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<title>John O'Mahony - Recent appearances (From KildareStreet.com)</title>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-04-09.406.0&amp;m=697#g419.0">
	<title>Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2009: Motion | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-04-09.406.0&amp;m=697#g419.0</link>
	<description>I wish to share time with Deputies Deenihan and Barrett.  I would like to put on the record of the House, as articulated by Deputy Olivia Mitchell, Fine Gael&acirc;€™s support for the horse and...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="419.1">I wish to share time with Deputies Deenihan and Barrett.  I would like to put on the record of the House, as articulated by Deputy Olivia Mitchell, Fine Gaelâ€™s support for the horse and greyhound industry which provides 30,000 jobs and deserves funding and support.  I am aware it has received more than â‚¬500 million in funding in this decade alone.  </p><p pid="419.2">My concern arises from a response to a question I tabled some months ago to which the Minister replied that no new applications had been taken for sports capital funding in 2009.  The Minister mentioned yesterday in committee that some projects would commence this year.  In this regard, I assume he was referring - I do not wish to be splitting hairs - to projects approved in 2007 or 2008.  The perception out there - I have experienced this reaction even since the decision was first announced at committee last week - among the sporting organisations is that other sports are being treated unfairly and that the horse and greyhound industry is, in some way, being supported at the expense of other sports, which I understand.</p><p pid="419.3">I said yesterday and say again today that not enough was done in the budget to support jobs and we must support these jobs.  There is a need for support for the horse and greyhound industry within the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food as I believe it is in its interest that sporting organisations are not at each otherâ€™s throats.  Other sporting institutions such as the GAA and those representing team sports such as rugby and soccer could also say they provided billions in revenue to the Exchequer.  It is in everybodyâ€™s interest that the message goes out that what we are doing is supporting an industry not a sport.  The horse and greyhound industry is on record as saying that it does not want to depend on Exchequer funding.  I look forward to publication of the review this summer which it is hoped will articulate the ways in which this is done.  I support the view of other Members that sport is needed now more than ever and must be supported.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-04-09T15:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-04-09.327.0&amp;m=697#g359.0">
	<title>Cystic Fibrosis: Motion | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-04-09.327.0&amp;m=697#g359.0</link>
	<description>There is a very enthusiastic bench here.  I am delighted to speak on this motion and applaud Deputy Reilly and my party for bringing it forward. I welcome the Minister&acirc;€™s and Government&acirc;€™s...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="359.1">There is a very enthusiastic bench here.  I am delighted to speak on this motion and applaud Deputy Reilly and my party for bringing it forward.</p><p pid="359.2">I welcome the Ministerâ€™s and Governmentâ€™s reversal of the decision to postpone the building of the dedicated cystic fibrosis unit at St. Vincentâ€™s Hospital.  I applaud Orla Tinsley for leading a masterful campaign on behalf of cystic fibrosis sufferers in this country that brought about this reversal.  No doubt this Fine Gael motion and the pressure from the House had a part to play too.  Will the Minister of State confirm whether the completion of this project by 2011 is conditional on finding a developer who can wait two years for the money or are we going to find in nine monthsâ€™ time that there will again be a problem?</p><p pid="359.3">I ask because the Governmentâ€™s record in caring for cystic fibrosis sufferers has been appalling.  Cystic fibrosis sufferers and their families have, on the one hand, had to try to look after their family members who are suffering and on the other, lead campaigns on radio and TV shows to raise awareness and keep their campaign going.  The promises are made when public opinion is on a high but when it dies down the Government backtracks and the cycle must start again.  I hope that this latest commitment is not another part of the cycle that has continued for many years.</p><p pid="359.4">Cystic fibrosis sufferers and their families are exceptional people.  Many parents of CF sufferers have given up their jobs and careers to care for their children, without complaint.  They seek only basic supports.  In my constituency, for example, the Mayo Friends of Cystic Fibrosis are attempting to build a standalone, three-bedroom unit for the 40 or so sufferers and patients in our county.  The group needs in the region of â‚¬300,000 to complete the project this year.  All the money is being raised voluntarily as the agency with responsibility for health care, the HSE, will not contribute to the cost of the project.  I do not need to list the examples of wastage in this country in the past ten years, ten months and I presume in the past ten weeks, that would completely pay for this project.</p><p pid="359.5">In some ways the care situation for CF patients in Mayo is good because of the dedication of the team under Dr. Michael Oâ€™Neill, but there is only so much that can be done when the facilities are found wanting.  When an adult CF patient in Mayo needs hospitalisation he or she has to attend the paediatric ward.  There is only one medical treatment room for the entire ward.  That can mean waiting a long time to be seen by a doctor which increases the chances of exposure to an infection.  There is no outpatient facility apart from the CF clinics which are held three times a year.</p><p pid="359.6">Most patients are treated under a dual care system with a Dublin hospital.  That means visits to Dublin and because of the many horror stories associated with such trips, patients are, naturally enough, reluctant to travel.  