment as advocated largely by professional planners, in some cases we may be bringing into existence the sort of housing scheme that will need to be remediated in the future.  I am particularly concerned about local authorities that build high density properties that are very small and which do not provide for lifelong living.  That is something that must be addressed.  I compliment local authorities generally on the high standard of properties they are building throughout the country, with the possible exception of the area of high density, because the quality of the design has improved beyond belief in recent years.</p><p pid="452.24">I refer to the issue of Traveller accommodation.  Deputy Connaughton attended a meeting of the health committee with me recently where we heard concerns expressed by the Traveller community, and advocates on their behalf, about the high infant mortality and the low life expectancy in the Traveller community compared with the population at large.  At least part of that problem derives from the inadequacy of the accommodation available to that community throughout the country.  I support the Minister in the positive initiatives he is taking to address this intractable problem.  I am happy to recommend the Bill to the House.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-04-01T16:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-10.283.0&amp;m=628#g288.0">
	<title>Nursing Homes Support Scheme Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-10.283.0&amp;m=628#g288.0</link>
	<description>I thank Deputy Michael Fitzpatrick for sharing time. I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak on this important and long-awaited Bill.  The Minister and the Government have been correct in...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="288.1">I thank Deputy Michael Fitzpatrick for sharing time.</p><p pid="288.2">I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak on this important and long-awaited Bill.  The Minister and the Government have been correct in taking their time to ensure that any legal or other impediments have been dealt with.</p><p pid="288.3">This debate may highlight other issues that might require changes to the legislation.  I trust that the Minister and her colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Máire Hoctor, will closely follow the debate and take on board positive proposals from all sides of the House.  There is great interest in this measure among Members of all parties who all have, as public representatives, dealt with the various issues raised in the legislation, and in many cases have had to confront them within their family circumstances.</p><p pid="288.4">The care of our ageing population is one of the most important issues that we will face in this century and is a political and societal challenge.  The issues involved vary from pension provision to medical care and residential care.  The residential care element is probably the most important because it has such a significant impact on the person as well as on his or her partner and on their extended family.  The system of nursing home subvention clearly needs reforming.  A scheme that covers only 40% of the cost of private nursing home care is not sustainable and is thankfully being replaced by this much more workable and supportive alternative.</p><p pid="288.5">We can all list examples in our own constituencies of families who have had to borrow heavily or sell the family home to offset the cost of care for an elderly relative.  This Bill will negate the need to do this and I warmly welcome this initiative by the Government.</p><p pid="288.6">In assessing the need for this legislative change, we must reflect on the numbers of elderly people being cared for within the system.  There are approximately 7,700 people in public long-term residential care and just over 15,000 people in private nursing homes.  To cater for them, the HSE has over 10,000 public beds in residential care centres for older people across the country.  In addition, the HSE partially finances 9,000 beds, “subvented beds”, 3,000 of which are fully financed contract beds.  These were secured between 2005 and 2008.  Last year, the HSE indicated a strong commitment to providing over 800 public fast-track beds before the end of this year — more than half of which were to be in place at or before the end of 2008.  This six-fold increase in Government spending clearly signifies its strong commitment to providing for the care of elderly people in society.</p><p pid="288.7">The provision of funding is not in itself an adequate response to the needs of the aged, and it has been clear for some considerable time that the State needs to reorganise the way in which it supports long-term residential elder care.  It is deeply unfair that people were faced with hugely varying costs for nursing home care, depending on where they lived, or whether the nursing home was in public or private ownership.  Under this new measure, families will have a certainty and consistency, something that is definitely not available to them under the current arrangement.  This security is something which older people and their families require.  The enactment of this Bill will bring with it  a new peace of mind to many elderly people up and down the country, a peace of mind which will ultimately be beneficial for their personal health and well being.  At the moment, nobody is charged more than 80% of the non-contributory pension for care in a public nursing home, regardless of income.  However, the costs were quite substantial in the private nursing home sector, even allowing for subvention.  This anomaly had to be put right and the Government will thankfully bring equity to the situation with this Bill.  The pressures placed on family members to provide care for a dependent relative were extremely difficult and at times overwhelming, leading to financial hardship in many cases.</p><p pid="288.8">I commend the Minister on bringing forward this Bill, the benefits of which will be felt for decades to come.  There was a clear need to address the situation and we are now in a position to deal with the matter effectively and decisively.  The requirement to reform the manner in which nursing home provision is subvented has been apparent for a considerable time, but the manner in which nursing homes are managed and regulated was highlighted by the RTE exposé on the Leas Cross nursing home in north county Dublin.  I pay tribute to Deputy Fergus O’Dowd for the work he has done in highlighting the inadequacy of the service in many nursing homes around the country.</p><p pid="288.9">This Bill requires all nursing homes to be registered.  The Health Information and Quality Authority will be responsible for the monitoring and inspection of nursing homes, based on the provisions of the Health Act 2007, and taking into account the recent draft report on quality standards presented to the Minister.  The combined objective of all those involved in this process must be to ensure that we provide residential conditions that are nurturing and supportive, and where the care available to elderly and dependent people is verifiably of the highest possible standards.  These standards will apply to both public and private nursing homes and will address the safety and financial concerns of many families in caring for their loved ones in long-term dependency situations.</p><p pid="288.10">In the period since the Leas Cross revelations, significant progress has been made by the HSE in the development of its elder abuse programme.  The initiatives rolled out include the appointment of 29 senior case workers nationwide; the establishment of a  national steering committee to oversee the provision of HSE elder abuse services in detection, reporting and response; improved training for staff; and the development of a public awareness campaign aimed at informing people on the risks and realties of elder abuse.  These initiatives will ensure the prevention of elder abuse in public and private care facilities, but the care and attention of families and the wider community must also be a factor in tackling such horrendous abuse.</p><p pid="288.11">One of the key decisions we have to make in the provision of long-term care facilities is on their location, to which Deputy Fitzpatrick referred.  A number of homes have been built or are proposed to be built in rural locations around County Kildare.  This has led to some controversy as to the merits of such proposals.  In its recently published annual report, An Bord Pleanála stated:</p><p pid="288.12">A number of large scale nursing homes have been proposed in isolated greenfield sites remote from towns or villages, shops or services of any description.  Invariably, these have been refused by the board, as it is considered that such facilities are best located within existing settlements where public services are available and where the occupants have some degree of access to shops and other amenities, or can walk up the street and encounter members of the local community.</p><p pid="288.13">Like Deputy Fitzpatrick, I do not entirely share the board’s views on this matter.  We should not be too prescriptive in this area.  