Increase in Deprivation is this Government’s Great Shame

  22 January 2015

Increase in Deprivation is this Government’s Great Shame.

- Wexford third poorest County in Ireland;
New Ross the most disadvantaged countywide-

 Fianna Fáil Councillor Michael Sheehan has slammed the record of this Government in tackling poverty as statistics from the CSO released on Wednesday show that 30.5% people in Ireland now live in deprivation. This figure is up from 13.7% in 2008. The statistics also show that almost one in eight children now live in consistent poverty.

 Councillor Sheehan added that "These shocking statistics show how pointless the Labour party has become in Government. Having been elected to protect those who struggle to pay their bills from day-to-day or need a helping hand, Labour in Government have proven themselves to be one of the most irrelevant and out of touch political parties in our country's history.

Since becoming Minister for Social Protection, the leader of the Labour Party has presided over approximately €1.8 billion in cuts to social programmes. The number of long term unemployed has remained static at 180,000 for the past three years. 74,000 young people are still out or work and not in any education or training schemes, despite the fanfare surrounding the Youth Guarantee. Labour in Government has slashed the very supports which aim to protect vulnerable people, so it should come as no surprise that public confidence in the Government has plummeted.

"These CSO statistics must act as a wake-up call for the Government. There is no point in the Taoiseach and Ministers preaching to the world about how Ireland is experiencing a strong economic recovery when our people and our society are still sinking into deprivation. I am calling on the Government to make poverty reduction its number one priority and to ensure that any recovery is felt by everyone, not just the top earners. We cannot allow a two tier recovery to continue between urban and rural, the haves and have-nots. A new, all-encompassing poverty strategy must be developed by this Government to address this very worrying trend.

This latest CSO report backs up the recent information by the All Ireland Research Observatory which has some startling information on the poverty levels in Wexford. In the Deprivation indices, New Ross and Enniscorthy fall well below the average and Wexford and Gorey are marginally below average.

Countywide we are the third poorest County in the State, registering nearly 87% marginally or below the average. On a more worrying trend and a deeper analysis, nearly 21% of the County is designated disadvantaged/ very disadvantaged. The people may feel that this government, be it jobs, be it investment has let Wexford down. The people are right.


Cllr Michael Sheehan, M.C.C.

Hamper Winners that were won in the National Super Draw.

 The following are the names of the four Hamper Winners that were won in the National Super Draw.

Wexford Winners are:

Carmel Whitney, Oulart
 Eilish Kavanagh - Bunclody
 Athony O'Connor - Kilmuckridge
 Eamon and Mairin Kehoe - Enniscorthy

Eilish Kavanagh Operation Transformation Leader

Enniscorthy / Bunclody Comhairle Ceanntair want to extend their best wishes to their PRO Eilish Kavanagh nee Murphy who has been chosen as a Leader on Operation Transformation.

The first episode of Operation Transformation for this series will broadcast tomorrow evening- Wednesday the 7th January at 8.30pm on RTE One.

Follow Eilish's progress on Facebook >>>

Operation Transformaton

Enniscorthy / Bunclody Comhairle Ceanntair want to extend their best wishes to their PRO Eilish Kavanagh nee Murphy who has been chosen as a Leader on Operation Transformaton. This programme will be on our tellies in the New Year and we plan to keep our members up to date with Eilishs progress.

Liam Mellows Commemoration

The Annual Liam Mellows Commemoration will take place on Sunday 14th December in Castletown.  Mass at 11am followed by wreath laying Cermony in the graveyard. Wreath will be laid by Ned Purcell. The Oration will be given by Sen Labhras O'Murchu.
Refreshments will follow in the Golden Anchor, Castletown

New Ross Ambassadors take to the streets

New Ross Ambassadors take to the streets

As part of the New Ross Christmas community’s programme of events for the area this Xmas, the New Ross Ambassadors Initiative has been launched.

The Ambassador programme is a new initiative designed to help people who are visiting and shopping in New Ross over the Christmas period.

Speaking after the launch and the training evening, Cllr Michael Sheehan added that this pilot project will be great fun for the people and the ambassadors themselves. Waterford and Wexford have this service and I wanted to see if we could develop a similar initiative here in town. I congratulate and commend the committee, especially all the volunteers who have heard the call and responded.

The programme has a clear aim: to train volunteers to walk through the town, assisting and informing people with any information or issues they may have while shopping in New Ross. Driving this project forward, Mark Deegan, Johnny Wall and all the committee have created a enthusiastic group who will be the positive face of New Ross.

The Christmas Committee put out the call for volunteers and the response was overwhelming. We had our first meeting and set out the broad goals of the project and to engage volunteers to get involved in our town this Christmas.   Starting next Saturday, there will be sets of Ambassadors hitting the streets from 12 to 4, with clearly identifiable sashes:  on hand to help shoppers and inform people of upcoming events and promotions.

The Ambassadors will play a key role in creating a positive, welcoming environment this Xmas and I’m delighted that the reception has been so positive and that the range of activities is expanding so far. From assisting people to reading traditional stories with Craft Central, the people of the town are really coming together to help their town this year.

Ambassadors  will be on hand to help anyone and will be working in partnership with business and local chamber to ensure, people visiting New Ross will experience a first rate time and that their time here with us is pleasurable and we build a stronger community spirit.  Should anyone want to become an Ambassador, there are some spaces still available;  contact Michael Sheehan on (087) 067 3647

Michael Sheehan

Vodafone pledge to consider Ross for Broadband plan.

FF Councillor Michael Sheehan has welcomed the agreement with representatives of  Vodafone to review the issue about the inclusion of New Ross on the 2015 Broadband Initiative.

After meeting representative from Vodafone in Dublin I outlined my concerns at the omission of New Ross in the initial list of fifty towns for high speed broadban, which is being rolled out in the New Year.

 The argument for New Ross being excluded is pretty thin—we are the same size population as Enniscorthy, relatively same numbers in terms of job seekers, third level entry, business numbers and broadband requirements; yet Enniscorthy Town and parts of Wexford were included.

I made the case that failure to be included would put New Ross at a competitive disadvantage in finding investment for employment, expansion for industry, access for education and innovation plus  further compounding the area to be a feeder area for Waterford and the hinterland.  While sympathetic to the case for New Ross, Mr. Gary Healy from Vodafone outlined how the list was selected and where there is possible scope for New Ross and the Broadband Initiative.

He agreed to review their information and the case for New Ross to ensure that nothing was overlooked and see if there was a case for inclusion in the first phase on commercial grounds as the crews are in the area anyway. If this isn’t possible, then he agreed to ensure New Ross would be in the running should one of the current candidate towns be deferred or a Phase II in 2016.

“I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to discuss this issue with Vodafone: it was in the end, a political choice where the government failed to include New Ross as there’s no TD here. To compound the case, Wexford TD Mick Wallace was as lathair on the day the ESB and Vodafone appeared before the Communications Committee.

Furthermore, Mr Healy would accept an invitation to New Ross to meet the Council and discuss options for New Ross to make sure it doesn’t get left behind again.

 I intend to raise this issue at the next meeting of the Council as it is vital New Ross has a proper infrastructure if we are to secure employment in the area.

Michael Sheehan, MCC

(085) 1349020