One patient was admitted to Beaumont Hospital last year for vital treatment but on arrival in Dublin there was no bed for him and he was given a bed in a nursing home.  He was exposed to potentially lethal infections and did not have the treatment that he was supposed to have.</p><p pid="359.7">CF care in Ireland, despite the best efforts of the professionals and the families, is light years behind what it should be.  It is underfunded and underresourced.  It is as if, because of its being a life limiting condition, the authorities do not really believe that they should be investing in it for the long term.  It is an appalling indictment of a system that is supposed to care.  If this is caring then I would hate to see what non-caring is.</p><p pid="359.8">I have given some of these facts relating to my own county to help people understand that although Ireland has the biggest incidence of cystic fibrosis in the world, sufferers here die an average ten years earlier that their counterparts in Britain or the US.</p><p pid="359.9">I ask for support for this motion so that cystic fibrosis sufferers will finally get the medical care they deserve.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-04-09T13:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-04-09.327.0&amp;m=697#g357.0">
	<title>Cystic Fibrosis: Motion | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-04-09.327.0&amp;m=697#g357.0</link>
	<description>I wish to share time with Deputies Carey, Terence Flanagan, Olivia Mitchell, Ring, McEntee and Deenihan.  Will the Ceann Comhairle please wield the axe when I reach six minutes? </description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="357.1">I wish to share time with Deputies Carey, Terence Flanagan, Olivia Mitchell, Ring, McEntee and Deenihan.  Will the Ceann Comhairle please wield the axe when I reach six minutes? </p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-04-09T13:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-04-01.487.0&amp;m=697#g541.0">
	<title>Social Welfare: Motion (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-04-01.487.0&amp;m=697#g541.0</link>
	<description>I am glad to contribute briefly to this debate and to strongly support the motion tabled by Deputy Enright and Fine Gael.  In recent weeks, the clinics of Members on all sides of the House have...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="541.1">I am glad to contribute briefly to this debate and to strongly support the motion tabled by Deputy Enright and Fine Gael.  In recent weeks, the clinics of Members on all sides of the House have become almost like unemployment offices in the sense that people seek help with regard to the delays they face.  The present economic difficulties of our country happened so quickly that in a matter of months thousands of people have seen their dreams and ambitions blow up in front of their eyes.  Our Government has been in denial for the past year.  It suggested that we were a strong economy which could withstand any difficulties.  This reassurance was taken in good faith.  Now we know differently and it is rather pathetic to see how the Government has been so slow to react to the plight of our citizens who cry out for support and assurance in their hour of need.</p><p pid="541.2">The trauma of losing a job, or in many cases two jobs in the same household, is difficult enough to cope with but the blow could be softened if help is at hand quickly, discreetly and in an uncomplicated way.  This is what is at issue here this evening.  Mothers and fathers are desperate to hold on to their homes and to have immediate access to social welfare entitlements.  It does not help if, as we saw on the â€śSix Oneâ€ť news this evening, the unemployed have to queue halfway down the street in towns throughout the country for an office which is inadequately staffed by the Department.</p><p pid="541.3">This is no criticism by me of the staff in these offices.  I have spoken with many of them in recent weeks and they eloquently described the difficulties they are in and how they are overwhelmed by the avalanche of applications.  Our system should be flexible enough to react to emergency situations by transferring staff from other areas.  I understand that staff in all of the offices are doing their best in trying circumstances but they need help and they need a plan.  In my constituency of Mayo the unemployment rates have increased by almost 90% in the past 12 months.  Immediate and radical measures are required to cope with this.</p><p pid="541.4">I am pleased to see that this motion also deals with the present debt collection system which sees a waste of taxpayersâ€™ money on court cases which are to the advantage of nobody.  These structures are outdated, archaic and were never intended to deal with a crisis such as what we are going through at present.  The courts should be used for people who refuse to pay even if they have the money.  They should not be used for people who want to pay but cannot at present and will honour their commitments when their circumstances improve.  The courts should be the last resort and not a first point of contact.  Deputy Enright eloquently articulated the type of alternative dispute resolution system she has in mind and I welcome it.</p><p pid="541.5">I do not have time to go over many of the points Deputy Enright made but I strongly support the motion in the interests of thousands of people, many of whom are unemployed for the first time and find themselves in very difficult circumstances.  The unemployment figures for March added another 16,000 people to structures already overwhelmed.  It is in everybodyâ€™s interest that this motion is supported.  If the structures are not coping with the unemployment figures at present, how can they be expected to cope with the thousands added each month?  We have seen an increase of 80,000 since Christmas.  The unemployment rate has increased from 5% to 11%.  The figures speak for themselves and I commend this motion to the House.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-04-01T19:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-25.633.0&amp;m=697#g683.0">
