Summer 2015
PAT DEERING TD
Working for Carlow, Working for you...
GREEN SHOOTS IN CARLOW ✓ €10m made available for social housing (2015-2017) ✓ €6.5m Leader funding for Carlow, for community led projects (2015-2020) ✓ Tullow Primary Care Centre – site procurement at an advanced stage. ✓ Live Register down from 6,854 in Feb 12 to 5,653 in April 15. ✓ Almost €1.2m given out in Sports Capital Funding, 2015 applications being processed at the moment.
✓ €500k secured for construction of Ballinacarrig Roundabout, 10,000 vehicles use it daily. ✓ Browneshill Dolmen is included in Failte Ireland, Ireland’s Ancient East plan. ✓ Bus Route5, Bunclody-Kildavin-Tullow-Rathvilly to Dublin, saved, it’s not all about money – service is important too.
✓ Walsh’s Distillery in Royal Oak is well advanced and will be in production by early 2016, O’Hara’s Brewery are thriving and recently employed 12 new staff, MSD have invested a further €11.5m in Carlow, a sign of Carlow’s attractiveness and MSD’s commitment to the future. A site has been acquired on the Carlow / Kildare border for the proposed new Sugar Factory.
✓ In a recent Parliamentary Question, Minister Bruton informed me
that Braun was purchased by a private developer in early 2015. IDA Ireland has visited the facility with the developer to assess the plans for the future development of the site and has provided inputs on the marketability of the site for future Foreign Direct Investment to Carlow. The IDA will be in a position to actively market the site once minor upgrade works are completed, around now. In the meantime IDA Ireland has provided information on the facility to a number of potential clients, who are currently assessing Ireland as an investment location.
Constituency Offices: 16 Old Dublin Road, Carlow. Church Road, Bagenalstown. T. 059 9173446 M. 087 9470736 F. 059 9164680 E. pat.deering@oireachtas.ie W. www.patdeering.ie
A SNAPSHOT OF WHERE
GOVERNMENT ACHIEVE
ECONOMY & RECOVERY • GDP rose by 4.8% in 2014, and is expected to grow by a further 7% in the next eighteen months, making us the fastest growing economy in Europe. • Our deficit was over €22bn in 2010, but it will be reduced to €5bn by the end of 2015. • We reduced our cost of borrowing from 15% in July 2011 to 1.6% (10 year bond issue, Oct 2014). • Budget 2015 reduced income tax & the USC for the first time in 6 years. • Restructured the banks and recently received €5.5bn from recent sales of bank shares. Reduced the cost of FF’s bailout of Anglo by getting rid of the promissory notes. • Over 104,000 jobs have been created since the launch of the Action Plan for Jobs in 2012; and 41,300 jobs in the last 12 months alone. Unemployment has fallen from a high of 15.1% in 2012 to 9.8% and
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is expected to fall to 8.4% by the end of 2016. A Regional Enterprise Strategy with local stakeholders has been developed for each region. 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are now supporting 4,000 extra jobs by acting as first-stop-shops to support businesses seeking info & support. LEOs combine the resources of Enterprise Ireland, County Enterprise Boards and Local Authorities. Establishment of National Export Hub, together with, Irish Exporters Association to assist Irish companies to export for the first time, enter new markets and grow. Construction 2020 is a cross-government strategy with 75 actions aimed at tripling housing output and creating 60,000 jobs by 2020. Additional €800m available to Irish SMEs through establishment of Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI). 1,300
customers already benefitted through AIB’s fund. • Public service numbers have been reduced by 31,000 since we came to office, exceeding the 30,000 commitment. • The Exchequer pay bill has decreased by over €3.7bn from €17.5bn in 2009 to €13.9bn in 2014 (net of Pensions Related Deduction). • There are now 181 fewer state bodies than when the Government took office. • €3.5bn capital investment in 2015. • We exited the EU/IMF bailout as planned, without a new precautionary credit line. • The Government reduced the cost of the bailout by saving €9bn from reduced interest rates and reducing our borrowing by €20bn via extended maturities on EFSF/ EFSM loans. • € 1.5bn in cash savings on the completion of early repayment of €18bn of IMF loans.
