Minister KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH LOUTH Autumn 2015 Dear Resident, ARDEE – A THRIVING After seven difficult years we can now look forward with confidence to a brighter future. ENTERPRISE TOWN We in the are committed to supporting families and ensuring they share in the economic recovery now underway. We will bring in changes in this year's budget to help families with childcare needs. As Minister for Business and Employment I will introduce a rise in the national minimum wage in January to €9.15 per hour. Making healthcare more affordable is another Labour Party objective and this summer we oversaw the introduction of free GP care for people over 70 and children under 6. More people are now at work and nationally unemployment has fallen to 9.7%, from a crisis high of almost 15%. As the economy continues to expand I will make sure that working people and small business owners get to take home more of their hard earned income. I am working hard as Minister for Business to deliver a recovery that is fair, that supports enterprise and that rewards work. As Minister for Business I was delighted to support the Ardee Enterprise Town Initiative in May. I believe a thriving small business sector is vital to our economic recovery so it was heartening to see over CHILDCARE - LABOUR SUPPORTING 80 local enterprises showcasing their wares at the YOUNG FAMILIES recent Business and Community Expo in the town. This Bank of Ireland-led initiative has garnered great Young families in Mid-Louth need to be supported which is why the community support and is helping drive business Labour Party has launched its 'let's talk about childcare' campaign. momentum in the town in both the commercial and We believe there needs to be appropriate investment by the state in agricultural sectors. our youngest children and we have to do more when it comes to supporting young families. Ardee’s young people are also actively taking on the entrepreneurial challenge with many worthwhile We will bring in changes in this year's budget to help families with entries to the Enterprise Town Student Award childcare needs. Competition. We know there is no one-size fits all solution so we want to hear from parents about their childcare arrangements, what works, what doesn’t, I was happy to present winners Darragh Rogers, and how things could be made easier for them. Christopher Crawley and Evan Callis from Monastery National School with their prize, and to congratulate We have set up an online survey so parents can tell us directly about their childcare needs and experiences their teacher Siobhán Maxwell and Una McGoey, Branch Manager of Bank of Ireland, Ardee, on their Labour's working group is examining all the issues around childcare efforts to promote youth entrepreneurship. and their report will shape the party's manifesto on this very important matter. As the economy improves I am working in Parents contributions are vital so I am asking Louth's mums and dads Government to ensure that our small and medium- to give us their views by completing the online survey at sized business sector can grow and reach its www.labour.ie/childcare potential.

CONTACT Connolly Hall, Palace Street, Drogheda Follow me on Facebook Office: 041 9810811 GED NASH TD Email: [email protected] @geraldnash CELEBRATING BUSINESS EIRCODE – MAKING SUCCESS WITH DUNLEER LIFE EASIER COMPANIES The Eircodes which have been dispatched to homes and businesses in Mid-Louth recently will be hugely As Minister for Business beneficially. and Employment I am happy to support two of New data shows 23% of premises in the Dundalk area mid-Louth’s most for example share their address with one or more successful local companies, properties and this can cause all kinds of problems for Dunleer-based Mcor businesses, and postal and emergency services when Technologies and Glen they are trying to find the right location. Dimplex. Eircode solves these problems by allocating a unique, I was guest of honour at easy to remember, seven-digit code to each premises. Mcor’s recent 10th The new Eircodes make life easier as they enable anniversary celebrations delivery, postal and emergency services to identify the and earlier this year I had right address quickly and easily. the pleasure of launching Glen Dimplex’s new joint There is an online tool at eircode.ie where you can venture in the United Arab Emirates. find your Eircode. Mcor is a truly dynamic Irish company which manufactures printers A modern, efficient postcode system has been capable of creating 3D models using standard paper. promised by successive Governments but I am pleased to say that it has been a Labour Minister, Alex White, At the forefront of affordable 3D technology, Mcor provides high who has delivered it. quality jobs in Dunleer. And the company has ambitious plans to grow employment and export revenues from its Louth base. FREE GP CARE FOR OVER As a local TD I know the value that companies such as Mcor bring to county Louth and I am working to ensure that the Government 70'S AND UNDER 6'S supports companies like them through our enterprise policy.