	<title>Oireachtas Reform: Motion (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-25.633.0&amp;m=697#g683.0</link>
	<description>The Government needs to show leadership.</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="683.1">The Government needs to show leadership.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-03-25T20:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-25.633.0&amp;m=697#g663.0">
	<title>Oireachtas Reform: Motion (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-25.633.0&amp;m=697#g663.0</link>
	<description>I am pleased to make a contribution to this motion and commend Deputies Hogan and Stanton for tabling it on behalf of Fine Gael.  Listening to the previous speakers, including Ministers of State,...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="663.1">I am pleased to make a contribution to this motion and commend Deputies Hogan and Stanton for tabling it on behalf of Fine Gael.  Listening to the previous speakers, including Ministers of State, I do not wish to personalise the issue in any way.  There was a suggestion that Fine Gael was selective in this motion regarding Ministers of State and that it was not concerned about DĂˇil reform.  My colleague, Deputy Stanton and others introduced a comprehensive document last week on DĂˇil reform.  </p><p pid="663.2">It has also been suggested that we raised a topic which should not be raised.  Before I attended the Chamber I looked at some past press reports.  In the <i>Irish Examiner</i> on 15 March a report stated 11 of the 20 Ministers of State said they would accept any moves by the Taoiseach, Deputy Cowen to remove them from their positions.  The point being made is that this Fine Gael motion has not addressed this topic, it has been brought up in public and on the other side of the House.</p><p pid="663.3">My only interest is that the business of Government is run in an efficient and transparent way, where the public is seen to get an efficient service from the people it elects and from the Ministers and Ministers of State who run the various Departments.  For me personally, this motion is not about any individual who is a Minister of State.  It is about the system in which they are asked to operate.</p><p pid="663.4">We have arrived at a situation where the public does not get an efficient service or value for money.  Over the years, and in particular in 2007,  extra Minister of State posts were created not to give a better service but to help cobble together a Government and retain power.  People were identified first and then jobs had to be found for them.  That might be a good way to hang on to power but it is not an acceptable use of resources no matter who is in Government.</p><p pid="663.5">If we are going to tackle the recession in our country we must all live within our means.  That starts at the top and includes Deputies, and whatever else has to be done.  We are starting at the top level.  Fine Gael last week made wide-ranging suggestions on this matter and I commend our party leader and his Front Bench colleagues for bringing them forward at this time.</p><p pid="663.6">The Government has asked for suggestions from this side of the House and now  we are giving them.  Someone has to give the lead on this matter and I am glad Fine Gael has provided it.  Let us compare that with how the Government side of the House has reacted.  When, a couple of months ago,  a number of Ministers of State offered up their posts, if they were to be taken away, they were more or less slapped on the wrist and told to keep quiet and get on with their jobs.  This reminded me of the lectures that were given by the Taoiseach at the time, Mr. Haughey, in the 1980s when we were all told to tighten our belts, when, meanwhile, people at the top of the pile continued their extravagant lifestyle as before.</p><p pid="663.7">The motto then was, and seems to be still, â€śDo as I say, not as I doâ€ť.  This cannot go on.  I tabled a question earlier today about the withdrawal of a school library service in Mayo in the October budget.  The net effect of the decision on the ground is that books for special needs pupils are no longer being provided to children in certain primary schools as heretofore.  I cannot get transport to a school sanctioned for a special needs child even though it would not cost anything extra as the parents were willing to link up with transport that already exists.</p><p pid="663.8">Schools in Mayo and throughout the country are losing their rural co-ordinators because of cutbacks.  Is it not reasonable that some of these services could be maintained if the number of ministerial posts were reduced?  The Government is not willing to take the lead and set an example from the top.</p><p pid="663.9">I have refrained, and I want to emphasise this point, from naming any Ministers of State in my contribution because it is not my intention to take cheap shots at anybody.  I have dealt with many Ministers of State and know many of them personally.  When I eventually find out who is in control of a particular situation I have always found the Ministers of State concerned to be courteous and helpful, but that is not the issue here.</p><p pid="663.10">It is crazy that some Departments have four Ministers of State reporting to the senior Minister.  How can there be efficiency when there is such duplication?  The whole system needs to be simplified and reduced so that a more efficient system is delivered by fewer people who have very clear roles.  This should apply no matter who is in Government.  We are not asking the other side of the House do something that we on this side are not prepared to do ourselves.</p><p pid="663.11">It is not acceptable that a support staff of 187 is employed to service 20 Ministers of State at a cost of â‚¬8 million when we look, for instance, at the disproportionate effect of the education cuts in small schools where three teacher schools are to lose one teacher, a third of their staff.  People are entitled to be very annoyed and even outraged when they see what is going on in the running of Government, where there is continual wastage and, meanwhile, the vulnerable are falling through the cracks in our health and education services.</p><p pid="663.12">Given the acknowledgement by so many Fianna FĂˇil and Green Party Deputies of the need to review the number of Ministers of State and the number of committees, I am surprised they do not propose to support the Fine Gael motion.  This motion represents an ideal opportunity to take action on these issues.  The Government has sought proposals from the Opposition.  Now it has been presented with an ideal way of showing the bona fides of its request.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-03-25T19:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-25.633.0&amp;m=697#g661.0">
