Eamon Gilmore TD Summer Newsletter

GILMORE EAMON SUMMER NEWS 1236_A4 19/07/2011 14:24 Page 2

Eamon Gilmore TD Labour News

Representing the people of Dun Laoghaire Summer 2011

Dear Constituent The new Government is now just over four months in office.

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Contact details for Eamon Gilmore TD Tel: 408 2018

We have inherited the biggest economic and financial crisis ever to face an incoming Government.

Fax: 408 2690 Email: eamon.gilmore@oir.ie

But we have, straight away, got down to work to bring about economic recovery. We have made early decisions on the restructuring of the banks, on the introduction of a

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jobs initiative, on the reversal of the cut in the national minimum wage.

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My own specific role as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is the rebuilding of Ireland’s reputation which was severely damaged during the recession. Ireland’s reputation must be restored if we are to maximise our trade, get inward investment and jobs and successfully negotiate with the EU, ECB and IMF.

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Web: www.labour.ie or Write to Eamon at: Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade Iveagh House 80 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2

The period ahead will not be easy. The new Government has difficult and painful decisions to make in order to bring about recovery. But we are determined to persist

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with the task. Ireland will recover. There is a better future. Our new Government will work every day in the public interest. And we will succeed.

facebook.com/eamongilmore

I ask for your continued support, forbearance and understanding in the difficult times

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ahead.

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I continue of course, to be available to Constituents. Details of my advice centre and

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constituency service are on this leaflet. I work closely with our new Labour Senator Aideen Hayden and our local Labour Councillors. Please contact any of us if there is

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any thing you would like to discuss.

Yours sincerely,

ADVICE CENTRE Every Monday from 9.30 am (except Bank Holidays) Park House, Library Road, Dun Laoghaire

Eamon Gilmore TD

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ONE IRELAND: jobs, reform, fairness

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LABOUR IN GOVERNMENT ARE: DELIVERING ON JOBS l Within the first 100 days of government we published a Jobs Initiative which included: o Lowering the rate of employers PRSI by half o Cutting VAT on tourism related services by a third o Created a new Internship Scheme with 5,000 places

l Home insulation schemes to create 2,000 jobs

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l Reversed the minimum wage cut l The abolition of the €3 travel tax levied on air

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passenger travel

DELIVERING ON EDUCATION l An extra €40 million for 2011 Summer Works Scheme for 453 schools to create 2,400 jobs

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l The ‘Write to Read’ pilot scheme extended

l An extra 15,900 places for further education and training programmes

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l Publication of a discussion document on enrolment policy for schools

l A Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in Schools established

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l 1,000 additional PLC places announced as part of the Jobs Initative

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DELIVERING FOR COMMUNITIES l €5 million allocated to alleviate difficulties in unfinished housing estates and ghost estates l €75 million allocated to create 1,000 jobs for the following projects: o Road maintenance works to remedy some of the damage inflicted by two severe winters o Improvements at a number of commuter train stations o Smarter transport projects including cycle schemes, bus corridors, park and ride, and pedestrian facilities

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l Investment in sustainable travel initiatives of up to €55 million to make walkways, cycle paths and the road network more user-friendly

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l New Special Delivery Unit (SDU) to tackle unacceptable hospital waiting lists

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l Implementation Group on Universal Health Insurance will manage reforms in the health service with a view to ending the unfair, two-tier system and implement a Universal Health Care service

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t penden for inde eople with p itment r m fo m s o e c A om ons of h y An Inter-departm inspecti ctual disabilit e ental Committ ll te ee to report wi three months and in thin to establish th e facts and circu relating to the mstances Magdalene Laun dries

DELIVERING ON REFORM l Pay cuts for the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Ministers. l Halving the cost of ministerial transport l Measures to increase Dáil sitting days by over 33% by cutting Dáil holidays l New legislation for the effective banning of corporate donations l New legislation on other political reform (female participation in politics, new six month time limits for

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bye elections, lower spending limits for presidential elections)

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l Introduced new legislation on white collar crime to strengthen existing laws

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l A comprehensive review of the taxi industry

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l Pay ceiling for higher posts across the public service, including CEO posts in Commercial State Companies

GILMORE EAMON SUMMER NEWS 1236_A4 19/07/2011 14:24 Page 4

ONGOING REVIEW OF SERVICES AT ST. COLUMCILLES HOSPITAL LOUGHLINSTOWN Concerns have been raised that a decision has been taken by the HSE to reduce A & E services at St. Columcilles Hospital, Loughlinstown.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore TD met with Senior Officials of the HSE who advised that no definite decision has been taken to reduce A & E services at St. Columcilles Hospital, Loughlinstown.

