Working with your local Labour Team Cllr. Mary McCamley Mulhuddart Area Mobile: 087 6501441 [email protected] Cllr. Brendan Carr Cabra/Finglas Area Mobile: 087 207 5921 [email protected] Ireland has experienced a truly astonishing turnaround in its economic fortunes over the past year. There are tens of thousands more people at work. Emigrants are returning home. The public finances are now stable. Nobody expected this turnaround to happen so quickly, and we should be proud of what has been achieved in a few years. We can look forward with hope and be confident about our economic future. In Government we have got an awful lot right. Locally you can see new schools, new industries, new businesses, new health centres as well as important expansion plans for Connolly Hospital. We are steadily on course to achieve full employment by 2018. That is the key to future prosperity. Had we made the wrong choices, it could have been very different. The recovery now gives us the opportunity to build for the future. We must continue to create good jobs, raise living standards and improve income security for you and your family. And we must continue to improve the quality of life in Dublin West, to make it a great place to live. We could all too easily throw it all away by going back to the bad old ways. The worst thing would be to make the wrong political choices that could undo all that has been achieved. In this report I ask you to look around you, see how Ireland has recovered and ask how that can be put to best use in the years to come. IRELAND’S REMARKABLE RECOVERY Autumn 2015 NEW RIGHTS FOR WORKERS Two important new rights for workers have been announced this summer. The first is an increase in the national minimum wage by 50 cents an hour to €9.15, to come into effect when the legislation is passed in the Dáil. The second is the new Collective Bargaining law which will guarantee negotiating rights for groups of workers in every industry. The new law will help workers who seek to better their terms and conditions, and will mean that a collective agreement can be enforced through the Circuit Court, should an employer refuse to respect it. These are valuable rights that will help ensure that all workers share in the recovery this Government is building. PORTERSTOWN PARK Fingal County Council has recently drawn up a plan to invest in a major revamp of Porterstown Park. This will include the installation of a cricket pitch, an all-weather running track, soccer pitches, GAA pitches, an extension to the car park on site and toilet facilities. The work will be carried out over the next five years, and the completed complex will be a great facility for local residents, and a showcase of the various clubs in the area. Joan with James Connolly Heron and Jim Lacey at the launch of Jim's book "The Barony of Castleknock" 0612 Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection Leinster House, Dublin 2 Phone: 01 618 4006 Email: [email protected] www.joanburton.ie @joanburton Joan Burton TD NEW SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANTS ON THE WAY FOR DUBLIN 15 SCHOOLS The Government has approved 610 additional Special Needs Assistant posts for schools across the country, starting in September. Among the primary schools in Dublin 15 receiving new SNA posts are Scoil Bhride, Hansfield Educate Together and Powerstown Educate Together. At secondary level, Riversdale Community College in Corduff, Pobail Scoil Setanta in Ongar and Castleknock Community College are among the schools receiving extra SNAs. These new posts will make a real difference to pupils who most need them. They will be allocated to schools for the new academic year, so the impact will be felt quickly. Since coming into Government we’ve overseen a 11.7% rise in the number of SNA posts. We’re delivering on the Labour commitment that every child with an assessed care need will get SNA support. JOAN BURTON TD 830,000 BENEFIT FROM FREE TRAVEL PASS When I became Social Protection Minister I grew aware of the worries among many senior citizens and carers that the Free Travel Pass would be abolished or restricted. I decided this was one benefit that would be protected despite all the false rumours of possible cuts. I have kept to this and today that commitment remains. When I took over the number of people who had access to the passes was 700,000. Today that figure has risen to 830,000. Free travel is a great benefit to pensioners, to people with a disability and to carers. I have protected and expanded the free travel scheme, and I will continue to do so.
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Working withyour localLabour Team
Cllr. Mary McCamleyMulhuddart AreaMobile: 087 6501441 [email protected]
Cllr. Brendan CarrCabra/Finglas AreaMobile: 087 207 [email protected]
Ireland has experienced a trulyastonishing turnaround in itseconomic fortunes over thepast year.