	<title>Oireachtas Reform: Motion (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-25.633.0&amp;m=697#g661.0</link>
	<description>I wish to share time with Deputies Bannon, Flanagan and Doyle.</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="661.1">I wish to share time with Deputies Bannon, Flanagan and Doyle.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-03-25T19:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-25.308.0&amp;m=697#g313.2">
	<title>Capitation Grants. | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-25.308.0&amp;m=697#g313.2</link>
	<description>The problem is that the Minister is giving with one hand and taking away with the other.  The enhanced funding to which he refers was in place before these cutbacks were introduced.  What is to...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="313.2">The problem is that the Minister is giving with one hand and taking away with the other.  The enhanced funding to which he refers was in place before these cutbacks were introduced.  What is to be done for the children who continue to require the supports formerly available under this scheme?  That is the question I want the Minister to answer.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-03-25T13:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-25.308.0&amp;m=697#g311.3">
	<title>Capitation Grants. | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-25.308.0&amp;m=697#g311.3</link>
	<description>I thank the Minister for his reply.  I am concerned about how these changes will affect pupils in schools throughout the State.  The Minister referred to support for DEIS schools.  I have before...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="311.2">I thank the Minister for his reply.  I am concerned about how these changes will affect pupils in schools throughout the State.  The Minister referred to support for DEIS schools.  I have before me a list of parents and teachers of students with special needs in non-DEIS schools.  Recurring themes in the months since our economic difficulties emerged are that there must be value for money and that the vulnerable must be protected.  In this instance, students with special educational needs in non-DEIS schools are falling through the cracks.</p><p pid="311.3">In my own constituency of Mayo, a capitation grant of â‚¬65,000 was paid to the county council last year to provide a school library service.  Special needs teachers were able to obtain books under this scheme for children with special needs in their schools.  We are all aware of the need for reductions in public expenditure.  It is only right that those parents who can afford to do so should pay for their childrenâ€™s school books.  However, what about vulnerable children in non-DEIS schools?  What has the Minister to say to those teachers whose students have been eligible for this service thus far but are now to be denied it?  Has any provision been made for such students?  Officials in Mayo County Council have told me that the cutbacks will affect not only children with special needs but also non-national children, or the new Irish as they are often described.  Other services that may be affected include the link-up to the Health Service Executive for the provision of speech therapy services.  What will the Minister say to the parents and teachers of the children for whom these services will be withdrawn in June 2009?</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-03-25T13:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-25.308.0&amp;m=697#g309.0">
	<title>Capitation Grants. | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-25.308.0&amp;m=697#g309.0</link>
	<description>Question 40: To ask the Minister for Education and Science  the reason for the withdrawal of capitation grants for the schools service which provides school books for children with special...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="309.0"><i>Question 40:</i> To ask the Minister for Education and Science  the reason for the withdrawal of capitation grants for the schools service which provides school books for children with special educational needs in primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.  <b>[12289/09]</b></p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-03-25T13:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-04.995.0&amp;m=697#g1026.0">
	<title>Public Finances: Motion | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-03-04.995.0&amp;m=697#g1026.0</link>
	<description>I am glad to make a contribution to this debate and I commend my Fine Gael colleagues for tabling this motion. In recent weeks, the ordinary people have been crying out for the Government and the...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="1026.1">I am glad to make a contribution to this debate and I commend my Fine Gael colleagues for tabling this motion.</p><p pid="1026.2">In recent weeks, the ordinary people have been crying out for the Government and the Taoiseach and Minister for Finance in particular to get to grips with the situation and take control of our financial problems.  They are willing to take some pain if they see it shared out in a fair and equitable way.  I am glad the Government responded, albeit belatedly, to the need for a supplementary budget in this House yesterday.  Although this was suggested by my party leader, Deputy Kenny, last week, at the time it was perceived to be completely unnecessary by the TĂˇnaiste.  One can only say that a week is a long time in politics.</p><p pid="1026.3">The figures for unemployment given in the House this morning by the Taoiseach were frightening, namely, 354,000, with the possibility that this figure will exceed half a million before the end of the year, if present trends continue.  