Sunday View on WLRFm

Last Sunday I was a guest on WLR Fms Sunday View with Maria McCann.  This is a podcast of the programme.  The other guests were Spraoi's TV Honan and Rosie Plummer. In a wide and varied discussion the main topics covered were "Twittergate" and Sean Gallagher, Emigration and the Household Tax.  I would be interested in hearing your opinion on any of these issues.

Household Tax a tax too far

As people will be aware by now Waterford City Council recently voted to oppose the new Household Tax.  Both myself and Labour Mayor Pat Hayes supported this decision.  The following is an extract from my speech at the meeting.

I want to make it clear from the outset that I oppose the Household Charge for a number of reasons.  Firstly I believe it to be an inequitable tax.  It is not based on anything and does not take ability to pay into account.  In its current form the household charge will hit ordinary homeowners who are already struggling to make ends meet.  I am aware of families in this city struggling to put food on the table or to pay their mortgage or to put their child through college. You cannot ask people to pay something they just do not have and yes there are many households in this city who cannot afford to pay this.   

There are other reasons for opposing this tax.  The tax does not take into account the size of property for example.  How can it be right that someone living in a five or 6 bedroom house with an acre or so pays the same as someone living in a modest two or three bedroom semi detached house in Waterford? Or that someone earning over 150k pays the same as someone earning the average industrial wage or indeed no wage. This is just not a fair tax. In my opinion the new Household charge is a tax too far for many people in Waterford and for that reason I oppose it. 

During the course of the meeting I also made the point that as this tax is a legal tax I was not advocating that people should not pay as people need to be aware that are consequences.  I think this has some way to run yet.

Self employed and out of work?

The issue of Social Welfare payments for those self employed people who are now out of work was raised recently by my colleague Senator Denis Landy in the Senate. Raising the issue with Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton Senator Landy drew attention to this ever growing group of people and their families who have no Social Welfare protection when they find themselves out of work. Senator Landy is to be commended for raising this and I am confident that Miniser Burton will bring forward a set of proposals to address the problem.

Full speech by Senator Landy here

Weekly Advice Centre Continues

Have a listen.

My weekly Advice Centre continues in the Community House, 61 Clonard Park Ballybeg Waterford every Tuesday at 12 noon.  All are welcome.

Ongoing success of BreastCheck in Waterford is to be welcomed

The following is a copy of a press release I issued earlier this week welcoming the ongoing success of BreastCheck the national breast cancer screening programme for women in Waterford.

Waterford City Councillor Seamus Ryan has welcomed the ongoing success of BreastCheck, the national breast cancer screening programme for women aged 50 -64.  The second round of screening for women in Waterford began in November with the mobile unit located at the Waterford Regional Sports Centre.  It is expected that some 7,500 women will be screened over the next few months.   

Eligible women in the Waterford City area  will receive an appointment by post to attend for screening. Should the appointment time not suit any woman, this can be re-arranged if she rings the phone number provided with her appointment letter. 

BreastCheck is committed to the continued delivery of a quality assured screening programme that uses specialist expertise and multi disciplinary teams to achieve its goal of reducing the number of deaths from breast cancer through early detection and treatment.  They go on to encourage all women aged 50-64 to check that their name is on the BreastCheck register by calling Freephone 1800 45 45 55, checking online on the BreastCheck website www.breastcheck.ie or by filling in and returning a Registration Form by Freepost.
Cllr Ryan concluded by saying that early detection as well as improved treatment methods are both key to the improved survival rates from breast cancer. The arrival of BreastCheck to Waterford City for this second round screening ensures that it continues play a key role in detecting breast cancer and saving lives.

Household Charge - my thoughts

The new Household Charge continues to generate much debate as to its merits and  demerits.  For my own part I see it as a tax that it is both unfair and inequitable. This tax is totally regressive and takes no account of value of property or indeed ability to pay.  How can it be right or just that someone living in a modest 2 or 3 bedroom semi detached house is being asked to pay the same as someone living in a lavish large house with significant grounds.  Once again those on low and middle incomes are being asked to pay for a crisis they did not create.  There is considerable and growing anger amongst the public about the introduction of this charge as people realise that this is just the thin edge of the wedge.  I do agree with the principle of broadening the tax base to bring in extra revenue for the exchequer however once again the focus is being put on those on low and middle incomes.  Opposition to the charge is growing across the country and understandably in my opinion.  Minister Phil Hogan needs to revisit this tax immediately.  Remember you can't ask people to pay something they haven't got. Watch this space!!

Another Year another Budget

Last night Waterford City Council passed its annual budget. This budget was a particularly difficult one following cuts in the grant from government of over €1.5m. However I was pleased that we managed to put through the budget without any increase in charges of any kind. So no increase in commercial rates, no increase in housing rents, no increase in parking charges and no increase in any other charges. However the coming year will be a difficult one for the city with budgets being cut in the area of housing maintenance, roads and the library service.

I was disappointed however that my amendment to provide additional support for the library services failed to get sufficient support.

Cuts to DEIS Schools in Waterford to hit hard

There were many tough measures introduced as part of the recent budget.  However one area in particular I am concerned about is the cuts outlined in the Education Budget. I have always believed that in time of recession the one area government should continue to invest in is education.  As member of the Labour Party I have always worked towards equality of access to public services such as education.  I further believe that a well funded education system will provide the catalyst for economic recovery. That is why I was dismayed at the proposed cuts in the DEIS Programme. DEIS - Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools was introduced to allow children in disadvantaged or RAPID areas achieve their full potential. Waterford City has one DEIS 1 and 6 DEIS 2 schools and from correspondence I received recently it seems the recent cuts will hit the DEIS 2 schools hardest.  According to one school Principal ten permanent teaching posts in five Inner City Schools will be suppressed in September 2012.  This follows earlier cuts where Resource Teachers were withdrawn in September 2011.  My main concern here is for the children who will undoubtedly be affected by higher greater class sizes.  Balancing the budgets over the next number of years will  undoubtedly be difficult however please do not do so at the expense of educating our young people.  There is a better way.

New Pedestrian Crossing for Ballybeg is to be welcomed

The following is the text of a press statement I released earlier this week regarding the new Pedestrian Crossing in Ballybeg Waterford.

The new pedestrian crossing has been installed at St Saviours GAA playing fields in Ballybeg Waterford.  St. Saviours GAA club Ballybeg had been seeking a pedestrian crossing on Ballybeg Drive adjacent to their playing fields in order to facilitate the safety of their members who use this very busy road on a daily basis. Speaking at a recent meeting of the Waterford City South Branch of the Labour Party Cllr Ryan stated that he had campaigned for this for some time and was now pleased to see it in use.

Labour TDs vent fury over Taoiseach remarks

Labour TDs vent fury over Taoiseach remarks - Irish Examiner
Reports in today's Irish Examiner about the inappropriate comments made by Enda Kenny about Tanaiste Eamonn Gilmore has quite rightly provoked anger not just from Labour Party TD's but also from Labour Party members throughout the country. The Taoiseach's reported remarks about making an "honest leader" of Mr Gilmore was followed by further comments by a Fine Gael backbencher regarding Labour Party's position on proposed health cuts. There is a sense amongst Labour Party members at the moment that Fine Gael ministers are lording it over their Labour Party counterparts. In my opinion this is not the case but these kind of statements from the Taoiseach and other Fine Gael backbenchers does not augur well for the future relationship between the government parties .