I feel that, as in many areas of life, variety is key.  Many people who have lived in the countryside all their lives would much prefer to look out onto a green field than on an urban scene.  Alternatively, many people would still like to be able to access the local shops, post office, pub or betting shop if they are fortunate enough to enjoy relatively good health in later life.</p><p pid="288.14">Therefore, quality and variety of location are very important.  Placing someone who has lived in Dublin, or in any of the other large urban centres, in a nursing home in a rural location can cause huge difficulties for the person and his or her family, who may find it difficult to access such a location.  Planners, developers, advocates for older people and the HSE need to work more closely to ensure that a full range of facilities are available to our aging population.</p><p pid="288.15">Much more needs to be done by those working in the planning system to provide trading down opportunities for older people and in particular, to encourage the provision of retirement complexes in which independent or supported living conditions are available. Kildare County Council has undertaken a study, through its strategic policy committee on economic planning and development, on the provision and location of elderly care facilities within the county.  The Minister should conduct a national review on the same issues.</p><p pid="288.16">This Bill will have wide ranging effects on so many people in the coming years that it is one of the most important Bills to come before this Dáil.  Therefore, it is vitally important that we frame it by taking as many points of view on board as possible.  The title “fair deal” indicates this will be fair to the elderly, fair to their families and fair to the taxpayer.</p><p pid="288.17">I thank the Minister, the Minister of State and their officials for the work they have done in bringing the Bill before us, and I commend it to the House.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-02-10T17:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-03.118.0&amp;m=628#g135.2">
	<title>Social Welfare Benefits. | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-03.118.0&amp;m=628#g135.2</link>
	<description>The Deputy knows about waffle.</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="135.2">The Deputy knows about waffle.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-02-03T14:30:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2008-10-22.502.0&amp;m=628#g504.0">
	<title>Overseas Missions. | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2008-10-22.502.0&amp;m=628#g504.0</link>
	<description>Question 38: To ask the Minister for Defence     the number of Irish troops serving overseas; the location of same; the nature of their duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter.   ...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="504.0"><i>Question 38:</i> To ask the Minister for Defence     the number of Irish troops serving overseas; the location of same; the nature of their duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter.     <b>[34983/08]</b></p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2008-10-22T15:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-07-04.142.0&amp;m=628#g155.0">
	<title>Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-07-04.142.0&amp;m=628#g155.0</link>
	<description>Transport in all its forms is central to the economy, the environment and the cultural and social well-being of our country in the 21st century and roads will be central to satisfying the...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="155.1">Transport in all its forms is central to the economy, the environment and the cultural and social well-being of our country in the 21st century and roads will be central to satisfying the nation’s transport needs for the foreseeable future.</p><p pid="155.2">The relationship between Irish people and their cars is very close, particularly in rural Ireland and an irrational belief exists that makes public transport the poor relation in transport choice.  It would not be unusual to see senior executives of major companies taking the train to work in London, New York, or Tokyo but such instances are unfortunately rare in this country.  It would be interesting to survey Members of this House to ascertain how many of those who could avail of public transport do so.  Hopefully the huge investment in transport provided for in Transport 21, which is being rolled out, will greatly enhance public opinion towards and the attraction of public transport.</p><p pid="155.3">Important work on the rail network continues and hopefully we will deliver a world class rail service in the coming years.  In the meantime we must ensure our road network is sufficient to cater for the increased number of vehicles using the nation’s thoroughfares.  The provisions of this Bill will allow for the implementation of free flow, open road tolling.  There is no doubt that toll gates, particularly on the M50, contribute on a daily basis to traffic gridlock.  However, tolling is but one factor contributing to this problem and the upgrading of junctions and the widening of the motorway will help in bringing about a resolution to the problem.</p><p pid="155.4">The previous Minister had targeted August 2008 for the introduction of barrier free tolling and I sincerely hope this date can be met in order to alleviate the frustration experienced by so many people daily.  For this reason the co-operation of Members on all sides of the House is welcome.</p><p pid="155.5">The Bill also allows for the upgrading of certain dual carriageway roads to motorway status.  This is a most welcome provision, as in many cases one cannot tell the difference between a motorway and a dual carriageway.  This is particularly evident on the Naas Road, where it meets the N7 Motorway.  To the layman there appears to be no clear difference between the two, yet different speed limits exist on the two stretches of roadway which makes no sense at all.  We need consistency in road categorisation and this Bill will hopefully bring improvements in the area.  I am aware that there are similar anomalies in road descriptions elsewhere, for example at Watergrasshill outside Cork City and on the N11 — M50 intersection.</p><p pid="155.6">County Kildare is at the hub of much national traffic travelling to and from Dublin and this includes both traffic from within the county and traffic crossing County Kildare to get to and from the capital.  To this extent most or all of the measures included in the Bill will have a direct effect on the people of County Kildare.  The upgrade of the M50 will hopefully reduce commuting times for the many people who have to use it daily.</p><p pid="155.7">The measures included in the Bill are a much needed step forward in the overall delivery of a transport system that will benefit communities throughout the commuter belt, which is constantly growing.</p><p pid="155.8">In 2007 Kildare County Council will spend €117.5 million on its road network.  Of this some €86 million will be spent on national roads with the remainder spent on county roads within its jurisdiction.  I acknowledge the huge increases in funding made available to Kildare and other counties in recent years that have enabled local authorities go some way to bridging the infrastructure gap.</p><p pid="155.9">In my county, where major national projects have been completed and inter-city routes are well advanced, the Government and National Roads Authority should examine towns that have grown greatly and are experiencing traffic difficulties.  In Newbridge a new bridge and outer relief road are required.  The Minister will recall visiting Athy in 1996 when he was Opposition spokesman and at that stage there was a campaign for an outer relief road for the town.  That project is only beginning now.  As major national projects are delivered more funding must be directed towards local authorities to help them achieve improvements in log-jammed local towns.</p><p pid="155.10">The roll-out of the national roads programme is an absolute necessity for this country because we are only playing catch-up with the rest of Europe.  Hopefully this phase of the roads programme will be completed in the next few years allowing for greater emphasis to be placed on the removal of traffic congestion in urban areas.  This, coupled with the increase in spending on mainline and commuter rail services, will give us an integrated transport package that will benefit this country socially and economically for generations to come.</p><p pid="155.11">A number of Members have made reference to the elements in this Bill addressing the need for rest and service areas along the major roads that have been constructed.  While these facilities will be universally welcomed it should be recognised that the NRA has not addressed these matters clearly in the past and has not employed joined-up thinking with local authorities.  I am conscious, as the Minister and NRA bring forward new provisions, that account must be taken of factors existing on some of the relevant routes.  