Since 1 January, if my figures are correct, we have been losing approximately 1,100 jobs a day.  Consequently, while it is vital to get spending under control, to widen the tax base and to increase revenue, the forthcoming budget also must include measures that will stimulate business and job creation, as well as job protection, because small enterprises with nine or ten employees make up the bulk of the job losses announced by the Government this morning.  These figures are even understated because the owners of small businesses that have closed down are entitled to nothing.  They received no assistance when they were up and running and providing employment and now they will not even get unemployment benefit because they were self-employed.</p><p pid="1026.4">Everyone realises that difficult decisions must be taken and Fine Gael has made many wide-ranging suggestions that should be taken on board.  However, a couple of other issues also must be addressed.  If people have lost their jobs or are obliged to pay higher taxes or levies, the last thing they need to see from the top is wastage of public money or extreme extravagance.  However, all Members are aware that plenty of examples of such wastage have occurred, even up to last weekend.  For instance, new offices for the former Taoiseach were refurbished less than nine months ago at a cost of almost â‚¬250,000.  As for the dearest sweetshop in town located in front of Leinster House, half a million euro was spent on the glass alone and its total cost was more than â‚¬1.3 million.  The TĂˇnaiste spent â‚¬50,000 on having a toilet refurbished in her offices.  It cost â‚¬164,000 to fly two Ministers to America to meet the head of Dell Corporation.  Almost half a million euro was spent in 2007 and 2008 solely on press launches in the various Departments.</p><p pid="1026.6">The public needs to see evidence that lessons have been learned from the mistakes of the past. However, this had not happened up until Monday last, when the travel undertaken by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy Cullen, cost â‚¬8,000 for one day.  Nevertheless, the next couple of weeks provide a good opportunity to illustrate belt tightening at the top, when the St. Patrickâ€™s Day celebrations will take place around the world.  The cost of travel for St. Patrickâ€™s Day last year amounted to â‚¬560,000, which did not take into account the cost of the Government jet.  In that context it is worth noting that â‚¬112 million has been spent on school prefabs since 2006.  Reallocating some of this money to the schools building programme would surely offer better value for money.  We are told that the annual rent for a prefabricated building is some â‚¬12,000.  More than â‚¬500,000 was spent on the provision of prefabricated accommodation in Mayo alone last year.</p><p pid="1026.7">The Taoiseach stated in this House recently that he has no plans to reduce the number of Ministers of State, even though, he claimed, there was a queue of these people some months ago offering to hand back their portfolios.  I have learned over the years that to say sorry when one has made a mistake is a sign of strength.  One always earns respect for so doing.  We saw the effect when the new President of the United States, Mr. Barack Obama, apologised recently for a mistake he had made.  Unfortunately, Members on the other side of the House have refused to apologise for the mess the Government has made of running this country in recent years.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-03-04T20:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-25.1118.0&amp;m=697#g1121.6">
	<title>School Staffing. | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-25.1118.0&amp;m=697#g1121.6</link>
	<description>I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this important issue which relates to the removal of a rural co-ordinator for a number of DEIS schools on the Mayo-Sligo border.  This matter...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="1121.2">I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this important issue which relates to the removal of a rural co-ordinator for a number of DEIS schools on the Mayo-Sligo border.  This matter first came to light when the rural co-ordinator was withdrawn from non-DEIS schools in the area as a result of recent cutbacks.  As a result, St. Johnâ€™s national school, Carramore, Kinaffe national school, Swinford, Castlerock national school, Aclare, and St. Attractaâ€™s national school Kilmactigue, have been left without either a home-school community liaison officer or a rural co-ordinator.</p><p pid="1121.3">I am disappointed that the Minister for Education and Science is not present to take this matter.  However, I am aware that the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, is a fair-minded person and I urge him to obtain a successful resolution in respect of this matter.</p><p pid="1121.4">The schools to which I refer have been informed that they will receive some form of grant in lieu.  However, this can in no way replace the service on offer at present.  Principals, teachers and parents have informed me about the wonderful service that the rural co-ordinator provides at present.  She runs parenting, preschool and many other courses for each of the schools and undertakes home visits which create a healthy understanding among families and the schools their children attend and ensure that a holistic and caring education is delivered to those children.  Rural co-ordinators have been one of the success stories of the primary education system in recent times.  They give children in rural schools an even playing field and help to overcome disadvantage and isolation.</p><p pid="1121.5">Any grant given in lieu of the loss of a rural co-ordinator, while a help, will not in any way replace what it is proposed to remove.  A recent letter from the Department states that it is reclustering review considered the size and geographical proximity of other schools and indicated the service was withdrawn for this reason.  Surely the overriding decision should have been based on the level of disadvantage.  To be constructive, the schools in question produced a new cluster involving Lahinch national school, which would be an acceptable solution if it were taken on board.</p><p pid="1121.6">In rural parishes the rural co-ordinator becomes the spokesperson for parents who will not or cannot speak for themselves.  I appeal to the Minister of State to use his good offices to ensure those with responsibility for this decision change their minds.  The savings obtained from removing the rural co-ordinator in the primary school cluster in question would be minuscule, whereas the loss of service would be substantial.  I appeal to the Minister to reconsider the decision and allow the post to be retained in the schools in question.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-02-25T23:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-25.1118.0&amp;m=697#g1119.2">