HEALTH • GP care without fees for everyone under 6 and 70 or over as first step to universal health care. • Maximum 4 weeks waiting time for the Fair Deal nursing home support scheme. • 30,000 extra discretionary medical cards since July 2014. • End of double-digit increase in health insurance premiums. Introduced Lifetime Community Rating, and it was followed by
80,000 new health insurance customers. • Budget 2015, first budget increase in health in 7 years and 1,000 more staff. €13bn budget. • Reduced medicine prices. • Steering Group established to develop National Cancer Strategy 2016-2025. • European Investment Bank to invest €70m in 14 Primary Care Centres.
SOCIAL PROTECTION • The unemployment rate is down to 9.8% from a peak of 15.1% in Feb 2012. • The Live Register (welfare claimants) is below 350,000, from a high of 450,000. • The Dept’s Compliance & Anti-Fraud Strategy has seconded 20 Gardaí to investigate social welfare fraud, with 4,300 cases investigated and €68m saved in 2014. • New One-Stop-Shop Intreo Offices combine access to welfare payments and employment supports. 47 offices now open and work progressing on a further 15. • Making work pay with measures like the Back to Work Family Dividend, allowing jobseekers retain €30/week for each child for first year back in employment. • JobBridge has provided 38,500 interns with placements since its launch (July 2011). Independent research has shown 61% of participants progress into paid employment. • 2,100 long-term unemployed people have availed of the Gateway Scheme, run by county councils, with the objective of bridging the gap between the dole and work. • Approx. 3,500 employers are availing of JobsPlus, which provides a subsidy to employers to hire long-term unemployed.
• New Children’s Hospital has received funding and design phase underway. • Commitment to progress new mental health campus, national maternity hospital, development of primary care centres and community nursing homes. • 43 new primary care centres have been delivered since May 2011. • New Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street.
COMMUNICATIONS, ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES • Successful sale of Bord Gais Energy in Dec 2013, generating €1.1bn. • Every secondary school in the country now has world class (100Mbps) broadband following a three-year €30m investment. Primary school programme to follow. • Online national map identifying all homes in Ireland published under Nat Broadband Plan. All homes will have high speed broadband by 2020 with State intervention. • ‘Better Energy Homes’ grants were increased by between 25-50% in March 2015 and householders receive a €300 bonus if they complete three or more improvements.
PAT DEERING TD
Constituency Office: 16 Old Dublin Road, Carlow. Tel: 059-9173446 or Mobile: 08
RE WE ARE AS A NATION
HIEVEMENTS OVERVIEW EDUCATION • Reformed Leaving Certificate grades and CAO points, with a reduction in the number of grades and development of a common points system for universities & ITs. • Established an Early Education Advisory Group, to advise the Minister for Education on matters across the education sector, covering children 0-6 years.
• €2.2bn five-year school capital investment plan for the period up to 2016. • €7m to 450 post-primary schools supporting Design & Communication Graphics • €108m for school improvements under the Summer Works Scheme.
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & THE MARINE • Food and beverage exports have exceeded €10.45bn, growth of 45% since 2009. • Lifting of Chinese ban on Irish beef and opening up of US market to Irish beef. • Opening of new €1.4bn AgriEnvironment Scheme GLAS, benefiting 35,000 farmers.
• Abolition of Milk Quotas, with the potential for 15,000 new jobs over the next 5 yrs. • New rules to provide for country of origin labelling on packaged meat products. • €250m secured towards the LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme.
TRANSPORT, TOURISM & SPORT • A special 9% VAT rate for the tourism industry was introduced as part of the 2011 Jobs Initiative and has created 30,000 jobs (Fáilte Ireland); retained in Budget 2015. • An increase of nearly 7 million in CIE passenger numbers in 2014 compared to 2013. • Tourism continues to grow, with overseas visits up 8.9% in 2014. • The Rural Transport Programme has been overhauled, restructured and placed on a more stable financial footing to protect it into the future. • The Road Traffic Act 2014 (dealing with drug driving) has been passed. • Reinstated Sport Capital Grants with three separate allocations over govt. term, with €40m allocated in 2014 and a further €40m this year, with successful applicants due to be announced late summer / early autumn. Funding allocated for development of National Indoor Arena.
