AODHÁN Ó RÍORDÁIN TD

Media Appearances and Dáil Speeches Wed 25th and Thurs 26th

2012-01-27T15:42:00.004Z

Please see below some of my activity from the week gone past including appearances on Morning Ireland, Newstalk Lunchtime Show and Today with Pat Kenny.

Also my contribution to the Promissory Note Debate on Wednesday evening:

MEDIA APPEARANCES:

Thursday January 26th
Morning Ireland Interview on Guidance Counsellors and School Chaplains

http://www.rte.ie/news/morningireland/player.html?20120126,3179454,3179454,flash,257

Thursday January 26th
Newstalk debate over Religious Ethos in Education:

Friday January 27th
Joining Pat Kenny and guests for ‘The Gathering’

http://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A3180811%3A133%3A27%2D01%2D2012%3A

DÁIL DEBATES:

Also speaking on the Promissory Notes in the Dáil on Wednesday

CHILDREN'S RIGHTS ALLIANCE REPORT CARD ENCOURAGING BUT CHILD POVERTY A MAJOR CONCERN

2012-01-24T11:28:00.004Z

Statement from Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD
Labour Party, Dublin North Central
Tuesday, January 24th 2012

The Government Report Card launched by the Children's Rights Alliance yesterday shows the government are making encouraging moves, but that there is no room for complacency, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has said.

Attending the launch yesterday, Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: 'The overall C+ grade highlights the government's commitment to construct the Children's Hospital, the continuing focus on Child literacy and also the determination to hold a Children's Rights Referendum this year. The C+ grade is the highest grade awarded to any government since the initiative was started four years ago, which is encouraging'

'However the stark reality is that our child poverty rates are alarmingly high, with 19% of children living in poverty and 9% of children living in persistent poverty. It is clear that a re-focusing on the well-being of our children is incredibly important and immediately necessary as childhood is so precious and so short.'

'A re-balancing of child benefit payments to the most poor, as well as other strategies focusing on housing, support services and educational resources will surely assist in improving the plight of our most vulnerable children'

'The ongoing scandal of the incarceration of children in St Patrick's in the Mountjoy Prison complex must also be addressed as a matter of urgency.'

'I would encourage the Minister for Children and other relevant Ministers to examine the Children's Rights Alliance Report Card carefully and to act to protect our children, with particular focus on those who have started their living living in persistent poverty.' Deputy Ó Ríordáin concluded.

ENDS

Labour Party Update – Bin Changeover

2012-01-22T23:00:00.000Z

Labour Party Update – Bin Changeover

As you will already be aware the Dublin City Council bin service was handed over to Greyhound Recycling from the week beginning 16th January.

 The Labour group on the City Council opposed the privatisation of this service, but under the Protection of the Environment Act 2003, which was enacted by Fianna Fail and opposed by the Labour Party in the Dáil at the time, the power of Councillors to control the bin service was removed and given instead to Dublin City Council management.
 All Labour Party representatives on Dublin City Councils have voted three times in the last nine months to oppose this privatisation, but our wishes were ignored by the Council management.

It is now clear that there are significant issues with the handover of the bin service. We have received complaints on a wide range of issues, including the requirement to pay up front, the effective monopoly now enjoyed by Greyhound in Dublin City, and the limited methods of payment available to customers. As your Labour Party representatives in this area we have been working on these issues since they arose with the following results:

• The Labour Party group on Dublin City Council demanded an urgent meeting with the City Manager to discuss the shambles of the bin handover. This meeting took place on Thursday 19th January in Civic Offices.
• On the same day, Greyhound announced that the €100 charge could now be paid in two equal instalments. However, this is only available to those who agree to a direct debit and many other issues relating to the new service still remain.
• The Labour Party group have called a special meeting of Dublin City Council to be held on Monday 23rd January. At this meeting, all complaints and queries we have received will be raised with City Council officials. This meeting is webcasted live from the Dublin City Council website.
• At a national level discussions are ongoing with the Department of Environment in respect of a national waiver scheme.

Please be assured of our continued support on this matter.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD and Councillor Jane Horgan-Jones

Speaking on provision of guidance counselling in schools

2012-01-18T16:48:00.006Z

Private Members Debate: Tuesday January 17th 2012

Aodhán: I thank the Minister for his contribution. In keeping with the tone of the previous speaker's contribution, it would be easy to list cuts implemented under previous administrations but that would not be fair to the people affected by this change. A few weeks ago, the Minister addressed students in the gallery and it was one of the most inspirational things I have seen in my short time in the House. Many developments in education are incredibly exciting such as reform of the junior and leaving certificates, tackling the dreaded points system, addressing vested interests in the context of school patronage and admissions policies and tackling the issue of literacy and numeracy and the fact that Ireland is slipping down the league table, as the Minister correctly stated. In a short time in the Department, he has, therefore, tackled a significant number of issues that are fundamental to how our education system is structured.

It is impossible to make a cutback in the education system without affecting the quality of provision, which no Member would deny, and nor would they deny that when a €3.8 billion budgetary correction is made, education cannot be ring-fenced. I wish that could be the case but it is not possible.

I spent time yesterday in four of my local schools and I spoke to the members of a particularly impressive student council in Manor House school, who referred to junior and leaving certificate reform, their hopes and dreams and what lies ahead of them. They referred to how important guidance counselling provision is to them in their school. It is not easy to be a young person in modern day Ireland facing into the leaving certificate and university life in the current circumstances. It is not their fault if they happen to be aged 16 or 17 attending secondary school in the middle of a recession and budgetary corrections. A number of the guidance counsellors I met spoke about the impact of the recession on their students and the fact that they hear discussions about what is happening in their kitchens and bedrooms at home. They are aware of financial pressures and their parents have lost jobs. They hear about people in their classes doing stupid things and getting involved in behaviour that they should not.

A guiding hand is important. If we take the sense of vocation out of schools, then we will lose pretty much everything. The position of guidance counsellor is important but it would have been easier to increase the pupil-teacher ratio in secondary schools, as happened previously, which would have result in the guidance counsellor having fewer things to guide the students on because they would have had fewer subjects to study. That is one of the choices, unfortunately, the Minister and the Government faced.

This is a great opportunity for the Government and the Parliament, given the Minister has been so open about the challenges in the education system. It would be easy to say we have the best system in the world but the PISA results say otherwise. It would also be easy to say we are the land of saints and scholars but some of our results do not stack up. Spending on education is an open book. For example, it does not make sense to spend €178 million on rural school transport but I have an urban bias and the Minister does not agree with me. Many of us might say it is a great deal of money. However, in the area of guidance, €9 million is spent on school chaplains. It is difficult to unpick this allocation because it is provided for in the deeds of trust of many community schools. We have to unpick aspects of the education budget that do not stand up to scrutiny. As Deputy O'Donovan correctly said, we are talking about students who are our future and who are going through a difficult time. They depend on us, their schools and on teachers who, like all public servants, have been incredibly vilified over the past number of years. They had 14% of their pay taken from them by the previous Administration and they understand why their pay packets are smaller and their days longer.

However, the Minister and I know, and the Government understands, that we have to focus fully on children's capacity to achieve their educational potential and education is a liberator.

If one has nothing else, if one's family falls apart or if one is from a dysfunctional community and there are elements in the area that are not working, the only solution that will always work is education and the school in which one has the chance to thrive.

I support the Government amendment to the motion. I accept the Minister's bona fides in this area. I agree with the previous speaker, Deputy O'Donovan, that we must look at and justify some of the matters on which we are spending money in order to ensure, hopefully, that in the future measures such as this can potentially be overturned or lessened. I am not sure that anybody in this House would justify spending €9 million on chaplains.

I commend the Minister on what he is doing to education. This is probably the most exciting time in education in a generation when everything is up for grabs, everything is being challenged, everything is being refocused upon, we are getting down to what really matters - literacy, numeracy and making a junior certificate and leaving certificate that work - and we are challenging the vested interests in terms of the patronage and looking at admission policies so that no child is turned away from any door of any schools.

Raising issue of forced labour under Topical Issues

2012-01-18T09:35:00.002Z

Speaking Under 'Topical Issues' Tuesday January 17th 2012

Aodhán: I had hoped the Minister for Justice and Equality would be present but I am quite sure the Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, will deal with the matter and take it to the Minister's desk.

I will not dwell too long on the issue of forced labour as the Minister of State is very familiar with it. She understands the industries involved. There is an urgent need to criminalise forced labour. The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, some of whose representatives are in the Visitors Gallery, has recorded 169 cases of forced labour over the past six years, but we know this is just the tip of the iceberg. Without a law against forced labour, victims will not be identified and unscrupulous employers will continue to engage in their current behaviour. Asking a victim of forced labour to pursue his rights through the existing legislation, be it health and safety legislation or employment legislation, as has been suggested, is deeply problematic. The experience of victims to date is that they do not receive protection or justice, despite these so-called protections being in place. Not one person has been prosecuted for any of the offences in forced labour cases. This reinforces the requirement for a stand-alone offence of forced labour.

The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, is due to make a decision shortly regarding any legislative and administrative measures required to address deficiencies in the law in this area. We need clarification in this regard. We need to bring Ireland into line using its legal commitments at EU and international levels. The Minister of State understands what these commitments are. We ask that the Minister outline urgently the Government's plans to criminalise forced labour in Ireland and protect the most vulnerable of workers in this Republic.

Minister Kathleen Lynch: I thank both Deputies for raising the issue. As they rightly said, it is very serious. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter.

There are a number of measures in place to prevent exploitation and forced labour in Ireland. The International Labour Organisation's definition of forced labour comprises two basic elements: the work or service is exacted under the menace of a penalty and it is undertaken involuntarily. Forced labour cannot be equated simply with low wages or poor working conditions.

In addition to the range of employment law enacted to protect workers from exploitation generally, the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008, which came into effect on 7 June 2008, criminalises the trafficking of persons for the purpose of labour exploitation, including forced labour. The term "traffics" is broadly defined in the Act. For instance, an offence may be committed under the Act by providing a person with accommodation or employment in order to exploit that person for forced labour if coercion or deception is used. An offence does not require cross-border movement or illegal entry into the State. The human trafficking investigation and co-ordination unit of An Garda Síochána works closely with labour inspectors attached to the National Employment Rights Authority on cases where there are allegations of labour exploitation. Since 7 June 2008, a number of cases of alleged human trafficking for labour exploitation have been investigated by An Garda Síochána - 19 cases in 2009, 19 cases in 2010 and 12 cases in 2011. To date, no proceedings for the offence of human trafficking for labour exploitation have been commenced in this jurisdiction. Three investigation files having been submitted to the law officers. Directions for no prosecution have been received in two of these cases. Additional information has been sought and provided in respect of the third investigation file.

An Garda Síochána works closely with other police forces. For example, an intensive investigation was conducted in Ireland and evidence was transferred to Romania, where three Romanian men were sentenced to imprisonment for seven years, five years and five years, respectively, in December 2009 for the trafficking of Romanian nationals into Ireland for labour exploitation on farms in Wexford.

There is a wide range of training and awareness-raising activities ongoing with personnel in the public and private sectors likely to encounter victims of human trafficking for labour exploitation. In addition, since 2010, my Department has sanctioned over €25,000 in funding to the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland to assist it in its work in assisting migrants who may be victims of trafficking for labour exploitation or forced labour.

The Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) 2008 Act is primarily an anti-trafficking measure and was never intended to address all the exploitative phenomena outside the context of human trafficking. In some cases that have been referred to An Garda Síochána as human trafficking for labour exploitation, prospective evidence of other offences including immigration offences, employment permits offences, false imprisonment and assault has been uncovered. These matters remain under investigation. An analysis of allegations of forced labour coming to the attention of An Garda Síochána since the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008 came into effect is currently being examined in my Department so that any legislative and administrative measures required to address deficiencies, if any, in the protections against forced labour can be identified. In the event that a need for additional legislative measures is established, proposals will be brought to Government in the usual manner and as quickly as possible.

Aodhán: I know the Minister of State will take our comments back to his office. What I get from the answer is positive in that the Minister is not saying no legislative change is needed but that it may be needed and that, in due course, it may happen. However, the Minister of State can understand that, as Deputy Dowds said, we are effectively talking about slavery in this Republic currently. While the legislative process must take its course, that gives little satisfaction to those who are suffering. While we are talking about slavery, about 2012 and about a Republic, what we need to do is to ensure that any investigations into the necessity for legislation take place immediately and that legislation which we know is necessary is introduced as soon as possible. A dateline for that would be greatly appreciated.

Minister Kathleen Lynch: The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland and other such organisations are not so much the first port of call for people who find themselves in difficulties but usually the only port of call. It is amazing that we have four statutory agencies charged with responsibility in this area - four different units with wide-ranging roles - namely, the Legal Aid Board, the Garda Síochána, the Department of Health and the Department of Justice and Equality.

There is a huge issue in regard to information and communication around all of this. In the event that people are granted a work permit, which is usually how they come into the country, there must be information available in their own language. As the Deputies rightly said, these people probably have very limited English, although they might have much more grasp of it than our grasp of their native language. We must ensure the information that is necessary to keep these people safe in very vulnerable positions is distributed to them.

With regard to the legislation, while the governing Act may need to be tweaked, perhaps this can be done by alteration to existing legislation and may not require the sort of over-arching legislation we assume is necessary. However, there has to be a penalty for people who exploit others in this way.

Companies must adhere to guidelines when communicating with customers

2012-01-09T17:00:00.001Z

Statement Issued : Monday 9 January, 2012

Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central, has called for strict adherence to the guidelines laid down by the Commission for Energy Regulation in order to protect home-owners from intimidation by service providers and financial institutions in relation to payment arrears.

"It has come to my notice that some service providers are effectively harassing bill-payers who are in arrears, including sending text messages - a practice that is covered by the current guidelines but which some charitable organisations have stated is pushing some clients over the edge. Moreover, current guidelines state that companies are forbidden from contacting their customers on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays, but unfortunately there have been instances of companies breaking this rule. I will be writing to the CER detailing these breaches of existing codes of practice.

"Unfortunately, the number of bill payers who are experiencing financial hardship is at an unprecedented level and their mental health is of serious concern to those who are attempting to help and assist them in their distress.

"Last September, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, announced that families in financial difficulty will not have their electricity or gas disconnected this winter if they agree to a pay plan or the installation of a pay-as-you-go meter. This has not however succeeded in preventing some providers acting in an intimidating and inappropriate manner.

"We are in an era where families are under huge financial pressure and are finding it difficult to cope. Suicide rates are high and must be at the forefront of the consciousness of all in Irish society.

"It is clear that households in difficulty with utility bills must engage with their utility company to enter an affordable payment plan in order to manage their debt. However, inappropriate and unnecessary contact from service providers or financial institutions must also be tackled to ensure that citizens can deal with their financial obligations in a calm and measured fashion, and with a stable frame of mind. I would also like to see the practice of contacting customers by text message revisited as I believe this is a step too far and I will suggest this to the CER and the Minister for consideration.

"I will be raising this matter with the Minister again and I hope to ensure that the strict guidelines are fully adhered to into the future."

UPDATE: BUDGET 2012

2011-12-19T20:08:00.003Z

DEIS SCHOOL CONCERNS

Should you know of any DEIS school seeking clarification or advice regarding the measures undertaken by the Government in Budget 2012 please don't hesitate to contact me at any time to discuss.

Constituency Office: (01) 857-4020
Dáil Office: (01) 618-3209
Email: aodhan.oriordain@oireachtas.ie

Let children be children

2011-12-19T15:14:00.002Z

Statement Issued : Monday 19 December, 2011

Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has called on the Government to tackle the growing problem of the sexualisation and commercialisation of children and young people in Ireland. Deputy Ó Ríordáin was speaking after raising this matter with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs on the floor of the House.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin states: "The issue of the sexualisation and commercialisation of our children and young people is an enormous problem in this society which often goes unnoticed. Too often we are finding that the youth of this society are being targeted by large companies and retailers with increasingly explicit clothing and products. I witnessed this first hand as a former school principal when some students would attend class with pencil cases and school bags brandishing a 'Playboy' logo.

"Fundamentally, what this process amounts to is an attack on childhood. Our children and young people should not be subjected, in any way, to the type of manipulative marketing that rationale adults are so often subjected to. Thus, it is incumbent on all of us in this society to do everything we can to protect the innocence of childhood.

"I was very encouraged to hear the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs affirm that the solution to this problem should be a cross-community one, involving parents, guardians, public representatives, business, media and the Internet industry. It is not my belief however that we become overly restrictive as a society. Rather, what I would like to see is a comprehensive analysis of this problem to be carried out by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in order to ascertain how we properly regulate this growing problem.

"We need look no further than the UK for a starting point where the Bailey Report Letting Children Be Children recommended numerous measures to tackle this issue. In addition, I was greatly encouraged by the Minister's comments in which she cited the new guidelines laid down by the authorities in Great Britain which spelled out a comprehensive programme for the responsible retailing of children's wear. Further, the authorities in the UK required all of the major retailers to sign up to these measures. Taking into account the fact that many of these stores such as Tesco, Debenhams and Marks & Spencers operate in the Irish market, I see no reason why the Government here cannot enact similar guidelines.

"The absence of a retailer code of conduct in this regard or even basic guidelines in this country is greatly hindering our progress in this area. I will continue to pursue this issue with the Minister and the Government and it is my wish that basic measures similar to the guidelines in the UK become a reality here in the near future."

Ó RÍORDÁIN PRIVILEGED TO BE RECIPIENT OF DIVERSE IRELAND AWARD

2011-12-14T17:25:00.001Z

It is an absolute privilege to be one of the recipients of the Diverse Ireland Awards 2011 from the Integration Centre.

The Integration Centre carries out tremendous work in the field of integration and inclusion for people from immigrant backgrounds and I am extremely proud to be associated with their organisation.

Nobody in this country should ever have to apologise for who they are and I believe it is incumbent on all of us, as citizens of this republic, to stand up and challenge discrimination and injustice wherever we encounter it.

I will continue to work closely with the Integration Centre into the future to highlight the issues of immigration in this country.

Clarification re: Community Employment Schemes

2011-12-09T18:06:00.001Z

SEE BELOW CLARIFICATION RE: CE SCHEMES FROM MINISTER JOAN BURTON:

Following changes to Community Employment schemes announced in this weeks Budget, I wanted to reassure you that the Government is fully committed to the protection and development of community and social employment initiatives.

Community Employment schemes provide a very important and valued contribution to social employment, training and progression for unemployed people. Furthermore, many Community Employment schemes provide vital community services right across the country.

As part of the entry of the employment services division of FAS into the Department of Social Protection on the 1st of January 2012, I have directed that a review of CE schemes will commence immediately.

No Community Employment scheme will close pending the outcome of this review.

The purpose of the review will be to establish the ongoing viability of each scheme in the context of the overall objectives of the CE programme and recognising in particular the community and social value of each CE scheme.

In the event that the reduction in the training and material grant announced in the Budget creates financial difficulties for schemes that would otherwise be viable, the Department of Social Protection will be in a position to fund such schemes from within the overall Departmental Vote.

Yours sincerely,

Joan Burton
Minister for Social Protection

Labour committed to tackling fuel poverty

2011-12-07T15:19:00.000Z

Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has said that recent initiatives launched by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte emphasises the fact that the Labour Party are committed to tackling fuel poverty in Ireland.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin stated: "The Affordable Energy Strategy to deal with fuel poverty is a comprehensive programme to address the pressing needs of the most vulnerable citizens to make their homes more energy efficient and to provide them with a more comfortable living environment. In addition, those homeowners who bought their houses before 2002 will be able to avail of facilities to insulate their homes and bring them up to better energy regulations. This is a very positive initiative which will aid those who were unfortunate enough to acquire homes which were not subject to stricter regulatory guidelines.

"Further, this Government will make energy improvements in approximately 60,000 homes across the country to the tune to €100 million. This is the largest ever spend on such an initiative by any Irish government. Moreover, the Minister's commitment that there will be no disconnections for families struggling to pay their energy companies shows further Labour's influence in government.

"I believe these are fair and progressive steps which the coalition parties have taken. Furthermore, I am positive that they will lead to better and smarter energy efficiencies in homes across this country whilst protecting those most at risk of fuel poverty. "

Decision to review proposed changes to disability allowance welcome - Ó Ríordáin

2011-12-07T15:10:00.000Z

"I welcome the decision made today by the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton T.D., to review the proposed changes to the Disability Allowance.

"I know that there has been a lot of unease regarding the measures outlined in the Budget, and the fact that it will not feature in the Social Welfare Bill tomorrow, means there will be more time to assess the merits of the proposed changes.

"I thank the Minister for listening to the concerns of individuals and interest groups who have voiced their disquiet over the past two days, and it is my hope that a more suitable resolution can be found."

BUDGET 2012 UPDATE: DECISION TO REVIEW PROPOSED CHANGES TO DISABILITY ALLOWANCE WELCOME - Ó RÍORDÁIN

2011-12-07T12:51:00.001Z

“I welcome the decision made today by the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton T.D., to review the proposed changes to the Disability Allowance.

“I know that there has been a lot of unease regarding the measures outlined in the Budget, and the fact that it will not feature in the Social Welfare Bill tomorrow, means there will be more time to assess the merits of the proposed changes.

“I thank the Minister for listening to the concerns of individuals and interest groups who have voiced their disquiet over the past two days, and it is my hope that a more suitable resolution can be found.”

BUDGET 2012 UPDATE: Minister Pat Rabbitte's speech on behalf of the Labour Party

2011-12-07T12:49:00.003Z

A Cheann Chomhairle,

I do not stand up here today to make the claim that this is by any means a great Budget.

I do not seek to pretend that this is a Budget which will instantly fix the problems faced by our economy or the problems faced by so many families across this country who are going through difficult times.

What I do say is that this is a necessary Budget – and that it as good as it can be in the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

That it is a Budget that prioritises jobs.

That it is a fair and balanced Budget.

That it is an honest Budget.

That it is a reforming Budget

That it honours the political commitments the Labour Party made: not to cut welfare rates and not to increase income tax on working people - to protect carers and standardise Child Benefit are considerable achievements.

And that it is a Budget that will move our country closer to economic recovery and the restoration of our sovereignty.

I, like all my colleagues in the Labour Party, believe that the task of Government is to build an Ireland which affords more opportunity, more social solidarity and a fairer society.

But to realise those ambitions, to create that better future, we must first rescue our economy from this crisis, create jobs and restore our economic sovereignty.

History will some day record the full extent of the crisis that this country faced at the time of the General Election earlier this year. The banking system was broken, the public finances were in tatters, Ireland’s reputation was at its lowest ever ebb and national morale was devastated. Hard working families were, and still are, suffering as a result of unemployment, distressed mortgages and loss of income.

At that moment, the Labour Party had a choice. We could have walked away. We could have chosen to sit on the opposition benches and avoid the duties of Government. Or we could roll up our sleeves and set to work in fixing the problem, in the full knowledge that it would take not one Budget or one year, but several over several years before our economic problems would be resolved.

In that situation, there was only one option that the Labour Party would ever take. For nearly one hundred years, the instinct, tradition and spirit of Labour have been to work, day in and day out, to make this a better country.

And that is what we are doing in this Budget. Our over-riding commitment to the Irish people is to restore the economy, promote job creation and restore our economic sovereignty.

A crisis with so many components has required Government to work on several fronts at once. Shortly after coming to office, we re-constructed the banking sector and provided the banks with the means to lend – even if they are still limiting their response. We brought forward a jobs initiative, with a particular focus on tourism and hospitality. We implemented the difficult Budget for 2011 that had been left behind by the outgoing administration and which had significant gaps in its arithmetic. And we reversed the cut in the National Minimum Wage

In addition, we began a major campaign to restore Ireland’s reputation abroad, through Ministerial and official endeavours. At the same time, we brought a new strategic focus to economic governance and management, through the setting up of the economic management council.

Twelve months on from the arrival of the EU/IMF, we have seen some improvement. Our position has stabilised. In fact, while 12 months ago we were Europe’s problem, now the European problem hangs over our recovery.

We are pulling out all the stops to ensure that the decisions we are taking, tough as they are, are as fair as we can make them in the circumstances. We are making progress. Ireland will see a return to economic growth this year, and next. Our exports are performing well. Tourism is recovering. The banking sector is managing to raise modest amounts of funding without Government guarantees and our bond-spread has fallen significantly in secondary markets. Our reputation abroad has been tremendously enhanced.

To move forward now, we must make further progress on a number of fronts.

First, it is clear that the continuing turbulence in the eurozone is placing a limit on our progress. It is urgent that we find a resolution to the crisis at European level.

Second, while the export sector is booming, in order to achieve a broad based recovery and employment growth we need to restore our domestic economy. That requires action to boost both investment and consumption, including direct measures to promote investment and to restore confidence among consumers and investors.