	<title>School Staffing. | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-25.1118.0&amp;m=697#g1119.2</link>
	<description>I wish to share time with Deputy Perry.</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="1119.2">I wish to share time with Deputy Perry.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-02-25T23:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-25.776.0&amp;m=697#g871.0">
	<title>Banking System: Motion | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-25.776.0&amp;m=697#g871.0</link>
	<description>I am glad of the opportunity to make a contribution to this Private Members&acirc;€™ motion on the unfair, reactive rather than proactive and indecisive way this Government has dealt with the economic...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="871.1">I am glad of the opportunity to make a contribution to this Private Membersâ€™ motion on the unfair, reactive rather than proactive and indecisive way this Government has dealt with the economic crisis that has befallen this country.  I commend Deputy Bruton on bringing the motion before the House and for the consistent approach he has taken during good times and bad, always being constructive in his analysis.  Only in recent times do people really appreciate how well he was aware of the warning signals in our economy when the Government continued to be in denial.</p><p pid="871.2">A number of key issues have been at play over the last number of weeks for people on the streets of this country when the financial crisis stares them in the face when they get out of bed, if they are lucky enough to have a job to go to.  They look to our Government and bankers for the leadership and action to deal with the issues in a proactive and competent manner.  If this had happened it would have sent out a signal that would have given confidence across the board.  If the actions taken are seen to have a positive effect and be fair, the confidence that brings becomes part of the solution.  There is a self-fulfilling prophecy that whether we think we can or cannot, we are right.  If that action is not taken, and if nobody seems to be taking responsibility or is made accountable for the irresponsible behaviour that has led us to where we are, people lose confidence and get angry.</p><p pid="871.3">People are crying out to be constructive if they see fair and firm remedies being implemented.  This motion is an attempt to bring that fairness and equity to the pension levy proposals and to make people accountable for the mismanagement and lack of regulation in the Irish banking system.  Regarding the unfairness of the pension levy, we were told since these proposals were introduced that they would or could be tweaked as they were debated and brought through this House.  We have seen no evidence of that.  By the introduction of this levy the Government will encourage people on low incomes to give up their jobs and go on social welfare and encourage people who are near full service to retire to avoid the levy.  The latter effect on the Garda could have major knock-on effects where there are many retirements at one end, of which I am hearing in my constituency, with the slowing down of recruitment at the other end.</p><p pid="871.5">Another effect of the crisis and how it is being dealt with is that the Government has set the public and private sector workers at each otherâ€™s throats.  In that kind of war there will be no winners.  The Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance have consistently come into this House and asked for a unified approach to deal with the problems, and yet the measures the Minister introduces will do anything but that.  Where is the fairness in 17,000 farmers getting letters from their bank managers about the money they owe but not being able to get the grants they were pledged many months ago?  Small businesses and employers cannot get credit facilities from the banks to keep their doors open or to stay in business.  It brings to mind the saying, â€śNero fiddled while Rome burned.â€ť</p><p pid="871.6">When we have an unprecedented crisis people need to be told the truth.  I firmly believe that if they were in possession of the facts they would rise to the occasion and if that burden was seen to be spread in an equitable and fair manner, then the Irish public would not be found wanting.  I commend the motion to the House.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-02-25T20:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-19.201.0&amp;m=697#g383.0">
	<title>Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Second Stage | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-19.201.0&amp;m=697#g383.0</link>