There are tens of thousandsmore people at work.
Emigrants are returning home.
The public finances are nowstable.
Nobody expected thisturnaround to happen soquickly, and we should beproud of what has beenachieved in a few years.
We can look forward withhope and be confident aboutour economic future.
In Government we have got anawful lot right. Locally you cansee new schools, newindustries, new businesses,new health centres as well asimportant expansion plans forConnolly Hospital.
We are steadily on course toachieve full employment by2018. That is the key to futureprosperity.
Had we made the wrongchoices, it could have been very different.
The recovery now gives us the opportunity to build for the future.
We must continue to create good jobs, raise living standards and improve income securityfor you and your family. And we must continue to improve the quality of life in DublinWest, to make it a great place to live.
We could all too easily throw it all away by going back to the bad old ways. The worst thingwould be to make the wrong political choices that could undo all that has been achieved.
In this report I ask you to look around you, see how Ireland has recovered and ask howthat can be put to best use in the years to come.
IRELAND’SREMARKABLERECOVERY Autumn 2015
NEW RIGHTS FOR WORKERSTwo important new rights for workers have been announced this summer. The first is anincrease in the national minimum wage by 50 cents an hour to €9.15, to come intoeffect when the legislation is passed in the Dáil.
The second is the new Collective Bargaining law which will guarantee negotiating rightsfor groups of workers in every industry.
The new law will help workers who seek to better their terms and conditions, and willmean that a collective agreement can be enforced through the Circuit Court, should anemployer refuse to respect it. These are valuable rights that will help ensure that allworkers share in the recovery this Government is building.
PORTERSTOWN PARKFingal County Council has recently drawn up a plan to invest in a major revamp ofPorterstown Park.
This will include the installation of a cricket pitch, an all-weather running track, soccerpitches, GAA pitches, an extension to the car park on site and toilet facilities.
The work will be carried out over the next five years, and the completed complex will bea great facility for local residents, and a showcase of the various clubs in the area.
Joan with James Connolly Heron and Jim Lacey at the launch of Jim's book "The Barony of Castleknock"
0612
Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection
Leinster House, Dublin 2Phone: 01 618 4006
Email: [email protected] @joanburton
JoanBurton TD
NEW SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANTS ONTHE WAY FOR DUBLIN 15 SCHOOLSThe Government has approved610 additional Special NeedsAssistant posts for schoolsacross the country, starting inSeptember.
Among the primary schools inDublin 15 receiving new SNAposts are Scoil Bhride, HansfieldEducate Together andPowerstown Educate Together.
At secondary level, RiversdaleCommunity College in Corduff,Pobail Scoil Setanta in Ongarand Castleknock CommunityCollege are among the schools receiving extra SNAs.
These new posts will make a real difference to pupils who most need them. They willbe allocated to schools for the new academic year, so the impact will be felt quickly.
Since coming into Government we’ve overseen a 11.7% rise in the number of SNAposts. We’re delivering on the Labour commitment that every child with an assessedcare need will get SNA support.
JOAN BURTON TD830,000 BENEFIT FROM FREE TRAVEL PASSWhen I became Social Protection Minister I grew aware of the worries among many seniorcitizens and carers that the Free Travel Pass would be abolished or restricted.
I decided this was one benefit that would be protected despite all the false rumours ofpossible cuts.
I have kept to this and today that commitment remains.
When I took over the number of people who had access to the passes was 700,000.
Today that figure has risen to 830,000.
Free travel is a great benefit to pensioners, to people with a disability and to carers.
I have protected and expanded the free travel scheme, and I will continue to do so.
NEW ADOPTION LAW WILL REMEDY AGRAVE INJUSTICEI will be holding an information meeting on the new Adoption legislation inWestmanstown Golf Club on Monday 28th September at 8pm.