Third, we need to reform our welfare and training systems, so that people who lose their jobs do not drift into long-term unemployment. We need to shift from a passive welfare system to a far more active approach. The Government will shortly publish Pathways to Work, which will set out our approach in this area, and which is designed to ensure that, when recovery comes, those on the live register can take up the work that is being created.

Fourth, we need to continue to rebuild our reputation abroad and to work on expending our trade links into new markets. As the global centre of economic gravity shifts to the east, Ireland must be ready to build new trade links with emerging economies.

And fifth, we need to continue restoring our financial position, in respect both of our public finances and in implementing our reforms of the banking system.

We have been forced to make difficult and unpalatable decisions. But we as a Government are committed to being honest and upfront with people, in the hard choices that we must make.

Our country has suffered the greatest economic crisis in living memory, leading to a huge fall in revenue. Tax revenues fell from over €47 billion in 2007 to nearly €31 billion in 2010, a fall of one-third in just three years. We are now re-building but the truth is that we do not have the resources to fund all the services that we want to provide.

Ireland’s deficit for 2012 stands at €16 billion. To fill the gap between our spending and our revenue, we have had to borrow from the European Union and the IMF. The last Government was forced into that deal because, given their disastrous mismanagement of the economy they had created, no private financial institution would lend to us.

The reality is that the loans that are financing our day-to-day spending are subject to the condition that we reduce our deficit to 3% of our Gross Domestic Product by 2015.

At the moment our deficit stands at 10.1% of GDP. In order to reduce that deficit, the further reality is that we have no alternative but to reduce spending and to raise taxes. And, for 2012, the combined measures must in this Budget add up to €3.8 billion.

Both parties in Government resisted pressure to make additional adjustments to achieve savings of as much as €4.4 billion. This would have been too much for the economy to bear and would have placed too great a strain on people who are already struggling.

So, having identified the need for savings of €3.8 billion, our only room for manoeuvre was to strike the balance between reductions in spending on our public services and increases in taxation.

Of that €3.8 billion, we decided on a reduction of €750 million in the capital programme. That means that projects like Metro North and the A5 road through Northern Ireland will have to be put on hold.

We did, however, prioritise spending on job intensive and vital projects such as school building.

The remainder of the €3.8 billion adjustment is made up of current spending reductions and tax increases.

Fianna Fáil’s plan was for cuts to be double the amount of tax increases – a 2 to 1 ratio.

Labour resisted cuts on that scale, because we believed that doing so would mean we couldn’t provide for necessary front line services.

In the event, the Government decided on a ratio between current spending and taxes of 56% (spending cuts) to 44% (tax increases)

In Budget 2012, the Government has protected the most vulnerable in our society – children, the elderly and people with disabilities – by:

· not increasing income tax for working people
· maintaining core social welfare payments including jobseekers allowance and state pensions
· maintaining FIS, carers’ entitlements and disability allowances,
· maintaining our support for special needs children in our schools
· maintaining the pupil teacher ratio in the primary sector and
· ensuring that disadvantaged schools will be exempt from staffing schedule changes

In deciding this Budget and given our strategic imperatives, the Government has used the resources it has to prioritise Jobs, Reform and Fairness.
Jobs
Jobs are central to everything we do in Government. Creating more employment is critical to the success of our economic strategy and to improving the position of families in difficulties.

Our job is to get the country to recover – we have stabilised the patient, we now need to get it into recovery and that’s by keeping people working and getting others back to work. Already this year the Government has:

· provided for a Capital Programme of €3.9bn
· restored the minimum wage
· invested €500m in the Jobs Initiative and
· reduced VAT reductions for the tourism sector
· extended incentives for research and development
· increased investment in the Retrofit Scheme – Better Energy

The clear focus of the Budget is on protecting family incomes, as part of a strategy to restore confidence in the domestic economy. It is well known that the savings ratio has increased rapidly in recent years and is now a drag on growth and employment. By protecting family budgets, and by not increasing taxes on work, we providing space for a return of confidence and spending.

While we will never see a return to the construction boom of the recent past, the normalisation of the property sector is still an important part restoring the domestic economy. The measures taken by the Minister for Finance in the Budget will assist that sector on the path to normalisation and encourage a greater level of activity.

The Government has also taken a number of other steps to encourage investment, through its Strategic Investment Strategy. We have established NewERA and the Strategic Investment Fund, which will be the forerunner of a strategic investment bank, and we will work to use these mechanisms to channel investment into the domestic economy.

Through Pathways to Work we will provide more and better opportunities for people who lose their jobs to re-train and re-skill. Building on that in this Budget, the Government has decided not to increase income tax for working people and to ring fence €20 million for a new Labour Market Activation Fund targeted at the long-term unemployed. This fund, which will be specifically targeted at the long-term unemployed, will deliver upward of 6,500 places next year. What is critical in this area, however, is the implementation of a new and integrated approach to service delivery.

Reform
Reforming how Government works to reduce costs and protect front line services is also a guiding principle. This Government is a reforming government. Several key decisions have been taken as part of our reform agenda while reducing costs and protecting front line services. Already this year the Government has:

· reduced the pay of the Taoiseach and Ministers
· abolished severance payments for retiring Ministers
· changed pay and conditions for senior public servants
· Introduced a significant programme of agency rationalisation
· cancelled many parts of the ill-conceived decentralisation programme and
· announced the most ambitious programme of Public Service reform since the foundation of the State, to improve customer service and reduce costs.

Fairness
Throughout the budgetary process, the Government has been determined to ensure that, despite the difficult decisions that must be made, those decisions are fair. The burden of recovery must be shared fairly and we need to maintain social solidarity in the face of difficult times. The Government has therefore decided not to reduce any weekly rate of social welfare payments and not to reduce the rates of child benefit for the first and second child. The core child benefit remains intact at €140 per month.

We have delivered on our commitment to maintain social welfare rates. There have been no income tax increases for working people and we have removed the lowest paid from the USC. Pensions have been protected and people with disabilities have received top priority from this government.

Expenditure Cuts
The vast bulk of the Government’s current spending is accounted for by the departments of Health, Education and Social Protection. Together the three departments make up over 80% of total current spending and it is therefore impossible to make the kind of necessary savings needed without touching these sensitive policy areas.

The demand for health services has increased, and the number of medical card holders has increased by more than 400,000 since 2007. While reducing spending, the Department of Health will reduce the negative impact on front line services while allowing real reform of services. Doing so will improve the quality and quantity of services in the coming years.

In the Education sector, demographic pressures mean that we need more teachers and more class rooms, to accommodate more children. This is unavoidable. The Department of Education is committed to prioritising its limited resources on programmes that will deliver the best results for children and parents from all backgrounds. Capital funding has also been promised for over 200 schools.

The pressures on our social welfare budget are enormous. The financial allocation for jobseeker’s payments alone has increased from €1.4 billion in 2007 to €3.9 billion this year: an increase of 176%. The provision for State Pensions has increased from €3.75 billion in 2007 to €4.7 billion this year. We will need to continue to increase this financial allocation year-on-year due to our demographic profile. In 2012 an additional allocation of €175 million will be required.

Taxation
This Budget also marks a new direction in the approach to taxation. One of the great lessons of the boom years is that good public services must be based on sustainable tax revenues. The dislocation of our economy and the curtailment of services in recent years have been the direct result of enhancing public services on the back of unsustainable revenues. For the future, we must move to a revenue base that is both economically and environmentally sustainable.

Fairness and sustainability also require that we broaden the tax base so as to keep rates as low as possible, while ensuring that everyone makes a reasonable contribution to society. Above all, the greatest inequality in our society is the divide between those who have work and those who do not, or who have had to leave the country to find a job. By re-building our revenue base in a more sustainable manner, we can support work and employment creation, now and in the future.

This Budget marks a significant departure in Irish tax policy, towards a broader and more sustainable revenue base. At the same time, the Budget includes a number of important measures to enhance the fairness of the tax code.

There is a tendency in discussions of taxation to focus solely on rates of tax, as though that were the only measure of fairness. By that rubric, the Irish tax code is now strongly progressive. The key issue, however, is to ensure an equality of treatment of different income sources and to ensure that high rollers cannot shelter their income from fair taxation.

While reducing spending and increasing the tax take, we have a duty to protect the most vulnerable in our society and to provide the safety net of social protection in what these challenging times. In order to do so difficult choices must made to help reduce the budget deficit.

We have already had to take decisions that none of us ever thought we would have to make, but progress is being made.

We will see a return to economic growth this year. We have drawn a line under the banking crisis. We have renegotiated the interest rate on Ireland's bailout, even though some said that was impossible. We have ring-fenced €17 billion for investment in capital projects, including the National Children’s Hospital and over 200 primary and secondary schools. We have ensured that the trend for exports remains positive. We have introduced Labour Activation measures in training and education which will continue into next year, with a focus on the long-term unemployed. And we have stimulated the job-intensive sectors of the economy such as tourism and services and energy efficiency.

Despite the tough decisions we have had to take, we have not increased income tax for working people. We have maintained core social welfare payments including jobseekers allowance and state pensions. We have maintained the Family Income Supplement, carers’ entitlements and disability allowances. We have maintained our support for special needs assistants in our schools and the pupil teacher ratio in the primary sector. And we have ensured that disadvantaged schools will be exempt from staffing schedule changes.
Turning briefly to my own Department in respect of which gross provision of some €437m has been made. As regards capital spending some €76m, inclusive of €13m carryover, is provided for energy efficiency measures in 2012 and will support 4,500 direct and indirect jobs.

I am especially pleased to have secured funding for the rollout of 100mbs broadband to second level schools. I believe that over the coming years this scheme can make a real contribution to the promotion of a knowledge society by equipping our 2nd level students with the necessary digital skills and in the process improve overall competitiveness.

For 2012 we have preserved the split in licence fee revenue as between RTÉ, TG4 and the Sound and Vision Fund. However, during 2012 I will have completed the review of funding public sector broadcasting. The big project next year is the switch off of analogue on October 24th and €3m is being provided to ensure a comprehensive information campaign to promote a smooth transition to digital terrestrial television.

It should of course be noted that the vast bulk of capital investment in Energy and Telecommunications comes from our State energy companies in the case of the former and the private sector in the case of the latter. In the specific case of broadband whilst real strides have been made we have a deficit, especially in relation to the availability of high speed broadband, which must be addressed. The Task Force on Next Generation Broadband which I chair - and also comprises the CEOs of the major telecommunications companies - will report very early next year. There is a strong commitment in the Programme for Government to rollout high speed broadband nationwide. Informed by the work of the Taskforce I will bring proposals to Government early next year on implementation of the commitment in the Programme for Government.

Fianna Fáil has discovered a shiny new clean-cut spokesperson with an accountancy degree. He can’t believe the scale of the crisis visited on the country and nobody has explained to him how it happened. But he sticks to the new Fianna Fáil mantra: this Government can no longer blame Fianna Fáil. Why not? Does he seriously suggest that this Government would introduce a Budget such as this if we were starting with a clean sheet? We are attempting to cope with the disastrous legacy left behind by Fianna Fáil and their alternating partners, the PDs and the Green Party.

Of course, the battered clapped out remnants of the once great Fianna Fáil Party is under siege from new improved Sinn Féin. Beneath the radar, Sinn Féin is beginning to shed the wilder reaches of what has passed for their economic policy. Apparently no more does Sinn Féin advocate abandoning the Euro and walking away from our debts. While retaining the populist rhetoric, the new Sinn Féin now accepts that €3.8 billion must be taken out of the economy even if they have no credible idea of how it should be done. The nasty mean spirited speech by Deputy Doherty was a diatribe of criticism and abuse without a single positive idea other than raid what’s left in the National Pension Reserve Fund and soak the rich. And what do we do next? Something will turn up – hopefully things will get worse because the worse they get the better for Sinn Féin. Or so they hope.

Yesterday the country waited with bated breath to see who would be selected from the dolly mixture that is the Technical Group. Which brand of competing eccentric populism would emerge to respond to the tax measures? In the event it was Deputy Mick Wallace – it could only happen in Ireland.

This Government had better succeed because the Pick ’n’ Mix assortment on the opposite side of the House have nothing to offer.

BUDGET 2012-Information leaflet regarding changes to education

2011-12-05T17:17:00.001Z

Introduction by Ruairi Quinn, TD
Minister for Education and Skills

Over the next 6 years, we will see an extra 70,000 pupils in our primary and second level schools. This surge in numbers comes at the most challenging time possible for the education sector, and will demand that all of us achieve more with fewer resources.

This Government has prioritised the protection of education within a very difficult budget. While overall Government spending will reduce by 2.2%, the reductions to the education budget will be 1.7%.

Within the education budget, my focus has been on protecting those who are most vulnerable. There will be no reductions in the overall number of Special Needs Assistants (SNA) or Resource Teachers in this budget. We have also protected to the greatest extent possible primary and disadvantaged second-level schools from changes to teacher allocations.

It is important that we continue with our reform agenda. Funding for the national literacy and numeracy strategy, for an overhaul of the Junior Cert, and for roll-out of high-speed broadband to all second-level schools has been secured, and will allow us to continue to improve the quality of the education system in Ireland.

Overall Allocation

2011 - €m 2012 - €m 2013 - €m 2014 - €m
Total allocations for gross voted current expenditure* 8,387 8,242 8,163 8,091
Net savings, after new expenditure measures and upward pressures are taken into account 76 157 241
Further savings required
68 138
% Reduction compared to 2011 1.7% 2.7% 3.5%
* There will also be an annual allocation of €362 million under the National Training Fund.
Teacher allocations

The pupil-teacher ratio at primary level is unchanged for the 2012/13 school year. The overall number of Resource Teachers and SNAs for children with special needs will also be protected at primary and second-level levels.

At primary level starting in 2012, phased adjustments will be made to the staffing schedules for 1, 2, 3 and 4 teacher schools (schools with less than 86 pupils). These adjustments will increase the minimum number of pupils required for allocation of teaching posts, and will affect about 100 posts next year. This measure is being phased in to encourage small schools to assess their options for amalgamation.

At second-level level, guidance provision will be managed by schools from within their standard teacher allocation. In this way, the main teacher allocation can be maintained at 19:1 for schools generally, while schools will have discretion to balance what they allocate for guidance against the competing demands of providing subject choice. There will also be a 1 point increase in the staffing schedule for all fee-charging schools.

During 2012, the Department will conduct an analysis of funding for the fee-charging school sector to inform policy decisions in future years. We will facilitate discussions with any fee-charging school that wishes to consider moving into the non-fee-charging sector.

There will be a phased withdrawal of 428 posts that were allocated to schools under ‘legacy’ programmes prior to the rollout of the DEIS initiative in 2005. This will ensure fairness in the distribution of available resources under the DEIS scheme.

When account is taken of additional teacher posts for demographics at primary and second-level level the number of teacher posts in primary schools will increase by an estimated 250 and the number at second-level level will reduce by 450 for the 2012/13 school year.

Funding for schools

• Overall there will be a 2% reduction in the funding for capitation and related grants to primary and second level schools in each of 2012 and 2013 and a further 1% reduction in each of 2014 and 2015.
• The reduction will be applied to the basic capitation payment and will return the funding of schools for basic capitation to 2007 levels – when costs in the economy were at their highest. We are continuing to work with schools to help them devise shared procurement models that will deliver savings for schools.
• Other grants including extra capitation payable to DEIS schools and book grants have been protected.
• Changes will be announced early in 2012 to the current operation of the school book grant in order to incentivise the establishment of book rental schemes in schools. This forms part of our ongoing work to reduce school-related costs for parents.

Teacher Allowances

Pending completion of the public service-wide review of allowances and given the upward pressure on the cost of teacher allowances, the Government has decided to make changes, with immediate effect, to the rules governing payment of qualification allowances to teachers.

Teachers will hold their existing allowances, but will not receive additional allowances for further qualifications. New teachers will be eligible for allowances up to honours degree level only.
Higher Education and Student Grants

The 2007 National Skills Strategy set down a target of 72% participation rate in higher
education by the year 2020. At 65%, we are well on our way towards achieving that goal.

In the context of overall demographic and budgetary pressures a number of savings measures will be necessary over the coming years.
Third-level funding

There will be a 2% reduction in pay and non-pay funding for third-level institutions in 2012, a further 2% reduction in 2013, and a further 1% reduction in each of 2014 and 2015.

We acknowledge that this will cause challenges for the third-level sector in the coming years.

The savings delivered by these measures will amount to €24 million in 2012, and €69 million in a full year. Student Contributions

The Student Contribution will rise by €250 next year to €2,250.

About 41% of students were exempt from paying the Student Contribution in 2011. Similar proportions of students are expected to be exempt in 2012.

The contribution of €2,250 next year will remain considerably lower than the fees of £3,465 payable in Northern Ireland, and up to £9,000 in England and Wales.
Student Grants

Student grants will be reduced by 3% from 1 January 2012.

There will be no maintenance payments for new entrant postgraduate students, but over 2,000 students on the lowest incomes will have their fees paid and another 4,000 students will receive a fee contribution of €2,000.

A Capital Assets Test will be introduced in 2013, allowing certain capital assets as well as income to be assessed as part of all grant applications.

Further Education and Training

• The capitation grants paid for participants on further education programmes will be reduced by 2% in 2012 and 2013 with a further reduction of 1% in 2014 and 2015. This is in line with reductions to non-pay funding for schools and third-level institutions.
• The two existing allowances paid to 16 & 17 year olds participating in Youthreach, Community Training Centre and FÁS courses are being merged and reduced to one standard rate of €40.

School transport

The charge for primary school transport will increase from €50 to €100. The family maximum at primary level will increase to €220 from €110. These measures will be offset by a reduction in concessionary charges at primary level with the charge reducing from €200 to €100.

The overall family maximum charge of €650, and the second-level charge of €350 remain unchanged.

Protection of disadvantaged schools

A key priority is to continue to prioritise and target available funding at schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage.

At primary level, a new staffing schedule for all DEIS Band 1 schools will be based on a general average of 1 teacher for every 22 pupils, compared to 1 teacher for every 28 pupils in mainstream schools. This will replace the existing approach of giving a “top up” allocation on the existing standard staffing schedule to enable DEIS Band 1 schools to implement reduced class sizes of 20:1 in junior classes and 24:1 in senior classes.

All DEIS second-level schools will be given targeted support by a more favourable staffing schedule of 18.25:1. This is a 0.75 point reduction compared to the existing PTR of 19:1 that applies in non fee-paying second-level schools. 195 second-level schools are included in DEIS.

The basic capitation reduction will apply to all schools but DEIS schools will continue to receive the enhanced DEIS grant which has not been reduced

The five existing scholarship schemes for higher education are being replaced with a single bursary style, merit based scheme with awards set at €2,000 per student. The bursary will be an additional support to incentivise and reward high achievement for students from DEIS schools. Over 370 students will be awarded the bursary in the next four years, and they will also be eligible to apply for higher education grants.

New spending measures

€9.4 million is being provided in 2012 to commence implementation of Programme for Government commitments. This includes:

• Implementation of actions in the literacy and numeracy strategy (€6m 2012)
• Funding the reform of the junior cycle, which will completely overhaul the Junior Cert starting in September 2014 (€1m in 2012)
• Roll-out of high-speed (100mbps) broadband to every second-level school in Ireland by the end of 2014 (€2.4m 2012)

€30 million is being provided in 2012 to fund more targeted Labour Market Activation Measures. This includes:

• €20 million is being provided under the National Training Fund for a new Labour Market Activation Fund. This fund, which will be specifically targeted at the long-term unemployed, will deliver upward of 6,500 places in 2012.
• €10 million is being allocated, also under the National Training Fund, to support a further roll-out of the Springboard initiative to increase the part-time higher education opportunities for unemployed people.

ADDRESSING ISSUE OF FORCED LABOUR IN IRELAND MUST BE A PRIORITY FOR GOVERNMENT- Ó RÍORDÁIN

2011-11-30T20:44:00.001Z

Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has said that addressing the pressing issue of forced labour in this country must be a priority for the Government. Deputy Ó Ríordáin was speaking after representatives from the Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland (MRCI) briefed Oireachtas members in Leinster House this afternoon.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin stated: “I really believe that this issue must be tackled head on by the Coalition and it must be tackled urgently. Unfortunately, over the past number of years a vacuum has developed in our judicial system and enforcing the laws has become quite difficult because there is no clear law to deal with the problem of forced labour in Ireland.

“It was quite harrowing this afternoon to listen to some of the victims of forced labour explaining what they were subjected to as migrant workers. These people were promised a better life and a chance of a fresh start, only to see these prospects shattered through deceit. In several instances, victims were forced to work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week with no opportunity to even leave their place of work. In one case which we heard today, the only day off which was provided by the employer was Christmas Day. This is a disgrace and it is grossly inhumane to treat anyone in this fashion.

“I would call on the Minister for Justice to urgently address this issue and to bring forward legislation similar to what has been enacted recently in the United Kingdom and I will be making enquiries to the Department of Justice as to when this can be done. Unfortunately, the problems of forced labour are compounded in times of economic turmoil so I believe it’s imperative that we act sooner rather than later.

“Finally, I believe the issue of forced labour is one which can be tackled given the level of cross party support involved. It was very heartening to see representatives of the Government and Opposition at today’s briefing and it is crucial now that we harness that support in order to eradicate forced labour in this country.”

Speaking on social welfare rates in Dáil Éireann

2011-11-30T17:53:00.003Z

Watch Aodhán's speech here:

Aodhán: I appreciate the sentiments in the motion. However, it would be remiss of me not to mention my uncle, Micheál Ó Ríordáin, whom I buried earlier. He was proud of my achievement in being elected to the House in February. He had campaigned with me since my first election. I reflected earlier as we sat in the church about the life chance he had been given by this Republic. He moved out of the tenement house in which he was brought up to a corporation estate in the 1940s. The Republic owes a life chance to every child, regardless of who they are, where they are from, their religion, the colour of their skin or the income bracket of their parents.

It keeps me awake at night - I am sure this is shared by others - that if we do nothing in the next number of years we will take away the life chance from our children because they had the misfortune to be born over the past few years or in the coming years. We need to change the language we use to describe the economic circumstances in which we find ourselves. I find it offensive that people constantly state that people who are unemployed are costing the Exchequer €20,000 a year and they are a supposed drain on the social protection budget. This is a societal cost, not an economic cost. The impact losing a job and being unable to go to work has on an individual and, by extension, on his or her children is immeasurable. It should not be measured in economic units.

I am proud to be a member of the Government because of the some of the initiatives we have taken. The reversal of the cut in the national minimum wage was not easy and it has not resulted in a huge change but we said we would do it. We are determined to defend the Croke Park agreement because it defends the rights of low paid public servants. Many Members have different views on the joint labour committee system but when we were targeted by representatives of the conservative Catholic right who suggested that members of my party and other parties were in some way anti-Catholic, I wish they had been so vociferous when we protected the rights of those who worked on a Sunday, the traditional day of rest, because they had to work to put bread on the table for their children, and ensured they would be compensated for giving up their Sundays. Commentators on the conservative Catholic right were silent on that issue, which has had more of an impact on the family unit than any of the other stuff they go on with. Poverty has the biggest impact on the family and I wish they would realise that.

I appreciate the motion and I welcome the opportunity to discuss matters relating to children. We are trying to correct the mistakes made in respect of our economy. There is only one chance to be a child. Unlike my uncle, Michéal, and my father, many children do not get the opportunity to fulfil their potential. The social welfare system does not, in many respects, act as an enabler. In many circumstances, it almost acts as a cage. Everyone knows a cage will protect one from the wolves. However, it does not enable a person or set him free. In the context of what we are trying to deliver in respect of the education budget, one of the things of which I am extremely proud is the literacy strategy. We are determined to push that strategy forward because if one cannot read, one cannot play a full role in society.

People must take the totality of what the Government is doing into account when discussing the possibility of maximising children's potential. As already stated, people only get one chance at childhood. It is not a person's fault if he or she happens to be born in the middle of an economic crisis. That fact must be taken into consideration when discussing the concerns raised in the motion. I wish that every child could have the opportunity to grasp the life chances of which my uncle, Michéal, managed to avail, to live the kind of life he lived and to maximise their potential. This is why I hope that next week we will be able to stand up and be proud of the direction the Government proposes to take.

Growing problem of illiteracy is not just confined to the classroom- Ó Ríordáin

2011-11-24T14:27:00.000Z

Labour Party TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has stated that the pressing issue of illiteracy in Ireland today cannot be addressed within the classroom alone. Rather, this is a matter which must be tackled nationally in people's homes and in the workplace. Deputy Ó Ríordáin was speaking after facilitating a briefing from the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) for the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: "First of all I wish to thank the representatives from NALA for taking the time to brief the TDs and Senators of the Labour Party today. I know from discussing this matter with my colleagues following the meeting that there is a real urgency within Labour about addressing this growing problem in our society.