	<description>I have been listening all morning to this debate and find the comments of those on the Government side, particularly backbenchers, incredible.  They say the Opposition is not acting responsibly,...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="383.1">I have been listening all morning to this debate and find the comments of those on the Government side, particularly backbenchers, incredible.  They say the Opposition is not acting responsibly, that the unions are providing false figures and Deputy Blaney has just said that public service members have inflated the figures with regard to how much they will lose as a result of the pension levy.  If we were to believe what they are saying, only the Government is acting responsibly.   My question is, why did it not act responsibly over the past 11 years, instead of wasting and squandering the money created by the people?</p><p pid="383.3">We are being told the Taoiseach, Minister and Government are now doing what is necessary for the country.  Why did they not do what was necessary when the wealth was being created?  We in the Opposition are told we have forgotten about the great work that was done, such as road projects.  However, neither we nor the people have forgotten the teachers and parents of children in schools around the country, whose schools are falling down and have not been replaced over the past 11 years of squander mania.  We have not forgotten about the parents who have had to go to court to vindicate their rights for their children with special needs while the Government spent hundreds of millions defending the indefensible.</p><p pid="383.4">Deputies on the Government side came into the House today to defend the indefensible in this Bill.  I have only been a Member of the House for a short time, but I have worked with many successful people in the past.  One thing successful people do is accept responsibility for their actions.  Over the past three or four hours, we have listened to Ministers, Government Deputies and Green Party Deputies, but they have not accepted responsibility for bringing the country to its knees.</p><p pid="383.5">I am glad to contribute to this debate on the efforts by the Government to deal with the consequences of how it has mishandled, mismanaged and squandered the wealth of the country over the past 11 years.  It now proposes to screw the people who helped create the wealth and ask them to pay a totally unfair amount in order to bail out those who created the problem.  Ministers, bankers, speculators and developers made decisions that squandered, wasted and spent as if there would be no tomorrow and the good times would roll on forever.</p><p pid="383.6">Less than nine months ago, the Taoiseach and Ministers told us everything was fine and that although there was a slight downturn, there was no problem because we had a sound economy and would be able to withstand the downturn without too much pain.  We remember that our former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, told people warning about a downturn not to talk down the economy but to commit suicide instead.  How ironic and irresponsible that was from the position we are in today.</p><p pid="383.7">The hard-working lowly paid workers of the country knew differently when the Government was proclaiming everything was fine.  They knew differently because they were unable to get jobs or were losing the ones they had.  They knew differently because sales figures in their businesses were down.  They knew differently because competition and costs were spiralling.  They saw the train coming down the tracks, but the Government did not see it until it crashed through the front door.</p><p pid="383.8">The issue today is how to deal with the mess the Government has created.  All those in their right mind realise that difficult decisions must be taken.  However, they must be taken in a fair and equitable manner that will ensure those who can afford it will be asked to pay the most.  The pension levy is anything but fair and equitable.  How fair is it to ask someone on â‚¬25,000 a year to pay â‚¬1,000 of a pension levy while someone on the same amount on social welfare pays no income or pension levy?</p><p pid="383.9">The Taoiseach has talked about tweaking the levy, but it needs more than tweaking for lowly paid workers.  Otherwise, he is telling thousands of workers earning under â‚¬40,000 per annum they should give up their jobs.  If the measures are not changed, they will end up costing the State much more in social welfare benefits.  I have the facts before me with regard to a husband, wife and three children who, between all their social welfare allowances, get â‚¬41,000 â€” and they are entitled to that.  However, people earning â‚¬41,000 will now have to pay the pension levy and pay for children going to college, medical charges, etc., as they are not entitled to medical cards and do not have the supports provided to welfare recipients.  Therefore, this levy asks lower paid workers to give up their jobs.  If this Bill is passed, the lower would be better off on social welfare.  Otherwise they need to earn â‚¬150,000 per year.</p><p pid="383.10">With regard to section 12 dealing with the farm waste management scheme and the recent decision to defer payment to farmers approved under the scheme, each time the scheme has been raised in the House over the past year, the Minister has told us about how much money the scheme has meant for farmers.  It is only a good scheme if farmers are paid the grants to which they are entitled.  Some 17,400 farmers await payments.  They applied and were granted approval for the same scheme as those who were paid in full in 2008.</p><p pid="383.11">It is a distinct possibility that farmers awaiting payment have a legal entitlement to full payment.  How can there be two methods of payment when the contract entered into by both sides was the same?  Yesterday, I was speaking to a farmer who is owed â‚¬92,000.  He has been given legal advice that he has an irrefutable case.  It was stated in the contract for the scheme that farmers who were approved would be paid within 14 weeks.  Surely, there has been a breach of contract.  The least that should be offered to farmers now is that the extra costs incurred by way of interest should be met by the Department.</p><p pid="383.12">It is pathetic to see the Minister hold up his hands in despair because of the glut of applications last December, when it was his mishandling of the scheme and the imposition of his deadline that caused the avalanche of claims then.  If he had extended the scheme, he would have saved money and would not now be looking for the â‚¬400 million immediately.  Not alone that, thousands of builders would still have work and the dole queues would be shorter.</p><p pid="383.13">The farm waste management scheme was introduced in early 2007 to buy the farming vote in the general election.  No costings were required and there was no care as to how many would apply for it.  