Ireland has a very secretive regime in place for adopted people who want to trace theirbirth parents. As an adopted person myself I have always felt this to be a grave injustice.It made it impossible for me personally to trace my birth mother while she was still alive.
All that will change with a new law that will allow an adopted person aged 18 and overobtain his or her birth certificate, and allow the release of important personal informationsuch as medical histories.
People who were placed in informal adoptions or wrongly registered will also be givenaccess to these information and tracing services.
The draft law has been published now and will be carefully considered by a committee ofTDs and senators before being finalised.
I believe everyone is entitled as of right to this knowledge. I have campaigned for manyyears to bring about these new rights for adopted people in Ireland.
The new law is a huge step forward and I hope it will be passed and put into effect by theend of the year.
BURTON ANNOUNCES €3.8M FUNDING TOBUILD SOCIAL HOUSING IN MULHUDDARTConstruction is to begin on 22 units for Clúid Housing Association at Church Road /Ladyswell Road in Mulhuddart at a cost of over €3.8million, as part of a the latest roundof government investment in social housing.
Across Fingal County, we will build or acquire 69 social housing units, an investment of€12.9million.
It will help those with specific housing needs such as older people, persons with anintellectual or physical disability or homeless people.
It is part of a wider package of investment in social housing that the Labour Party isbringing forward as a priority, and which is the result of our economic recovery.
I look forward to seeing construction begin on the Mulhuddart project in the near future.
FUNDINGSECURED FORCOOLMINECOMMUNITYSCHOOL ROOFI can confirm that EducationMinister, Jan O’Sullivan, is toprovide substantial funding forCoolmine Community School toreplace the school’s roof.
The roof has been in a state ofserious disrepair for some time andit was inspected by the Department at my urgent request.
The extra funding is being provided under the Emergency Works Scheme. This is in line withour programme of significant investment in schools, to replace prefabs and upgradebuildings so that students and staff can focus on learning, and not on dripping ceilings orcreaking plumbing.
Joan with Cllr Mary McCamley at the site of €8 million Corduff Health Centre, due to open in 2016.
Meeting pupils and staff at Powersstown Educate Together National School
Joan with Cllr Mary McCamley, Mulhuddart, and CllrBrendan Carr, Navan Road at Connolly Hospital.
EXTRA ACCOMMODATION FOR LE CHÉILE
I’m pleased to report that Fingal County Council have granted planning permissionfor four additional prefab classrooms for Le Cheile Secondary School in Tyrellstown.
Work is expected to commence on the project in early September, and is scheduledto be completed by mid October.
FREE GP CARE FORCHILDREN ANDOLDER PEOPLEI am delighted to confirm that everyone over-70 in Dublin West will now be able to visittheir GP for free.
The registration process for the over 70 GP visit card got underway last month. If youhaven’t already done so, you can register online at www.gpvisitcard.ie or pick up aform from your local health office or from the pharmacy.
It means that our older citizens won’t have to worry about putting their hand in theirpocket when they need to see a doctor.
We’ve already rolled out free GP care for children under 6. Thousands of children inDublin West are already receiving their GP visit cards, and almost every local GP hassigned up.
This has been a very important priority for the Labour Party in government. Byinvesting in free GP care we’re working to spread the benefit of the recovery to youngworking families and older people.
SUCCESS IN PREVENTING WELFARE FRAUDThroughout the summer a large number of prosecutions for welfare fraud came before thecourts, largely due to the success of the new public services card, which I introduced asMinister. This new card contains vital identification features that show up when someone attemptsto make a claim under a false identity, such as in the name of a person who has died orwho has left the country.Thanks to this card, and as a result of the court cases and the involvement of serving gardaiin the campaign to eliminate abuses, there has been a noticeable decline in such fraudattempts. It is essential that we protect the welfare system for those who genuinely needit.
Joan with Castleknock Celtic FC and St Brigid GAA club mini-league winners
Related Documents