The Officials informed Eamon Gilmore TD that Acute Services in the Dublin Southeast and Wicklow areas are

operated on a regional basis across three sites (St. Columcilles Hospital, Loughlinstown, St. Michael’s Dún Laoghaire, and St Vincent’s University Hospital). The configuration of services at these hospitals is constantly reviewed and reorganised to ensure the best quality of care possible can be provided to patients.

The range of services currently provided by these three hospitals will continue. It is the location of service provision which will be configured in

BACK TO SCHOOL CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR ALLOWANCE The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is a special support payment to help parents meet the cost of uniforms and footwear for children returning to school.

If you are receiving a Social Welfare payment or a Health Service Executive payment and you have a dependant child, you may qualify for this Allowance. If you are a participant on certain approved employment or training schemes, you may also qualify for the Allowance.

The Allowance is: l €200 for each eligible child aged 2-11 years l €305 for each eligible child aged 12-17 years l €305 for each eligible child aged 18-22 who is in full-time education.

The administrative arrangements for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance in 2011 are different from the arrangements that applied in previous years. This year, the majority of customers will be paid automatically. l Therefore you do not have to complete an application form or contact the Department of Social Protection to receive your entitlement, at this stage. l You will receive a letter from the Department later in the month informing you when and how payment will be made. l These payments will issue from the end of June. l If you have not received a letter at this stage, you will need to complete an application form.

Application forms are now available. To request a form, text FORM BTSCFA followed by your name and address to 51909 (standard text rates apply). For more information log onto www.welfare.ie; LoCall 1890 662244 or call to your local Social Welfare Office or Citizens Information Centre.

line with how best to deliver the service and maintain patient safety. The configuration of these series will also meet the requirements of the HIQA Ennis and Mallow reports.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore TD received an assurance from the HSE that briefing meetings will be held at various locations so that the public will be fully informed of the outcome of the Review of Acute Hospital Services at St Columcille’s Hospital.

SCHOOL BOOK GRANT SCHEME A grant scheme is available for students in primary and postprimary schools to help with the cost of school books. The scheme is mainly aimed at pupils from low-income families and families experiencing financial hardship.

Funding for this scheme comes from the Department of Education and Skills and the scheme is administered in each school by the school principal.

Broadly speaking, students who may be eligible for assistance under the School Books Grant Scheme include: l Families mainly dependent on social welfare payments l Families on low incomes, (for example, those receiving Family Income Supplement, and the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance) l Families experiencing financial hardship because of particular circumstances (for example, where there is prolonged illness of a parent/guardian, etc.)

To apply, contact your school principal.

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EAMON GILMORE TD Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Iveagh House, 80 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2.

Email: eamon.gilmore@oir.ie Tel: 01 408 2018 Fax: 01 408 2690 www.labour.ie/eamongilmore www.facebook.com/EamonGilmore

Clinic Information Every Monday 09:30 am (Except Bank Holidays) Park House, Library Road, Dún Laoghaire (Beside entrance to Bloomfield’s Car Park)

LOCAL NEWS IN BRIEF n A new website for Dún Laoghaire Town has been launched by the Dún Laoghaire ‘Brand’ Project. See www.dunlaoghaire.ie.

n Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company is inviting the public to view and comment on the Masterplan that they have put forward for Dún Laoghaire Harbour. See www.dlharbour.ie/masterplan.

SENATOR AIDEEN HAYDEN I would like to welcome Senator Aideen Hayden to the Labour Party Dún Laoghaire Team. Aideen lives in Glenageary with her husband Chris O’Malley and her two children. Since 1998 Aideen has served as Chairperson of Threshold, the National Housing Charity. She is a qualified Solicitor and an expert on Social Policy.

Congratulations Cllr. Jane Dillon Byrne on her recent election as Leas Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. Jane Dillon Byrne is now the longest serving Councillor for the Labour Party.

n Feedback from the public for the Dún Laoghaire Baths Concept proposals has been extremely positive according to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. Further work on the concept proposals is currently taking place with the hope that detailed plans for interim works on the baths being brought to full planning application stage in the autumn.

Your Local Labour Team Working with Eamon Gilmore TD

Cllr. Niamh Bhreathnach

Mobile: 086 607 8193 Mobile: 086 607 8150 Email: nbhreathna@cllr.dlrcoco.ie

Cllr. Jane Dillon Byrne

Cllr. Carrie Smyth

Cllr. Stephen Fitzpatrick

Senator Aideen Hayden

Mobile: 086 383 5051 Email: carriesmyth@cllr.dlrcoco.ie

Mobile: 086 781 4519 Email: sfitzpatrick@cllr.dlrcoco.ie facebook.com/stephenfitzpatrick Twitter: @CllrFitzpatrick

Tel: 01 618 3178 Mobile: 087 231 1921 Email: aideen.hayden@oir.ie

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Cllr. Denis O’Callaghan Mobile: 086 278 5609 Email: denisoc@cllr.dlrcoco.ie