"I believe that in order to tackle this issue we must create a culture of literacy in this country. We as a people have to create a climate where literacy is ingrained in every aspect of our lives. From the home to the classroom and on into the workplace, we must promote and strengthen our literacy standards. This is imperative for the simple reason that every citizen in this country should have a high standard of literacy to go about their daily lives. Whether it be reading the instructions on medication or reading a signpost on a motorway, we all benefit when citizens are equipped with the skills to make them more productive in this society.

"Further, I believe we can achieve our goals in this respect and I believe the Government can drive the change we all seek. This can be done by ensuring that every Government department and agency has a comprehensive literacy and numeracy policy in place. This can be achieved through extensive consultation with stakeholder groups such as NALA and the Department of Education. In addition, we can integrate literacy and numeracy into all publicly funded education and training.

"It is my belief that literacy is fundamentally a matter of equality and empowerment. I know from my time as a school principal in the North Inner City of Dublin how trapped and hopeless people can become. However, if we really tackle this issue by fostering a vibrant and comprehensive literacy strategy for both young and old, we will be giving people more opportunities to improve their lives and allow them to play a more active role in Irish society.

Statement on Cllr Darren Scully

2011-11-22T19:35:00.004Z

Statement on Cllr Darren Scully:

I would like to outline the rationale for my actions in relation to Cllr Darren Scully today. I understand he has tonight resigned as Mayor of Naas.

Cllr Scully made remarks which to my mind were tantamount to incitement to hatred, as he announced his policy of not engaging with constituents of a 'Black African' background.

As a result, I reported Cllr Scully's actions to An Garda Síochána for them to investigate.

I have received many messages of support through twitter, email and phone messages for my actions.

I have also received many messages condemning my actions, and supporting the views of Cllr Scully. A sample of those emailed messages, without names, can be seen below.

One Fine Gael member contacted me to congratulate me, a Labour member told me he is resigning from the party as a result of my actions.

When I first ran for election in 2004, it was the time of the controversial Citizenship Referendum. That referendum aroused some vile and poisonous attitudes at many doors that I knocked on and I vowed at that stage to challenge racism at every juncture in my political life.

As this issue is now in the hands of the Gardaí I now intend to return to the pressing issue of the upcoming budget and the reasons why I was elected to Dáil Éireann in the first place - to build a real Republic that we can be proud of.

E-mail 1:
Mr TD
Sadly Mr Scully spoke the truth come to our school in Dublin 15 to pick up our irish childern and you will see the ignorance we have imported. Can I now go to the garda station to report you and the labour party for the lies told to the Irish people to get elected. If you even bothered to look at this article and public opinion you may see that the vast majority support Mr Scully. Maybe you would be better off doing the job of looking after the interests of Irish people instead of this publicity stunt for these uninvited visitors. Well done Mr Scully at last a public figure saying what the public think. If we Irish open our mouths we are racict. God help Ireland and the way we are heading. Irish Citizen

Email 2
Darren Scully is dead right to step away from representing certain groups of people if they have accused him of racism. he should have reported them to the guards as this is clearly a racist tactic that certain groups use if they dont get there way...i have heard it myself on a number of occasions over the years being used and being said in a aggressive manner to the person that if they were white they would get what they wanted...and if you have reported darren scully to the guards then going on national newspapers and calling him a racist is Prejudicing any fair investigationand on another note have you resigned your teaching post or is it being kept open for you if and when you loose your TD`s seat

Email 3:
Dear sir, I would like to say to you that I believe that Darren Scully is a realist not a racist. You should be charged with wasting Garda Time, Why don't you find something useful to do with your time. Unlike him you must always say what you think is the populist thing to say. Actually you should be fired (of course not possible) for wasting state finances. Grow up

Email 4:
Mr Ó Ríordáin.
I write as a member if the Labour party.While I abhor the stupid comments made by the mayor Scully about dealing with blacks what upsets me more is your attempt to twist it in to a more sinister level; racisim. The ignorant comments by Mr Scully were not racist, they were free speech. Something you should know the difference between. There is something truly nasty in what you have to done or at least attempted to do. It is an insult to those who suffer racisim in this country.You have made me ashamed to be a labour party member and I will be resigning from the Labour party over this matter.

Text on my mobile today at 1.31pm in relation to Cllr Darren Scully

2011-11-22T13:34:00.004Z

Text on my mobile today at 1.31pm in relation to Cllr Darren Scully:

'Tha mayor is right what exactly are black africans doing in Ireland anyway? Playing the race card for all its worth and milking the system. You PC police really are pathetic pity you arent down here in Clare where your Dublin 4 values would go down like a lead baloon.'

(I have kept name to myself)

Marriage equality is the civil rights issue of our time

2011-11-17T14:26:00.000Z

"I believe that marriage equality is, without doubt, the most important civil rights issue of our time.

"I am proud of the Labour Party's record of supporting same-sex couples and the steps taken to advance the rights of these couples over the last number of years must be greatly welcomed. However, they simply do not go far enough.

"Same-sex couples still face enormous discrimination in this society. For example, gay or lesbian partners still cannot apply to jointly adopt and parental rights cannot be conferred where a civil partner is not the biological or adoptive parent to the child. This is not just discriminating against same-sex couples, but this represents discrimination against the child as well.

"Further, civil partners face enormous challenges when it comes to property and legal procedures which married couples do not. These are issues which I believe need to be seriously addressed at the proposed Constitutional Convention.

"Finally, I wish to state that I am absolutely convinced of the arguments laid out by the Marriage Equality organisation, with whom I met today, and I would like to sincerely thank their representatives for taking the time to meet with Members this afternoon to address this vital issue."

Child poverty must be a priority for Government - Ó Ríordáin

2011-11-17T14:24:00.000Z

Labour Party T.D., for Dublin North Central Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has stated that confronting child poverty must be a top priority for Government. Deputy Ó Ríordáin was speaking after a briefing by the children's charity Barnardos revealed alarmingly high figures of children in the State are at risk of poverty.

"Figures supplied to TDs and Senators today at the launch of Barnardos Children's Budget 2012 revealed that approximately 90,000 children in this country are at risk of poverty. This is completely unacceptable and I would call on the Cabinet to make this a top priority on their agenda.

"It is absolutely crucial, in these difficult times, that we ensure that the most vulnerable in this society are cared for. Unfortunately, young children are a group that are particularly at risk of poverty in recessionary times. It is my belief though; that providing supports for children does more than just lift them out of poverty, but it also empowers children and provides them with a better future.

"Therefore, I would like to see a more focused and multifaceted approach to tackling child poverty. I would echo the sentiments from Barnardos in relation to the new Child and Family Support Agency in this regard; however this new agency must be seen to deliver if we are serious about confronting this issue as a society."

Extensive literacy & numeracy programme badly needed in Irish prisons- Ó Ríordáin

2011-11-16T14:22:00.000Z

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has today urged the Minister for Justice to formulate a comprehensive literacy and numeracy programme to be placed on the curriculum of penal institutions throughout the country. This programme should be compiled in conjunction with the Department of Education and experts in the field of literacy and numeracy.

The Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central was speaking on foot of a reply to a Parliamentary Question from Minister Shatter's department which stated that 52% of the Irish prison population are at Level 1 or Pre-Level 1 literacy standards.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin stated: "Upon reviewing the details and having undertaken visits to institutions such as Mountjoy and St. Patrick's, I believe it is imperative that every penal institution in the country must have a formal literacy policy which is regularly reviewed and updated .The figures supplied to me from the Minister for Justice are really startling. The fact that over half of the prison population are at Level 1 or Pre-Level 1 standard really indicates the failure of the system and our society to tackle this problem.

"I would like to see the Minister entering into discussions with the Department of Education in order to formulate a programme that would ensure all prisoners engaged in educational programmes are literate and numerate by the end of their stay. This is not just about rehabilitating our prison population, but it is also about supplying inmates with the basic right to learn that they may have missed out on in their early years.

"The Department of Education has a pivotal role in this regard. The Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has embraced the cause of literacy and numeracy so readily and the comprehensive Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life initiative is a real game changer for our education system. My hope is that the same vigour for literacy and numeracy will be embraced by the Department of Justice and the benefits of this programme can be extended to our prison population."

Raising the matter of sports funding with Minister for Finance

2011-11-09T17:30:00.000Z

Aodhán: I appreciate the opportunity to raise the matter of the horse and greyhound fund in the context of overall sports funding and promised legislation on online gambling.

Approximately €30 million a year is raised through a levy on gambling in Ireland. Regardless of what one’s bet is placed on, the levy goes directly to the horse and greyhound fund under the terms of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001. This is despite the fact that only 10% of bets placed relate to these two industries. A total of 80% of the fund goes to the horse racing industry and the vast bulk of this is spent on prize money. The prize money on offer in the Republic of Ireland is 60% higher than that in the UK. Also, the chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland received a pre-tax bonus of €57,000 in 2009.

This year, Irish Sports Council funding amounts to €25.6 million for 57 national governing bodies, 32 local sports partnerships and 18 high performance sports. Given our sporting endeavour, next year’s Olympic Games and the fact we all enjoy sports so much, one could argue that in the current recession sport is one of the only things keeping communities alive. It keeps children occupied and families entertained and gives us all a lift. This Friday, everybody’s eyes will be turned towards Tallinn hoping the Irish soccer team can go halfway towards qualifying for the European Championships.

The Minister for Justice and Equality indicated a levy on online betting will be introduced in spring next year. We believe this could raise approximately €90 million. Can I have a commitment that it will be spent on sports funding? Does the Minister intend to investigate the current funding criteria for the horse and greyhound industry? Has he asked the industry for indications of how the money is spent? Everyone accepts that the horse racing and greyhound industries are of great benefit, are fantastic employers and act as wonderful tourism magnets. At the same time, can we justify a situation where the vast bulk of the funding goes to prize money and the money spent on prize money is 60% higher here than in UK? I also referred to the figures on bonuses for the chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland.

There is inequity in sports funding, with €25 million going to the Sports Council, which looks after so many national governing bodies, local sports partnerships and high performance sports. At the Olympic Games next year we will talk about the performance of our athletes, how they are funded and how well they have performed. Is it justifiable that €25 million of our taxpayers’ money goes to that while €30 million of taxpayers’ money goes to the horse and greyhound industry? Is it justifiable that 100% of the levy raised on betting in this country goes to an industry when only 10% of the bets placed relate to that industry? If Paddy and Joe put €5 on Manchester United versus Chelsea, the levy raised on the €5 bet goes to the horse and greyhound industry.

Will the proposed levy on online gambling be funnelled back into the sports industry? Can we be assured it will not go in the same manner to the horse and greyhound industry and that it will be more equitably distributed?

Minister for Finance: Some of the issues raised by Deputy Ó Ríordáin are more appropriate to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I will reply to the matter in respect of a levy on online gambling and we can have a conversation about the other issues.

I am pleased to take this opportunity to speak on the subject of extending the betting duty to remote betting firms, including betting exchanges that offer their services to consumers in the State. Work has been ongoing in the context of the draft betting (amendment) Bill towards widening the tax base in respect of betting duty with the view to extending the duty to remote bookmakers and betting exchanges. This widening of the base has always been regarded as difficult to do from a legal and practical perspective because online and phone betting services are primarily offered by offshore, out-of-State entities.

The main provisions of the betting (amendment) Bill are to amend the Betting Act 1931 with the objective of bringing remote betting, including betting exchanges, within the existing regulatory framework, including measures to enforce the regulatory framework. It provides that any remote bookmakers or betting exchanges that wish to offer their services to consumers in the State must obtain a licence to do so. A condition of that licence will be to pay betting duty or betting intermediary tax in respect of bets accepted that originated in the State.

Betting duty of 1% on turnover has applied to bets placed with traditional bookmakers since 2006. The 2006 legislative provision also moved the liability for the tax from the punter to the bookmaker, the context for this being an attempt to stem the migration of consumers from traditional bookmakers to remote bookmakers. However, the lowering of the rate to 1%, together with a significant reduction in betting activity due to the downturn in the economy and a growing share of bets being placed over the phone or online with offshore non-taxed entities has seen betting duty receipts fall from a high of €54 million in 2007 to an estimated €30 million this year.

Historically, betting receipts have been tied to funding for horseracing through the horseracing and greyhound fund. This fall in betting receipts has widened the gap between the level of Exchequer funding seen as desirable for the sector. Some €57 million has been provided in 2011, along with the receipts from the betting duty. What is now being proposed will allow us to recapture much of the revenue lost to online or remote outlets. The extension of betting duty to remote bookmakers is necessary to ensure, first, that firms that offer their betting services to residents in the State, regardless of what platform is used, are treated equally in terms of the taxation of that activity and, second, that the extension of the betting duty will widen the tax base and protect the Exchequer from the leakage of potential tax revenue.

The Deputy will be aware that what is being prepared by my Department for the provision of a regulatory and licensing regime to enable the taxation of remote betting is an interim solution, pending the outcome of the major overview on the regulation of all gambling in the State being conducted by the Minister for Justice and Equality. In this regard, in July the Government approved proposals from the Minister for Justice and Equality for the preparation of a comprehensive Bill on gambling, which will include, inter alia, the regulation of remote gambling services, including betting services, and provide for the repeal the Betting Act 1931, as amended.

Consequently, the Finance Act 2011 contained measures to allow for the extension of the betting duty to remote bookmakers and betting exchanges, including respective licence fees, which are based on the level of turnover, and annual commission earnings, respectively. The provisions in the Finance Act 2011 are subject to a ministerial commencement order. The provisions in the Finance Act cannot be commenced, however, until the betting (amendment) Bill, which contains the necessary regulatory and licensing provisions, is enacted.

The level of taxation provided for in the Finance Act is 1% on turnover in respect of remote betting firms, the same level that currently applies to their bricks and mortar counterparts. To take account of the particular business model of betting exchanges, a tax on the commission an exchange charges its customers will apply. This is in line with the level of tax elsewhere.
Enforcement and compliance will be a key aspect to the successful regulation and taxation of remote betting firms. Those potential difficulties in that regard should not be underestimated, especially with regard to firms that have no presence in the State. However, it is desirable to make such offshore providers subject to the betting tax.

Aodhán: A cross-departmental response is required. What is the Minister’s instinct in respect of the equity of sports funding? The Minister’s response shows that €57 million has been provided this year for the horseracing and greyhound fund. No one wants to question the justification of funding for that industry, which is a wonderful industry and one Ireland is famous for. However, how does the Minister square giving €57 million to that industry in the current crisis, in view of the prize fund amounts, with the €25 million given to the Sports Council, which looks after 57 national governing bodies, 32 local sports partnerships and 18 high performing sports? Does the Minister accept there is an anomaly and will he commit to investigating a way in which we can address it?

Minister for Finance: These are the figures in the Estimate put together by the previous Government in the last budget in December 2010 for 2011. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, is negotiating with line Departments on the appropriate amount for each head for next year. In that context, he has had discussions with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I am sure discussions included this issue. My responsibility is simply to enact legislation and it is up to the two other Ministers to decide what the expenditure should be. Up to now, the principle was that whatever was raised by the levy went into the fund. There was a shortfall and, instead of the Estimate of €47 million being raised, the fund dropped to €30 million. That was as a result of what happened in 2006, when the then Minister for Finance reduced the levy from 2% to 1% without applying a new tax to the online aspect of the betting industry which was then taking much of the activity. In the last Finance Bill, my predecessor sought to correct this but the correction was subject to separate legislation being brought in for on-line betting. Those sections in the Finance Bill would be implemented subjected to a ministerial order. The on-line betting Bill has not been produced yet and obviously the new Government will have to have sight of it before the issues of principle and detail in it are ratified. I will try to get things done quickly and, if possible, in advance of the budget.

Ó Ríordáin welcomes €10 million flood relief fund

2011-11-08T17:34:00.001Z

“I greatly welcome the €10 million flood relief fund announced today by the Government which will aid those homeowners affected by the recent flooding. The fund will be of most comfort for those families left without house insurance since the last major flooding problems of July 2009.

“I have been campaigning on this issue for many years and I know too well the enormous hardship that so many homeowners and small businesses have experienced because of flooding.

“I also wish to point out that this new fund has come about because the Labour Party are in Government. I want to thank the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton for listening to the concerns of residents, particularly in areas in my own constituency like Donnycarney and Artane.

“I will continue to work hard on this issue and I also plan to continue to push for a comprehensive flood defence programme to be initiated, which is ultimately the end goal.”

Clontarf Flood Barrier Update

2011-11-07T16:13:00.005Z

Dear Clontarf Residents,

As you may be aware, Dublin City Council have revised their plan for flood defences in Clontarf and my colleague Cllr Jane Horgan Jones may have already contacted you with an update on the flood defences issue.

The following is a summary of the situation as we see it:

- The original plan cannot and will not go ahead. It was the result of a consultation process that we exposed to have been completely unacceptable and deeply flawed.

- My demand that the consultation process be declared null and void has already been made on the floor of Dáil Éireann and is still being pursued.

- Continued efforts are being made to ensure funds are ring fenced so decisions can be taken without artificial time pressures.

- The new plan as presented is still not acceptable to me or to Cllr Jane Horgan-Jones

The new plan will be on display in four separate information sessions, to be held in St. Anthony’s from 7-9pm on the 16th, 17th, 21st and 23rd November. I understand that the information will include detailed visual representations of what is proposed.

I would urge you to go and view the new plans and we will be there personally for the duration of each session to take your reaction to them.

I will meet as many people as possible at the information sessions to listen to the response of the community to the revised plans.

I can also be contacted by phone or email at any time. I look forward to hearing from many of you soon.

For your information, I am also including the interim report on the Clontarf Flood Defences that will be given by Council officials to the full City Council meeting tomorrow evening (Monday). The meeting starts at 18:45 and can be viewed live online by webcast at the following link.

http://www.dublincity.public-i.tv/core/#webcast

I have secured a written commitment from the City Manager that no further steps will be taken in advance of full consideration of the proposal at the December City Council meeting.

Please be assured of my continued support for the community on this issue.

Aodhán.

Greater Efforts Needed To Increase Rates Of Participation In Education In Irish Prisons

2011-11-02T17:20:00.002Z

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central, has called for greater efforts to be undertaken to increase the participation rates in education throughout Ireland’s prison system. Deputy Ó Ríordáin was one of several Deputies and Senators who undertook a visit to Mountjoy Prison and St. Patrick’s Institution this afternoon.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: “I wanted to state that I really enjoyed the visit to Mountjoy and St. Patrick’s today with the Justice Committee, as it was a great opportunity to see first-hand the state of our prison services.

“However, this tour only reaffirmed my belief that our society should be doing much more to encourage the men and women currently in our prisons into the education system. To think that, on average, just 35% of the prison population take part in education is extremely worrying. Moreover, this figure drops as low as 14% for Mountjoy Prison here in Dublin City. These figures are simply unacceptable if we are serious about altering the climate and culture in our prison system.

“From speaking with some of the officials in Mountjoy and St. Patrick’s this afternoon, it is clear that we can and should be doing more to improve the prison education system. In addition, a particular emphasis on literacy would be invaluable to any education programme.

“We are all aware that a first class education can have enormous benefits in a society and there is no reason why we can’t extend these benefits to the prison population in order to ensure that inmates can rebuild their lives when they are released.

“I understand that the Inspector of Prisons recommended in his annual report last year that an independent audit be commissioned by the Irish Prison Service and I eagerly await the conclusion of this review. It is my hope that when this review is published that the Department of Justice and Department of Education undertake greater measures to drastically improve the levels of participation over the lifetime of this Government.”

Aodhán raising the issue of the Dublin floods in Dáil Éireann

2011-10-26T10:11:00.002+01:00

Aodhán: “I share the anger expressed already and also express my condolences to the families who have lost family members. I will limit my comments to the emergency relief fund and its potential. I understand the complications that might be involved in who oversees and administers it. Ultimately, that is a decision for the Government.

“I ask the Ministers to focus on the central issue that most concerns me for the future, house insurance. Deputy Finian McGrath and I were in Donnycarney this morning. I was in Clontarf last night and residents in Artane were on the telephone to me all day today. Since the Wad River has burst its banks on previous occasions the insurance companies are now refusing to insure homes in the Donnycarney area. Those houses are de facto worthless. One cannot sell one’s house if one cannot get home insurance because a potential buyer cannot get a mortgage if they cannot get house insurance. The houses are worthless and the owners are liable for all the work that must be undertaken in those homes. Families not only have the emotional trauma of having to move out for the couple of months required to fix things again, but there is also the huge financial heartache.

“The city council has let them down time after time. Although moneys have been provided by both the previous Government and this Government for the works to be undertaken, people are still waiting for those works to be carried out. Meanwhile, they are left exposed to the elements. Today, women, children and families are in floods of tears because now they must bear the financial cost. I have a direct question for the Minister. Those families are financially liable because, through no fault of theirs, they have no home insurance. They have been left high and dry by the insurance companies. Can we find a mechanism to support them at this time? They must keep an eye on the skies every day of their lives until the next flood, which is inevitably only months away unless those essential works are carried out.”

Deputy Brian Hayes: “On the last question raised by Deputy Ó Ríordáin about floods and insurance, I have visited many parts of the country and spoken to many communities. A number of them have seen important work carried out by the local authority or the OPW but they still cannot get insurance. I have already met with the Irish Insurance Federation and I hope to be in a position to announce a new protocol over the next month which will give a measure of better communication with the Irish Insurance Federation and the insurance companies, whereby they will know the work we have done and will take account of that. Where the State invests colossal sums of money it is utterly wrong that the insurance companies do not provide the insurance cover.

“The Deputy spoke about people being unable to get insurance cover. That is a very real issue for communities throughout the country. My officials are in discussion with the Insurance Federation to see whether we can make some progress on this issue because I am determined that we have a much better means of communication between our Department and the insurance companies that they understand that funding is being put in place.

Statement from Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD and Cllr Jane Horgan Jones re: Clontarf Flood Defences Meeting

2011-10-24T14:43:00.002+01:00

Statement from Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD and Cllr Jane Horgan Jones re: Clontarf Flood Defences Meeting

There are new developments in the Clontarf Flood Defences campaign every day, and we are endeavouring to keep you abreast of them as they happen. Thank you to everyone who has contacted us so far with your views – your correspondence on this issue is always very welcome and helpful.

As many of you will already know, City Council officials met with representatives from the Clontarf Business Association (CBA) and Clontarf Residents’ Association (CRA) last Friday evening. Local councillors were also in attendance. At this meeting, the Council officials outlined some changes to the defences that could potentially be made to address the real concerns raised by people in our community about the flood defence works.

· No clear plans or concrete proposals were put on the table by the Council on Friday, so there is no question of anything being accepted or rejected at this stage.
· Cllr Jane Horgan-Jones specifically said at the end of the meeting that nobody should be asked to indicate their position on these proposed changes now, and that wider and further consultation would be needed before any clear positions could be taken by the stakeholders involved, including the CRA, the CBA and public representatives.

As your local Labour Party representatives, we have received many emails over the past two days inquiring about our position after Friday’s meeting. Some local representatives spoke to the media afterwards indicating they would support ‘the revised plan’.

· This is not our position. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. Right now, there is no ‘revised plan’ in existence, so talking of accepting or rejecting the suggested changes is premature in the extreme and, in our view, undermines the whole process.
· We did not speak to the media after Friday for precisely this reason. Neither of us has any interest in making political hay out of this issue. We are happy to support the CRA and the CBA in their engagement with the process that is currently ongoing and then to evaluate the results, along with Clontarf residents, to see if the Council can propose an acceptable solution to this crisis. If the Council cannot provide such a solution, then no tactic is off the table.

Neither of us represented this area when the planning process regarding these works was in train. Planning permission was granted in July 2008. Aodhan was first elected to represent Clontarf in 2009, while Jane became a councillor in April 2011. However, we are now working extremely hard every day to find the solution that residents all want – one that protects our homes from flooding but also preserves the amenity of our prom.

Please keep in touch with us on this issue.

Aodhán and Jane

Welcoming Scoil Neasain's 6th Class to Leinster House

2011-10-21T10:06:00.003+01:00

It is always a privilege to be able to welcome students and teachers from across the constituency of Dublin North Central to the Oireachtas.

Most recently, it was a real pleasure to be able to bring the boys and girls of Scoil Neasain's 6th class around Leinster House and for them to witness proceedings in the Chamber up close and personal.

Should any class or school wish to come in and visit the Houses then please don't hesitate to give me a call and I will go about arranging a tour.

VOTE YES on Judicial Pay Referendum

2011-10-19T14:16:00.003+01:00

In 2009 the salaries of public servants were reduced twice by way of two emergency pieces of legislation. The judiciary, by virtue of article 35.5 of the Constitution were excluded from these measures, placing the judiciary in an invidious position vis a vis others paid from the public purse. Many judges made voluntary waivers of their salary in line with these reductions.

