MCCARTHY MICHAEL A4 NEWS 2321_Layout 1 23/11/2012 13:14 Page 1

MICHAEL McCARTHY TD KEEPING IN TOUCH Winter 2012

Dear member,

We are living in challenging times. Never before has an Irish Government faced such a mammoth task of untangling the deep-rooted economic problems created by the previous administration while also restoring sovereignty to our State.

Labour entered Government in the knowledge of the challenges that it would face but it did so to fulfil an ambition to get people back to work, to reform our public services and to bring fairness into the political system.

Despite being the minority party in Coalition, our party’s imprint on Government policy over the past 20 months has been considerable. So far, the has managed to:

I Restore the minimum wage; I Exempt 330,000 workers from the Universal Social Charge; I Maintain the rates of all headline social welfare payments; I Maintain income tax rates; I Protect the Croke Park Agreement.

The party has also played a critical role in:

I Imposing a pay cap on public sector salaries; I Reducing the pay of and Ministers; I Abolishing State cars for senior Ministers; I Decreasing future public service pension costs; I Cutting Committees from 25 to 14; I Tackling the mortgage arrears problem with the Personal Insolvency Bill; I Severing the link between banking and sovereign debt; I Deferring the promissory notes deal; I Protecting children with the passage of the Children’s Rights referendum; I Reforming the local Government system; I Increasing mortgage interest relief for homes bought between 2004 and 2008.

With the next Budget just around the corner, be assured that although difficult decisions lie ahead, Labour will ensure that these are done in the fairest and most equitable manner with the least impact upon those on lower incomes. We will continue to make every effort to impress these values on the budget and on Government policy in general.

In the meantime, thank you for your ongoing support as a local Labour member. I sincerely value your input and voice during these challenging times. Please feel free to contact me if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

CONTACT Constituency Office: Phone: 023 885 5705 Market Square, Dáil office: 01 618 3844 MICHAEL: Dunmanway, Email: [email protected] Co. Cork Web: www.michaelmccarthy.ie MCCARTHY MICHAEL A4 NEWS 2321_Layout 1 23/11/2012 13:14 Page 2

LABOUR MINISTERS PROGRESS REPORT

HOWLIN TACKLES PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM LABOUR'S JAN O'SULLIVAN INTRODUCES WHILE MAINTAINING INDUSTRIAL PEACE MORTGAGE TO RENT SCHEME'

As Minister for Public Service Earlier this year, the Minister for Housing and Planning Jan Expenditure and Reform, O’Sullivan introduced the Mortgage to Rent scheme, which was a crucial milestone in the Government’s plan to tackle the faces a mortgage arrears problem. major task in re-shaping our public services so that they It is a viable solution which affords people a level of dignity and can be more responsive, respect by allowing them to remain in their family home, while also reducing the paying rent, while the ownership is transferred to a housing amount of money spent on body. those services and the numbers of people delivering them. From day one, the Labour Party have consistently reiterated the At present, the reduction in staff numbers is ahead of importance of doing everything to target - 30,000 people have left public sector ensure that people can stay in employment since 2008. This has ensured an annualised their home, avoiding the and sustainable reduction in spending of €1.5 billion. Much work remains to be done, but in the meantime, devastating prospect of securing these savings against a backdrop of industrial repossession. This scheme is proof peace is a key achievement for a Labour Party Minister, that we are true to our word. given the wave of civil unrest in other countries. ‘REFORMING’ LABOUR EDUCATION MINISTER

Since being appointed Minister for BURTON PROTECTS CORE SOCIAL WELFARE Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn has developed a well-earned PAYMENTS reputation for being a reforming Minister and has implemented Social Protection Minister some of the most radical changes protected primary weekly social the education sector has seen in welfare payment rates in Budget years. 2012, which was a major achievement for a Labour His achievements to date include a radical Minister given the pressure reform of the Junior Cert and Leaving Cert cycle, the on the public finances. establishment of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism, the roll-out of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, an ambitious Rates for weekly payments change agenda for higher education, and introduction of the such as Jobseeker’s Benefit and prefab replacement scheme, the biggest ever initiative to Allowance, Illness Benefit, replace rented prefabs in the history of the State. Invalidity Pension, Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Carer’s Benefit and Carer’s Allowance and The Minister also gave five local school building projects in Widower’s Pension did not change last December. The West Cork the green light in his School Building Programme monthly Child Benefit for each of the first two children announced back in March. These include the new Clonakilty was maintained at €140, while the State Pension Gaelscoil, the Skibbereen Post-Primary School amalgamation remained at current levels. project, and the amalgamation of St. Joseph’s and St. John’s in Kinsale, while funding was also ring-fenced for Clon Community College and Kinsale Community School.

Michael McCarthy TD

Constituency Office: Market Square, Dunmanway, Co. Cork

Phone: 023 885 5705 Dáil office: 01 618 3844 Email: [email protected] Web: www.michaelmccarthy.ie Get in touch 0612