John
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McGuinness TD On Your Side National Legislation Required for Horse Drawn Vehicles
In response to the countless number of incidents involving animal abuse, particularly horses, in Kilkenny and Carlow, Deputy John McGuinness has called on the Government to introduce urgent legislation. Councillor Andrew McGuinness has also submitted the same proposal to Kilkenny County Council. McGuinness wants every horse licensed, micro chipped and taken off of public roads if they are not legally compliant and if the cart or carriage is not of a road worthy standard. The proposal, submitted in the form of a Parliamentary Question in March asks the Minister to introduce a system of
licensing and regulating the use of horse drawn vehicles on public roads to include: 1. An age restriction on those who operate horse drawn vehicles 2. A roadworthy test similar to an NCT that prioritises road safety and animal welfare 3. A license/registration requirement 4. Full compliance with existing laws including horse license and micro chipping Deputy McGuinness also asks the Minister to investigate the possibility of a country wide ban on Sulky Racing similar to the bye law created in Kilkenny City and County following its introduction by Cllr Andrew
McGuinness during his term as Mayor in 2015. “The level of abuse we have seen in Carlow and Kilkenny, particularly in recent months, is horrific and must be dealt with as a matter of urgency. We need an age limit and any vehicle that uses public roads must be road worthy. If the Minister agrees to introduce such legislation it would be in the best interest of all road users,” said Deputy John McGuinness. “I’m delighted that this issue is now going to be given the national attention that is required to deal with an issue that is widespread across the country. Anything that can be done to prevent animal abuse and ensure the safety of road users would be welcomed,” said Cllr. Andrew McGuinness. It is expected that a response to the Parliamentary Question will come in the coming weeks and the Council proposal will be dealt with at the May meeting of Kilkenny County Council.
John McGuinness TD On Your Side
Sugarman ‘applauded’ for doing the right thing Jonathan Sugarman, the former bank executive who exposed alleged law-breaking in the industry over 12 months before the financial crash said his life had been “utterly destroyed” because he did “the right thing” in trying to uphold the law. This statement and that he is relying on ‘friends and family for food’ was made before a parliamentary watchdog chaired by Deputy John McGuinness. According to Sugarman, The Central Bank did nothing when he warned regulators the bank was operating with billions of euro less than it was legally required to have in available cash. The alleged offences were reported eight years ago at the Garda station in Rathmines, Dublin. According to Sugarman, he has never heard anything back despite being informed that the complaint was passed to the fraud squad. Mr Sugarman told the Oireachtas Finance Committee it was the “harsh fact of the matter that official Ireland has absolutely and completely destroyed the lives of every single whistle-blower” regardless of which organ of the state was exposed. Deputy John McGuinness expressed his ‘absolute shock’ at the evidence provided by Mr. Sugarman and committed to question the Central Bank and Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan. “It is a story I have heard many times in relation to whistle-blowers. I respect you and applaud you for it - your story has been
listened to today,” said Deputy McGuinness. While the investigation is ongoing, Deputy McGuinness has vowed to ‘seek justice’ and pursue the truth until the case is closed. In a public tweet on April 15th, Sugarman thanked McGuinness for his efforts stating via hashtag that the ‘truth will prevail’.
Help for Distressed Homeowners
‘Friendly vulture fund’ will help struggling homeowners John McGuinness urges setting-up of agency to protect troubled mortgage-holders Deputy John McGuinness has called for a “friendly vulture fund”, which would purchase distressed loans from homeowners and allow them to stay in their homes, should be set up by the Government, according to the chairman of the Oireachtas finance committee. John McGuinness is pursuing a proposal that he hopes to bring the plan before the Dáil in order to deal with the growing concerns that large-scale repossessions by vulture funds will lead to the next wave of homelessness across the country. “The idea is to use an agency of the State, or to establish one, that would be allowed to buy the distressed debt from a bank at a rate they would sell it to a vulture fund. Once they get the loan they would ei-
ther rent the house back to the borrower or work out a reduced rate on their mortgage,” he said. Mortgages on about 50,000 primary homes and buy-to-lets are now controlled by unregulated “vulture-funds”, which have typically bought the loans at 70 cent in the euro. Deputy McGuinness said the kind of “friendly vulture” agency he is proposing would be funded with Government-issued bonds and could be “off-balance sheet” and not a contributor to national debt. “It would require government approval, sanction by the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Housing and the support of the banks,” he said. SAVING HOMES “I don’t foresee any opposition to this.