We had miscalculation after miscalculation and now this side of the House is being told to act responsibly.  Remember these farmers took on these works not to make a profit or to put the money into their pockets.  They were investing their own money as well as benefiting the environment.  The money they borrowed from the bank was based on the premise that the grant would be lodged when it was received in full.  The goalposts have been changed by the Government but the banks do not want to know and they are looking for the money from the farmers.</p><p pid="383.14">It is easy to understand why the people affected are very angry, cynical, desperate and disillusioned as a result of seeing the banks bailed out for billions.  Surely the extra â‚¬400 million could be found to pay these grants which would then find its way into the banks anyway.  This would be another way of recapitalising them and would help the farmers along the way.  I call on the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to announce immediately that the interest these farmers must pay will be met by the State.</p><p pid="383.15">Everybody accepts that financial problems must be confronted.  Fine Gael has laid out its proposals clearly.  It is not too late for the Minister to take on many of these proposals and I ask him to do so.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-02-19T15:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-19.201.0&amp;m=697#g381.0">
	<title>Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Second Stage | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-19.201.0&amp;m=697#g381.0</link>
	<description>I wish to share my time with Deputy Shatter.</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="381.1">I wish to share my time with Deputy Shatter.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-02-19T14:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-19.201.0&amp;m=697#g367.0">
	<title>Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Second Stage | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-19.201.0&amp;m=697#g367.0</link>
	<description>Deputy Gogarty should now start where the real problem is.</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="367.1">Deputy Gogarty should now start where the real problem is.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-02-19T14:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-19.201.0&amp;m=697#g365.0">
	<title>Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Second Stage | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-19.201.0&amp;m=697#g365.0</link>
	<description>Deputy Gogarty should make the most of it, he will not be there for very long.</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="365.1">Deputy Gogarty should make the most of it, he will not be there for very long.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-02-19T14:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-04.663.0&amp;m=697#g755.0">
	<title>Energy Prices: Motion (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-04.663.0&amp;m=697#g755.0</link>
	<description>Incredibly, we were told that the ESB and Bord Gais had booked most of their fuel requirements at peak price for the coming six months and therefore were not in a position to pass on the...</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="755.1">Incredibly, we were told that the ESB and Bord Gais had booked most of their fuel requirements at peak price for the coming six months and therefore were not in a position to pass on the reductions quickly.  Why did this rule not apply when prices for the consumer rocketed within weeks of increases in world prices earlier in the summer?  Last summer, people paid â‚¬1.40 per litre for petrol when the price of a barrel was â‚¬150.  Todayâ€™s price is approximately â‚¬40 which means we should be paying â‚¬0.47 per litre if it were related to global prices as our economic problems have been related to global difficulties.</p><p pid="755.2">I listened to the Ministers for Finance and Enterprise, Trade and Employment earlier today and I have listened to Government Deputies up and down the country blaming our present economic woes and difficulties on the global economy.  How can they ask the people of Ireland to believe this when they do not ensure the benefits of reductions in global oil prices are not passed on to the man and woman in the street and to the business community?  This is an opportunity to give some good news and help restore competitiveness which is an essential requirement if we are to get the economy moving.</p><p pid="755.3">I have information on other figures but I do not have time to discuss them.  With regard to energy prices, particularly the price of petrol and diesel at the pumps, last weekend in Mayo there was a variation of up to â‚¬0.13 per litre in the prices of petrol and diesel.  I do not blame the petrol pump owners for the huge anomalies.  Many small businesses and corner shops tell me they must pay more to their suppliers than it can be bought for at the Tescos of this country.  Whatever needs to be done to get an even playing field needs to be done.</p><p pid="755.4">Deputy Calleary mentioned the corrib gas forum.  I agree with him on this point.  More than 1,000 people are employed in the Corrib Gas field at present.  I could not imagine the wasteland this area would be if these jobs were not there.  Many mistakes have been made and peopleâ€™s views have been trampled on over the past number of years.  This forum is an opportunity and I hope all opinions will be taken into account and that we find a way to bring the gas ashore for the benefit of the people of Ireland and the people of Erris and Mayo.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-02-04T19:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-04.663.0&amp;m=697#g753.0">
	<title>Energy Prices: Motion (Resumed) | D&amp;aacute;il debates</title>
	<link>http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-02-04.663.0&amp;m=697#g753.0</link>
	<description>This is what is being said on the streets.</description>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p pid="753.1">This is what is being said on the streets.</p>]]></content:encoded>
	<dc:date>2009-02-04T19:00:00+00:00</dc:date>
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