Many service providers have given a high quality service on these routes for some years.</p><p pid="155.12">In my constituency Kildare County Council recently granted a material contravention for a motorway service area to be delivered on the Mayfield interchange on the N7, just north of Monasterevin.  Whatever plans the NRA has for such facilities nationwide, it must engage with those who have traditionally provided services in these areas and who wish to continue to do so.</p><p pid="155.13">There was a high quality provider of motorway services on the old N9 in Kildare before it was realigned at the end of the last decade.  The service provider had to move to the new road but now the N9 motorway exists about 150 yards away and will provide no access to the services that are in place.  If it is unsustainable for a homeowner in a rural area to seek to build another house it is unsustainable for the National Roads Authority to ignore an established motorway service area in a district in favour of the construction of yet another motorway service area in the region.  I ask the Minister to address these issues and ensure the National Roads Authority takes local circumstances into consideration.  I congratulate the Minister, his predecessor and everyone involved in introducing this positive and constructive legislation.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-07-04T12:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-07-04.142.0&amp;m=628#g153.0">
	<title>Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-07-04.142.0&amp;m=628#g153.0</link>
	<description>I am prepared to do that.</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="153.1">I am prepared to do that.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-07-04T12:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-07-04.142.0&amp;m=628#g151.0">
	<title>Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-07-04.142.0&amp;m=628#g151.0</link>
	<description>I was not aware of that.</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="151.1">I was not aware of that.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-07-04T12:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-07-04.142.0&amp;m=628#g149.0">
	<title>Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-07-04.142.0&amp;m=628#g149.0</link>
	<description>I congratulate the Ceann Comhairle on his appointment and wish him well in the job.  I also congratulate the Minister for Transport and the Marine, Deputy Noel Dempsey, and wish him well in his...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="149.1">I congratulate the Ceann Comhairle on his appointment and wish him well in the job.  I also congratulate the Minister for Transport and the Marine, Deputy Noel Dempsey, and wish him well in his new Department.</p><p pid="149.2">I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute in this debate.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-07-04T12:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-06-27.495.0&amp;m=628#g505.2">
	<title>Co-location of Hospitals: Motion (Resumed). | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-06-27.495.0&amp;m=628#g505.2</link>
	<description>The truth is we have a mixed system of financing &acirc;�� approximately 72% public and 28% private.  This is not unusual.  We are almost exactly at the OECD average of 73% public and 27% private...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="505.2">The truth is we have a mixed system of financing — approximately 72% public and 28% private.  This is not unusual.  We are almost exactly at the OECD average of 73% public and 27% private finance.  I commend the motion to the House.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-06-27T19:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-06-27.495.0&amp;m=628#g503.8">
	<title>Co-location of Hospitals: Motion (Resumed). | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-06-27.495.0&amp;m=628#g503.8</link>
	<description>T&Atilde;&iexcl; &Atilde;&iexcl;thas orm c&Atilde;&ordm;pla n&Atilde;&sup3;im&Atilde;&copy;ad a fh&Atilde;&iexcl;il chun labhairt ar an &Atilde;&iexcl;bhar t&Atilde;&iexcl;bhachtach seo.  It is welcome to return to the House following the general election, during which, as we knocked on doors in...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="503.2">Tá áthas orm cúpla nóiméad a fháil chun labhairt ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo.  It is welcome to return to the House following the general election, during which, as we knocked on doors in our various constituencies, health featured as a particularly prominent issue with the electorate — it certainly did so in Kildare South, as I am sure it did in many other constituencies.</p><p pid="503.3">It is appropriate that one of the first issues we get to address on Private Members’ time is health related.  However, I must join my colleague Deputy Charlie O’Connor in chiding the Fine Gael Party on bringing forward the motion in this format at this time.  I suspect he is right in saying that what Fine Gael is about is an attempt to embarrass the Green Party, our new partners in Government.  Rather than attempt to embarrass the Green Party, Fine Gael should, perhaps, look to it for guidance on how to be a constructive Opposition party.  Over the course of the past five years in the House, I was conscious of the number of occasions on which the Green Party used its Private Members’ time to bring forward constructive legislative proposals.  Perhaps if Fine Gael had adopted a more positive approach during the past five years and the general election, it would not find itself languishing on the Opposition benches.  It is clear from the motion that Fine Gael has learned no lessons.  After finding itself on the Opposition benches six elections in a row, the Fine Gael motto now appears to be “If it is broke, don’t fix it”.</p><p pid="503.4">Fine Gael used to have some interesting points to make on health.  This was before it signed up to the bogus Labour Party accusation, as enunciated trenchantly and vehemently by Deputy Michael D. Higgins, that the Government is privatising the health service.  On 4 May 2004 the Fine Gael health spokesman said: “It is only with the introduction of competition that we can capture for patients the benefits of the market”.  He went on to say:</p><p pid="503.5">I do not expect that this will happen overnight or indeed that competition and private provision is the solution to all healthcare provision, but I believe it is in the direction in which we must go.</p><p pid="503.6">However, this evening Fine Gael asserts that moving 1,000 private beds from public hospitals is privatisation.</p><p pid="503.7">I support the amendment to the motion and Government policy as enunciated by the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, who has been an outstanding Minister in this area.  Its central objective remains the freeing of publicly funded beds for public patients.  The co-location initiative will achieve 1,000 new public beds quickly and more cost effectively, ensuring better access to acute hospital services for public patients.  I heard this demand from constituents throughout County Kildare over the past weeks and months.  We want to achieve a situation where there is no two-tier entry into publicly funded hospitals, as has been the case for many years.  We do not want to continue the current system forever, under which public hospitals and consultants are paid more for private patients than public patients for treatment in our tax-funded public hospitals.  It is not privatisation to free beds for all patients, public and private.  Nor is it privatisation to ask the private sector to finance and manage private beds and private hospital services.</p><p pid="503.8">Private or independent hospitals here are not new.  Indeed, it seems Fine Gael supports them as long as they are not on the same site as public hospitals.  Private care has always been an integral part of our health care services and is not confined to one service or a group of people in one locality.  The Mater Private, St. Vincent’s Private Hospital, the Blackrock Clinic, the Bon Secours group and, in my constituency, Clane General Hospital have been embedded and accepted in health care provision for many years.  I reject the suggestion, so eloquently but so mistakenly put forward by Deputy Michael D. Higgins, that this represents some form of racket.  I assure him that people who choose to avail of the services in those hospitals do not consider themselves as participating in a racket.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-06-27T19:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-03-01.514.0&amp;m=627#g525.0">
	<title>Defence (Amendment) No. 2 Bill 2006: Second Stage | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-03-01.514.0&amp;m=627#g525.0</link>