The referendum on judges pay allows the Oireachtas to reduce judicial pay in the context of general salary reductions. It seeks to preserve and reaffirm the important principle of judicial independence.

The principle articulated in Article 35.5 is an important one. Unilateral reductions in judicial pay could be perceived as an attack on their independence by Government. The new article 35.5 allows that when- and only when- reductions have been made or are in future made by law to public service pay in the public interest, the Oireachtas can make proportionate reductions to judges' remuneration.

For more information visit www.referendum2011.ie

VOTE YES for proper public inquiries

2011-10-18T17:42:00.004+01:00

In each EU country national parliaments have the power to conduct full inquiries. In Ireland, since the 2002 Supreme Court decision in the Abbeylara case, that is not the position here. This is the issue that the people of Ireland are being asked to change in the forthcoming referendum.

The case for allowing parliamentary committees to conduct full inquiries is a sensible one. Parliamentary committees have a central role in overseeing the performance of our public administration. Parliamentary committees will prove less expensive than tribunals or other inquiry methods. Prior to the Abbeylara decision we already held successful inquiries like the DIRT inquiry.

Labour Minister Brendan Howlin has already published a Bill which explains how the process will work if the people pass this amendment.

Our aim is to have inquiries that are fair, effective and efficient. If approved by you, they will be an important tool in our armoury to ensure our public administration is fully accountable.

Raising the Clontarf Flood Defences under Topical Issues

2011-10-14T14:21:00.004+01:00

ROLLING UPDATES: Clontarf Flood Defences

Aodhán: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise a local issue, namely the proposed Clontarf flood barrier, which will have a citywide impact.

In September 2005, Dublin City Council’s Clontarf promenade steering committee considered different options for the flood defence-arterial water main works and chose option 5, comprising walls and bunds containing water mains. No public representatives, residents' groups or business groups were represented on this committee. However, the environmental impact statement, EIS, states the main stakeholders were present. The minutes of the meeting indicate that council officials realised, even at that point, the need to provide clear images and drawings for the public consultation process. This recommendation was not pursued, however.

A consultation evening was held in St. Anthony's Parish Church in Clontarf on 12 June 2006 to deal with the scope of the information to be included in the EIS. Residents' groups were invited to the meeting. According to a council e-mail of Tuesday, 11 October 2006, the public consultation process on the flood defences-arterial water mains did not commence until 3 December 2007. Accordingly, this meeting cannot be considered to have been part of that process. Indeed, the EIS had not even been completed at that stage.

In November 2007, all residents' groups were written to informing them that Dublin City Council was about to apply to An Bord Pleanála for planning permission through the submission of an EIS, as yet unseen by residents, businesses or local representatives. The letter also informed them a period of public consultation would take place and that full details of the project would be on public display for eight weeks in Dublin City Council’s civic office, Marino library, none of which are in the Clontarf area itself, and on the council’s website. On 3 December 2007, this submission and public consultation was further advertised in the Irish Independent and this date was the commencement of the public consultation period.

One day later, on 4 December 2007, Dublin City Council applied to An Bord Pleanála for permission for the works as outlined in the EIS and first advertised to the public one day previously. Subsequently, in July 2008 planning permission was granted by An Bord Pleanála.

There is no evidence of any involvement of either public representatives, residents or local businesses, prior to a decision being made in September 2005, that the preferred option for the works was for bunds-walls rather than four other options under consideration. Although the council has accepted the height recommendation changed after plans were first presented to local councillors in 2006, this was not communicated and no supplemental presentation was made detailing the alterations or the reasons held by the council for departing from the original proposal.
Prior to the planning application being made to An Bord Pleanála in December 2007, no public representatives or residents groups had sight of a completed environmental impact statement, EIS, or had an opportunity to provide feedback or comment on it. The EIS was made available on 3 December - the application was made to An Bord Pleanála on 4 December. As a result, the only opportunity these stakeholders had to make an input into the process was that afforded them by the An Bord Pleanála system at a cost of €50. Although the EIS was made available after the application had been made to An Bord Pleanála, it was never available at any public location in Clontarf. My point is that the process was deficient from the beginning.

I wish to bring the Minister of State's attention to another matter. The development is in close proximity to a number of special protection areas and a special area of conservation, namely, north Dublin Bay. I direct the Minister of State to Article 6(3) of the habitats directive and the guidance provided by the Commission, those being, EC (2000), EC (2002) and EC (2006). Any plan or project that may have a significant effect on a special area of conservation shall be subject to an appropriate assessment of its implications for the site in view of the site's conservation objectives. This appropriate assessment should include, where appropriate, obtaining the opinion of the general public and must comply with the requirements as set forth by the directive and clarified by the Commission's guidance notes and the European Court of Justice, ECJ, cases C-127/02 and C-418/04.

The EIS on the works in question does not comply with the requirements of the directive and relevant explanatory documents, since no appropriate assessment was undertaken. In taking the decision under An Bord Pleanála reference 29N.JA0008, the competent authority - Dublin City Council - has failed to take account of the appropriate assessment of the implications of the development for the designated Natura 2000 site in light of the site's conservation objectives and has not made certain that the development will not affect the integrity of the site.

Like the council, will the Minister of State accept that the consultation process was deficient? Will he accept the documentation that I will provide him for his officials to examine? Will his officials examine the relevant European legislation and the ECJ cases I have outlined? Will the Minister of State engage with the Irish Insurance Federation, IIF, to ensure that the question of these works proceeding or not proceeding in the immediate future will not have a negative impact on householders on the Clontarf promenade?

Deputy Brian Hayes: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I know the area well, having played there as a young boy before going to the west side of the city. I also know of people's concerns, but I must point out that this is a Dublin City Council scheme. The objective of the Office of Public Works, OPW, which has national responsibility for providing policy and funding, is to work with local authorities in the delivery of such schemes.

I will set out the facts. The Clontarf sea front area was identified as one of the areas most at risk of flooding in the Dublin coastal flood protection project study, which was completed in 2005 by international expert consultants Royal Haskoning and commissioned by Dublin City Council with funding from the OPW. Following the study's completion, Dublin City Council appointed Royal Haskoning to design a flood relief scheme for the area. The scheme was designed to the normal standards required for coastal flood protection, including protection against a flood with an annual exceedance probability of 0.5%, typically known as a 200-year flood event, with an allowance for climate change.

The OPW understands that Dublin City Council made available full details of the flood defence project to residents, local businesses and elected representatives at the various informal and formal public consultations in 2006 and 2007 leading up to the submission of a full EIS to An Bord Pleanála in 2007. The submission was also advertised in the national press, site notices were erected and the project details and EIS report were put on public display in the council's civic offices and in Marino Library. The EIS took full account of all aspects of the project, including the visual impact of the flood defence structures. The EIS and the project were subsequently approved by An Bord Pleanála in 2008.

Dublin City Council has since advanced the scheme as part of the north city water main project. The procurement process for the overall scheme, which includes the north city water supply scheme phases 1 and 2 and the flood defence works, has been progressed as one contract for reasons of efficiency and economies of cost. The OPW has agreed in principle to provide the funding to undertake the flood defence aspects of the works, amounting to approximately 46% of the overall costs. This is Dublin City Council's scheme, not the Government's. We provide the money for schemes and set national policy frameworks.

This scheme incorporates the use of landscaping rather than extensive wall construction. This is designed to minimise the impact and, in so far as it is possible, retain the character of the Clontarf sea front. The council accepts that there will be a loss of visual amenity. Without this project, however, the area will continue to flood, which the Deputy knows it has done frequently.

I understand that, in response to concerns raised by residents and members of the business community in recent weeks, Dublin City Council made a presentation to a special meeting of councillors of the north central area committee yesterday afternoon. At that meeting, the council agreed to arrange meetings with the residents for next week with a further area committee to take place on 7 November. The OPW had a member of staff at the meeting who explained that the rationale for the OPW providing funding for the scheme was based on the scheme being cost beneficial and that it would conform to the normal standards applying to such coastal schemes. The OPW awaits the outcome of the further consultation process

Aodhán: I thank the Minister of State for his reply, although the matters it addressed differed from those that I raised. Will he accept the documentation? If I forward it to his Department, will he ask his officials to investigate under section 21 of the Planning and Development Act on An Bord Pleanála whether every statutory box was ticked in respect of the consultation process? Will his office also take into consideration the European legislation to which I referred? I will forward it to his office and to other Ministers with responsibility in this regard. Will the Minister of State take into consideration the insurance implications of these works going ahead or not going ahead and engage with the IIF? If his office commits to doing so, it would provide solace to the residents and wider community affected. These are three simple suggestions and I appreciate the Ceann Comhairle's indulgence.

Deputy Brian Hayes: The suggestions are good, but they will not make any difference. The key issue is that this is a Dublin City Council scheme. The council is looking for money from us. To obtain that, it must show that the State will get value for the money we spend. We are prepared to consider any alternative arising from the consultation with local councillors last night and with residents next week. If the council makes an alternative proposal, we are prepared to consider it.

The only criterion we have when an application is made is whether it is worth spending money. There is no point in spending money if it has no value when an event occurs. All of the EU legislation in the world will not make a difference. This is a question of getting value for the State's money. If an alternative proposal is brought to our attention by the council, we will consider it.

We have set money aside for the scheme. If it is not spent this year, I cannot guarantee the people of Clontarf that it will be spent next year. If a flooding event occurs, I ask people to realise that the houses, businesses and communities along the long Clontarf Road will suffer the brunt of it.

The only way to stop the floods is to build a wall or a variety of other schemes that may help. We are open to considering all alternatives, but time is of the essence. Given the fact that we are not the party conducting this process, our task is to fund something if it has value and will stop a flood. Otherwise, the money will not be provided. The next time a flood occurs, Deputies will ask me why we did not do something.

Dublin City Council must sort this issue out with the local community and local councillors in the first instance. Assuming it does, I will consider any alternative proposal. We have a clear model on which we determine cost-benefit analyses. If an alternative delivers value for the State's investment, we will consider it and progress the scheme. I hope I have been fair, honest and forthcoming in responding to the Deputy.

Clontarf Road Flood Defences

2011-10-13T10:22:00.002+01:00

ROLLING UPDATES: Clontarf Road Flood Defences

Following a meeting yesterday with Dublin City Council, officials have accepted that the consultation process prior to their An Bord Pleánala application was “minimal” and “didn’t work”. They have pledged to re-engage with the OPW and An Bord Pleánala to ascertain whether significant changes can be made to the proposal. In the meantime, no contract will be signed.

This morning, myself and Cllr. Jane Horgan-Jones have submitted a document to Minister for Housing and Planning Willie Penrose outlining the deficiencies we see in the process to date. He has undertaken to examine the document carefully.

We will continue to work diligently on the issue on behalf of residents and will do our best to keep you informed every step along the way.

Clontarf Road Flood Defences

2011-10-12T18:44:00.003+01:00

ROLLING UPDATES: Clontarf Road Flood Defences

This afternoon Cllr. Jane Horgan-Jones and I attended a Dublin City Council Area Meeting where the issue of the flood defences on the Clontarf Road was discussed.

At this meeting, the Council officials informed Jane and I that no contract will be signed until further consultation has been undertaken with the Office of Public Works (OPW), An Bord Pleanala and residents in the local community.

I will continue to update residents on this issue as it develops and should you wish to discuss this matter with me please don't hesitate to give me a call.

Clontarf Road Flood Defences

2011-10-11T16:31:00.000+01:00

ROLLING UPDATES: Clontarf Road Flood Defences

I have met with the Minister for Housing and Planning Willie Penrose this afternoon and he has requested that I compile a briefing document in relation to this matter and submit it to his Department as soon as possible.

I will go about doing this immediately after myself and Cllr. Jane Horgan-Jones attend the Area Committee Meeting which takes place tomorrow Wednesday, 12th. We plan on conveying the concerns of residents to Dublin City Council officials at this meeting.

Please be assured that I will keep you updated every step of the way throughout this process and should you wish to discuss this matter with me please don't hesitate to give me a call.

Clontarf Road Flood Defences

2011-10-11T12:28:00.000+01:00

ROLLING UPDATES: Clontarf Road Flood Defences

I am writing to update you on my activities in relation to the proposed construction of the Clontarf Road flood defences.

I have submitted a request to the Office of the Ceann Comhairle to raise this matter on the floor of the House today. This is the most effective way of raising the matter as it guarantees a ministerial response. Unfortunately, the Ceann Comhairle's office has decided not to select my topic for discussion.

However, I wish to assure you that I will be applying to discuss this matter again on Wednesday, 12th October. In addition, I plan to meet with the Minister for Housing and Planning Willie Penrose TD to discuss this matter this afternoon.

Moreover, myself and Cllr. Jane Horgan-Jones will attend the Dublin City Council area committee meeting tomorrow and we plan on highlighting the concerns of residents at this meeting.

Should you wish to discuss this matter further with me then please don't hesitate to give me a call.

Ó RÍORDÁIN & HORGAN-JONES SEEK CLARIFICATION ON CLONTARF FLOOD DEFENCE MEASURES

2011-10-10T13:01:00.002+01:00

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and Cllr. Jane Horgan-Jones are seeking clarification on the imminent construction of flood defence barriers in Clontarf, which are a cause of immense concern to local residents.

These new measures were undertaken to combat the horrendous flooding which many households and businesses in and around the Clontarf Road experienced down through the years. However, the height of the new defences has become a point of contention for many people residing in the area.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin states: “A number of residents have expressed their concern about the new flood defence measures to us. I have to say that it was a great surprise to learn that defences consisting of a wall and a raised mound are to be between to 6ft-7ft tall in height and I believe that this decision has to be looked at again.

“We are all in agreement that households and business owners should have protection from the type of flooding which the Clontarf area has experienced in the past, however we cannot undertake new measures if it is going to adversely affect the community.

“It’s really unfortunate that this plan was put in motion pre-2009 when there was no Labour representation in the Clontarf area. I know the councillors for the area at the time were demanding greater flood defence measures but these plans really should have been subject to greater scrutiny before being given the green light.

“I wish to assure residents that myself and local Labour councillor Jane Horgan-Jones will be looking into this matter in order to ensure that residents and business owners are both satisfied with the new measures and protected from any future flooding.”

ENDS

Contact Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: 086-819-0336

Twitter: @AodhanORiordain

www.labour.ie/press

Postering Madness

2011-09-27T10:53:00.003+01:00

Isn't it time we started to control this postering madness?

Do you agree with the following statement and motion that was defeated at Dublin City Council last year.

What do you think?

PRESS STATEMENT MAY 2010

Lax regulations relating to candidate postering at local election time have led to practices which are procedurally unsound and environmentally questionable.

I believe that we need to tighten up procedures in this regard, and I have put down a motion to the council (see below) that I believe will address this.

The motion is aimed at controlling the level of postering undertaken by political candidates at local elections in the Dublin City Council area, and at tackling these questionable practices:

* Currently, a candidate can have posters erected before their nomination papers have been accepted by the council.
* There is no restriction on the number of posters that any candidate can erect
* The cable ties used by candidates are regularly left behind on poles and lampposts

The motion ,as outlined below, will restrict the number and size of posters that can be erected and will also proactively deal with the problem of cable-ties that adorn the city's lamp-posts.

I urge all members of council to support the motion, which will level the playing pitch for all candidates at election time.

MOTION:

That in relation to the postering at Local Election time the following

will be the new procedure in the Dublin City Council ‘Local Elections’:

No candidate will be permitted to erect posters without obtaining a postering

licence from the council.

Such a licence will be obtained from the City Council only upon production of

nomination papers.

A limit of posters per candidate will apply in direct proportion to the size of the

electoral area. 50 posters per seat is proposed.

Only posters stamped by the Council can be erected.

Only cable ties stamped and coded by the council may be used.

A maximum postering size of A1 will apply to all posters”.

Following discussion on this motion, it was put to a vote and declared lost

Why are Finlands's Schools Successful?

2011-09-26T11:54:00.002+01:00

Article from Smithsonianmag.com an interesting perspective on the Finnish Education System and their effective delivery of resources:

Link here:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html

Why Are Finland's Schools Successful?
The country's achievements in education have other nations doing their homework

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html#ixzz1Z3TxOzQq
It was the end of term at Kirkkojarvi Comprehensive School in Espoo, a sprawling suburb west of Helsinki, when Kari Louhivuori, a veteran teacher and the school’s principal, decided to try something extreme—by Finnish standards. One of his sixth-grade students, a Kosovo-Albanian boy, had drifted far off the learning grid, resisting his teacher’s best efforts. The school’s team of special educators—including a social worker, a nurse and a psychologist—convinced Louhivuori that laziness was not to blame. So he decided to hold the boy back a year, a measure so rare in Finland it’s practically obsolete.
Finland has vastly improved in reading, math and science literacy over the past decade in large part because its teachers are trusted to do whatever it takes to turn young lives around. This 13-year-old, Besart Kabashi, received something akin to royal tutoring.
“I took Besart on that year as my private student,” Louhivuori told me in his office, which boasted a Beatles “Yellow Submarine” poster on the wall and an electric guitar in the closet. When Besart was not studying science, geography and math, he was parked next to Louhivuori’s desk at the front of his class of 9- and 10-year- olds, cracking open books from a tall stack, slowly reading one, then another, then devouring them by the dozens. By the end of the year, the son of Kosovo war refugees had conquered his adopted country’s vowel-rich language and arrived at the realization that he could, in fact, learn.
Years later, a 20-year-old Besart showed up at Kirkkojarvi’s Christmas party with a bottle of Cognac and a big grin. “You helped me,” he told his former teacher. Besart had opened his own car repair firm and a cleaning company. “No big fuss,” Louhivuori told me. “This is what we do every day, prepare kids for life.”
This tale of a single rescued child hints at some of the reasons for the tiny Nordic nation’s staggering record of education success, a phenomenon that has inspired, baffled and even irked many of America’s parents and educators. Finnish schooling became an unlikely hot topic after the 2010 documentary film Waiting for “Superman” contrasted it with America’s troubled public schools.
“Whatever it takes” is an attitude that drives not just Kirkkojarvi’s 30 teachers, but most of Finland’s 62,000 educators in 3,500 schools from Lapland to Turku—professionals selected from the top 10 percent of the nation’s graduates to earn a required master’s degree in education. Many schools are small enough so that teachers know every student. If one method fails, teachers consult with colleagues to try something else. They seem to relish the challenges. Nearly 30 percent of Finland’s children receive some kind of special help during their first nine years of school. The school where Louhivuori teaches served 240 first through ninth graders last year; and in contrast with Finland’s reputation for ethnic homogeneity, more than half of its 150 elementary-level students are immigrants—from Somalia, Iraq, Russia, Bangladesh, Estonia and Ethiopia, among other nations. “Children from wealthy families with lots of education can be taught by stupid teachers,” Louhivuori said, smiling. “We try to catch the weak students. It’s deep in our thinking.”
The transformation of the Finns’ education system began some 40 years ago as the key propellent of the country’s economic recovery plan. Educators had little idea it was so successful until 2000, when the first results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a standardized test given to 15-year-olds in more than 40 global venues, revealed Finnish youth to be the best young readers in the world. Three years later, they led in math. By 2006, Finland was first out of 57 countries (and a few cities) in science. In the 2009 PISA scores released last year, the nation came in second in science, third in reading and sixth in math among nearly half a million students worldwide. “I’m still surprised,” said Arjariita Heikkinen, principal of a Helsinki comprehensive school. “I didn’t realize we were that good.”
In the United States, which has muddled along in the middle for the past decade, government officials have attempted to introduce marketplace competition into public schools. In recent years, a group of Wall Street financiers and philanthropists such as Bill Gates have put money behind private-sector ideas, such as vouchers, data-driven curriculum and charter schools, which have doubled in number in the past decade. President Obama, too, has apparently bet on competition. His Race to the Top initiative invites states to compete for federal dollars using tests and other methods to measure teachers, a philosophy that would not fly in Finland. “I think, in fact, teachers would tear off their shirts,” said Timo Heikkinen, a Helsinki principal with 24 years of teaching experience. “If you only measure the statistics, you miss the human aspect.”
There are no mandated standardized tests in Finland, apart from one exam at the end of students’ senior year in high school. There are no rankings, no comparisons or competition between students, schools or regions. Finland’s schools are publicly funded. The people in the government agencies running them, from national officials to local authorities, are educators, not business people, military leaders or career politicians. Every school has the same national goals and draws from the same pool of university-trained educators. The result is that a Finnish child has a good shot at getting the same quality education no matter whether he or she lives in a rural village or a university town. The differences between weakest and strongest students are the smallest in the world, according to the most recent survey by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). “Equality is the most important word in Finnish education. All political parties on the right and left agree on this,” said Olli Luukkainen, president of Finland’s powerful teachers union.
Ninety-three percent of Finns graduate from academic or vocational high schools, 17.5 percentage points higher than the United States, and 66 percent go on to higher education, the highest rate in the European Union. Yet Finland spends about 30 percent less per student than the United States.
Still, there is a distinct absence of chest-thumping among the famously reticent Finns. They are eager to celebrate their recent world hockey championship, but PISA scores, not so much. “We prepare children to learn how to learn, not how to take a test,” said Pasi Sahlberg, a former math and physics teacher who is now in Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture. “We are not much interested in PISA. It’s not what we are about.”
Maija Rintola stood before her chattering class of twenty-three 7- and 8-year-olds one late April day in Kirkkojarven Koulu. A tangle of multicolored threads topped her copper hair like a painted wig. The 20-year teacher was trying out her look for Vappu, the day teachers and children come to school in riotous costumes to celebrate May Day. The morning sun poured through the slate and lemon linen shades onto containers of Easter grass growing on the wooden sills. Rintola smiled and held up her open hand at a slant—her time-tested “silent giraffe,” which signaled the kids to be quiet. Little hats, coats, shoes stowed in their cubbies, the children wiggled next to their desks in their stocking feet, waiting for a turn to tell their tale from the playground. They had just returned from their regular 15 minutes of playtime outdoors between lessons. “Play is important at this age,” Rintola would later say. “We value play.”
With their wiggles unwound, the students took from their desks little bags of buttons, beans and laminated cards numbered 1 through 20. A teacher’s aide passed around yellow strips representing units of ten. At a smart board at the front of the room, Rintola ushered the class through the principles of base ten. One girl wore cat ears on her head, for no apparent reason. Another kept a stuffed mouse on her desk to remind her of home. Rintola roamed the room helping each child grasp the concepts. Those who finished early played an advanced “nut puzzle” game. After 40 minutes it was time for a hot lunch in the cathedral-like cafeteria.
Teachers in Finland spend fewer hours at school each day and spend less time in classrooms than American teachers. Teachers use the extra time to build curriculums and assess their students. Children spend far more time playing outside, even in the depths of winter. Homework is minimal. Compulsory schooling does not begin until age 7. “We have no hurry,” said Louhivuori. “Children learn better when they are ready. Why stress them out?”
It’s almost unheard of for a child to show up hungry or homeless. Finland provides three years of maternity leave and subsidized day care to parents, and preschool for all 5-year-olds, where the emphasis is on play and socializing. In addition, the state subsidizes parents, paying them around 150 euros per month for every child until he or she turns 17. Ninety-seven percent of 6-year-olds attend public preschool, where children begin some academics. Schools provide food, medical care, counseling and taxi service if needed. Student health care is free.
Even so, Rintola said her children arrived last August miles apart in reading and language levels. By April, nearly every child in the class was reading, and most were writing. Boys had been coaxed into literature with books like Kapteeni Kalsarin (“Captain Underpants”). The school’s special education teacher teamed up with Rintola to teach five children with a variety of behavioral and learning problems. The national goal for the past five years has been to mainstream all children. The only time Rintola’s children are pulled out is for Finnish as a Second Language classes, taught by a teacher with 30 years’ experience and graduate school training.
There are exceptions, though, however rare. One first-grade girl was not in Rintola’s class. The wispy 7-year-old had recently arrived from Thailand speaking not a word of Finnish. She was studying math down the hall in a special “preparing class” taught by an expert in multicultural learning. It is designed to help children keep up with their subjects while they conquer the language. Kirkkojarvi’s teachers have learned to deal with their unusually large number of immigrant students. The city of Espoo helps them out with an extra 82,000 euros a year in “positive discrimination” funds to pay for things like special resource teachers, counselors and six special needs classes.
Rintola will teach the same children next year and possibly the next five years, depending on the needs of the school. “It’s a good system. I can make strong connections with the children,” said Rintola, who was handpicked by Louhivuori 20 years ago. “I understand who they are.” Besides Finnish, math and science, the first graders take music, art, sports, religion and textile handcrafts. English begins in third grade, Swedish in fourth. By fifth grade the children have added biology, geography, history, physics and chemistry.
Not until sixth grade will kids have the option to sit for a district-wide exam, and then only if the classroom teacher agrees to participate. Most do, out of curiosity. Results are not publicized. Finnish educators have a hard time understanding the United States’ fascination with standardized tests. “Americans like all these bars and graphs and colored charts,” Louhivuori teased, as he rummaged through his closet looking for past years’ results. “Looks like we did better than average two years ago,” he said after he found the reports. “It’s nonsense. We know much more about the children than these tests can tell us.”
I had come to Kirkkojarvi to see how the Finnish approach works with students who are not stereotypically blond, blue-eyed and Lutheran. But I wondered if Kirkkojarvi’s success against the odds might be a fluke. Some of the more vocal conservative reformers in America have grown weary of the “We-Love-Finland crowd” or so-called Finnish Envy. They argue that the United States has little to learn from a country of only 5.4 million people—4 percent of them foreign born. Yet the Finns seem to be onto something. Neighboring Norway, a country of similar size, embraces education policies similar to those in the United States. It employs standardized exams and teachers without master’s degrees. And like America, Norway’s PISA scores have been stalled in the middle ranges for the better part of a decade.
To get a second sampling, I headed east from Espoo to Helsinki and a rough neighborhood called Siilitie, Finnish for “Hedgehog Road” and known for having the oldest low-income housing project in Finland. The 50-year-old boxy school building sat in a wooded area, around the corner from a subway stop flanked by gas stations and convenience stores. Half of its 200 first- through ninth-grade students have learning disabilities. All but the most severely impaired are mixed with the general education children, in keeping with Finnish policies.
A class of first graders scampered among nearby pine and birch trees, each holding a stack of the teacher’s homemade laminated “outdoor math” cards. “Find a stick as big as your foot,” one read. “Gather 50 rocks and acorns and lay them out in groups of ten,” read another. Working in teams, the 7- and 8-year-olds raced to see how quickly they could carry out their tasks. Aleksi Gustafsson, whose master’s degree is from Helsinki University, developed the exercise after attending one of the many workshops available free to teachers. “I did research on how useful this is for kids,” he said. “It’s fun for the children to work outside. They really learn with it.”
Gustafsson’s sister, Nana Germeroth, teaches a class of mostly learning-impaired children; Gustafsson’s students have no learning or behavioral issues. The two combined most of their classes this year to mix their ideas and abilities along with the children’s varying levels. “We know each other really well,” said Germeroth, who is ten years older. “I know what Aleksi is thinking.”
The school receives 47,000 euros a year in positive discrimination money to hire aides and special education teachers, who are paid slightly higher salaries than classroom teachers because of their required sixth year of university training and the demands of their jobs. There is one teacher (or assistant) in Siilitie for every seven students.
In another classroom, two special education teachers had come up with a different kind of team teaching. Last year, Kaisa Summa, a teacher with five years’ experience, was having trouble keeping a gaggle of first-grade boys under control. She had looked longingly into Paivi Kangasvieri’s quiet second-grade room next door, wondering what secrets the 25-year-veteran colleague could share. Each had students of wide-ranging abilities and special needs. Summa asked Kangasvieri if they might combine gymnastics classes in hopes good behavior might be contagious. It worked. This year, the two decided to merge for 16 hours a week. “We complement each other,” said Kangasvieri, who describes herself as a calm and firm “father” to Summa’s warm mothering. “It is cooperative teaching at its best,” she says.
Every so often, principal Arjariita Heikkinen told me, the Helsinki district tries to close the school because the surrounding area has fewer and fewer children, only to have people in the community rise up to save it. After all, nearly 100 percent of the school’s ninth graders go on to high schools. Even many of the most severely disabled will find a place in Finland’s expanded system of vocational high schools, which are attended by 43 percent of Finnish high-school students, who prepare to work in restaurants, hospitals, construction sites and offices. “We help situate them in the right high school,” said then deputy principal Anne Roselius. “We are interested in what will become of them in life.”
Finland’s schools were not always a wonder. Until the late 1960s, Finns were still emerging from the cocoon of Soviet influence. Most children left public school after six years. (The rest went to private schools, academic grammar schools or folk schools, which tended to be less rigorous.) Only the privileged or lucky got a quality education.
The landscape changed when Finland began trying to remold its bloody, fractured past into a unified future. For hundreds of years, these fiercely independent people had been wedged between two rival powers—the Swedish monarchy to the west and the Russian czar to the east. Neither Scandinavian nor Baltic, Finns were proud of their Nordic roots and a unique language only they could love (or pronounce). In 1809, Finland was ceded to Russia by the Swedes, who had ruled its people some 600 years. The czar created the Grand Duchy of Finland, a quasi-state with constitutional ties to the empire. He moved the capital from Turku, near Stockholm, to Helsinki, closer to St. Petersburg. After the czar fell to the Bolsheviks in 1917, Finland declared its independence, pitching the country into civil war. Three more wars between 1939 and 1945—two with the Soviets, one with Germany—left the country scarred by bitter divisions and a punishing debt owed to the Russians. “Still we managed to keep our freedom,” said Pasi Sahlberg, a director general in the Ministry of Education and Culture.
In 1963, the Finnish Parlia-ment made the bold decision to choose public education as its best shot at economic recovery. “I call this the Big Dream of Finnish education,” said Sahlberg, whose upcoming book, Finnish Lessons, is scheduled for release in October. “It was simply the idea that every child would have a very good public school. If we want to be competitive, we need to educate everybody. It all came out of a need to survive.”
Practically speaking—and Finns are nothing if not practical—the decision meant that goal would not be allowed to dissipate into rhetoric. Lawmakers landed on a deceptively simple plan that formed the foundation for everything to come. Public schools would be organized into one system of comprehensive schools, or peruskoulu, for ages 7 through 16. Teachers from all over the nation contributed to a national curriculum that provided guidelines, not prescriptions. Besides Finnish and Swedish (the country’s second official language), children would learn a third language (English is a favorite) usually beginning at age 9. Resources were distributed equally. As the comprehensive schools improved, so did the upper secondary schools (grades 10 through 12). The second critical decision came in 1979, when reformers required that every teacher earn a fifth-year master’s degree in theory and practice at one of eight state universities—at state expense. From then on, teachers were effectively granted equal status with doctors and lawyers. Applicants began flooding teaching programs, not because the salaries were so high but because autonomy and respect made the job attractive. In 2010, some 6,600 applicants vied for 660 primary school training slots, according to Sahlberg. By the mid-1980s, a final set of initiatives shook the classrooms free from the last vestiges of top-down regulation. Control over policies shifted to town councils. The national curriculum was distilled into broad guidelines. National math goals for grades one through nine, for example, were reduced to a neat ten pages. Sifting and sorting children into so-called ability groupings was eliminated. All children—clever or less so—were to be taught in the same classrooms, with lots of special teacher help available to make sure no child really would be left behind. The inspectorate closed its doors in the early ’90s, turning accountability and inspection over to teachers and principals. “We have our own motivation to succeed because we love the work,” said Louhivuori. “Our incentives come from inside.”
To be sure, it was only in the past decade that Finland’s international science scores rose. In fact, the country’s earliest efforts could be called somewhat Stalinistic. The first national curriculum, developed in the early ’70s, weighed in at 700 stultifying pages. Timo Heikkinen, who began teaching in Finland’s public schools in 1980 and is now principal of Kallahti Comprehensive School in eastern Helsinki, remembers when most of his high-school teachers sat at their desks dictating to the open notebooks of compliant children.
And there are still challenges. Finland’s crippling financial collapse in the early ’90s brought fresh economic challenges to this “confident and assertive Eurostate,” as David Kirby calls it in A Concise History of Finland. At the same time, immigrants poured into the country, clustering in low-income housing projects and placing added strain on schools. A recent report by the Academy of Finland warned that some schools in the country’s large cities were becoming more skewed by race and class as affluent, white Finns choose schools with fewer poor, immigrant populations.
A few years ago, Kallahti principal Timo Heikkinen began noticing that, increasingly, affluent Finnish parents, perhaps worried about the rising number of Somali children at Kallahti, began sending their children to one of two other schools nearby. In response, Heikkinen and his teachers designed new environmental science courses that take advantage of the school’s proximity to the forest. And a new biology lab with 3-D technology allows older students to observe blood flowing inside the human body.
It has yet to catch on, Heikkinen admits. Then he added: “But we are always looking for ways to improve.”
In other words, whatever it takes.
Lynnell Hancock writes about education and teaches at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. Photographer Stuart Conway lives in East Sussex, near the south coast of England.

