Fianna Fail putting Policy first

Wexford Fianna Fail are preparing for the Next General Election already. The party is focused on building policies that will include all opinions and views.
 
On Tuesday March 3rd they are holding a Policy Conference on the Theme of "Agriculture and Finance " at 8pm in the Riverside Park Hotel. Enniscorthy.
 
Guest Speakers for the evening will include the following – Darren Carty livestock Specialist with the Farmers Journal, Deputy Sean Fleming T.D. Spokesperson on Expenditure and Public Reform, and J.J. Kavanagh former National Treasurer with the I.F.A. The evening will include a Question and Answer session of the invited guests. Light refreshments will be served. All Fianna Fail public representatives will be available on the night to meet those in attendance.                                                                                                                                    

South East Ambulance Service

Councillors Joe Sullivan from Gorey and James Browne from Enniscorthy met with the head of the South East Ambulance Service at St Johns Hospital, Enniscorthy, yesterday, (Wednesday) to raise concerns over the ambulance service in County Wexford.

 Currently Wexford District has its own dedicated paramedic crew at night time but only 2 crews rotate between the 3 districts of Gorey, Enniscorthy and New Ross at night.  However, from next month, March 2015, the number of paramedics based in Enniscorthy is to increase by 50% to 6. Coupled with the 8 already based at Gorey this will allow for a full service for each of the 3 districts from Thursdays through Sunday.

Councillors Sullivan & Browne have been at the forefront in raising this issue for some time and they welcomed the news as a significant step in the provision of a full ambulance service for County Wexford.

Wexford Roads Budget Cut by €279,000

The Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Malcolm Byrne, has slammed the decision of Environment and Local Government Minister, Alan Kelly, to cut non-national roads funding to Co. Wexford by €279,000.

The non-national roads budget for all local authorities has been cut in figures sent by the Department of the Environment and Local Government to Councils.  In the case of Co. Wexford, we have estimated it to be about €279,000. Last year, local authorities in Co. Wexford spent €10,125,200 on roads and footpaths. The allocation this year is €9,846,240. That is a cut of €278,960.

This will mean that a number of road and footpath repairs planned for this year will not happen.

Wexford County Council agreed a budget for 2015 on the expectation that the roads allocation from the Department would be the same as in 2014. The Council agreed the budget unanimously, the only Council in the country to so do.

Malcolm said,

"What is really annoying is that, as you will recall, the Government had given commitments around the Local Property Tax that this tax would underpin the funding of non national roads. The LPT has now been introduced and the resources available for local government have actually been cut further. "
"I'd like to challenge Minister Alan Kelly on his commitment to local government after this move. It has serious repercussions for local communities where road works were planned this year."

Malcolm Byrne

Cathaoirleach Wexford   County Council    086 22 37 102

Call for eligible applicants to apply for UK Fuel payment.

FF Councillor Michael Sheehan calls on people to ensure they apply for the Winter Fuel Payment on time.

FF Councillor Michael Sheehan has called on people who have worked in Britain and returned to Ireland to ensure their application for the UK winter fuel Payment has applied.

The Winter Fuel Payment is a once off cash payment up to £300 paid to people who would have paid into the UK tax system and receive a State Pension as a result. Last year, over €6million was paid to residents in Ireland who have worked at some point in England and receive a pension.

Each year, people realise that they are eligible to apply after the expiration of the  deadline.
The deadline for the 2015 is March 31st and people can download applications or drop into my office for a form and guidelines.  Generally payment is made late in the year, but failure to apply on time will rule out any payment to those who need it and worked for it all their lives. 

People who have received it in the past should automatically receive notification, but is no harm to double check and get the payment date.  New applicants have until March 31st to have all their particulars and to find out how much of a grant they’ll receive and estimated payment date.  

“Speaking this morning, Michael Sheehan said that people would be well advised to double check with my office, as €300 would alleviate a good deal of pressure, particularly at this time of year with a highest demand for heat and energy.
  --
  Michael Sheehan, MCC
  (085) 1349020

"No question" of Gorey Hospital closing down

"No question" of Gorey Hospital closing down
By Fintan Lambe
The Chairman of the South East committee of the Regional Health Forum, Cllr Joe Sullivan, has said he has been assured that the future of Gorey Hospital is safe and it will not close.

It was reported in the national and local media that the hospital is one f 21 publicly ran nursing homes around the country that don’t meet HIQA accommodation standards, and may be forced to close, or cut down on the number of residents, if they don’t comply with regulations by July 1.

However, Cllr Sullivan said he can’t envisage the hospital moving out of Gore. "I have been speaking to senior official in the HSE, and she told me there’s no question of Gorey closing down", he said."There are two new palliative care rooms at the hospital due to be officially opened on January 30".

"The official said she’s aware of the HIQA report and that it will have to be looked at", he added. "I’m working as closely as possible with HIQA and the HSE to ensure the threat of closure does not arise".

"At the moment the information I have is the hospital is safe", he continued. "But we will have to have an urgent meeting with the HSE to assurances that it is not in any danger, and ensure that any threat that may be there is non – existent any longer".

He asked Senator Michael D’Arcy to call on the Minister for Health for an assurance that there will be no change of status in the hospital.

Meanwhile, Cllr Malcolm Byrne said he received assurances form a senior HSE manager in the South East, that the HSE continues to support Gorey District Hospital, and that "there are no plans or proposals to close this facility".

"Whilst there are challenges in meeting HIQA requirements due to the age and layout of the facility, I am satisfied that we will provide for these challenges and plans have been submitted to HIQA in order to maintain this facility into the future", the official said.

Cllr Byrne described the clarification as welcome.

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