	<description>I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this short but important Bill that will amend and update the Defence Acts&acirc;�� provisions for disciplinary procedures applicable to the Defence Forces....</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="525.1">I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this short but important Bill that will amend and update the Defence Acts’ provisions for disciplinary procedures applicable to the Defence Forces.  As someone who represents a constituency with a large Defence Forces presence, I join colleagues on all sides of the House in congratulating them on the outstanding role they have played in international peacekeeping and wish those currently involved in overseas missions every success.</p><p pid="525.2">As a fundamental pillar of a democratic society, the Defence Forces are a huge influence on the country.  Having volunteered to serve the State, Defence Forces personnel must undertake to obey all lawful orders issued to them and to submit to the code of discipline applicable to all those who serve in the force.  The provisions of this Bill will serve as a safeguard against any deviation in this regard.</p><p pid="525.3">The professionalism of our Defence Forces has long been acknowledged internationally.  Their work in the world’s trouble spots, from the Lebanon to the Congo and from Cyprus to Liberia, has been widely complimented and respected.  This service often involves dangerous and difficult work on our behalf and on behalf of the wider international community.</p><p pid="525.4">This work is now being undertaken with the benefit of improved training, equipment and facilities.  This Government has put unprecedented funding into all areas of the Defence Forces, including, if I may be parochial, the commitment of €85 million to the Curragh, for which the Minister and the Government must be complimented.  For many years the lack of investment in facilities such as the Curragh led to difficulties in maintaining the professional standards required for a modern military service.  However, with this significant investment there is no doubt as to the strength of the Defence Forces into the future.</p><p pid="525.6">An important part of the operation of any military service is a strong code of discipline.  The Bill brings up to date the provisions of Part V of the Defence Acts.  It also provides for new procedures, scope, structures, punishment and appeal processes in the forces.  Central is the establishment of an independent military prosecuting authority, the appointment of the court martial administrator and significant changes in the establishment and operation of courts martial.  These changes will ensure that Ireland will be fully compliant with military law in other jurisdictions and in particular that Irish law will be fully compliant with European and Irish human rights provisions.</p><p pid="525.7">It is most important to have a disciplined and effective force so that the public can have full confidence in it.  In a modern society the operation of a military force is dependent on persuasion and motivation rather than orders and instructions, which were relied upon in the past.  The establishment of PDFORRA and RACO in the early 1990s has proved very successful in this regard despite the many prophets of doom who commented on their inception at the time.</p><p pid="525.8">Discipline, however, is central to the operation of any army.  This discipline must be carried out by officers displaying competence and trustworthiness, thereby building the confidence, loyalty and trust of the personnel at their disposal.  In the case of the Defence Forces, the training given to our officers and non-commissioned officers is of the highest standard.  This training concentrates on leadership, teamwork and co-operation, and places the emphasis on the welfare of each individual.  As a result we have Defence Forces that are a credit to our democracy where it is a rarity to hear of any indiscipline.  However, the ultimate power of discipline must rest with the Defence Forces, and be transparent and fair to the individual involved.</p><p pid="525.9">The fairness implied is underpinned by development in Irish and European law principally in the area of human rights law and Irish case law relating to the courts martial appeal court.  The European Convention on Human Rights, which is now fully incorporated into Irish law, requires every organ of the State to operate in a manner compatible with that convention.  I am aware that interim measures have been in place for the past two years relating to the investigation of offences and the conduct of courts martial under the existing Defence Act.  The Government is to be complimented on bringing these human rights protections to a full statutory basis.  These measures will now meet or in many cases exceed the requirement of international best practice in the area of military legal proceedings.  Measures of a high standard will be available to our highly efficient and loyal Defence Forces.</p><p pid="525.10">The Bill contains a number of changes to the language and terms used in the earlier Acts, reflecting a more modern approach to operation of military legal and disciplinary functions.  In this modern era that a significant number of our Defence Forces personnel are female means that protection — particularly in the areas of bullying and sexual harassment, as mentioned by other Members — must be robust and stringent.  Clearly when earlier Defence Acts going back to 1954 were enacted, female participation in our military was not a factor.  I welcome the enhanced protection offered to all personnel, particularly female personnel.  An ongoing challenge for the Defence Forces is to recruit even greater numbers of women into their ranks.</p><p pid="525.11">I welcome the changes in time limits for bringing prosecutions, particularly those of a serious nature.  The time limit will now be six years rather than the existing three years, while the limit for a person who has left the Defence Forces has been extended from three months to six months, which will ensure greater transparency and fairness.  At the same time the time limit for minor disciplinary offences is reduced from three years to one year.  I commend the Minister on this reasonable and logical change.</p><p pid="525.12">The Bill succeeds in pulling together a number of strands in the area of military discipline and law enforcement.  It makes the military law and justice system more efficient and fairer to the individual.  It helps to maintain a proper code of discipline across the Defence Forces and it updates existing laws to ensure their compatibility with the Constitution and human rights legislation.  The Bill complements the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces, which was introduced by the present Minister for Defence.  The ombudsman operates as a final point of appeal in any redress sought by a member of the Defence Forces.  Ms Paulyn Marrinan-Quinn SC was appointed as Ireland’s first Ombudsman for the Defence Forces at the end of 2005.  Ms Marrinan-Quinn brings to her role a wealth of experience, both in her training as a barrister and from her time as insurance ombudsman.  The appointment of such an accomplished and experienced person gives weight to the position and confirms to all citizens — not just those now serving in the Defence Forces — the Government’s strong commitment to the delivery of a fair and balanced set of disciplinary measures.</p><p pid="525.13">I am aware that the representative organisations are very supportive of the role of the ombudsman and this support is very important in the execution of the role.  Their support is based on the clear impartiality of the office and I pay tribute to the role played by PDFORRA and RACO in its establishment.  It is further strengthened by not having any Department of Defence or Civil Service personnel, allowing for even greater impartiality, if that were possible.  The ombudsman may investigate any complaint by a member of the Defence Forces, not only concerning issues of bullying and harassment but also in cases where the action complained of was taken without proper authority, was based on erroneous or incomplete information or was based on incorrect administrative practice.  Only in a limited number of areas, particularly regarding security matters, will the Minister continue to act as arbiter in such disputes.  In the vast majority of cases the ombudsman will adjudicate.  This is very much to the benefit of all members of the Defence Forces and I congratulate the Minister, Deputy O’Dea, and the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, on completing this package of measures in this vital area.</p><p pid="525.14">The record of the Government will compare most favourably with its predecessors in its treatment of the Defence Forces.  Major investment across the services has seen improved buildings and equipment, enhanced training, upgraded living accommodation, and better pay and conditions across the ranks.  As I was coming to the House this morning, I thought back to 1989 and the era of the Army wives campaign.  Clearly significant progress has been made since that particularly tragic period.  This record of achievement will stand the test of time and give this democracy world-class Defence Forces of which we can all rightly be proud.  Great credit is due to the Minister and his predecessor, Deputy Michael Smith, for their commitment to delivering changes in such a short time.</p><p pid="525.15">I am grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute to this important debate.  The Bill when enacted will play a very important role in maintaining unity and discipline in our Defence Forces as well as supporting the human rights of our personnel.  I have no hesitation in joining other Members in commending it to the House.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-03-01T15:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-28.492.0&amp;m=627#g496.11">