Raising the issue of water quality on the floor of the House

2011-09-21T18:33:00.000+01:00

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for affording me the opportunity to discuss the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on water leakage.

I do not intend to spend much time on this. In effect, the report suggested that in regard to water leakage, Ireland appears to have twice the OECD average of unaccounted-for water. It stated that overall the average percentage of unaccounted-for water was approximately 41.48% in 2009, a marginal increase on the 2008 figure of 41.2%.

I am a great believer in the levering of local charges and believe that local authorities should have the authority so to do. I am a tax and spend kind of guy. If one believes in public services, as I do, someone has to pay for them. I have no issue with the water charge per se. However, it would be very difficult for us as Deputies working in local areas or as national politicians to convince the public that a water levy or charge or water metering can be justified when the Comptroller and Auditor General's report indicates such a level of unaccounted-for water.

Various regions have issues with their water supply. We are well aware, as will be the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, about the issues in Galway city. Deputy Michael McNamara assures me that issues relating to the water supply in Ennis are as bad as they ever were. In my constituency there have been ongoing water pressure issues in the Killester-Donnycarney area.

It is imperative for us to convince those who will be charged this levy that finances accrued from it will be put back into the water system in order that they may have confidence in it. I do not find it reasonable that anyone should expect we can front-load that investment before such a levy is in place, but we must ensure the public sees the connection between the charge and the improvement in the service. If one lives in an area where, as has happened in recent years, there have been annual major water shortages because of the poor water infrastructure in the city, or if one lives in an area where cryptosporidium dances through one's tap on a regular basis, or there is discoloration or whatever, it is very difficult for a public representative to make that connection, especially when people see figures such as these. We must convince the public that we can ring-fence these moneys for the improvement of the water service.

Ó Ríordáin welcomes Minister's positive comments on MABS for SMEs

2011-09-21T18:00:00.002+01:00

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central, has welcomed the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation’s positive comments regarding the possible establishment of a MABS for the SME sector.

In reply to a parliamentary question submitted by Deputy Ó Ríordáin, the Minister stated that there was “merit in the general idea of a MABS for small business.” In addition, the Minister said that such a proposal would have to be “considered more fully in order to determine what interventions are needed by business and who is best equipped to provide those interventions.”

Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: “I think the indications from the Minister are that this is a very worthwhile proposal. Obviously, it needs to be assessed in more depth and it is my wish that stakeholders do meet to discuss its viability.

“We are all aware of the difficulties many SMEs are currently experiencing and I believe a mentoring service to provide these businesses with financial and budgeting advice would be invaluable and do a lot to save much needed jobs. In addition, an independent service would present a viable alternative for business owners who have been forced to seek guidance from financial institutions.

“This initiative would build on the excellent work already being carried out by the County and City Enterprise Boards who provide much needed grants to the SME sector. However, we can build on this work by providing on going advice and assistance to the SME sector throughout the country.”

Congratulation to Mickey Whelan, Dublin Selector and proud St Vincent's Man

2011-09-21T16:18:00.003+01:00

Meeting Mr Maguire!

2011-09-20T09:15:00.002+01:00

Congratulations to the Dublin Senior Footballers - the All-Ireland Champions!
A great year for Dublin GAA was rounded off last Sunday with that great last minute win over Kerry.
Make sure to support your local club in whatever way you can, or indeed any sports club in your area.
Up the Dubs!!

Ó Ríordáin calls for immediate apology from Fr. Banville

2011-09-16T16:41:00.001+01:00

“Fr. Paddy Banville’s article published today is an attempt to divert the blame of clerical sex abuse to innocent members of Irish society and clearly demonstrates how many in the Catholic Church are beyond redemption.

“Not only are his comments insulting to victims of abuse and the families of abuse survivors, but they are just as insulting to ordinary Catholics who are bewildered by the actions of their church.

“This is an issue which must be dealt with sensitively and not in with this ‘bull in a china shop’ mentality coming from a priest who should know better.

“Fr. Banville should apologise immediately for this article. The Irish Catholic newspaper is widely circulated in every church in the country and its management should be dealing with this matter with more sensitivity.

“It is the views expressed by Fr. Banville that are doing more damage to the Church than they could ever contemplate.”

Work by every government agency must be literacy proofed

2011-09-15T16:58:00.001+01:00

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD has called for every government agency involved in education to ensure that they literacy proof every aspect of their work. The Dublin North Central TD and former Inner-City school principal stressed that it is imperative we put literacy at the heart of our education system and not just confine it to the classroom.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin states: “It is vital that we solidify literacy at the core of our education sector and our society in general. This involves all government and state agencies having a strong literacy strategy or policy statement that they can follow when dealing with students, parents, guardians and indeed the wider community.

“Working closely with Ruairi Quinn it is clear that he is a passionate advocate for the tackling of illiteracy and the empowerment potential of the basic ability to read. This must be a national cause, and not one purely restricted to the classroom.”

“We must realise that children don’t live in their schools and that those who were once failed by the education system need to be empowered in more imaginative ways. Therefore, it is crucial that we make sure all interactions between educators, students, parents or guardians is literacy proofed. I know from my own experience that many families from disadvantaged areas have real difficulties with literacy and thus we cannot allow the learning to stop when the school home-bell rings.

“For example, there are five basic policy documents that every school must have – an adult literacy strategy not being one of them. If we were to demand that all schools implement a literacy strategy for their parent body in a respectful and empowering manner then surely we would go a long way to tackling some of the difficulties with literacy that dog far too many of our fellow citizens .”

“For example, any state training agency must build a comprehensive literacy programme for their students and participants. Literacy is a basic foundation stone for full engagement in society and must be at the core of the equality agenda of any modern Republic. The same must be said for our VEC structure, who provide essential courses for students looking to up-skill.

“By integrating a literacy strategy into these institutions, building upon the newly launched national strategy ‘Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life’, we can really strengthen our literacy levels across the board.”

Ó Ríordáin urges Minister to consider establishment of MABS for small businesses

2011-09-14T17:24:00.002+01:00

Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has urged the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to consider establishing a Financial and Budgeting Advice Bureau for small businesses.

This new bureau would be similar to the Money and Advice Bureau Service (MABS). However, this new initiative would primarily focus on providing much needed expertise to the many small and medium size enterprises struggling in these difficult economic times.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin stated: “I would urge the Minister to consider this worthwhile proposal which was discussed this morning at the Jobs, Social Protection and Education Committee. We are all aware of the difficulties many SMEs are currently experiencing and I believe a mentoring service to provide these businesses with financial and budgeting advice would be invaluable and do a lot to save much needed jobs. In addition, an independent service would present a viable alternative for business owners who have been forced to seek guidance from financial institutions.

“This initiative would build on the excellent work already being carried out by the County and City Enterprise Boards who provide much needed grants to the SME sector. However, we can build on this work by providing on going advice and assistance to the SME sector throughout the country.

“I would ask the Minister and his department to seriously consider this proposal.”

Ó Ríordáin congratulates students who received Junior Cert results

2011-09-14T17:22:00.000+01:00

Labour Party TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has extended his congratulations to the 57,000 students across the country who will receive their Junior Certificate results today.

“I just want to congratulate students and particularly those in my own constituency of Dublin North Central who will receive their Junior Cert results today. In addition, I wish to congratulate every single parent, teacher and school principal who work so hard throughout the year supporting our students.

“I know the stress that many students experience over the course of their exams and I know that students will rightly celebrate their results this evening.

“However, I hope all students celebrate their results with family and friends responsibly and enjoy their night.”

Latest Planning Application for Butterly Site, Killmore Road

2011-09-07T12:22:00.001+01:00

Area	Area 5 - North Central (Nov 09)
Application Number	3182/11
Application Type	Permission
Applicant	Lidl Ireland GmbH
Location	Unit 19 & 31, Butterly Business Park, Kilmore Road, Artane, Dublin 5
Proposal	Permission for development on a site of approximately 1.19 hectares. The proposed development comprises: the demolition of (part of, measuring 2,685sqm) an existing commercial building and associated accommodation and improvement works to the retained building; the construction of a new single storey monopitch detached licensed Discount Foodstore measuring 1,921sqm with a net sales area of 1,266sqm with associated signage. The proposed development also comprises a number of consequential alterations throughout the existing business park including relaying and remarking of (part of) the existing car parking area and circulation roads including the provision of pedestrian routes, provision of 12no. cycle parking spaces and 4no. motor cycle parking spaces. The proposed development also comprises a number of improvements to the overall appearance of the existing business park including the relocation underground of a number of overhead cables; the replacement of existing business park signage with a new 'totem' type sign; and other miscellaneous and ancillary alterations including but not limited to modifications to boundary treatments.
Registration Date	23-Aug-2011

SPEECH BY MICHAEL D HIGGINS - Tuesday 6th September

2011-09-07T11:05:00.001+01:00

SPEECH BY MICHAEL D HIGGINS

Labour Party Nominated Presidential Candidate

Tuesday, 6^th September 2011

SPEAKING AT THE LABOUR SPECIAL PARLIAMENTARY PARTY MEETING, MOUNT WOLSELEY HOTEL, TULLOW, CO. CARLOW

LET US GO FORWARD, TOGETHER- MICHAEL D HIGGINS

- CANDIDATE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR PRESIDENCY FRUSTRATE DEMOCRACY AND SHOULD BE CHANGED

- CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ESTABLISH AN OUTLINE FOR A REAL REPUBLIC IN TIME FOR 2016

- A SERIES OF PRESIDENCY SEMINARS WILL PROMOTE A WIDER DISCOURSE WITH A WIDER AUDIENCE AND REMIT

- LABOUR PARLIAMENTARY PARTY HAS UNIQUE ROLE TO PLAY IN DRIVING ON CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES WITH REAL INTERGENERATIONAL AND INTER-COMMUNITY STRATEGIES IN YEARS AHEAD

I am greatly appreciative of the opportunity to address you here to-day on the theme of the Programme for Government’s commitment to establish a Constitutional Convention.

I am also greatly honoured to be here before you in my capacity as President of this great democratic Party, and as the Labour Party-nominated candidate for the Office of President of Ireland. I thank you for nominating me. I can tell you that the campaign, which has already brought me to 24 of the 26 counties, is drawing a very positive public response.

Significance of the Presidential Election:

I believe, very strongly that the forthcoming Presidential Election is a great opportunity for the onwards and upwards success of the Labour Party, and the continuing and future political success of every one of us in this room. If elected President of Ireland for the next 7 years, please be assured that I will seek to represent this country with Courage, Integrity and Vision and that the style of representation, will draw on a political consciousness that is influenced by so much of what we have inherited together and what we have shared in achievements and challenges in the long history of our party, while also, of course, remembering that as President, “I will dedicate my abilities to the service and welfare of the people of Ireland”, or as it is put in Irish, “mo lándícheall a dhéanamh ar son leasa is fónaimh, mhuintir na hÉireann”. By having an active and energetic presidential campaign, I suggest we can leave the Party well placed to make significant inroads in the Local Elections in 2014.

This, of course, leads me to conclude that it is in the best interests of all of us in this room to become actively involved in the Campaign over the short period of some 7 weeks that remain. The critical starting point is my need to retain all of the sizeable Labour Vote from the General Election last February. Therefore, I and our Director of Elections, Deputy Joe Costello, really need your full support as we traverse the State for the second time in the coming weeks, and we need you to mobilise all the elements of the Party – Labour Women; Labour Youth; Lawyers for Labour, and LGBT Labour – to ensure a historic victory for our Party on 27 October next.

The Constitutional Convention:

Turning now to the theme of this Labour Party Away-Day – the Constitutional Convention – I believe that on the eve of the 75th anniversary of Bunreacht na hÉireann it is appropriate that Labour has taken the lead in calling for such a reflection as will produce Constitutional amendments appropriate for our times and the ethical and social challenges that face us and immediate future generations.

Regular attendees at our Party’s Annual Conferences or at the Tom Johnson Summer Schools over many years will not be surprised to learn that I believe that we have yet to engage in the task of establishing what I would describe as a real Republic. The distinguished academic, Peter Mair, whose untimely death took place recently, reinforced my own views on this when, at this year’s MacGill Summer School, he observed that; “We have never respected our State. We have never had a sense of belonging to our State. If anything we see the State as the enemy, as an oppressor.”

The distinguished writer, John McGahern, held a similar view. He believed that it was a great loss to the Irish people that they had been forced to make a crude choice between the demands of the family and the demands of the State when, in fact, they needed both. John McGahern felt that too often in Ireland the family was set up not as the basis of society but as an alternative to the social itself.

In recent decades this deteriorated further into a radical individualism that aggressively defined the worth of citizens in terms of their attributed wealth or possessions. The consequences have not only been economic and social but have contributed to an ethical vacuum which threatens social cohesion and the institutions that have already lost trust among the public. We need to achieve a Republic by showing the link between community vision and the well-springs of the self. Religion once claimed to do that, and did for many people but too often it declined into as controlling moralism. Religion should express and explore the relationship between self, society and the infinite; too often in Ireland religion was relaced by moralism, which sought to regulate not our relationship with destiny or the spirit but simply with one another. In the process power replaced authority.

I have always felt that a Republic, that was defined simply in terms of territorial integrity, betrayed the social and inherent rights content of a Republic. The fact is that, after the War of Independence, there was an almost seamless institutional continuity which ran on from many of the British institutions, with not dissimilar degrees of privilege, patriarchy, and hierarchy. In effect, many of those who fought for independence, and who were inspired by the laudable ideals of the 1916 Proclamation, had their version of a Republic stolen from them. My own father was one of those people, and his experience of incarceration and exclusion from mainstream society in the 1920s has had a profound influence on my political values and ideals to this day.

It follows that I believe that we now urgently need to work together to create the foundations of a real Republic, based on the needs, aspirations, imagination and genius of all our people in their different ways. In a real Republic, the right to shelter; food security; education; a good and sustainable environment; and freedom from fear and insecurity from childhood to old age, must be the benchmarks. Indeed, I have long advocated this concept of a "citizenship floor", a minimum set of rights which are non-negotiable and must be provided for all citizens.

My very last speech in Dáil Éireann, entitled “Renewing The Promise Of A Real Republic”, represents a comprehensive overview of my long-held views on this subject. I am pleased to say that that speech has had a huge response, an intergenerational response, and I was particularly pleased at the dialogue it created with younger people. They were interested and excited by the project of making a Real Republic. I will be unceasing in my support for them and all other community organisations working for the change we need.

Given my long-held views on this subject, you can imagine my satisfaction when, in my own city of Galway, our then Leader and now Tánaiste, Eamon Gilmore T.D, made a powerful speech at the Party Conference in April 2010 calling for such change under the inspiring title of One Ireland. I would like here to quote directly from that speech:

“But we need to go further.

We need, as a people, to consider and shape how we are going to order our affairs for the next two generations or more. What political institutions we will need in this new century. How they should be elected. To what extent they should be local or national. How they should relate to the civil service and the public service, and to Europe. How we can have effective regulation and law enforcement. How our democracy can develop and endure.

It is time, in my view, for a fundamental review of our constitution. There is much about the constitution that has served us well, but it is a document written in the 1930s for the 1930s. A time when one church was considered to have a special position, and women were considered to be second class citizens. And if we are to truly learn from the experience of the last ten years, then we need to look again, in a considered way, at the fundamental rules that bind us together.

Our constitution belongs to the people, not just to political institutions. So, this must be a people's process.

What I propose is a constitutional convention. A coming together of all strands of Irish society to redraw our Constitution.

The constitutional convention would include experts and specialists, but would also include individual citizens, randomly chosen to serve in much the same way that we choose juries.

Charged with the task of keeping what is best in our constitutional tradition, and to develop a new constitution, fitted to our times and our aspirations. Let us set ourselves the target to have it ready for the 100th anniversary of the 1916 rising, that seminal moment when our State was conceived”.

I warmly welcomed that intervention from Eamon Gilmore then, and I continue to welcome it now. The difference, of course, is that we are now in Government and we can now advance this proposal. In that regard, I was pleased to learn recently that Minister Brendan Howlin already has the matter well in hands and that the structure and timeframe for the proposed Convention will be set out in the coming Dáil term.

Under Brendan’s timeframe, the idea would be to have the Convention up and operational by the end of the first quarter of next year, and I salute his ambition in this regard.

Eligibility Criteria for the Office of President of Ireland:

There has, understandably, been an extensive amount of media and civil society commentary in recent weeks about the eligibility criteria for the Office of President of Ireland, as laid down in Article 12.1 through to Article 12.6 of the Constitution. These, for example, provide that a candidate must have reached his/her thirty fifth year of age, and that, unless a former or retiring President, he/she must be nominated by not less than 20 members of the Houses of the Oireachtas or by not less than 4 Local Authorities.

