A Good Friday but not for us

On Wednesday this week I sat in one of my constituency clinics and waited for those with appointments to turn up. You never know what to expect as it is a tough time for people at the moment. One woman was in tears as she and her husband both lost their jobs and are unable to pay the bills. She was distraught and was worried about how she would fend for her children. A 40 year old man on the housing list for 10 years asked would he ever be offered a house. Several people were at their wits ends worrying about why their application for benefits of one kind or another was taking so long. One woman is waiting 14 weeks for her social welfare payment to come through. Another guy is waiting months for his medical card. A lady who is losing the family home was looking for advice as to what to do. The banks showed her and her family no mercy or compassion and forced the couple to surrender the house. Not to do so she argued would have prolonged the agony.

The day before Brian Lenihan took to his feet in the Dáil and announced to a public reeling from the effects of the recession that they, the taxpayers of Ireland, would pump €80 Billion Euro into five wayward banks. The same Brian Lenihan took to his feet in the same chamber only a few short months ago and delivered a savage budget that cut people’s wages, social welfare rates and public services. He had nothing to offer the couple in my clinic who had both lost their jobs or those desperately waiting for benefits. He left them without hope for the future. It seems our economy, our banking system and our Government serve the Seanie Fitzpatrick’s of this world and not the tax paying public.

The scale of the bank bailout is almost as incomprehensible as it is reprehensible. We are investing one and a half times our GDP into the banks over the next number of years. We are mortgaging our future to pay for the recklessness of the few. We are ensuring that the Irish economy will stand still for the next 15 years. Our children will most likely be still paying the debt in a generation to come. On Good Friday the first tranche of loans coming from the top ten developers, totaling 1,200 loans will be transferred to NAMA. This will be followed be a further re-capitalising of our banks to the tune of €30 billion. Bank of Ireland will need €2.7 billion, AIB €7.4 billion, Irish Nationwide €2.7 billion, EBS €875 million and Anglo Irish a staggering €10 Billion. Today is Aprils Fools day. Visitors to the country would be forgiven for mistaking the headlines in our newspapers as a national April Fools joke – Government spends three times the national debt bailing out the banks. I struggle to contain my anger as I recall the hardship and difficulties of those who attended my clinic. The Irish Republic has well and truly lost its way.

Restoration of the Bishop Palace Building

The bishop palace is a splendid building in the heart of the city centre. It was designed by local architect John Roberts and was built in 1746. It is currently used by Waterford City Council but under the Viking Triangle Plan will become a contemporary museum. It is intended to restore the building to its original state. An exciting part of the plan for the overall Cathedral Square area is to remove the car park beside the Bishop Palace and replace it with a Garden. In my view this will transform the Mall and add to the splendour of this building. City Council officials are working on a draft proposal which will be published shortly.

There has been some discussion recently about the removal of a small number of trees from the front of the ESB building. While removing trees is always a concern for some apparently this was necessary to accommodate tourist drop off at the visitor centre and it is intended to plant eight new trees at the new plaza at the entrance to the centre. The overall plan for the area is exciting and the placement of a garden adjacent to the Bishop Palace will create a little gem in the heart of the city.

Obama Health care reform – is the glass half empty or half full?

There has been much debate about President Obama’s proposal to reform health care in the US. The debate has split along party and ideological lines with little room for bi-partisanship. Republicans describe it as a Government takeover of the health care system. This is simply not true. In fact most Americans will not be affected by Obama’s health care legislation as they will continue to receive cover through their employers. The Reagan era created a health care system which relied on large for-profit insurance providers whose primary motive is to make money rather than improve health care. Government intervention is necessary to protect those who cannot afford coverage.

Obama has been forced to row back and compromise on his favored public option. The latest plan requires most Americans to carry health insurance coverage, with Government subsides to help those who cannot afford premiums. The plan also allows the Government to deny or roll back what democrats describe as ‘egregious insurance premium increases’ which infuriate customers. The plan does not provide Universal State Health care and will be a disappointment for some. However it is a step forward and will provide coverage to tens of millions of Americans without cover. Depending on their perspective I suspect people will view the final passing of reform as the glass being half empty of half full.

Supporting entrepreneurs is the key to our economic recovery

Economic activity is inextricably linked to entrepreneurial activity. The state has a role and a responsibility to both generate and redistribute wealth. The government and local authorities can create a favourable environment in which jobs can be created and can also directly create jobs through the provision of public services, the building of infrastructure and stimulating the economy with direct investment. However the key to Waterford’s future economic success is in supporting and encouraging entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship is about taking risks. It demands courage, stamina, energy and talent. I believe the skills, enthusiasm and creativity of our people must be used to build a sustainable and prosperous future for Waterford. We need to enable people to establish vibrant new businesses, social enterprises and co-operatives. The Waterford road to recovery will not be found in solely looking to Dublin. We need to get things moving locally by using the public and private sector, enterprise agencies and educational providers and employer and employee organisations to kick-start local economic recovery. We need to get things done and adopt an attitude of ‘Just do it’.

This work has already started. The new Waterford Crystal project and destination Waterford are examples. However we must now look beyond these ventures and identify potential growth areas for economic development. I believe a specific focus should be put on young people and self employment. Many of the young unemployed want to take control of their own destiny. They should be encouraged to do so. By following their passions, utilising the skills they have acquired and turning them into enterprise, the future is in their hands. This is the most effective way to encourage a better attitude to entrepreneurship in the city. We need to ensure that self-employment is a real option for some of the young unemployed.