	<title>Domestic Violence: Motion (Resumed). | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-28.492.0&amp;m=627#g496.11</link>
	<description>I thank Deputy O&acirc;��Connor for sharing time with me.  The refuge in Kildare has not yet opened so I cannot wax lyrical about the situation.  However, I am pleased to have this opportunity to...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="496.2">I thank Deputy O’Connor for sharing time with me.  The refuge in Kildare has not yet opened so I cannot wax lyrical about the situation.  However, I am pleased to have this opportunity to contribute to this debate on domestic violence, and to support the Government’s amendment.  Like Deputy O’Connor, I congratulate our Sinn Féin colleagues for proposing this motion as it highlights a most serious problem in society.</p><p pid="496.3">Domestic violence is not just an Irish phenomenon.  The World Health Organisation, in a report in 2005, described domestic violence as the most common form of violence in women’s lives.  The international experience is that a woman is statistically more likely to be abused by a partner than by a stranger or casual acquaintance.  The same disturbing report suggests that women are more at risk of assault in the home than on the street.</p><p pid="496.4">The National Crime Council study, concluded in conjunction with the ESRI, gives us the most recent relevant Irish data, which suggests that nearly one in seven women, and about 6% of men, have experienced serious sexual, mental, or physical abuse in a domestic setting.  The same report identified a strong pattern of non-disclosure on the part of the victims, with 33% failing to discuss their abuse or torture with either family or friends.  From experience in my constituency work, it appears that the persistent male abuser, more often than not, manages to isolate his victimised partner from family and friends, lest she would overcome the shame which many women experience when beset by this crime against them and confide in somebody.</p><p pid="496.5">When one considers the veil of secrecy and shame which all too often hides the damage done to individuals and children, as a result of domestic violence, we can appreciate the vital work that is done by groups such as Women’s Aid, which recently made an impressive presentation to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights.  Women’s Aid, through its national free phone helpline, provides what amounts to a genuine lifeline to many abused women.  Its one-to-one confidential support and advocacy service is vital.</p><p pid="496.6">The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime provided €270,000 to groups, such as Women’s Aid, which provide accompaniment services to women going to court in cases such as these.  This type of service is absolutely necessary and should continue to receive the required funding, as it is only when the victims are prepared to go to court that the perpetrators can finally be brought to account for their dastardly and cowardly deeds.  One stunning statistic emerges when considering this issue. Women who find the courage to report domestic violence against them are 70% more likely to experience worse assaults in the aftermath of such disclosure.  This international statistic poses a real challenge that goes beyond politics and government to how society can protect some of its most vulnerable members.  Women’s groups have asked for the legislation in this area to be strengthened.  Notwithstanding the merits of the Domestic Violence Acts, there is considerable merit in the suggestion that the legislation should be revisited in examining in detail how safety orders and barring orders are applied so they may have more widespread application.</p><p pid="496.8">The Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, set out the considerable work and variety of initiatives engaged in by the Garda Síochána in the battle against domestic violence.  It is generally acknowledged that the force has a comprehensive policy in place.  Despite this, women’s groups have reported that not all experiences are positive and the force’s pro-arrest policy is not always implemented.  Equally worrying are the figures which suggest that while the incidents of domestic violence reported to the Women’s Aid helpline increased by 37% between 2003 and 2005, the level of such reporting to the Garda decreased by 35%.</p><p pid="496.9">One key aim of the Government is to heighten public awareness of the dreadful crime of domestic violence.  We must strive to insure there is a consistently high level of awareness of the problem within the Garda and an equally consistent application of best practice in the area.  It is worth noting that a 1999 Law Society report found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that there was a considerable variation among judges in their approach to aspects of this crime and the evidence they deemed sufficient to grant a protection order.</p><p pid="496.10">Children who witness violence in the home are seeing, hearing and learning about violence.  Research has shown that children who see domestic violence in their life carry a greater risk of being either a victim or a perpetrator of domestic violence in their adult life, thus continuing the cycle of domestic violence.  Domestic violence causes a range of symptoms in a child, such as poor interpersonal skills, low self-esteem, eating disorders, a reduction in cognitive ability and severe lack of sleep.  Children can feel guilty, believing they are the direct cause of the violence, and can feel inadequate about not being able to prevent the violence from happening.  More profoundly, children in such circumstances can sometimes resort to acts of violence themselves, through acts of aggression and bullying in and outside the school.  The Department of Education and Science has a key role to play in addressing the problem by including in its SPHE programmes modules that address the culture of anger and violence, which can dominate some intimate partner relationship.</p><p pid="496.11">I commend the amendment to the House.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-02-28T19:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-23.2.0&amp;m=627#g105.0">
	<title>Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-23.2.0&amp;m=627#g105.0</link>
	<description>I echo Deputy Finian McGrath&acirc;��s view that we should consider not only those who have the academic ability but those who have the personal predisposition and vocation to work in this area.  The...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="105.1">I echo Deputy Finian McGrath’s view that we should consider not only those who have the academic ability but those who have the personal predisposition and vocation to work in this area.  The introduction of a new aptitude test for selection for graduate entry to medicine is a worthwhile initiative.</p><p pid="105.2">I again welcome this Bill and commend it the House.  I will hand over to my colleague, Deputy Fitzpatrick.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-02-23T12:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-23.2.0&amp;m=627#g103.0">
	<title>Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-23.2.0&amp;m=627#g103.0</link>
	<description>I am delighted to have this opportunity to contribute, albeit briefly, on this vital legislation which has been described by the Minister, echoed by Deputy Finian McGrath, as aiming to provide a...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="103.1">I am delighted to have this opportunity to contribute, albeit briefly, on this vital legislation which has been described by the Minister, echoed by Deputy Finian McGrath, as aiming to provide a modern, efficient, transparent and accountable system for the regulation of the medical profession.</p><p pid="103.2">To properly evaluate this legislation it must be seen as part, and in the context, of the raft of legislation that has been brought forward by the Minister and her predecessor aimed at delivering a medical service that is patient centred, effective in all its aspects and responsive to the ongoing change that is a feature of life in the world of medicine today.</p><p pid="103.3">The Bill focuses to a great extent on the operation and make up of the Medical Council, the profession’s governing body.  It is clear from reading the Bill that the emphasis is firmly placed on ensuring that the Medical Council operates with the public interest as its number one priority at all times.</p><p pid="103.4">Despite the controversy that continues to surround the ongoing reform of our health services, the public at large have great confidence, and justifiably so, in our medical professionals.  