I am happy to make my own position clear on this subject. Firstly, I am against ageism in all its forms. I frankly do not see why the age limit for the President should not correspond with the age eligibility requirement for all other national elections which, after a Referendum in 1972, was reduced from 21 to 18 years of age. For those who, understandably, would be concerned that this age is too young for such a High Office, I would have great confidence in the wisdom of the electorate to ensure that their selected candidate for the Office of President will have sufficient experience to assume that mantle.

Secondly, I fully agree that the eligibility criteria pertaining to 20 Oireachtas members or 4 Local Authorities is too restrictive and, as such, serves to undermine the democratic structures which have underpinned the health and survival of our State since its inception. I am aware that previous Oireachtas scrutiny of this provision has suggested that the signatures of 10,000 or, alternatively, 20,000 citizens should be sufficient for candidature eligibility. These suggestions have not been adopted to date, largely because of fears of personation of signatures and consequent abuse of the system.

However, the Lisbon Treaty now allows for the calling of an EU-wide referendum if the signature of 1,000,000 EU citizens can be mobilised on a particular issue. I understand that a cross-Community agreement has now been reached on a secure internet registration system which would provide safeguards against the personation of signatures. It seems to me that this is a template that can and should be transferred to Ireland.

Such a template may also be useful in addressing the complex arrangements which are sometimes instanced as difficulties in introducing voting rights for Irish citizens abroad.

I believe, therefore, that the proposed, and imminent, Constitutional Convention should examine these new EU arrangements and come up with clear recommendations on how many secure signatures will be necessary, in order to enable the widest possible participation by citizens in elections for the Office of President of Ireland thereafter.

The Programme for this Government states that, once established, the Constitutional Convention will have a brief to report within 12 months. It has the potential, therefore, to establish the Real Republic to which I aspire in time for 2016. Under that scenario, Eamon Gilmore’s ambition to “set ourselves the target to have it ready for the 100th anniversary of the 1916 rising, that seminal moment when our State was conceived” can and should be achieved.

The System is Broken, and it Needs to be Fixed:

I imagine that there is not only support here in this gathering for a process of transformation in our politics, in our institutions, and in our practices, but I would be certain that there is also agreement that there is a real need for this Constitutional Convention.

We know from the banking scandals; from the regulatory regime which failed to control the banks; from the political structures of non-transparency and non-accountability operated by the previous two Governments; from the breakdown in child protection arrangements at the level of the Catholic Church but also, and even more worryingly, at the level of the State, that the system is broken and, therefore, that it needs to be fixed. A certain kind of Ireland is now over, and we are well rid of it. I believe that Labour, in full partnership within Government and through this Constitutional Convention, is uniquely placed to fix that system. I believe that we can make a powerful case for a rights-based approach to the economy, to our society, and to our political system, within a comprehensive theory of citizenship which can mobilise all that is best in our society by a recognition of our interdependency with each other.

When I refer to a rights-based approach to our affairs, and the need to enshrine those rights in a new Constitution for a Real Republic, I usually give examples. I instance as example my remarks to the Merriman Summer School in Lisdoonvarna only last week in addressing only one aspect of a rights-based approach – the protection and nurturing of our 1.1 million children and young people. I posited the view that it is past time to give real meaning to that powerful phrase from the 1916 Proclamation, a phrase which resonates for many Irish people ‘to cherish all the children of the nation equally”.

Indeed, the more I reflect on these issues, Colleagues, the more I believe that we should revert to the much bolder declaration about children which is contained in the Democratic Programme, adopted in January 1919, by the first Dáil, and drafted with the assistance of our own former party Leader, Tom Johnson. That Declaration made the firm statement that “it shall be the first duty (my emphasis) of the Government of the Republic to make provision for the physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of the children, to secure that no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing, or shelter, but that all shall be provided with the means and facilities requisite for their proper education and training as Citizens of a Free and Gaelic Ireland.”

There are many respects in which all that happened following the foundation of the State contradicted such an aim. Children were not equal in terms of freedom from hunger, housing, health, access to education, or indeed in access to institutionalized culture. The society that was inherited, and which was continued, was an unequal one. As we all know, society is still deeply unequal today.

I proffered the view at Merriman that to make such a change as would ‘cherish all of the children of the nation equally’, would require such a change in consciousness as would be deeply challenging to many of the assumptions which are central to Irish society. That is where some real work lies and where an inspirational Presidency based on the values I have mentioned can make a real difference.

In the past the primacy given to property values over the social aspirations of the 1937 Constitution created immense difficulties. These assumptions, largely linked to private property rights were invoked in the 1970s, for example to block my own efforts and the efforts of colleagues in regard to abolishing the concept of illegitimacy and the right to civil divorce, respectively. So, colleagues, we have an enormous challenge. If Constitutional changes can be achieved it must be backed up by concrete and prioritised legislation, as well as such changes in our administrative system as will facilitate the enlightened implementation of that legislation.

Presidential Nominations to the Constitutional Convention:

Having made that broad point, I think we will all here agree that it will be crucial for the success of the Constitutional Convention to ensure that it will include a wide representation of politicians, academics, lawyers and, most especially, civil society interests and individual citizens. I rely on the wisdom and canny insights of Brendan Howlin to ensure that this will be realised. However, if elected President, I would propose to maintain a close interest in the deliberations and outcome of the Convention and, indeed, I would be requesting the Government to consider accepting some nominations from me to the Convention.

In proposing this approach, I believe that it would be entirely consistent with the letter and spirit of Article 15.2 of the current Constitution which states that "The Oireachtas shall consist of the President and two Houses, viz. a House of Representatives to be called Dáil Éireann and a Senate to be called Seanad Éireann".

Presidency Seminars to Promote a Wider Discourse:

If elected President, I would also propose to hold a series of Presidential Seminars which would have the intention of promoting a wider discourse among a wider audience, and with a wider remit, than that envisaged for the Constitutional Convention.

I would hope to act as Patron of these Seminars, which would serve to stand back from the day-to-day dynamics of political and civic life and invite a wider discussion addressing such issues as our young people’s vision for Ireland, which would be the theme of the very first Seminar; the role of our diasporas in a new relationship with Ireland which would strengthen and deepen our social and cultural connections, and promote beneficial, stronger economic and business ties where appropriate, thus building on the traditional links which have served us so well. The seminars will also deal with how ethics can be restored and how trust can be re-built in to our political and economic structures.

This necessary discourse would attract a plurality of participants, inviting a wide cross-section of people into this important conversation, rather than relying on the sometimes narrow perspectives of established ‘experts’.

These seminars would, critically, encompass the views of the marginalised, the voices of migrants, perspectives from across Ireland as well as from Europe and the wider world, and would serve as an important vehicle for promoting the active citizenship, inter-generational solidarity, and re-building of trust which, I believe, are essential for Ireland’s future.

Vision for the Presidency based on Four Strands:

Very briefly, I would like here to recall for you what, precisely, my own vision for the Presidency is. That vision is based on four broad strands – a Real Republic in which Ireland can emerge from the radical individualism of the past to a radical inclusiveness, assisted by the Constitutional Convention and my own proposal for Presidency Seminars which I have just outlined; Inclusive Citizenship based on equality, respect, solidarity and participation, and promoting inter-generational and inter-community solidarity as a critical means to overcome our present difficulties; the Creative Society, in which the promotion of excellence in creativity in all aspects of Irish life, not only in the cultural area where its legacy is obvious but also in the promotion of Ireland’s Knowledge Economy and the creation of new jobs at the local, regional and national level, in such areas as film-making; audiovisual production; animation; model-making and digital effects; software and games development; and music recording.

In such area as crafts and design; the artisan food sector; grass-based agricultural production; the fusion of the arts with the sciences; and medical and other applications there are immense opportunities.

The fourth strand - Being Irish, in the World - is one in which I propose to strengthen and deepen all strands of our international reputation, be it through culture and the arts, our humanitarian work, or peacekeeping, and whereby I will be supportive of Irish business networks throughout the globe which would, over time, promote new employment projects in Ireland and provide greater access to international markets for Irish companies. I propose to commence this process by visiting the Irish in London this week.

These four strands are entirely relevant to Ireland’s circumstances at the present time. To give just one example of their relevance, I would point out that in the latest round of CAO applications, our students are showing a strong interest in courses dealing with computing, software, gaming, film, animation technology, model-making, design and digital effects.

Concluding Remarks – Promotion by Labour Parliamentarians and Councillors of Inter-Community and Intergenerational Solidarity:

Colleagues, while the important work on the Constitutional Convention is taking place, and while the essential political decisions are then being taken by our Government to place the elements of a new Constitution before the people, I believe that you, the elected members of the Parliamentary Party – together with our extensive network of Councillors whom I will be addressing separately in the Mansion House next weekend - have a pivotal role to play in the interim in devising new strategies to assist communities across Ireland in emerging from the economic and social difficulties which we are all now encountering. And I believe that the promotion, by us all, of inter-community and intergenerational solidarity will be central to this effort.

In my President’s Address to the Party Conference in Killarney in 2003, the title of my contribution was “Vision and Action will Shape Labour’s Future”. I believe that the same title is apposite to what I have to say to you in my concluding remarks here to-day. I believe that the Labour Party, through you all, can provide the Vision and the Action which will drive the changes which we now so urgently need in Irish society, at both the macro and the micro level.

To achieve that we, all of us, need to challenge conventional wisdoms and established procedures – to “look outside the box”, as it were - to see if there are better approaches and solutions that can assist Ireland in the shorter term. And believe me – there are better ways, and often quite simple ways, to improve Ireland’s fortunes.

At the macro level, I would cite the following examples:

Drawing inspiration from Joe Costello’s attempts, targeted at the Smithfield area of Dublin, we should all actively seek to identify and lobby for unused NAMA properties across the State as venues for vibrant community endeavours for the able and the disabled, and as centres of arts and cultural expression, enterprise and innovation; indeed, let us take considerable heart from the fact that, only last week, a former Ibis hotel in Dunkettle, Co. Cork, was opened as a new Gaelscoil for 240 pupils who had previously been housed in prefabs, thanks to local lobbying which led to a 10 year lease being negotiated by the Department of Education and Science;

A recent survey by Amárach Research found that only 41 per cent of people buy Irish goods and services as often as they can, and that this rises to 76 per cent when those who buy Irish “some of the time” are included; in a period of serious economic depression and high unemployment, this is simply not good enough and, as public representatives, we all of us should take every opportunity to influence public opinion to buy Irish;

The Tipperary Food producers network recently calculated that every €10 spent on local food products leads to an injection of €34 into the local economy and helps employ thousands of people around the country; we should be actively and repeatedly promoting the concept of shopping local;

In June, 70 business owners and entrepreneurs gathered in Tullamore for a day of workshops on the theme “Creating the New Midlands Economy”, as part of a bid to breathe life into job creation in the region; I salute the fact that those business people demonstrated a local pride and signalled a new energy and conviction to succeed, with an emphasis on the “new” economy for the region; we should be encouraging similar initiatives across the State;

Also in June, the Mayo Association held their annual meeting in their County; however, instead of having a once-off hooley to celebrate their origins – I hope they had that as well! - members of the Association toured the County to explore possibilities for investments in new enterprises which would create employment; we can have a role in strengthening County Associations and in ensuring linkages with branches across the globe to replicate the Mayo Association’s efforts;

The establishment of a new business support unit by the local authority, and the recent launch of a dedicated marketing initiative by “Invest Kilkenny”, is a further template deserving of active consideration elsewhere;

We should seek to promote the fusion of science and the arts which has come about by the designation of Dublin as Dublin City of Science 2012 and its hosting of the EuroScience Open Forum next July. This Forum is Europe’s largest scientific meeting, and it will attract more than 5,000 scientists, media and visitors, along with a lot more events which will take place throughout 2012; In preparation for these events, the arts and scientist communities have already come together to explore how, in equal partnership, both could contribute to make this designation one of the great successes for Ireland, and a full programme of combined attractions for the year is now being compiled; in case people think that this a marginal issue, can I point to the fact that, at the Edinburgh Festival last week, Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive of Google, stated that the UK has ceased to nurture its polymaths and expressed the strong opinion that there is an urgent need to bring arts and science together; in that lecture, he reminded us that, in the glory days of the industrial revolution, the two disciplines worked together and that "Lewis Carroll didn't just write one of the classic fairytales of all time. He was also a mathematics tutor at Oxford. James Clerk Maxwell was described by Einstein as among the best physicists since Newton – but he was also a published poet."

Drawing from the extensive experiences gained through the Northern Ireland Peace Process, there is scope to establish a World Centre for Conflict Resolution here in Ireland;

There is also significant potential, in drawing from our excellent international reputation for peace-keeping and humanitarian work, to establish a Centre of Excellence for the training of international officials for overseas missions;

Through a policy of assertive neutrality, we can devise new roles for our military which will enhance and replicate their excellent reputation in the international arena;

Finally, we need to highlight and nurture our distinctiveness as a nation on the extreme North-West of the European Continent, and there is nothing more distinctive than our beautiful and expressive language; our language is uniquely “of ourselves”; it is both a repository of national memory, connecting us with those who have passed before us, and it is a vibrant and unique resource for the imagining of future possibility and identity.

At the micro level, I believe that there is considerable scope for the cross-fertilisation of ideas and initiatives across Constituencies and Council/UDC boundary areas on issues such as:

There is enormous potential to establish a new anchor function for Shannon Airport – firstly, to develop as a global logistics centre for rapid-response humanitarian aid for victims of natural disasters, given its vast safe-storage possibilities and Ireland’s reputation for the production here of high-protein foodstuffs; secondly, to obtain US Custom Clearance facilities for the clearance of freight as well as of international passengers through the airport;thirdly, the establishment of a centre of Excellence for Aviation Education and Training; and fourthly, given the new and more convenient visa arrangements for tourists from China and India to visit Ireland, we should devise strategies to attract these visitors to the West of Ireland, via Shannon, from tourism hubs such as London, Paris, Rome, Berlin and Amsterdam, and highlighting Shannon’s sole capacity in the State to accommodate the A380 Super-Jumbo aircraft;

We should actively promote youth streams to more and more adult Arts Festivals across the country, as a fundamental input to the creation of the Creative Society; I am thinking here of the Éigse youth section of the recent Fleadh Ceoil in Cavan, the Galway Film Fleadh, and the welcome new dimension, SprÓg, for the first time this year, to add to Waterford’s annual Spraoi Festival;

A new collaboration in Limerick which has seen 40 trainees, mainly from its regeneration areas, participate in traditional boat-building workshops, with a plan to have a degree course accredited by the University of Middlesex up and running from 2010, points to further innovative possibilities;

We should encourage the concept of Fighting Words, the wonderful Centre founded by Roddy Doyle and Seán Love, which offers creative writing workshops to everyone from tiny junior infants, sixth years and non-school-going adults;

In the vital promotion of positive youth mental health , a programme being promoted by the Principal and teachers of Christ the King Girls School in South Douglas Road, Cork, could be replicated across the State; under the programme, social, personal and mental health is made part of the school curriculum and older students are trained to mentor younger students;

We should seek to improve our town and city streetscapes by replicating the Galway Space Invaders concept, comprising artists and graffiti specialists, who have turned empty shops into temporary galleries;

Cork’s English Market concept, with a sense of proportion of course, could be extended across other cities and towns so that home-grown-and-made produce and artefacts can be given maximum exposure and maximum economic return;

We should promote the concept of a garden in every school, building on the excellent Green Flag concept, to strengthen the bonds of our children with nature and improve their dietary mix and their state of health, with obvious implications for the cost of our Health Service as they grow into adulthood;

Unused rural public spaces should be identified as cycling tracks or for other community activities;

Irish-designer-collective stores, such as that recently opened in South William Street in Dublin, can be a template to maximise the economic return to our designers who have to compete with the major international retailers now dominating the Irish market;

We should lobby for the correct presentation of historic sights, with proper and attractive signage and weather-resistant information panels which will tell the story of each space attractively;

The wonderful template introduced by Sr. Bernadette Sweeney, Principal of St. Agnes’ Primary School in Crumlin, Dublin, could also be replicated across the State; she has empowered all the children in her school by providing them with musical instruments and a structured opportunity to perform in the 60-strong school orchestra and, critically, she has also involved the children’s parents in musical activities and in a Gospel Choir;

Similarly, we should press for the transfer to all third-level colleges across the State of the concept offered by theTrinity Access Programme in TCD, which continues to work with Primary Schools in disadvantaged areas under the Bookmarks initiative, whereby children are encouraged to create their own worlds by designing, writing and illustrating their own stories, but also to visit the College so that the concept of third level education is sewn in to their memories at an early age.

I will conclude if I may by quoting from the great patriot Thomas Davis, who very presciently once said that “This country of ours is no sand-bank thrown up by some caprice of earth. It is an ancient land, honoured in the archives of civilization, traceable into antiquity by its piety, its valour, and its sufferings. Every great European race has sent its stream to the river of the Irish mind”.

We should all remember these great qualities and characteristics of our country as we, together, face into the challenges of the future.

AR AGHAIDH LINN, LE CHÉILE! – LET US GO FORWARD, TOGETHER!

ENDS

Received today. Name and address withheld. This is what we are up against.......

2011-07-18T14:26:00.001+01:00

Dear Mr Ó Ríordáin,

Having heard your interview on RTE's "Drivetime" on Friday, I felt that I must comment on some of the issues that you raised. Although I do not live in your constituency as a public representative it is important that you are fully aware of public opinion.

The first issue is that of prayers in the Dail, I thought that you would have realised that you do not have to take part if you do not wish to - but that you would have enough respect for others who have different beliefs and traditions to allow them to do so.

The more important issue is that of child protection, in advocating gay male teachers in a week when male homosexuals are in the news for child abuse, surely you must be aware of the risks associated with male gays. As a family man I do not want my grandson given "guidance" by someone who feels that a homosexual relationship is normal, and who may be lovingly sodomising his partner, albeit in the privacy of their own home.

Inevitably and possibly unintentionally, views, standards and norms are passed from teacher to pupil. Our children are too important and vulnerable to be exposed to unnecessary risk, mental or physical, from someone who has such ambiguity with their sexuality.

Ó Ríordáin welcomes upgrades to local Dart stations

2011-07-14T17:22:00.001+01:00

Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has welcomed the impending improvements to Clontarf, Killester, Harmonstown and Raheny Dart stations. These works are a result of funding contained in the Government's recent Jobs Initiative.

"I am extremely happy to inform residents that funding will be allocated for improvements to several Dart stations in the Dublin North Central constituency. The Dart line is a great asset to families and commuters in the area. Therefore it is very important that we ensure stations are adequately maintained for rail users.

"This is just one of many benefits of the Government's Jobs Initiative which earmarked additional revenue for capital intensive projects throughout the country. In times of fiscal turmoil, it is very important that Government take action to encourage job growth and shovel-ready projects are a great way of stimulating an economy.

"I want to assure residents that I will continue to strive for the best possible public services for Dublin North Central and, in particular, that the most disadvantaged areas are protected from the effects of this downturn."

Literacy the liberator from poverty and exclusion- Ó Ríordáin

2011-07-08T17:04:00.000+01:00

Speaking ahead of the Minister for Education's launch of 'The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People' Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has again stressed the importance of literacy in empowering marginalised young people.

"Having spent 11 years as a teacher and then principal in the North Inner City and having been politicised by my experiences in the classroom, I am particularly proud that the Minister Ruairí Quinn has embraced the literacy issue so readily and so enthusiastically.

"In my estimation there is no greater obstacle to social justice than the fundamental ability to read. It is no surprise to me that an average of 30% of deprived children have fundamental reading problems or that the figure is closer to 50% in more acute areas of disadvantage.

"Upon my election to Dublin City Council in 2004 I worked tirelessly to put literacy at the top of the council agenda and I launched my 'Right the Read Campaign' as Deputy Lord Mayor in 2006. This campaign succeeded in investing €1million into the Library service in Dublin City and opened every library in the city at weekends for the first time, including libraries in disadvantaged areas. Nine learning zones were also founded and building standards for apartments were improved to encourage learning at home.

'However today's launch will make a fundamental change in the lives of every child in the state, making literacy a national cause, and driving through that empowerment that will break down barriers of poverty, social exclusion and inequality. Today for me is the proudest of days and points to a bright future even in these darkest of economic times".

You can view the literacy and numeracy strategy here.

Stopping sexualisation and commercialisation of our children must be priority for Government- Ó Ríordáin

2011-07-06T16:59:00.002+01:00

Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has stated it is imperative that we stop the sexualisation and commercialisation of children in Ireland. Deputy Ó Ríordáin also stated that this must be a priority for the new Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin was speaking on foot of a reply from Minister Fitzgerald to a Parliamentary Question he submitted to the Department of Children.

"I greatly welcome the reply from Minister Fitzgerald which indicated that her department is evaluating the recent publication Letting Children Be Children which investigated this issue thoroughly. This report, which was commissioned by the coalition government in the United Kingdom, made numerous recommendations which I believe have some merit.

"Among them the report recommends:

- Putting age restrictions on music videos
- Making it easier for parents to block age-restricted material from the internet
- Ensuring retailers offer age appropriate clothing for children
- Restricting outdoor advertisements containing sexualised imagery where children are likely to see it

"Given the enormous level of sexualisation and commercialisation of our children at the present time, I believe this warrants a similar study to be conducted by the Department of Children. By undertaking such a study, we could assess how best to protect some of the most vulnerable people in this society."

2011-07-06T16:24:00.001+01:00

STATEMENT BY AODHÁN Ó RÍORDÁIN
Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central
Wednesday, 06 July 2011

Ó RÍORDÁIN REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO HONOUR LITERARY GIANT STOKER

Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has stated that he is committed to ensuring the delivery of a fitting memorial to writer Bram Stoker. Deputy Ó Ríordáin comments come as Dublin City Council continues to debate the best location for a Bram Stoker memorial.

“I would like to reaffirm my commitment to delivering a suitable and lasting tribute to Bram Stoker in the Marino/Clontarf area and I look forward to engaging with residents and local authorities on how this can be achieved.

“As a nation, we rightly celebrate the works and achievements of great literary giants such as Joyce, Beckett and Yeats. However, another home-grown literary genius who is often forgotten, Bram Stoker, created one of the most renowned characters in literary history; Dracula.

“Therefore I believe it is our duty that we honour the memory of Stoker and ensure that we continue to promote the great works he created. As the Council continue to debate this issue, I would like to state we would greatly welcome a memorial to be located in Dublin North Central. This would not only be a fitting tribute to Bram Stoker, but it would also be a great tourist attraction for the area.

“I will continue to work on this issue with Cllr. Jane Horgan-Jones and we hope that a suitable resolution can be achieved for all parties involved.”

ENDS
Contact Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: 086-819-0336
Twitter: @AodhanORiordain
www.labour.ie/press

STATEMENT: Ó RÍORDÁIN BRINGS RESIDENTS’ CONCERNS REGARDING DUBLIN BAY TO MINISTER PENROSE

2011-06-17T15:56:00.001+01:00

STATEMENT BY AODHÁN Ó RÍORDÁIN

Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central
Friday, 17 June 2011

Ó RÍORDÁIN BRINGS RESIDENTS’ CONCERNS REGARDING DUBLIN BAY TO MINISTER PENROSE

Labour Party Representative for Dublin North Central, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin met with Labour Minister Willie Penrose TD, who has responsibility for planning relating to Dublin Bay.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin explained local concerns regarding Dublin Port’s recent statement that they intended to recommence their plans to infill Dublin Bay, and briefed the Minister on the planning history relating to Dublin Port and the recent An Bord Pleanála decision to refuse permission to expand the port into the bay.

Following a detailed discussion on the matter, Deputy Ó Ríordáin welcomed Minister Penrose’s commitment to bringing forward long overdue legislation on foreshore licensing and marine spatial planning. The Minister also agreed that any major projects such as the proposed expansion of Dublin Port should take place with full public engagement and consultation in the Port masterplan, and in the context of the report of the Dublin Bay Taskforce.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin said “Marine spatial planning is required by the EU to ensure proper planning for large scale foreshore developments, and deals with all aspects including environmental concerns. It is essential that our out-dated foreshore legislation is brought up to the standard of best examples in other EU countries. There is considerable pressure on our marine environment, but great potential too for aquaculture, tourism and the creation of green energy solutions. We need any plans for the Bay to take place within a modern planning framework.”

ENDS

Contact Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: (01) 618-3209

Twitter: @AodhanORiordain

Ó RÍORDÁIN WELCOMES DISCUSSION DOCUMENT ON SCHOOL ADMISSION POLICIES:

2011-06-14T11:19:00.002+01:00

Ó RÍORDÁIN WELCOMES DISCUSSION DOCUMENT ON SCHOOL ADMISSION POLICIES:

I am delighted to welcome the most recent initiative from the Minister Ruairí Quinn in relation to the restrictive admission policy practices of some schools.