Thousands of Louth pensioners who previously had to pay to visit their doctor are now entitled to free GP care.

Earlier in the year I joined Glen Dimplex on a trade mission to the The free GP service also now covers all children aged five UAE for the launch of their latest undertaking, Xpelair Middle East, and under. a joint venture between the company and Kingston Holdings. These are important first steps in providing free GP care This involves marketing an extensive range of household, catering for everyone. and medical appliance equipment in India, Pakistan, Middle East, Making healthcare more affordable has long been a African and central Asian countries. Labour Party objective and the new agreements between I want to congratulate Glen Dimplex for setting up this exciting doctors, the health service and the Government will project and wish them every success on launching such an bring huge savings to local families. extensive range of products in this large and important export It is fitting that Labour Minister Kathleen Lynch has market. delivered on this project which is so in-keeping with our I also met recently with two excellent local SME's Paycheck Plus ethos of supporting families and ensuring they share in and Swift Composite Prototypes. Both companies are based at the the economic recovery now underway. IDA Enterprise Park, Shamrock Park, Dunleer which is a thriving Parents and older people can register for free GP cards business hub in our community. online at the HSE website www.hse.ie MASSIVE INVESTMENT IN LOCAL SCHOOLS Mid-Louth suffered from lack of school places during the boom years but with Labour in Government the area is now seeing a massive investment in new schools and school extensions. Building will start this autumn on the new Ardee Community School with accommodation for 900 pupils. This state-of-the-art educational facility will include thirty classrooms plus a host of specialist rooms including science labs, multimedia labs, technical graphics, technology, architecture and Scoil Uí Mhuirí extension woodwork rooms plus lecture halls, home economics, and PE facilities. A fully-equipped special educational needs unit is also being provided. Two new primary school buildings are also on their way for Ardee and Tenure. Planning permission is currently being sought for Ardee Educate Together’s new eight-classroom school and special needs unit. And in the Dunleer area building is expected to start in the coming months on a new eight-classroom school and special needs unit for Tenure national school. Scoil Uí Mhuirí in Dunleer is also set to expand. Plans for a nine-classroom extension plus home economics, science, multimedia, construction and other specialist rooms, have gone to tender. Construction on the new extension, which will include a special needs unit, is expected to proceed as soon as possible.