Throughout the country our general practitioners provide a valued service in local communities and generally retain close and ongoing contacts with their patient group.  The overwhelming majority of people report real satisfaction with the level of care and expertise they benefit from when they are admitted to our hospital system.  If there is a weakness in the system, and we must all admit there is, it occurs most often in accident and emergency departments in not all but some of our hospitals.  Many have had the experience, as have I, of waiting endlessly in an accident and emergency department that is obviously well staffed, with no apparent shortage of hospital doctors, yet has nothing like the rapid throughput of patients those waiting or on trolleys would expect.</p><p pid="103.5">The Donegal man, Gerry Robinson, held British and Irish TV viewers spellbound for a number of nights as he set out to transform an NHS hospital.  I am sure the Minister, Deputy Harney, who has worked very hard in her portfolio can empathise, to say the least, with the level of frustration clearly experienced by Robinson in his TV documentary, as he set out to reform the system in just one hospital.  Management, management, management, was the message coming from Sir Gerry and it is reasonable to assert that as we move here towards increasing the number of consultants working in our hospitals by 1,500, as indicated by the Minister, we have a right to expect a correspondingly significant improvement in the management of our services at every level, including accident and emergency.  It may well be a mistake and an over-simplification of the challenge to see the difficulties in accident and emergency departments as the major problem, when these difficulties may be no more than symptoms of an overall lack of integrated management in some of our hospitals.</p><p pid="103.6">In the publicity that surrounded the publication of this Bill much attention was given to Part 8, which deals with the matter of complaints referred to the Fitness to Practise Committee of the Medical Council.  This is not in any way surprising, coming as it did in the aftermath of the publication of the Lourdes Hospital Inquiry into the activities of Dr. Neary.  “Horrific and shocking” are mild terms to describe the extent of patient abuse which this doctor was able to inflict over a protracted period.  Clearly the system currently in place and in place then abysmally failed to protect the interests and wellbeing of the many women who were victims of Dr. Neary’s professional misconduct.</p><p pid="103.7">It is essential that the public has confidence in the regulatory system and, therefore, the reforms contained in this Bill are timely and deserving of our support.  However, given the old maxim that “hard cases make bad law” I wonder if we are adopting the right approach in section 65, which deals with fitness to practise hearings, which it proposes will normally be held in public.  I would be concerned about the possible impact on a medical professional’s career in the aftermath of a public hearing at which the practitioner had been found innocent of any misconduct, given the propensity of the Irish people to believe that there is no smoke without fire.  Would it not be more reasonable to provide for public hearings in situations where there was a <i>prima facie </i>case of significant wrongdoing against a medical practitioner?  Such an approach would help maintain the high level of public confidence, which currently exists in the medical profession, and would also ensure that a new and demonstrable level of accountability was put in place for the future.</p><p pid="103.8">I congratulate the Minister on the provisions included in sections 17 and 20, which provide for a lay majority in the membership of the council and the Fitness to Practise Committee.  This was adversely commented upon by a number of Members today.  As a matter of principle it is prudent that the regulatory body for any profession comprise a majority of members who represent the most important stakeholders, those whom the profession aims to serve.</p><p pid="103.9">Section 86 deals with education and training and it brings me back to the point made earlier about the recruitment of up to 1,500 consultants.  These positions are pivotal to the delivery of improved services on many fronts.  Their arrival on the scene should significantly improve outcomes for patients and, through more effective management, deliver greater hospital throughput.  In addition, these new consultants will be a major resource for the education and training of our postgraduate doctors who will benefit from the resulting, as it were, lower pupil teacher ratio.  However, the key to the success of the recruitment project surely will lie in ensuring that the new consultants meet the same rigorous standards upheld by our current accreditation system.</p><p pid="103.10">Section 86 places the responsibility on the HSE to assess the number of intern and specialist training posts required by the health service on an annual basis.  I noted again today the number of criticisms and direct attacks on the HSE made by Members.  While it is politically expedient at this time to attack the HSE, it certainly does not serve the public interest to do so.  It behoves us all to support this new initiative in a drive towards ensuring better delivery of service to the public at large.</p><p pid="103.11">I pay tribute to the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, and the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, for their joint initiative announced in February 2006, whereby €200 million will be invested in a major reform of medical education and training from undergraduate level through to post-graduate specialist training.  In particular, I acknowledge the positive development that involves the introduction of a new graduate entry programme for medicine as part of the overall expansion of places from 305 to 725 by 2010.  Traditionally, straight As were the prerequisite for entry to undergraduate medicine.  However, academic excellence alone does not a doctor make.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-02-23T12:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-23.2.0&amp;m=627#g101.0">
	<title>Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-23.2.0&amp;m=627#g101.0</link>
	<description>I wish to share my time with Deputy Fitzpatrick.</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="101.1">I wish to share my time with Deputy Fitzpatrick.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-02-23T12:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-21.670.0&amp;m=627#g688.0">
	<title>Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-21.670.0&amp;m=627#g688.0</link>
	<description>I welcome the opportunity to contribute, albeit briefly, on this wide-ranging Bill which will provide for the implementation of improvements in social welfare payments announced in budget 2007...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="688.1">I welcome the opportunity to contribute, albeit briefly, on this wide-ranging Bill which will provide for the implementation of improvements in social welfare payments announced in budget 2007 and introduce the excellent proposal in respect of a special rate of carer’s allowance to be paid to those in receipt of other social welfare payments.  It is a ground-breaking initiative taken by the Minister for Social and Family Affairs and will be of great assistance to many carers.</p><p pid="688.2">Included in the Bill are a number of positive changes to the social welfare system which I will touch on later.  The package of measures introduced by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, however, in the December budget, including the large increase in the State pension already agreed by this House, taken together with the provisions of this Bill, demonstrate the Government’s strong commitment to the less well off in society.  I welcome very much the measure introduced in the child benefit scheme allowing greater flexibility in payment arrangements by removing the presumption that a qualifying child should reside only with one parent.  In modern society it is a common occurrence that children live with each parent at different times.</p><p pid="688.3">The increased rates of child benefit over a number of budgets coupled with the radical move in the 2006 budget to introduce the special payment of €1,000 for children under six, has meant families have been given real and substantial support in caring for their children.  Among the changes proposed in this Bill is a provision which will help those in receipt of illness benefit who return to work.  Should such a person find he or she is unable to continue, the Bill will now allow for him or her to re-apply for a restoration of benefit without the requirement of serving waiting days.  This is a very welcome benefit as many people who have suffered from long-term illness may be apprehensive about returning to work lest they be penalised for doing so if they are unable to continue.  This measure will see a net benefit to the Exchequer in the long-run, following its implementation.