The details of the initiative are outlined below in the communication received from the Minister's office yesterday.:

Dear colleague,

This morning, I am launching a document entitled “Discussion Paper on a Regulatory Framework for School Enrolment”, which contains proposals on how to make the process of enrolling at primary or second level schools more open, equitable and consistent.

Central to the debate on enrolment is the need to ensure a fair and transparent system at all of our schools, which does not discriminate unfairly against students or parents. At the heart of this paper is the simple question, ‘Can we find a better way for all?

80% of all schools enrol all children who present, according to a 2009 ESRI report, while selection criteria are used for the other 20% of schools. Appeals have risen by over 750% since the procedure was introduced in 2002.

One of the main problem areas with enrolment in schools is when demand exceeds supply of places at a school. The discussion document sets out a number of options to be considered in these cases:

Age of applicant. Schools could give, as is often the case now, priority to children who are older.
Remove waiting lists. This is seen to disadvantage new comers to an area.
The practice of giving priority on a first come first served basis, which can result in long waiting lists in schools or even queues forming outside schools at the time of enrolment. However, if such a decision was taken, consideration would have to be given as to how to deal with existing waiting lists.
Siblings in the same school. It would seem reasonable to continue to give priority to students who already have siblings in a school.
Remove the practice of giving priority to a student on the basis of being a relative of the staff, board of management, past pupil or benefactor of the school.
Faith. Continue the right of denominational schools to give priority to children of a particular faith
Give priority to pupils on the basis of proximity to their schools.
Replace requirements for competency of parents in a particular language with a criterion that parents should respect the linguistic policy of the school.
Ensure that admission to a school is not based on a pupil’s skills, whether academic or otherwise.
Admission should not be contingent on the payment of a booking deposit.

The overall approach in the discussion document is to regulate only those aspects of enrolment policies and practices where a common or national approach may be desirable. Otherwise, maximum discretion remains with the school and board of management.

However, the paper also sets out possible new sanctions in a case where a school or board of management is not compliant with any new regulations. In such cases, a patron or the Minister may have the power to appoint an external admissions officer and remove the control of enrolment from a board.

I am inviting education partners and interested parties to submit their views on school enrolment to the Department by the 28^thOctober 2011. A new regulatory framework will then be devised on school enrolment.

Yours sincerely,

Ruairi Quinn, TD
Minister for Education and Skills

STATEMENT: Ó Ríordáin welcomes new rules for employing registered qualified teachers

2011-05-27T21:29:00.001+01:00

Ó Ríordáin welcomes new rules for employing registered qualified teachers

Issued : Friday 27 May, 2011

Statement by Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD

Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has welcomed the new rules relating to the employment of registered qualified teachers. Deputy Ó Ríordáin was speaking on foot of the announcement made today by Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn which outlined the new rules for employing registered qualified teachers from 1st September of this year.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin states: "I greatly welcome the announcement made today by the Minister as this addresses a vital issue regarding the employment of teachers in the education sector. Under these new guidelines, only appropriately qualified registered teachers will be given priority when it comes time for schools to fill vacant positions.

"The figures released by the Department last month showed that large numbers of teaching positions were occupied by unqualified or retired teachers. This situation was completely untenable when there are so many qualified teachers leaving our colleges every year and not being able to find suitable employment.

"Now, thanks to the actions taken by Minister Quinn, schools will have to choose a qualified teacher from a list of available candidates. This will allow newly qualified teachers to gain much needed experience in the classroom, and thus protect the standard of education for children in schools.

"I must applaud the Minister for taking this action and I believe it is further evidence that The Labour Party in government is tackling key problems which have been allowed to fester for too long."

'Mental Health - from Vision to Action'

2011-05-25T23:54:00.003+01:00

'Mental Health - from Vision to Action'

Labour Equality

Open Event

Thursday 2nd June 8pm 

The Gresham Hotel, O'Connell St, Dublin 1

Speakers:

Dan Neville TD, President of the Irish Association of Suicidology:  Suicide in Ireland

Shane Butler, Senior Lecturer TCD & Expert in addictions and Mental Health social work:  Alcohol - will we finally tackle the national drug?

Dr Austin O'Carroll, GP Mountjoy Street Medical & Founder of SafetyNet (mobile clinic for the homeless):  Deprivation and Mental Health

Kathleen Lynch TD, Minister for Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People :  

Programme for Government Mental Health commitments and Action  

How prevalent is suicide in Ireland and how can we prevent it?
How can we tackle the problem of alcohol - or do we want to?
What is the link between deprivation and Mental Health?
What action is the new Government going to take on Mental Health?

The event is hosted by Labour Equality and chaired by Bernard Cantillon Chair Labour Equality.

The Programme for Government policy on Mental Health incorporates the recommendations of A Vision for Change. Come and hear the speakers discuss various aspects of Mental Health. Wheelchair accessible.

Garda Information regarding VIP visits and Events during May 2011

2011-05-16T23:47:00.000+01:00

Garda Information regarding VIP visits and Events during May 2011:

A number of high profile VIP visits and major events are due to take place at various locations around the country during the month of May.

These will primarily be focused on Dublin City, Cork City, and Counties Tipperary, Kildare and Meath and include:

Please plan your journey and check these website for further updates

Irish Rail
Dublin Bus
Luas
Bus Éireann
FAI

Dublin City
Cork City
Kildare
NRA
SouthTippCoCo
DublinBikes

Comprehensive policing plans are in place for all of these events to meet the public safety, security and traffic requirements associated with them.

Over the next two weeks Gardai will issue information to the public on an ongoing basis in respect of each event and location, including details of any traffic and parking restrictions, diversions and/or road closures and crowd safety advice.

Our priority is to ensure the safety and security of all individuals and members of the public attending events as well as keeping commuters and general traffic moving and commercial activity operating as normal. We are working with local traders and businesses to minimise disruption to their workers and customers and are liaising closely with all of our partner agencies, including local councils and public transport companies.

In addition to providing specific detail on each location at the appropriate times, An Garda Síochána is issuing the following general information and advice to members of the public:

The visits of HM Queen Elizabeth II and of the President of the United States will involve substantial security operations. As a result the public can expect traffic and parking restrictions, diversions and/or road closures in the vicinity of any location which is on their respective itineraries. These restrictions will commence in advance of the visits. Following on from local consultation with business and residents in the key areas, a process of public notification of affected areas commences today and will continue over the next ten days.

Commuters should use public transport where possible. There will be changes and modifications to some public transport routes and these will be notified by the public transport operators. The public is asked to check information available from the public transport companies (Dublin Bus, Luas, Irish Rail, Bus Éireann) for updates on routes and timetables closer to their journey times.

Any private and commercial vehicles seeking to access Dublin city centre may face delays and they may also encounter parking restrictions when they reach their destination. Private and commercial vehicles seeking to cross the city are encouraged to use the existing orbital routes and also to follow diversions.

Pedestrians in city centres will be limited to crossing streets and roads at designated crossing points due to the erection of barriers along key routes. In addition, pedestrians may for security reasons be subject to search by members of An Garda Síochána at specific points.

In addition members of the public should confirm appointments or check opening hours of any destinations in public buildings prior to travelling.

Gardaí will maintain a high, visible presence across the next two weeks to assist members of the public who wish to view the visits and/or attend events and to minimise disruption to workers, shoppers, students and visitors to the city centre. We would ask members of the public to heed the advice and instructions of gardaí and we thank them in advance for their cooperation.

Ó RíORDÁIN LAUNCHES ONLINE SURVEY ON FUTURE OF BOI SITE, COLLEGE GREEN

2011-05-14T17:49:00.003+01:00

STATEMENT:

Ó RÍORDÁIN LAUNCHES ONLINE SURVEY ON FUTURE OF BOI SITE, COLLEGE GREEN

'College Green Ideal Location for Central Library'

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD has launched an online survey to gauge the reaction of Dubliners to the proposed transfer of the Bank of Ireland site on College Green to the state for cultural purposes.

'I understand that the proposed move of the Dublin City Central Library to the Ambassador site is now off the table because of the limitations of the Parnell Square location, so to me College Green would be a fantastic proposal.'

'If this site is to be acquired by the state, then the use of the building as the City Library would be extremely appropriate considering that Dublin City is now a UNESCO City of Literature.'

“Dublin is the City of Beckett, Joyce, Yeats and Stoker. We have a rich literary heritage that other cities would give anything for, therefore we should celebrate such achievements with an iconic dedication to literature such as the historic former Parliament Building at College Green.'

'As a library with an interpretive centre detailing the history of literary Dublin, it would be a huge tourist attraction for visitors to Ireland. It would be something that all Dubliners would be extremely proud of.'

'My survey can be accessed by following this link through my twitter page: www.twitter.com/aodhanoriordain- http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BOICollegeGreen

DÁIL SPEECH ON SUICIDE PREVENTION - MAY 3RD 2011

2011-05-03T23:30:00.000+01:00

DÁIL SPEECH ON SUICIDE PREVENTION - MAY 3RD 2011

A Cheann Comhairle,

Thank you for affording me the opportunity to speak on the issue of suicide. There have been many excellent contributions from all sides of the house on this matter, and I will not repeat points previously articulated. However, I wish to particularly focus on children and what we as a society are failing to do to protect their mental health, and what we must change to ensure that we intervene at the earliest opportunity to protect our most vulnerable of young people.

As everyone in this chamber is only too well aware, this country has returned to the days of high unemployment, mass emigration and social despair. And the most tragic by-product of this is the increasing rates of suicide that we are seeing amongst our citizens.

This tragedy is not confined to one particular class or corner of this island, but it is one that is affecting rich and poor, old and young, male and female. In 2009, there was a 24% increase in the rates of people taking their own lives. That is a startling and frightening statistic.

These are people who see no way out from their despair. Whether it be negative equity, addiction, unemployment, emigration or discrimination, the people who are taking their own lives can see no hope for their future.

So how do we tackle this national emergency facing us? Obviously in the long term we tackle it by creating a better society for people to live in. We do it by ensuring that people are provided with the best services in education, social protection and health care (in particular mental health services).

But what of our children? What of those who are victims of circumstance, who are going up in those households of despair. Who are fragile, impressionable, easily corruptible, and who can be damaged almost permanently by the environment in which they grow.

What interventions do we have in place to care for delicate minds, whose childhoods are now filled with nights where heated words are exchanged by financially crucified adults, so close to the brink that they see no way out.
What of children who live in areas where the only viable economic activity is the drugs trade, where older siblings get sucked into a hopeless spiral of street-corner loitering, to low level anti-social behaviour and often onward to full-scale membership of violent gangs, incentivised by easy money, street credibility and a perverse sense of empowerment. Communities such as these are rarely understood, chronically under-resourced and frequently stigmatised by outlandish generalisations by media outlets.

If we accept that it takes a village to raise a child is it any wonder therefore that children of such a village would grow up with a poor sense of self-esteem, negative self-image, feeling totally disempowered and disconnected from the mainstream of Irish society.

Our educational system is charged with the responsibility of identifying, diagnosing and treating children who display a variety of emotional behavioural disorders. Yet the system as it is currently constituted, outrageously misplaces resources in a manner which inevitably benefits children from middle class backgrounds, and not those who are more in need. Our educational supports for those who need help are misplaced and poorly structured.

This happens in two main ways

Firstly, the allocation of resource teachers is based on the General Allocation Model, introduced by the previous government, allocates teachers on the basis of number and not on the basis of need. As a result children who attend schools with a smaller enrolment do not receive the same level of supports no matter what the level of need. This is a crude, blunt and indeed cruel arrangement which must be amended to ensure that our most vulnerable children are supported.

Secondly in the allocation of resource hours sanctioned by the Special Educational Needs Organiser or SENO, the reality is that those schools who have access to private psychological or clinical assessments receive more resource hours, and those who depend solely on the under-resourced NEPS service, receive less.

School leaders, teachers and school principals are left in an almost impossible position when attempting to provide supports for children who present with specialised care-needs. They have to juggle referral forms and representations to the NEWB, NEPS, Agencies such as the Mater Child Guidance Clinic, the relevant social worker, the HSCL links service and if they are fortunate, supportive parents.

However If a parent or parents prove obstructive or difficult, the school is powerless to proceed. This is just one more glaring example as to why our Children's Rights Referendum is so sorely needed. Bizarely at present the remit of the 2000 Educational Welfare Act does not stretch to children aged under six years of age no matter how chronic their level of absenteeism.
Our children now live in a society that is a breaking point, in a culture that shortens childhood to maximise corporate profit, in a country that only purports to cherish every child equally but only punishes our vulnerable rather than liberating them.

We must liberate our children from the dark clouds that hang over their minds. We must empower them with the ability to express their feeling, to understand their circumstances, and to encourage them to believe that they truly are more powerful than they could ever contemplate.

We cannot fail them at the earliest stage. At the stage when they depend onBecause the risk of internalising the hurt permanently is too great, and the potential of becoming another suicide statistic too real.

Go raibh mile maith agat a Cheann Comhairle.

DUBLIN BAY STATEMENT BEFORE LABOUR PARTY PUBLIC MEETING 26/4/11

2011-05-03T23:22:00.002+01:00

DUBLIN BAY STATEMENT BEFORE LABOUR PARTY PUBLIC MEETING 26/4/11

Newly elected Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, has insisted that the Dublin Port Company must heed the concerns raised by many residents of the surrounding Dublin Bay area in relation to the proposed expansion of the Port.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin's comments come on foot of a recent public meeting which was held to gauge the views and concerns of residents in the Clontarf area. This meeting, which was organised by Deputy Ó Ríordáin, was held on Tuesday, 26th April in St. Anthony's Hall in Clontarf. The consensus reached by attendees at the meeting was that a protest should take place on Thursday, 28th April at 6:30pm outside the Clontarf Rugby and Cricket Club, where Dublin Port are having their consultation day.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin said: "I believe that the Dublin Port Company must take on board the serious concerns residents in the Clontarf and surrounding Dublin Bay areas have in relation to the proposed expansion of the Port.

"The proposed expansion would obviously have huge consequences for the ecology of the Bay area which would in turn, seriously affect our ability to attract tourism. Moreover, if the expansion were to go ahead, this would negatively affect the vibrant and cherished recreational activities in the Bay such as fishing, sailing, etc.

"That is why I can fully appreciate why residents and environmental groups wish to stage this protest on Thursday, 28th. Furthermore, it is my belief that the Dublin Port Company must take on board the purpose of this protest and adhere to the wishes of the residents concerned.

"This issue has been on-going since the 1980s and it is really unfair that residents in the surrounding areas of Dublin Bay are put in this position every few years. I believe it is time that this issue is brought to suitable conclusion."

STATEMENT ENDS

First Annual Clontarf Community Games - Meeting

2011-03-26T18:16:00.000Z

First Annual Clontarf Community Games:

Parents and volunteers from the Clontarf area met with a representative from the Community Games on the 15th March in St. Gabriel's Parish Centre to discuss the possibility of organising an Annual Community Games Event in Clontarf.

The Community Games is an independent voluntary organisation providing opportunities for children and young people to grow and develop in a positive and healthy way while experiencing a wide range of sporting and cultural activities. The Games have over 200,000 participants and over 10,000 volunteers in Ireland and it would be a fantastic addition to the Clontarf area if we succeed in establishing an annual event here.

A follow up meeting will be held on Wednesday 30th March at 8pm in St. Gabriel's Parish Centre for anyone interested in getting involved.

Cllr. Jane Horgan-Jones to Replace Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD on Dublin City Council

2011-03-11T18:58:00.002Z

Cllr. Jane Horgan-Jones to Replace

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD on Dublin City Council

The following information will be of interest to you:

As a result of my election to Dáil Éireann, Jane Horgan-Jones has been co-opted to replace me as the Labour Party Councillor for the Clontarf Electoral Ward on Dublin City Council.

Jane will be working closely with me over the coming months and years to provide the best possible representation for the residents of Fairview, Marino, Donnycarney, Artane, St Anne's, Clontarf and Killester.

She can be contacted at 086-8375219 and horganjones.jane@gmail.com.

Thank you again for your support in the recent election and be assured of the Labour Party's continuing commitment to you and your community.

Kind Regards

Aodhán

--
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD
Labour Party, Dublin North Central
086-8190336

THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!

2011-02-27T10:01:00.002Z

Hi,

A quick note to thank all those residents in Dublin North Central who have trusted me with their support.

This is a massive challenge but one with I am determined to rise to, and to deliver for those individuals and families who are hurting so much.

If you need to contact me at any time, for any reason, please feel free to do so.

Kind Regards

Aodhán

Protest Against Dublin Bus Cuts

2011-02-22T00:14:00.002Z

Labour Party Dublin North Central Protest Against Northside Bus Cuts:

I was delighted to organise today's protest against Dublin Bus Plans to Re-Route & Downgrade essential Northside Bus Services such as the 20B, 27B, 42B, 27X, 123 and 130.

Thank you so much to the residents who supported our demonstration. Please be assured that our campaign will continue until these proposals are reversed.

LABOUR TO END TWO TIER SYSTEM THROUGH UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE

2011-02-08T22:54:00.001Z

LABOUR TO END TWO TIER SYSTEM THROUGH UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE

The Labour Party is today (Tuesday February 8th, 2011) launching its 'Plan for Fair Health Care' which timetables how Ireland can make a genuine shift towards primary care through the introduction of Universal Health Insurance. Labour in Government will introduce Universal Primary Care Insurance for every citizen by 2014. At the same time Labour will end the two-tier system in hospital care so that everyone has the same access to treatment through a Universal Hospital Care Insurance system by 2016.

Universal Primary Care Insurance for every citizen, which covers upfront GP fees, will cost an additional €389 million, will be phased in over four years, and will be funded by savings in the health care budget.

Under Labour's plans people will pay for Universal Hospital Care Insurance as they do now, through Exchequer funding and an insurance premium. People will be able to choose an insurance provider, but the insurance package offered must include a guaranteed basket of care: semi-private accommodation and consultant-provided care.

Labour's Universal Health Insurance policy is costed, planned and timetabled. Labour has based its costings on published Irish research, including extensive research by Trinity College and the Adelaide Hospital Society, and the Expert Group on Resource Allocation and Financing in the Health Sector.

In the Universal Hospital Care Insurance system by 2016 everyone will have a choice of insurer - public or private. Insurers will purchase care from hospitals, which will compete to supply care. HSE-owned hospitals will become independent, not-for-profit foundations or trusts.

The only way to begin to fix a broken system is to begin by incentivising people to seek treatment in the primary care sector, where delivering that care is cheaper, and where it can be more effective.

Many people do not go to the doctor when they are ill because they cannot afford GPs' fees. The high cost of attending a GP pushes too many people towards treatment in the acute hospital system or makes them defer seeking care until their needs are acute. Under Labour's plan for Universal Health Insurance, everyone will have access to care in public and private hospitals on the same basis as the privately insured have now. It will be paid for much the same way as we pay for healthcare now: through Exchequer funding, and insurance premia, which are subsidised for those currently eligible for medical cards and low-income earners.

ENDS

A full copy of the document is available at: http://labr.ie/eyf77K

Dublin Bus Consultation - Labour Party Rally

2011-02-03T10:59:00.003Z

Dublin Bus Consultation on Bus Route Changes:

27B / 42B

Northside Shopping Centre: Friday February 4^th 2pm-8pm

Dublin Bus representatives will be available to answer questions

Labour Protest and presentation of petition (over 2000 names) at 4pm.

20B

Not being discussed until Monday February 21^st

Artane Castle 2-8pm

Protest planned for same venue at 4pm.

50 DAYS TO CHANGE IRELAND: IT’S TIME TO TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK

2011-01-20T22:35:00.006Z

This is our chance for change. See Eamon Gilmore's statement below on the General Election. Your support will make that change a reality.

STATEMENT BY EAMON GILMORE TD
Leader of the Labour Party
Thursday, 20 January 2011

50 DAYS TO CHANGE IRELAND: IT’S TIME TO TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK

At last we know. The Election will be held on Friday 11^th March – 50 days from now.

Now its up to us. We have 50 days to bring real change to our country. To elect a Government that will go to work on behalf of the Irish people.

Ireland has many difficulties, but our capacities are far greater than our problems. This is a great country, and our people are more than equal to the task we face. Of building a better future for our children. Of ensuring that our best days are still to come.

From today, we have 50 days to make sure that the energy and commitment and patriotism and sheer gut decency of the Irish people, can be unleashed again.

We have 50 days to rid ourselves of cronyism and insider Government. We have 50 days to elect a Government that will go to work every day to create jobs and build a sustainable economic recovery.

We have 50 days to do what has never been done before – to elect a Labour-led Government. A Government that is driven by the concerns of the many, not the insider-few.

We have 50 days to bring about real change.

Its time to take our country back.

Today we begin to part with the past and to forge the future.

We urge the public to join with us in these efforts.

Dublin North Central - Water Supply Survey

2011-01-04T16:36:00.011Z

Water Supply Survey

Dear Resident,

Throughout 2010 I have been submitting questions to City Council Management on the ongoing water supply issues in the Dublin North Central Area.

In October I was informed that the Council are 'unaware of any ongoing water pressure problems' and in December I was told that water pressure has improved in the previous 6-8 months.

For the last number of years Dublin City Management have been trying to upgrade a grossly underfunded system. I would like to get your views on the water pressure and water supply in your area.

Please complete the survey below and thank you again for your support.

Click here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7FVPWFQ

Aodhán
CLLR. AODHÁN Ó RÍORDÁIN
086-8190336 / aodhan.oriordain@gmail.com

Update on the water supply situation 1st to 5th Jan 2011 – updated 3.00 pm on 1st Jan

2011-01-01T15:32:00.001Z

Update on the water supply situation 1st to 5th Jan 2011 – updated 3.00 pm on 1st Jan

The following is the position on the production and demand for water as at midnight on 31^st December 2010:

Production: 546.3 Mld Demand:545 Mld Storage at Stillorgan Reservoir is now at 551 Mld.

Restrictions will have to continue to ensure that drinking water storage levels return to normal levels. Details of the restrictions for the next few days 1^st January to 5^th January are given below. The restrictions will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and the regime may have to be altered if the situation changes.

A large number of internal leaks have already been identified on properties empty over the holiday period. All key holders throughout the city should return to their premises as soon as possible to check for leaks on their property.

Tankers have been sent to the following locations Saturday 1^stJanuary 2011 (10:00 until 16:00):

Artane Castle, Shopping Centre (Off Skellys lane), Coolock.

Lidl, St. Margarets Rd,

Northside Shopping Centre, Oscar Traynor Rd.

Church at Griffith Ave　 (between Philipsburgh Avenue and Malahide Rd, At St Mary’s College)

We will also have a number of mobile tankers available to respond to areas as needed.These locations may change in response to need.We would ask consumers to bring their own containers. The Civil Defence are providing invaluable assistance in dealing with nursing homes, hospitals and other vulnerable consumers.

The following locations may experience loss of supply due to localised problems.

Raheny road

Fumbally Lane

Military Road

Malahide road

Parts of Crumlin, Kimmage, Santry & Finglas

Zone**	*Name*	1^st Jan to 5^th Jan (am)
1	*Ballyboden System*	*Shuts as above*
2	*Slievebloom System*	*Shuts as above*
3	*Ballyfermot System*	*Shuts as above*
4	*Blackhorse Bridge System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
5	*Navan Road System*	*Shuts as above*
6	*Mespil Road System*	*Shuts as above*
7	*Anglesea Road System*	*Shuts as above*
8	*Rialto Bridge System*	*Shuts as above*
9	*Merrion Gates System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
10	*Belcamp System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
11	*Clarehall System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
12	*Shanliss System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
13	*HomeFarm Road System*	*Shuts as above*
14	*Rathlin System*	*Shuts as above*
15	*Finglas System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
16	*Summerhill System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
17	*Christchurch System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
18	*Brunswick Street System*	*Shuts as above*
19	*Sillogue Tower System*	*Shuts as above*

We would like to thank people for their patience and cooperation and we would ask that people report locations where they see water running/rising　 to the contacts given below.

Bogus callers may use the current water problems to gain access to houses. If a member of Dublin City Council calls to a property they will always carry and produce identification. If the caller asks you to check the flow of water at the taps, close the door fully while you do so. If you are in any doubt do not allow access.

Emergency Number:　　　　　　 01-6796186 (outside office hours only)
Email:　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　mainswatercomplaints@dublincity.ie

　　　　

Customers should be aware that unlike some other utilities, water distribution systems cannot be operated and managed to the point where the exact locations and precise times at which the effects of pressure alternations (both increases and decreases) will be experienced, however we do make every effort to ensure that the times and areas effected are limited to those mentioned above.

