REGISTER TO VOTE
REDUCE MORTGAGE RATES
If you are not on the Register of Electors 2015 / 2016, you can still vote if you are included in a supplement to the register. The Referendums will take place on Friday 22nd May 2015.
Over 300,000 mortgage payers across the country who are on Variable Rate Mortgages are being fleeced by the banks.
To be included in the Supplement, you must be: ■ 18 years of age ■ An Irish citizen ■ Ordinarily resident at the address at which you wish to be registered ■ Not already registered as an elector (except in the case of change of address) If you are not already on the Register, you can apply to be included in the supplement by filling out the green form RFA2. If you are on the Register and have moved from one Dáil or local authority constituency to another you may also apply for entry on the supplement by filling out the pink form RFA3 change of address. All Forms are available online at www.sdcc.ie and also on request from South Dublin County Council, Corporate Performance & Change Management, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24. Tel. No. 4149100 or email registerofelectors@sdublincoco.ie
Despite the record low cost of money, these banks have failed to pass on interest reductions to their hard-pressed customers.
“High levels of Standard Variable Rate mortgage interest assists banks to become profitable but cause great hardship to working families” states Deputy Eamonn Maloney. Deputy Maloney agreed with the comments of Tánaiste Joan Burton, when she stated “the idea of diluting the banks’ power or veto and using
the courts or an independent panel to adjudicate on those settlements was a serious runner.”
EAMONN MALONEY TD
YOUR LOCAL LABOUR TEAM
AN INTRODUCTION Dear Resident,
Closing date for receipt of registration forms is Tuesday 5th May 2015.
DEAL WITH THE LEGACY - GET RID OF ZERO HOUR CONTRACTS
EAMONN MALONEY TD
A number of areas in Dublin will see changes to their constituency boundaries, as recommended by the Constituency Commission. Our constituency is one of them.
01 618 4833 eamonn.maloney@oir.ie
The Dublin South West constituency has been extended to include Knocklyon, Rathfarnham and Ballyboden.
Eamonn Maloney Speaking in the Dail, April 2015
For the next General Election our constituency will be one of the largest in the country.
“People may say good things about the Celtic tiger but many bad things also happened during that period, one of which was cheap labour.
“These are the issues Members who have an affinity with those on low pay should be trying to progress. People should be able to expect a living wage. The curse of zero hour contracts simply should not be tolerated. “We are dealing with a legacy in this regard. People may speak about the good things that happened during the Celtic tiger but many bad things also happened during that period, one of which was cheap labour. Unfortunately, the new Irish ended up working in menial jobs without access to trade unions and they were paid awful wages. It is our responsibility as legislators to deal with that legacy. I look forward to studying the findings of University of Limerick's investigation of zero hour contracts and of the Low Pay Commission".
PAT RABBITTE TD
Prior to my election to Dail Eireann in 2011, I served twelve years as a councillor and was twice Mayor of South Dublin.
01 618 3772 pat.rabbitte@oir.ie
As a Dail Deputy for Dublin South West, I look forwad to working with your Labour Party representative Minister Alex White TD on issues affecting your area. Should you wish to contact me on any issue, please find my contact details below. Yours sincerely,
Working with
Eamonn Maloney TD
CLLR PAMELA KEARNS
Contact Eamonn: 01 618 4833 eamonn.maloney@oir.ie
087 7756718 pkearns@cllr.sdublincoco.ie 0612
“This is an important issue. All but the most conservative of Members will welcome the establishment of a commission on low pay. I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Nash, for ensuring that the commission will deliver findings before the summer.
Stretching from Knocklyon up to the Dublin Mountains, the constituency includes the districts of Rathfarnham, Templeogue, Firhouse, Tallaght and Citywest.
FREE GP CARE FOR UNDER 6sAND EVERYONE OVER 70 Agreement has been reached with the Irish Medical Organisation for the delivery of free GP care for all children aged under 6. This agreement represents the first step in the phased introduction of a Universal GP service without fees. The commencement of this service this summer will make a real difference to the lives of the youngest in our society. A key element of the agreement will ensure that children with asthma will receive structured visits and an individualised asthma plan to aid their parents. In parallel with this, GP Care without fees will be provided for all persons aged 70 years and over under the existing GMS contract.
“This new contract underlines the Government’s commitment to enhancing primary care and keeping people healthy in the community. It also marks a realistic step forward along the road to universal health care” – Deputy Eamonn Maloney TD.
€507 MILLION FOR SOCIAL HOUSING IN DUBLIN
SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME
The Minister for the Environment, Community & Local Government, Alan Kelly TD has announced housing targets for each local authority area for the period 2015 - 2017.
The Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., has announced that the Government has agreed that additional resources will be allocated to schools as an interim measure to support those children with Down syndrome, who are not already supported through the National Council for Special Education’s (NCSE) annual allocation process.
South Dublin County Council will receive €73 million for an agreed target which will produce 1,445 units. The funds will be invested in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes by the local authority, designed to accommodate 25% of those currently on the housing waiting lists for social housing. The move comes as part of the Government’s €3.8 billion social housing strategy announced last November for the period from 2015 to 2020. Each local authority was asked to bring forward housing unit targets and specific building projects for the period to 2017. As part of the strategy, targets had to be agreed with each local authority in 2015. In welcoming this planned provision of funds for social housing, Deputy Eamonn Maloney TD said: “Housing is a priority for the Government. What has been announced is a planned and costed target for each local authority throughout the country to be delivered in the years 2015 to 2017 as part of the Construction 2020 Strategy. This will have a major impact for those on the housing waiting lists with a national reduction of 25% targeted over the period from these schemes alone. The recovering economy is now allowing us to invest in vital public services such as housing with the added bonus of local job creation in our community.”
ENERGY GRANTS INCREASE All grants available to householders under the Better Energy Homes Scheme have been increased by between 25-50%. In addition, a bonus payment has been introduced which will see householders receive bonus payments if they complete three or more energy efficiency improvements. It is now possible for a family in a semidetached house to benefit from a grant payment of up to €4,700 for a schedule of improvements. In welcoming the Grant increase, Deputy Eamonn Maloney TD stated: "This is good news for homeowners and families who wish to upgrade their homes by making them warmer and more comfortable while at the same time saving money on their heating bills. It is also good news for the local economy by providing and maintaining more jobs in the domestic sector." Full details on how to apply for the grants is available at: www.seai.ie/Grants/Better_energy_homes/
Under the interim measure schools will receive 2.5 resource teacher hours per week for each qualifying child. These supports are being provided in recognition of the fact that children with Down syndrome experience a cluster of difficulties relating to this syndrome, in addition to general learning difficulties, including speech and language developmental delays.
“While more support is required to alleviate the burden on parents, I am hopeful that the additional resource supports will go some way towards allowing their children to reach their full potential.” – Deputy Eamonn Maloney TD.
GREATER JOB SECURITY FOR YOUNG TEACHERS At last the high level of casualisation of employment in teaching is to change. In second-level teaching, 35% of teachers are fixedterm, part-time, or both and the equivalent figure in primary teaching is 9%. The Expert Group on Employment in Education have recommended a number of measures which will lead to more job security for fixed-term and part-time teachers. The changes would allow fixed-term teachers to acquire permanent positions more easily and quickly, and enable part-time teachers to gain additional hours. Welcoming the proposed changes which will commence with the 2015/16 school year Deputy Eamonn Maloney TD stated:
“Stability in employment is a benefit to teachers. A lack of stability undermines the attractiveness of teaching as a valuable and professional career with implications for the delivery and quality of education provided. These changes will benefit the education of our children.”