</p><p pid="688.4">A number of welcome technical changes are proposed in the areas of maternity and adoptive benefit, invalidity pension and job seekers’ allowance among others.   Possibly the most important change contained in the Bill, however, refers to the introduction of a new means-tested payment of up to half the carer’s allowance rate, which will be payable to carers who may simultaneously be in receipt of another social welfare payment.  It will be a great boost to the many carers for whom this change will have a positive effect.  The work carried out by so many people in our society in caring for loved ones had been largely unnoticed and unrewarded until the carer’s allowance was introduced by Fianna Fáil in Government.  This measure, along with a number of other initiatives introduced by this Minister, gives real and substantial recognition, at last, to their vital role in society.  Without the selfless sacrifices made by carers the State would, in every respect, have to fill this very large void at enormous cost to the taxpayer.  I congratulate the Minister and the Government on this crucial initiative.  In this regard I want to refer to comments by Deputy Cuffe earlier when he talked about the Government perhaps having a grudging attitude to the poor, the less well off and those in need of support.  This Government has demonstrated considerable conviction, determination and focus in its work to combat marginalisation and disadvantage and no one more than the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, who has been enormously effective since taking over this brief.</p><p pid="688.5">The change being introduced in respect of supplementary rent allowance was referred to by Deputy Catherine Murphy.  This is another very positive measure in the Bill.  Over the years, we as working public representatives have been constantly aware of poverty traps and disincentives built into the system.  This alteration in the Bill will go some way towards removing one of those poverty traps by allowing a person to retain rent supplement on taking up full time employment.  In many instances people have been forced to remain on social welfare rather than take up an offer of employment for fear of losing rent supplement.  I very much welcome the Minister’s initiative in this regard.</p><p pid="688.6">The extension of the household budgeting scheme to include telecommunications services is another positive measure in the Bill.  The household budgeting scheme has played an enormous role in preventing social welfare recipients from incurring rent arrears and this extension of the scheme will be of great benefit.  The Minister has seen fit to introduce a number of amendments to the Pensions Act 1990.  I welcome, in particular, the proposal to bring the trust retirement annuity contracts under the remit of the provisions of the Pensions Act.</p><p pid="688.7">There is no doubt the Government has put enormous resources into the welfare and pensions sector over the last ten years, and rightly so.  One only has to compare the rates applicable now to those in receipt of State pensions, child benefit, carer’s allowance and all those others dependent in part or wholly on the social welfare system to those that were in place in 1997 to get a picture of the radical changes and real improvements in all of these areas.  This only tells part of the story, however, as all across the system new and imaginative schemes and payments have been introduced, with more included in this Bill.  Others, such as the improved carer’s packages and enhanced carer’s and child benefit payments were included in earlier budget packages.  Taken in the round, this Minister and his predecessors have much to be proud of in terms of their achievements.</p><p pid="688.8">I am therefore very pleased to note the Government’s commitment to enhanced social inclusion in the National Development Plan 2007-2013.  The emphasis in the plan is targeted at encouragement and support for those on social welfare in making that vital transition from welfare payments to active participation in the workforce.  The social inclusion chapter of the national development plan contains funding of almost €50 billion earmarked for tackling the outstanding areas of poverty through targeted action and early intervention.  This enormous investment is based on the approach agreed with the social partners in Towards 2016 and will be co-ordinated in a ten-year national action plan for social inclusion.  I am convinced the approach will see an overall integrated and targeted approach, which I welcome.  The aim of the plan is to create an environment where those currently in receipt of social welfare payments will be encouraged, supported and assisted in every way towards seeking employment.  It is intended that 20% of those on long-term welfare payments will move to employment during the lifetime of the plan.  This ambitious plan will, hopefully, bear fruit and go on to enhance the lives of the many currently dependent on State welfare payments.</p><p pid="688.9">The best way out of poverty is to get a job.  As well as the positive impact such a step has on a person’s quality of life and social wellbeing, it brings real benefits to the family and to the community at large.  The national development plan will also see enormous investment in the back to work programme, the main element of which is the allowance scheme that encourages the long-term unemployed to take up work opportunities by allowing them to retain a reducing proportion of their social welfare payment plus secondary benefits over three or four years.  This scheme has been highly successful in getting people back into the workforce and I welcome the enormous investment pledged under the national development plan to continue this excellent initiative.  It is an indication of the ongoing commitment that is reflected into today’s social welfare Bill.</p><p pid="688.10">Some €590 million is committed to the back to education allowance, designed to help people in receipt of social welfare to enhance their employment prospects by improving their education and qualifications.  Again, this programme has proven very successful in lifting many welfare recipients and their families out of poverty and I welcome the Government’s continued commitment in this area.  I am sure there is not a Member of the House who is not conscious of the work being done in all our constituencies, in particular by vocational educational committees through their Youthreach and VTOS programmes and indeed by FÁS in many other locations, where it is actively involved in reaching out to long-term unemployed people who are marginalised in local communities, giving them the prospect and dignity of work.</p><p pid="688.11">As a result of the policies pursued by this Government, 250,000 people have already been lifted out of poverty, including 100,000 children.  However, despite this success the challenge remains to make the extra push that will finally end the scourge of poverty and social exclusion once and for all.  The national development plan has placed the objective of tacking poverty and social exclusion among its primary aims.  This commitment from Government through the national development plan, working with the social partners under the provisions of Towards 2016 has ensured a wide-ranging and targeted programme, without doubt the strongest ever assembled, to fully confront and tackle the remaining poverty and social exclusion that exist in society.</p><p pid="688.12">The national development plan will focus large resources also on the provision of programmes and services for people with disabilities, while €12.6 billion is earmarked for enhanced child care provisions, with a further €9.7 billion set aside for programmes supporting older people.  This massive investment is well justified and badly needed and I have no doubt the drive and commitment shown by the Minister to date in this area will be transferred into ensuring the plan is implemented in full.</p><p pid="688.13">I want to refer to two areas, to which some Members alluded, with which the Minister might deal when replying.  There is widespread interest and concern about the plight of the declining number of women who had to give up employment due to the marriage bar.  As a society we need to do something positive by way of providing pensions for women in that category.</p><p pid="688.14">I welcome the provisions for free travel and acknowledge the work done over many years to provide a free travel facility for people.  However, I wish to highlight the need for a greater degree of flexibility in applying the criteria for the granting of a companion travel pass.  Many people would have been able to avail of free travel had they been granted a companion pass.  I urge the Minister to consider that suggestion.  I commend the Bill to the House.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-02-21T17:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-21.670.0&amp;m=627#g686.0">
	<title>Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-21.670.0&amp;m=627#g686.0</link>