It’s very doable. It would be similar in structure to Nama, but people would stay in their homes. It would be a sort of friendly vulture fund and should be of interest to anyone who is interested in removing vulture funds from the equation.” The current situation, where these funds were likely to seek possession of homes to maximise a speedy return, would continue to be “very costly”, said Mr McGuinness. “It’s costing a lot of money in terms of legal services and in the courts. And it’s costing lives.” He said it would be similar to the mortgage-to-rent scheme, but without the involvement of local authorities and housing associations. “It would cut a lot of the bureaucracy out,” he said.
Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold...
O’Sullivan does not have the trust of the public, writes John McGuinness ■ Article written by John McGuinness taken from
the Sunday Independent Feb 12, 2017
The centre isn’t holding, and our people no longer believe that politicians will keep them safe. In fact, the centre is far too full of organisations who have forgotten that they are there to serve our people, rather than protect themselves, and perhaps the Dáil is one of them. For a number of years I have been close to Maurice McCabe, which gave me the opportunity to see at first hand how far a state institution would go to protect the status quo and how membership of the collective deprives people of their objectivity and judgment. The price of being one of the herd is you lose your individuality and, sometimes, your moral compass because you are marching to the sound of drummers and the orders of leaders who have convinced one another that their beat is best. Last week Prime Time brutally exposed what group thinking and blind loyalty can do. It can take an organisation full of well meaning, committed people over a cliff. Senior members of the Garda, once the most respected body of men and women in the State - the organisation that, above all others, is there to keep us safe - stands accused of using the most extraordinary underhand and sordid tactics to destroy a good man, steal years of his life and subject him and his family to terrible pressure and stress. And in so doing, tarnish the badge of the force and the honour of the thousands of good people, like Maurice McCabe, who did, and do, their work proudly and well. Without a shadow of a doubt, Commissioner O’Sullivan should, without prejudice, step aside. Without a shadow of a doubt, Superintendent Dave Taylor should be reinstated and paid in full. Both are entitled to the presumption of innocence. But the buck stops at the Commissioner’s desk and she is of the old guard. She should now stand back for her own good and for the good of the State. She does not enjoy the support of the public and it is imperative that trust in An Garda Siochana be restored. Tusla too has serious questions to answer. We are being asked to
here to help
believe that a “fat-fingered moment” was behind the extraordinary accusations laid at Maurice McCabe’s door. It may be true, but it is not credible - never has “a fat finger” been ignored for so long. Indeed, one has to ask questions about what happened to the person whose file the accusations should have been on. And even if it is true, how can accusations like these be laid against anyone without them being subject to the most rigorous examination? That “fat finger” laid waste to the life of an innocent family. How many other innocent families are suffering the same fate? Apologies are not enough. I know there are other innocent people out there who have felt the heavy hand of a Tusla investigation. It should now be the subject of a criminal investigation, and, separately, its procedures should be scrutinised. Children’s welfare must be paramount, but the reputations of individuals, and the children in their families, deserve protection also. This is a tipping point. Have no doubt about it. The public has had enough of mismanagement in various State organisations. This is the point where politicians have to accept many State organisations have lost their way and heading for implosions. The HSE, which casually provided incorrect waiting lists to government, is a good example of that. No matter how many billions it gets and no matter how hard front line staff work it will never deliver. The Dail should stop hiding behind rhetoric and meaningless gestures. We are watching the death throes of old bureaucratic institutions, here and elsewhere, and dollops of money will not produce miracles. But determination, common sense and the embracing of new ideas, cutting edge human resources and management practices might, if trade unions, politicians and senior public servants embrace change and address the challenge. A State that refuse to change and properly address waste, while chiselling money from its people at every turn and by every means, creates anger, disappointment, and disillusionment. I think we all know now where that can take us! John McGuinness is a Fianna Fail TD representing Carlow-Kilkenny and former PAC chair
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John McGuinness TD On Your Side
McGuinness Welcomes Callan Road Overhaul
The current works on the Callan Road will result in a much safer situation for road users and local residents alike according to Deputy John McGuinness who has campaigned for the improvement works for many years. A stretch of over four kilometres from the Callan Road Roundabout on the Ring Road to the Brownstown Junction will be overhauled and realigned with the addition of new footpaths, cycle tracks and public lighting as far as Tennypark Cross. “I am delighted to welcome these works as they are a long time coming and badly needed. Once completed, works will greatly enhance the lives of the residents living along the road, improve road safety and provide for a more attractive approach into Kilkenny City,” said Deputy McGuinness. The scheme extends for 4.38km’s from the N76 Callan Road Roundabout, on the Ring Road, to the Brownstown Junction. “It must be mentioned that this would not have been possible without the assistance of a significant number of landowners who were affected regarding the acquisition of the lands required to deliver this scheme,” said McGuinness. “I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product and the positive impact it will have for local residents and road users, particularly improvements to road safety and the elimination of dangerous bends between Tennypark Cross and the turn off the car boot sale,” concluded Deputy McGuinness.
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