OTHER SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS
ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNITY & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
• Children’s Rights Referendum gave children explicit constitutional protections. • Creation of Child & Family Agency (Tusla), the most comprehensive reform of child protection, early intervention and family support services ever undertaken in Ireland. • €7m capital funding providing for upgrades of community and not for profit childcare services. • 443 new recruits to the Irish Defence Forces. • 550 new Gardaí recruited between 2014 and 2015. • €27.5m in new Garda vehicles since 2012. • €27m spent on prison building and refurbishment. • 175 jobs created and €15m invested in historic buildings.
• Ghost Estates: a 65% decrease in the no. of unfinished developments and a 75% decrease in vacant units in remaining unfinished developments (since 2010). • Approx. 2,000 vacant homes returned to social housing use during 2014. • Reduction of over 650 councillors (from 1,627), with 114 local authorities replaced with 31 integrated authorities. More powers for councillors in planning, roads, traffic, housing, environmental services, recreation, amenity and community development.
• Introduction of gender quotas for the next General Election: a minimum of 30% of candidates have to be women or political parties lose 50% of their State funding. • New Homelessness Strategy: €55.5m for accommodation in 2015, a 20% increase. • Housing Funding up by 40% to €800m in Budget 2015. • €4bn social housing strategy launched to deliver 35,000 housing units by 2020 and to reduce the housing waiting lists by 25% nationally by 2017.
SECURING THE RECOVERY • The recovery is starting to take hold. • The job isn’t finished yet, many people/families not yet feeling the benefits of the recovery in their own lives • That recovery is fragile and we can’t risk slipping backwards through political instability • More jobs are the top priority, over 100,000 to date; 40,000 this year and full employment by 2018
bile: 087-9470736
Email: pat.deering@oireachtas.ie
• Unemployment is the main source of inequality and unfairness in our society today • More jobs mean less tax for people working and more revenue to provide better services • The greatest risk to recovery, job creation and a brighter future is the political risk from the populist and fantasy economics of Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and some Independents.
Guide to GP care without fees How do I get my GP Visit Card Under 6s?
We’re taking the first steps. GP care for children under 6.
With the new GP visit card under 6s you can bring your children to the GP for free consultations and wellness checks.
What services are provided under the GP Visit Card under 6s
GPs will provide general consultations, diagnosis and treatment as well as periodic health assessments focused on health and wellbeing and preventing disease. These checks will be carried out when your child is 2 and 5. It also includes enhanced care for children diagnosed with asthma.
What is an Asthma check?
Each asthma check details the severity of your child or children’s asthma and involves a review of medications including making sure your child is using inhalers correctly. Your GP will advise you on how to improve your child’s asthma care, including advice on smoke free environment, flu vaccination to prevent influenza and education on what to do if your child’s condition is getting worse. A written plan, tailored to your child, will be given to you to help you manage your child’s asthma. Asthma checks have been shown to improve control of asthma in children and reduce hospital attendance.
For more see www.gpvisitcard.ie or call LoCall 1890 252 919. Registration forms can be returned to GP Visit Card Under 6s, PO Box 12629, Dublin 11
Rates charged for 1890 (LoCall) numbers may vary across different service providers and calls made using mobiles may be more expensive.
Free GP Care for 70’s plus
From the 1st August everyone aged 70 and over will be eligible for a GP Visit Card, regardless of income.
To get a GP Visit Card aged 70 or over, fill in the application form at your GP, Pharmacy, or download it from www.gpvisitcard.ie
Over 36,000 people aged 70 or older currently pay to attend a GP as they are not covered by a medical card or a GP Visit Card.
For more see www.gpvisitcard.ie or call 1850 000 000 for more information.
PAT DEERING TD
The GP Visit Card is funded by the Government and administered by the HSE.
Working for Carlow, Working for you...
Constituency Offices: 16 Old Dublin Road, Carlow. Church Road, Bagenalstown. T. 059 9173446 M. 087 9470736 F. 059 9164680 E. pat.deering@oireachtas.ie W. www.patdeering.ie
0612
This means you can visit your GP and not have to pay for the visit.