NASH’S NEW LAW WILL NASH TO INCREASE MINIMUM TO ADVANCE WORKERS’ €9.15 RIGHTS The Low Pay Commission, As Minister for EmploymentI have introduced a new which I law which provides greater protection for workers as established, has well as stability for employers. recommended that the The Industrial Relations act 2015 became law on national August 1. The new collective bargaining law has been minimum wage welcomed by trade unions. be increased by It provides strong and effective solutions in situations 50 cent to where employers refuse to engage with trade unions €9.15 per hour. on issues such as workers’ pay and conditions of I intend to employment. introduce this increase on January 1. In such cases workers can have their terms and conditionsassessed by the Labour Court in comparison This independent body, made up of worker and business with those in similar firms. representatives, was asked to look at the evidence and each year recommend a new rate using economic evidence. If the employer chooses to ignore the Labour Court’s recommendation, the finding can be enforced in the It examined the issues around low pay, consulting with workers on the minimum wage and businesses paying it. Circuit Court. The Commission concluded that an increase of this size would not The Bill also allows for registered employment impact negatively on employment, competitiveness or the cost of agreements(REAs) which covered 70,000 to 80,000 living. people in areas such as the construction industry, to be re-established and for sectoral wage rates and As Minister for Business I am aware that some sectors will not conditions to be re-introduced. welcome this 50 cent increase but we should bear in mind that the minimum wage has not risen beyond €8.65 in eight years. This will bring a sense of stability and confidence Following the Low Pay Commission’s recommendation, 122,000 around terms and conditions for both sides of people who are on the minimum wage, or just above it, will see industry. their pay packets increase. My legislation contains strong anti-victimisation This is good news for workers, their families and the economy. elements that protect workers seeking to have their pay and conditions improved. Good industrial relations Full time workers on the minimum wage will see their wages result in workplaces that serve workers, employers and increase by more than €1,000. That is a significant amount and it will make a real difference to them and their families’ lives. the country well. I believe that work should always pay and as Minister for I entered public life to improve people’s living and Employment I want to ensure that those on the lowest wages in working conditions andI am proud as a Labour Minister our society have a real opportunity to share in our economic to deliver on this commitment to working people. recovery through pay rises and tax cuts. REDZ RECOVERY IS WORKING INITIATIVE – GOOD NEWS ON JOBS FRONT CAN HELP The economic recovery is working and with Labour in Government more people are getting back to MID-LOUTH work in Mid-Louth. Mid-Louth's community groups In the Ardee area unemployment has fallen by can help bring jobs and 13.7% in the last year. economic development to the There has also been lots of good news on the jobs area under the new Rural front recently in Louth. Economic Development Zones February saw Dundalk-based SalesSense bring a (REDZ) initiative. fantastic jobs boost to the area with the announcement of 100 new jobs. As Minister for Business I am In March, Maxol announced 25 new jobs and a €2 million investment in a new local keen to see local groups get service station, gym, restaurant and cafe. involved in this €2 million pilot As Minister for Business I attended the announcement in April by Prometric in Dundalk scheme that provides funding of their €3.5 million investment plan which includes 40 jobs. for projects aimed at generating And in June I was delighted to secure 100 new jobs in the Drogheda area with the economic activity in small biscuit company East Coast Bakehouse. towns and rural areas. This new Irish company is setting up the most advanced manufacturing facility of its REDZ are areas in the kind in Ireland and Britain at their base in Drogheda’s Donore Road industrial estate. hinterlands of towns and I worked closely with Enterprise Ireland at a national level to make sure this €15 million villages where we hope to foster investment project was secured for Louth. economic development with the full co-operation and involvement of the local SUPPORTING FARM SAFETY – GRANGEBELLEW community. This nationwide pilot will FARM VISIT support 18 REDZ projects with grants of between €50k, €150k Too many lives have been lost on and €250k available depending Irish farms through farm accidents on population size. which is why I was happy to help launch Farm Safety Fortnight at the The scheme provides a Grangebellew farm of Andrew Purcell maximum of 75% funding so and Alf McGlew recently. The communities and local campaign is part of the Health and authorities are asked to make up Safety Authority’s farm safety the balance with cash or other initiative for 2015. contributions such as labour or At the Grangbellew holding I joined raw materials. local farmers and members of the Farm Safety Partnership to look at areas of risk on If this pilot scheme is successful the farm such as tractors and machinery, livestock handling, slurry management and the Government plans to roll yard and building design. out a more extensive and The Government is providing a substantial grant scheme to help support safer farms expanded REDZ scheme. and the Minister for Agriculture intends that further aid will be provided this year. Community groups and As Minister with responsibility for workplace health and safety I am supporting the associations who want to get campaign to improve safety on our farms to help save lives. involved in this very worthwhile initiative can contact my office While inspections and enforcement play a part in farm safety, accident prevention is for more information. key. I believe farmers, their families and the wider community can all play a supportive role in improving safety standards in farming from the ground up.

Minister Ged Nash TD Working with Senator Mary Moran Dáil Office: Email: [email protected] Leinster House, Fax: 01 618 4397 Phone: 042 932 9052 Kildare Street, Dublin 2 Email: [email protected] Follow me on Facebook Web: www.marymoran.ie Constituency Office: Connolly Hall, Palace Street, Drogheda @geraldnash Mary Moran Phone: 041 981 0811 @marymmoran 0612