Dublin City Council appeals to the owners/operators of car washes which use mains water to discontinue their use for the duration of the current water supply crisis. Similarly, we ask owners of private cars to refrain from washing them for the moment.

List of Areas and Water Restrictions:

Water shuts will be as follows:

Sat 1^st 16:00(1^st) to 12:00 (2^nd)
Sun 2^nd 18:00(2^nd) to 12:00 (3^rd)
Mon 3^rd 18:00(3^rd) to 07:00 (4^th)
Tue 4^th 19:00(4^th) to 07:00 (5^th)

Areas:

Update on water supply situation – 31st Dec to 4th Jan – updated 4.00 pm on 31st Dec

2010-12-31T15:12:00.001Z

Update on water supply situation – 31st Dec to 4th Jan – updated 4.00 pm on 31st Dec

The water supply situation to 12.00am last night was as follows:

3oth Dec Production: 549 Mld Demand: 525.4 Mld

This represents a gain of 23.6 Mld and storage at Stillorgan is up to 561 Mld this morning. While this is headed in the right direction we have to be mindful of the revised regime we have put in place for today and tomorrow and its likely impact although of course it is a positive development for consumers. We are finding a lot of leaks associated with private property and if key holders do not check their premises they may not be able to resume business as intended next week.

Please note that it can take several hours for water to be fully restored to a premise after a shut off. Any complaints re lack of supply or to report a burst water main please e-mailmainswatercomplaints@dublincity.ie This e-mail address is monitored constantly and is the best method to lodge a complaint.

It should be noted that there could be a loss of supply in other areas at short notice due to broken mains and every effort is being made to advise people of these localised problems on this website. Where water supply has been off due to broken mains and these are fixed during the day, we will endeavour to alter the restrictions so that they get some water during the evening/night although this may be difficult to achieve in all cases.

The following are the times of restrictions/cut off over the next few days:

Friday 31^st December from 2pm no restrictions until 1am the following morning (1^st) and then pressure reductions only to 4pm (on the 1^st)

Saturday 1st January (pressure reductions and cut-offs) from 4pm to 12 noon 2nd January

Sunday 2nd January (pressure reductions and cut offs) from 6.00pm to 12 noon on 3rd January

Monday 3rd January (pressure reductions and cut offs) from 6.00 pm to 7.00 am on 4th January

Tankers have been sent to the following locations today from 10.00 am to 4.30 pm:

Artane Castle, Shopping Centre (Off Skellys lane), Coolock.

Sports ground, off Middle Third & near Abbeyfield, Killester.

Northside Shopping Centre, Oscar Traynor Road

Aldi, Santry Ave

Blackhall Place, Smithfield

St Margaret’s Rd (at Hampton Wood)

Dunnes Stores, Cardiffsbridge Rd, Finglas

Violet Hill, Glasnevin

Church on Griffith Ave (between Valentia Rd & Clare Rd)

Church at Griffith Ave (between Philipsburgh Avenue and Malahide Rd, At St Mary’s College

List of Areas and associated Water Restriction 31st December to 4th January (see above for times)

1. Ballyboden System – shut off

2. Slievebloom System – shut off

3. Ballyfermot System – shut off

4. Blackhorse Bridge System – Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

5. Navan Road System – shut off

6. Mespil Road System – shut off

7. Anglesea Road System – shut off

8. Rialto Bridge System – shut off

9. Merrion Gates System – Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

10. Belcamp System – Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

11. Clarehall System – Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

12. Shanliss System – Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

13. Home Farm Road System – shut off

14. Rathlin System - shut off

15. Finglas System – Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

16. Summerhill System -Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

17. Christchurch System -Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

18. Brunswick Street – Shut off

19. Sillogue Tower System – shut off

********

We would like to thank people for their patience and cooperation and we would ask that they report locations where they see water running/rising to mainswatercomplaints@dublincity.ie

Update on the water supply situation in Dublin from 31st Dec to 4th Jan – update at 11.45 am on 31st Dec

2010-12-31T15:08:00.001Z

Update on the water supply situation in Dublin from 31st Dec to 4th Jan – update at 11.45 am on 31st Dec

The water supply situation to 12.00am last night was as follows:

3oth Dec Production: 549 Mld Demand: 525.4 Mld

Tankers have been sent to the following locations today from 10.00 am to 4.30 pm:

Northside Shopping Centre, Oscar Traynor Road

Aldi, Santry Ave

Blackhall Place, Smithfield

St Margaret’s Rd (at Hampton Wood)

Dunnes Stores, Cardiffsbridge Rd, Finglas

Violet Hill, Glasnevin

Church on Griffith Ave (between Valentia Rd & Clare Rd)

Church at Griffith Ave (between Philipsburgh Avenue and Malahide Rd, At St Mary’s CollegeList of Areas and associated Water Restriction 31st December to 4th January (see above for times)

1. Ballyboden System – shut off

2. Slievebloom System – shut off

3. Ballyfermot System – shut off

4. Blackhorse Bridge System – Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

5. Navan Road System – shut off

6. Mespil Road System – shut off

7. Anglesea Road System – shut off

8. Rialto Bridge System – shut off

9. Merrion Gates System – Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

10. Belcamp System – Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

11. Clarehall System – Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

12. Shanliss System – Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

13. Home Farm Road System – shut off

14. Rathlin System - shut off

15. Finglas System – Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

16. Summerhill System -Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

17. Christchurch System -Pressure Reduction with possible loss of water supply

18. Brunswick Street – Shut off

19. Sillogue Tower System – shut off

********

We would like to thank people for their patience and cooperation and we would ask that they report locations where they see water running/rising tomainswatercomplaints@dublincity.ie

Artane Castle, Shopping Centre (Off Skellys lane), Coolock.

Sports ground, off Middle Third & near Abbeyfield, Killester.

Friday 31^st December from 2pm no restrictions until 1am the following morning (1^st) and then pressure reductions only to 4pm (on the 1^st)

Saturday 1st January (pressure reductions and cut-offs) from 4pm to 12 noon 2nd January

Sunday 2nd January (pressure reductions and cut offs) from 6.00pm to 12 noon on 3rd January

Monday 3rd January (pressure reductions and cut offs) from 6.00 pm to 7.00 am on 4th January

Update on Water Supply from City Manager - Thurs Dec 30th at 1pm

2010-12-30T13:04:00.000Z

Dear Councillor,

The water supply situation to 12.00am last night was as follows:

29^th December 2010 - Production 550Mld Demand - 534Mld

This represents a gain of 16Mld and storage at Stillorgan is up to 540Mld this morning. While this is good news there is still a lot of work to be done to stabilise the situation. It must be remembered that many businesses are still not back to work and all schools are still closed. Our crews continue to work on identifying leaks and dealing with burst pipes. We are maintaining our appeal to homeowners and all key holders for businesses, schools etc to check for leaks within their property.

The very restrictive regime will have to continue. But we are going to take cognisance of the festivities on New Years Eve. We will be applying restrictions and widespread cut-offs over the next few days as follows;

Thursday 30^th December (this evening – pressure reductions and cut-offs)) from 6pm to 2pm 31^st December (tomorrow)

Friday 31^st December from 2pm no restrictions until 1am the following morning (1^st) and then pressure reductions only to 4pm (on the 1^st)

Saturday 1^st January (pressure reductions and cut-offs) from 4pm to 12 noon 2^nd January

Sunday 2^nd January (pressure reductions and cut-offs)from 6pm to 12 noon 3^rd January

Monday 3^rd January(pressure reductions and cut–offs) from 6pm to 7am 4^th January

Details will be on our website. We will continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis and if any changes to the above schedule are required these will be notified to you. Again it should be noted that there could be loss of supply in other areas at short notice due to broken mains and every effort is being made to advise people of these more localised problems on the website.

Where water supply has been off due to broken mains, and these are fixed during the day, we will endeavour to alter the restrictions so that they get some water during the evening/night although this will be difficult to achieve in all cases.

Details of tanker locations are updated as required on the website and our converted Fire Engine is filling tanks for hostels, nursing homes and hospitals where necessary. We would like to mention that Civil Defence is also assisting with tankers.

Yours Sincerely,

John Tierney

City Manager

Update on Water Supply Situation on Weds 29th December 2010 at 4.00pm

2010-12-29T17:04:00.001Z

Update on Water Supply Situation on Weds 29th December 2010 at 4.00pm

DCC Water Restrictions

From 3.00pm on Wednesday 29^th December 2010

The thaw has severely affected the water mains network. Water leakage has increased considerably and the situation remains critical with demand for water still outstripping supply. In order to stop the drop in treated water storage it is essential that we continue to impose restrictions. The restrictions were extended in duration from last night. Details of the restrictions for tonight (29^th Dec – 30^th Dec) are given below. The restrictions have reduced demand but drinking water storage dropped yesterday (28^th December). It is likely that the current restrictions will remain in place throughout next weekend. However the situation will be reviewed on a daily basis and the restrictions may be altered as necessary.

Tankers have been sent to the following locations today: (from 10:00am to 4:30pm)

Artane Castle, Shopping Centre (Off Skellys lane), Coolock.
Sports ground, off Middle Third & near Abbeyfield, Killester.
Northside Shopping Centre, Oscar Traynor Rd.
Shopping Centre, Off Lorcan Ave.
Aldi, Santry Avenue
Blackhall Place, Smithfield
St. Margaret’s Road (at Hampton Wood)
Lidl Carpark, Jamestown Road

These locations may change in response to need.

The following locations may experience loss of supply due to localised problems.

East Wall at the point

Croydon Gardens

Holly Road

Barrow Street

Kilmore Road at Scoil Ieada

Brian Road, Marino

Mount Street Crescent

Highfield Road

We request key holders throughout the city to return to their premises as soon as possible to check for internal leaks and also to report any water rising.

List of Areas and associated Water Restrictions

*Zone*	*Name*	*29/30/12/2010*
1	*Ballyboden System*	*Shut 6pm – 12noon*
2	*Slievebloom System*	*Shut 6pm-12noon*
3	*Ballyfermot System*	*Shut 6pm-12noon*
4	*Blackhorse Bridge System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
5	*Navan Road System*	*Shut 6pm-12noon*
6	*Mespil Road System*	*Shut 6pm-12noon*
7	*Anglesea Road System*	*Shut 6pm-12noon*
8	*Rialto Bridge System*	*Shut 6pm-12noon*
9	*Merrion Gates System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
10	*Belcamp System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
11	*Clarehall System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
12	*Shanliss System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
13	*HomeFarm Road System*	*Shut 6pm – 12 noon*
14	*Rathlin System*	*Shut 6pm-12noon*
15	*Finglas System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
16	*Summerhill System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
17	*Christchurch System*	*Pressure reductions with possible loss of water*
18	*Brunswick Street System*	*Shut 6pm-12noon*
19	*Sillogue Tower System*	*Shut 6pm-12noon*

We would like to thank people for their patience and cooperation and we would ask that they report locations where they see water running/rising to mainswatercomplaints@dublincity.ie

Latest Water Update from City Manager

2010-12-29T10:47:00.000Z

Dear Councillor,

The water supply situation to 12.00am last night was as follows:

27^th December 2010 - Production 554.9Mld Demand - 575.8Mld

This represents a loss of almost 20.9Mld. Storage at Stillorgan is now down to 532Mld although during the night we did manage to put storage into some of the other reservoirs in the region. We still have a lot of work to do to stabilise the situation. Our crews continue to work on identifying leaks and dealing with burst pipes. We are maintaining our appeal to homeowners and all key holders for businesses, schools etc to check for leaks within their property.

The very restrictive regime will have to continue. As many schools and businesses are still closed for the Christmas period we are again applying restrictions and widespread cut-offs from 6pm this evening to 12 noon tomorrow. Details will be on our website. It should also be noted that there could be loss of supply in other areas at short notice due to broken mains and every effort is being made to advise people of these more localised problems on the website also. Where water supply has been off due to broken mains and these are fixed during the day we will endeavour to alter the restrictions so that they get some water during the evening/night although this will be difficult to achieve in all cases.

Details of tanker locations are also contained on the website and our converted Fire Engine continues to fill tanks for hostels, nursing homes and hospitals as required.

Brian McKeown and Michael Phillips have been doing the various radio and TV news programmes to highlight the current difficulties. We have customer service staff in to assist with taking calls from consumers.

We are very mindful of the importance of New Year’s Eve to business and we will advise you of our proposals in that regard tomorrow.

Yours Sincerely,

John Tierney

City Manager

Killester Water Supply Update

2010-12-29T09:48:00.001Z

Killester Water Supply Problems

Dear Resident,

Once again many Killester residents are experiencing the intolerable situation of having their water supply totally cut off during the Winter period. This is not good enough.

Since last year’s problems I have been lobbying constantly for long-term solutions to be found to the under-lying low water pressure issues in the area. As can be seen below I tabled council questions as recently as October and December demanding action on this important matter.

The December reply detailed the works that have been taken since last January and states that ‘Over the last 6-8 months pressures have improved in this area’

I would urge residents to contact me to inform me as to whether or not you feel that water pressure has improved over the last 6-8 months.

I will continue to fight for a permanent solution to the problems experienced by residents in this area. In the meantime for regular updates on the water situation please forward me your email address or follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/aodhanoriordain.

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL

NORTH CENTRAL AREA COMMITTEE

18^th October 2010

Q.25 Question in the name of Councillor Aodhán Ó’Riordáin

“To ask the manager to investigate the ongoing water pressure problems in Abbeyfield, Killester Park, Middle Third, St Brigid’s and wider Killester area. To ask the manager if the water supply issues affecting these areas have been resolved and if the water pressure has been improved to a level where shortages should not happen in the future.

Reply:

Water Services Division is unaware of “ongoing water pressure problems” in this area. If details of addresses, streets or areas currently experiencing difficulties are submitted to the Division then they will be investigated.The water supply issues that affected this area in January were a combination of increased leakage due to the severe weather, increased demand due to householders running taps, increased demand due to hoarding of water and lack of treatment capacity.

Since January, local works have been carried out that will help to mitigate, to some degree, the impact on the area. Improved control on the bulk supply into the area allows the pressures to be more closely controlled and will help to provide a more flexible response should problems arise. The expansion of Ballymore Eustace will provide us with a small increase in production capacity which will help to reduce the impact if problems should arise again.

The fundamental problem of the very tight balance between supply and demand, while eased somewhat by the expansion works at Ballymore Eustace, still remains. It will be necessary to manage the situation carefully to ensure that there is a timely response to potential problems while the danger of over reaction is avoided.

Céline Reilly Area Manager

Contact: Brian McKeown, Divisional Engineer - 2224319.

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL

NORTH CENTRAL AREA COMMITTEE

20^th December 2010

Q.27 Question in the name of Councillor Aodhán Ó’Riordáin

“To ask the manager in respect of the following areas Abbeyfield, Middle Third, Demense, St Brigid’s and Killester Park, Killester what works have taken place in the last 12 months to relieve the low water pressure issues continually experienced in these estates.

To ask does the manager accept that these areas experience unreasonably low levels of water pressure.

To ask does the manger accept that water shortages affect areas of low water pressure disproportionately.

To ask what plans exist within the City Council water supply framework for improving the water supply issues in the areas

Reply:

The following local works have been carried out since January,

· Cross connection at 205 Killester Avenue, 150mm linking the two 6” mains on either side of the road.

· Cross connection at 160 Killester Avenue, 100mm linking the two 4” mains either side of the road.

· Cross connection at 97 Killester Avenue, 100mm linking the 4” to the 6”.

· Cross connection at 9 Ennel Avenue 100mm linking 4” to 100mm.

· Maintenance work on telemetry instrumentation at valves in Fairview Park.

· Ennel Avenue, upsize 4” from St Brendan’s Park junction to the 6” at Moatfield Ave Junction to a 150mm.

· Junction of Harmonstown Road and Lein Road, confirm size of cross connection, if 4” replace with a minimum of 150mm.

· Harmonstown Road between the Lein Road and Lein Park junctions upsize existing 6” main to 225mm minimum.

· Cross connection on Brookwood Avenue at Howth Road, 100mm link between 4” mains.

· Junction of Kilester Avenue and Middle third – confirm size of cross connection between 6” and 5”/3”, if 3” replace with 5” equivalent.

· 94 Howth Road, dig to confirm section of 9” main on 12” and if found so upsize to 300mm.

The following works are ongoing

· Cross connection on Malahide Road at Griffith Avenue, 450mm connection between 24” and 18”.

· Cross connection at 60 St Brigid’s Road, 100mm linking two existing 4” mains.

· Existing 9” connection off 18” main to Gracefield Road, upsize to 300mm.

In addition improved controls have been installed at Fairview Park on the trunk main system supplying into the north eastern part of the city.

These works have allowed us to control supply more precisely so that pressures at peak demand times are maintained. Over the last 6-8 months pressures have improved in this area. In the current difficulties this area has had pressure restrictions but has not been part of the shut down programme. While levels of service have been reduced, here as well as in other parts of the city, supply has been maintained.

The construction of a new watermain along the coast from Fairview Park will provide an alternative route into this area. This project has just gone out to tender and subject to funding, should start construction in 2011 and be available for use late 2012/early 2013.

The expansion works at Ballymore Eustace have improved the supply situation slightly. Two other projects, one in Kildare and one in Fingal, are at tendering stage at present. However they are unlikely to provide extra water until late 2013 at the earliest. The fundamental supply / demand balance remains tight and will remain tight for the next number of years.

Funding for rehabilitation will be key to reducing leakage levels especially in the older parts of the network. Consumers can also help by being aware of their water consumption, conserving water at all times and reducing their demand as much as possible.

Céline Reilly

Area Manager

Contact: Brian McKeown, Divisional Engineer - 2224319.

Update on Water Supply

2010-12-28T12:00:00.002Z

Dear resident,

Please see below the latest update from the City Manager's Department given to Councillors. Please be advised that water tankers are available from Middle Third Killester and Artane Castle from this morning.

Kind Regards

Aodhan O Riordain

Dear Councillor,

The water supply situation deteriorated further last night:

27^th December 2010 - Production 554.2Mld Demand - 624.7Mld

This represents a loss of over 70Mld. Storage at Stillorgan is now down to 551.5Mld. It must be remembered the lowest we have ever gone in Stillorgan has been around 400MLd and in effect that is rock bottom. If we combine the impact of the last two days there has been a loss of 130Mld. This is unprecedented and the worst two day event on record. As pointed out yesterday the rapid thaw is having a disastrous effect. Temperatures have changed by almost 25 degrees over three days. We have mobilised all crews to both identify leaks and to deal with burst pipes. We are also appealing to homeowners and all key holders for businesses, schools etc to check for leaks within their property. There are problems all over the country with reservoirs at record low levels.

The very restrictive regime will have to continue. As many schools and businesses are still closed for the Christmas period we are applying restrictions and widespread cut-offs from 6pm this evening to 12 noon tomorrow. Details are being uploaded onto our website and should be available from 1pm. It should also be noted that there could be loss of supply in other areas at short notice due to broken mains and every effort will be made to advise people of these more localised problems on the website also.

We sterilised our tankers yesterday in preparation for assisting in the most affected areas today and again these will be on website from 1pm. Already a tanker is being deployed deployed to the Middle Third in Killester and we are in the process of deploying a tanker to Artane Castle. Our converted Fire Engine is filling tanks for hostels, nursing homes and hospitals as required.

Brian McKeown and Michael Phillips are continuing to do various radio and TV news programmes to highlight the current difficulties. We have customer service staff in to assist with taking calls from consumers.

Yours Sincerely,

John Tierney

City Manager

AODHÁN Ó RÍORDÁIN TD

Media Appearances and Dáil Speeches Wed 25th and Thurs 26th

CHILDREN'S RIGHTS ALLIANCE REPORT CARD ENCOURAGING BUT CHILD POVERTY A MAJOR CONCERN

Labour Party Update – Bin Changeover

Speaking on provision of guidance counselling in schools

Raising issue of forced labour under Topical Issues

Companies must adhere to guidelines when communicating with customers

UPDATE: BUDGET 2012

Let children be children

Ó RÍORDÁIN PRIVILEGED TO BE RECIPIENT OF DIVERSE IRELAND AWARD

Clarification re: Community Employment Schemes

Labour committed to tackling fuel poverty

Decision to review proposed changes to disability allowance welcome - Ó Ríordáin

BUDGET 2012 UPDATE: DECISION TO REVIEW PROPOSED CHANGES TO DISABILITY ALLOWANCE WELCOME - Ó RÍORDÁIN

BUDGET 2012 UPDATE: Minister Pat Rabbitte's speech on behalf of the Labour Party

BUDGET 2012-Information leaflet regarding changes to education

ADDRESSING ISSUE OF FORCED LABOUR IN IRELAND MUST BE A PRIORITY FOR GOVERNMENT- Ó RÍORDÁIN

Speaking on social welfare rates in Dáil Éireann

Growing problem of illiteracy is not just confined to the classroom- Ó Ríordáin

Statement on Cllr Darren Scully

Text on my mobile today at 1.31pm in relation to Cllr Darren Scully

Marriage equality is the civil rights issue of our time

Child poverty must be a priority for Government - Ó Ríordáin

Extensive literacy & numeracy programme badly needed in Irish prisons- Ó Ríordáin

Raising the matter of sports funding with Minister for Finance

Ó Ríordáin welcomes €10 million flood relief fund

Clontarf Flood Barrier Update

Greater Efforts Needed To Increase Rates Of Participation In Education In Irish Prisons

Aodhán raising the issue of the Dublin floods in Dáil Éireann

Statement from Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD and Cllr Jane Horgan Jones re: Clontarf Flood Defences Meeting

Welcoming Scoil Neasain's 6th Class to Leinster House

VOTE YES on Judicial Pay Referendum

VOTE YES for proper public inquiries

Raising the Clontarf Flood Defences under Topical Issues

Clontarf Road Flood Defences

Clontarf Road Flood Defences

Clontarf Road Flood Defences

Clontarf Road Flood Defences

Ó RÍORDÁIN & HORGAN-JONES SEEK CLARIFICATION ON CLONTARF FLOOD DEFENCE MEASURES

Postering Madness

Why are Finlands's Schools Successful?

Raising the issue of water quality on the floor of the House

Ó Ríordáin welcomes Minister's positive comments on MABS for SMEs

Congratulation to Mickey Whelan, Dublin Selector and proud St Vincent's Man

Meeting Mr Maguire!

Ó Ríordáin calls for immediate apology from Fr. Banville

Work by every government agency must be literacy proofed

Ó Ríordáin urges Minister to consider establishment of MABS for small businesses

Ó Ríordáin congratulates students who received Junior Cert results

Latest Planning Application for Butterly Site, Killmore Road

SPEECH BY MICHAEL D HIGGINS - Tuesday 6th September

Received today. Name and address withheld. This is what we are up against.......

Ó Ríordáin welcomes upgrades to local Dart stations

Literacy the liberator from poverty and exclusion- Ó Ríordáin

Stopping sexualisation and commercialisation of our children must be priority for Government- Ó Ríordáin

STATEMENT: Ó RÍORDÁIN BRINGS RESIDENTS’ CONCERNS REGARDING DUBLIN BAY TO MINISTER PENROSE

Ó RÍORDÁIN WELCOMES DISCUSSION DOCUMENT ON SCHOOL ADMISSION POLICIES:

STATEMENT: Ó Ríordáin welcomes new rules for employing registered qualified teachers

Ó Ríordáin welcomes new rules for employing registered qualified teachers

Issued : Friday 27 May, 2011

'Mental Health - from Vision to Action'

Garda Information regarding VIP visits and Events during May 2011

Ó RíORDÁIN LAUNCHES ONLINE SURVEY ON FUTURE OF BOI SITE, COLLEGE GREEN

DÁIL SPEECH ON SUICIDE PREVENTION - MAY 3RD 2011

DUBLIN BAY STATEMENT BEFORE LABOUR PARTY PUBLIC MEETING 26/4/11

First Annual Clontarf Community Games - Meeting

Cllr. Jane Horgan-Jones to Replace Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD on Dublin City Council

THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!

Protest Against Dublin Bus Cuts

LABOUR TO END TWO TIER SYSTEM THROUGH UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE

LABOUR TO END TWO TIER SYSTEM THROUGH UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE

Dublin Bus Consultation - Labour Party Rally

Northside Shopping Centre: Friday February 4th 2pm-8pm

20B

50 DAYS TO CHANGE IRELAND: IT’S TIME TO TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK

Dublin North Central - Water Supply Survey

Update on the water supply situation 1st to 5th Jan 2011 – updated 3.00 pm on 1st Jan

Update on the water supply situation 1st to 5th Jan 2011 – updated 3.00 pm on 1st Jan

Update on water supply situation – 31st Dec to 4th Jan – updated 4.00 pm on 31st Dec

Update on water supply situation – 31st Dec to 4th Jan – updated 4.00 pm on 31st Dec

Northside Shopping Centre: Friday February 4^th 2pm-8pm