	<description>May I share time with Deputy Cooper-Flynn?</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="686.1">May I share time with Deputy Cooper-Flynn?</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-02-21T17:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-07.443.0&amp;m=627#g522.0">
	<title>Finance Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-07.443.0&amp;m=627#g522.0</link>
	<description>While watching the programme I was reminded of a comment made on radio by a Fine Gael Party spokesman that a monkey could run the economy.  The hard work, commitment, initiative and genius of the...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="522.1">While watching the programme I was reminded of a comment made on radio by a Fine Gael Party spokesman that a monkey could run the economy.  The hard work, commitment, initiative and genius of the Irish people, operating in partnership with a government that has provided leadership, foresight and prudent management, has brought us to our current position.  We should be loth to do anything that would unscramble that winning formula.</p><p pid="522.2">In the time available to me I will refer to two particular areas of concern.  As a representative of the thoroughbred county in my constituency of Kildare South, I have a special interest in the bloodstock industry, as has my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Power.  The sector is the backbone of the rural economy in County Kildare and many other counties.  Section 24 addresses tax arrangements for stallion stud fees, with new provisions taking effect from 1 August 2008.</p><p pid="522.3">I am conscious that not every Member of the House understands the importance of the stallion industry for the rural economy and in that regard it is useful to refer to the Indecon report.  I will summarise the report’s main findings on the bloodstock sector.  Indecon estimated that total stallion fee income in 2002 was €85 million.  After adjusting for costs, including wages and salaries, keep and related expenses, depreciation and financing costs, Indecon prudently estimated the total net value added produced by annual stallion income in 2002 at between €7 million and €16.4 million.</p><p pid="522.4">The report also suggested that 2,154 full-time equivalent jobs were supported by the stallion sector.  The Minister for Finance indicated yesterday that this figure has since increased to approximately 2,500.  The employment created by the operation of stud farms also generates substantial employment incomes, estimated by Indecon to total €44 million in 2003.  Conservative estimates put total Exchequer contributions from the stallion sector, through PAYE and PRSI taxation paid on employment incomes and VAT and excise duties, at €22.4 million in 2003.  Assuming a multiplier of 1.43 and based on a best estimate of total current spend by the sector, it was estimated that total contribution to the economy of expenditures undertaken in the stallion sector was of the order of €120 million.</p><p pid="522.5">Since the Indecon report was published in July 2004, the bloodstock sector has continued to grow to the point at which Ireland is now the third largest producer of thoroughbreds in the world.  That, in itself, is quite a phenomenal achievement for such a small country.   The industry is conscious of the significant support it has received from this and the previous Government.  It is, I believe, understanding of the changes that are now proposed to the tax regime, on foot of objections from the EU Commission and some Opposition Members of the Oireachtas to stud fee relief.  The Minister’s proposal for a four-year write-off on the purchase cost of a stallion is welcome and will, I assume, be approved by the EU.</p><p pid="522.6">Moving on from a tax relief that is to be abolished, the Minister might consider a new relief in line with his own belief that some reliefs continue to be justifiable where they are targeted and likely to be productive for the citizen and taxpayer.  It is appropriate that the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Power, is in the House to hear this suggestion.  The Government is strongly committed to the implementation of the primary health care strategy, a key element of which is the introduction of an interdisciplinary team-based approach to primary health care provision.  It is recognised that modern, well equipped and accessible premises are essential to the effective functioning of a primary care team and that such premises should provide a single point of access for the user, as well as encouraging closer co-operation between providers.</p><p pid="522.7">The primary care strategy group estimates that, at 2001 prices, a typical such facility would cost of the order of €2.5 million.  Given that the group recommended that up to 600 special care units would be required up to 2011, a total capital investment of €1.2 billion would be needed.  I am proposing the following suggestions in this regard.  First, the Minister should consider the introduction of tax benefits like those for nursing homes, to be offered to groups of GPs, with a combined list size that is sufficient to fulfil the required numbers for a primary care team.  These GPs would then proceed to develop primary care centres with both GP surgeries and areas for wider primary care team participation.  This would encourage GPs to invest funding in primary care centres.  It would provide the necessary capital investment for the primary care strategy, and would act as a real incentive for GPs to come together and join into primary care teams.</p><p pid="522.8">Second, I am proposing the introduction of a lease-back scheme, whereby the HSE would either lease back the area of development earmarked for the primary care team alone — leaving GPs to own their section of the development — or the entire development, so that once they had gained ownership of the building they would lease the GP section back to GPs at a reasonable rent.</p><p pid="522.9">The first of these options would attract GPs who want to retain ownership of their surgeries, while the second option would allow the HSE to have control in deprived urban areas, thus ensuring that new GPs would not face significant capital investment costs.  Such a scheme should be severely limited.  Tax incentives should only apply to the medical part of any development and only GPs involved in the primary care strategy should be entitled to avail of any relief.  Such GPs would have to be in a team that is sufficiently large to justify the development in the first instance.  Any new developments would require the agreement of both the HSE and the GPs.</p><p pid="522.10">The advantages of such an approach would obviate the long bureaucratic process whereby the HSE tries to obtain sanction for capital funding for each individual project across the country.  In addition, because of the appetite among GPs for such developments, it is realistic to envisage such centres being developed much faster and more cost-effectively than via the public sector.  It would also encourage GPs to expedite these developments by providing such tax incentives for a limited period of three to five years.  The ultimate goal is to develop as many purpose-built, state-of-the-art, primary care centres as possible, both quickly and efficiently.</p><p pid="522.11">I strongly believe that these suggestions warrant consideration as a means to advancing the provisions of the primary health care strategy.  I commend the Bill to the House.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-02-07T17:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-07.443.0&amp;m=627#g519.0">
	<title>Finance Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2007-02-07.443.0&amp;m=627#g519.0</link>
	<description>I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute, albeit briefly, on the third Finance Bill of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen.  It comes in the aftermath of the presentation of the Book...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="519.1">I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute, albeit briefly, on the third Finance Bill of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen.  It comes in the aftermath of the presentation of the Book of Estimates and a successful, balanced and well crafted budget.</p><p pid="519.2">The Minister has already set out the aims of the Bill, which places emphasis on the promotion of enterprise, jobs and investment, the removal of low earners from the tax net and the advancement of environmental and socially desirable objectives via the tax system.  He is continuing the job of consolidating the enormous fiscal and economic progress made over the past decade, while at the same time laying the groundwork for continued growth, prosperity and fairness.</p><p pid="519.3">It is important that we do not take our economic environment for granted.  Viewers of the special “A Week in Politics” programme broadcast on RTE at the weekend could not help but notice, as the American presenter did, that the focus group took the Government’s present position of strength as a “given”.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2007-02-07T17:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
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