Two areas for potential growth are in the IT sector (Animation, gaming and digital media) and in Green Technology. I wrote about the potential of Green Technology in a previous post and have tabled a motion to Waterford City Council seeking a City Green Tech Plan. The I.T. sector is an area where we have huge potential and obvious advantages. Waterford has the potential to be a digital media leader. It is recognised that Irish digital media firms are becoming a global force in particular niches such as mobile technologies, animation and digital video and gaming. Both animation and gaming are areas where new and creative industries can be developed with the help of Waterford Institute of Technology.

Enterprise agencies need to work with Waterford Institute of Technology to explore ways in which practical business; training and financial support can be given to those studying in these areas who demonstrate entrepreneurial flair. We need to address potential skill shortages of those working in this field particularly in the area of sales and marketing. We also need to prioritise start-up funding and premises to digital media start-up companies.

So there are sections of the Waterford economy that have the potential to put local people back to work. Sectors where we enjoy a natural advantage such as tourism, sectors where we have begun to build an emerging reputation through W.I.T. in the I.T. digital and gaming sectors and sectors whose potential has not been tapped such as green technologies. In order to reach our potential and kick-start our economy we need to act locally and foster a new spirit of entrepreneurship which gravitates around getting things done.

Waterford people send mayday message to Government - Save our service

When I was 17 someone said to me ‘the funny thing about common sense is that it is not all that common’. Every since I have seen this confirmed over and over again. Last week it was announced that Waterford and the Southeast is to lose its 24 hour Air Search and Rescue Service in 2013 as part of a cost cutting exercise. The decision beggars belief. The southeast is littered with coastal and fishing villages from West Waterford to North Wexford. It unfortunately has the highest number of deaths at sea in the country. Yet of all of the regions it alone is to lose the 24 hour emergency response cover. Common sense is absent yet again.

The public reaction in the southeast has been quick and decisive. We are not going to tolerate this cut. The Government can find some other way to save money. Cutting the service will save €1m. How on earth can this be justified? Imagine if we allowed the service to be cut. Imagine if there was an accident late at night. Imagine if lives could have been saved if the air emergency response service was in place. There would be a national outcry. So let’s not end up in this position. Let us collectively work together, politicians, civic leaders and citizens in overturning this decision. Next month Sinn Féin councillors will table emergency motions to both Waterford City and County councils. Our national Spokesperson on rural development and fishing Martin Ferris TD will visit the region and pledge his support. Lets collectively take a stand and refuse to accept a second rate service for the Southeast.

Dog fouling and illegal dumping

Before I start this post I must point out that I like dogs. I own a dog. I bring my dog for a walk. I pick up after my dog. And yes, I know most dog owners are responsible so I am talking here about the few and not the many. Increasingly I am getting complaints from members of the public about the nuisance that is dog fouling. Like illegal dumping it is an anti-social act. I will get to illegal dumping later.

I cannot understand why some dog owners refuse to pick up after their dog and put it in a bag. It is very simple. The pooper scoopers are even available free of charge through your local authority. There is no excuse. Dog fouling and littering are illegal offences. So I am finding it very difficult to understand the motivation of people who do so.

Here are some simple facts about dog fouling. The clean up costs the taxpayer money. Dog faeces can be harmful to human health. An infection called Toxocara canis can be caught if the waste is not removed immediately. The potential harm to human health from this infection is quite high, and can cause blindness in some cases. Dog faeces is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria such as salmonella and other forms of infection. It is often children who pick up the bacteria. So its simple really – we should not tolerate dog fouling. While I would support increasing fines and better surveillance as ways to combat the problem the real solution is people behaving a bit more responsibily.

Now to illegal dumping – another illegal and anti-social act. I was informed recently of a huge amount of rubbish found dumped along the Tramore Road. It is dumped near the river and sometimes into it. This is only one example. Illegal dumping is rampant in the city and the county. The cost of the cleanup is enormous and again there is no excuse. People who dump illegally know it is wrong yet they choose to do so. And in choosing to do so they should face the consequences. Waterford City Council operates a name and shame policy. I agree with this. But first people have to be caught. I would encourage anyone who witnesses someone engaged in illegal dumping to report it to the relevant authority. It is something that is getting out of hand and has to be seen as more socially unacceptable.

Ard Fheis 2010

2010 is the tenth Ard Fhéis I have attended. It is an opportunity to take stock, present new policies, meet people from across the country, share ideas and most of all have your say. And many did. The economy dominated the weekend. Speaker after speaker called for Government action. The Government were reminded of Sinn Féin’s 2008 job creation proposals and their failure to implement them. I hope the Government was listening. The 440,000 people out of work deserve better.

The issue of coalition was a lively topic of debate. A Waterford delegate spoke against coalition with any of the main parties. In some respects it was a false debate. A motion putting the decision making of entering Government in the south in the hands of party members was proposed and passed. This is sensible. In my view Sinn Féin has no intention of going into coalition with either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael. However to close your options prior to an election is folly. You simply end up getting squeezed out of the debate. Why on earth would you do this? We will fight the election on an independent ticket. If we win enough seats to be potential coalition partners we will seek to have our policies implemented. If other parties step up to the plate and help us in this we will work with them. If not we will gladly lead the charge from the opposition benches asking the hard questions.

Another topic that incited debate was on hare coursing. A number of contradictory motions were tabled ensuring a good discussion. Unfortunately it was cut short, much to the dismay of many delegates. One delegate supporting motion 66 got a bit ratty. Well I jest, he talked about a hierarchy of animals and asked why people were so concerned about rabbits and hares and not rats. He invoked a mixed response when he criticised those who started the morning with a traditional fry up yet moralised over hare coursing and addressed some of the myths. Indeed.

It was a lively, positive and up-beat Ard Fheis. There was an air of optimism and confidence I have not seen for some time. The presidential speech was inspiring. It was a call to action. Now, I must get back to work and play my small part in building the Republic.