ERIC BYRNE UPDATE Summer 2015 MESSAGE FROM ERIC BYRNE TD Dear Resident, 2014 was the year when our economic recovery began to accelerate. Tough decisions have been made but, these, along with the determination and sacrifice of the Irish people, have built this recovery. In 2015, we want to secure that economic recovery and spread the benefits so that every person, every family and every community feels the benefits of renewed prosperity. We’ll do this in the same way that we brought the country back from the brink of ruin through effective and sustainable policies that get people back to work, support families and get the economy moving. This approach has resulted in over 100,000 new jobs being created since 2011 and the unemployment rate is now below 10% from a crisis peak of 15.1%. We have also restored the minimum wage, established a Low Pay Commission and started an investigation into zero hour contracts. There is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that everyone – every worker, family and pensioner - feels the benefit of economic recovery. But to do this we need practical and effective policies that cement rather than wreck the economic recovery. And we need an approach that puts the needs of real people and their families before the politics of protest and megaphones. FREE GP CARE FOR UNDER 6s AND OVER 70s Many families worry about the cost of bringing their child to the doctor, as parents often have to bring young children to the doctor a couple of times a year. So the introduction from this summer of free GP care for children under 6 will make a real difference to a family's household budget. Labour has also ensured that all adults aged over 70 will benefit from free GP care. This means that from the summer, 436,000 children under 6 and an additional 36,000 people over 70 will now be entitled to free GP care. The free GP care service will also include a new, landmark asthma cycle of care programme for kids under 6, preventative wellness checks and a new new diabetes care programme. SINN FEIN IN GOVERNMENT? Sinn Fein say one thing in opposition in the South, and do the complete opposite in government in the North including: 20,000 public sector jobs cut. 1500 teachers and educational support staff slashed. Implement a property tax on homeowners of an average €1000. More than 35,000 domestic water meters installed and failed on their promise to rule out water charges permanently. Household incomes, poverty rates and the labour market have all worsened in Northern Ireland in the last five years – deterioration in all three has been greater than in Britain. LABOUR'S RECORD ON EQUALITY – TRANSFORMING IRELAND The status of lesbian and gay people in Irish society I In 2012, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore declares that has been transformed over the past two decades and Marriage Equality is the “civil rights issue of our I am proud of the role the Labour Party has played in generation”. this. I In 2013, Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn I Labour in Government secure decriminalisation introduces ground-breaking anti-bullying policies of homosexuality in 1993. for all schools that include homophobic and I Labour secures the inclusion of sexual orientation transphobic bullying. in the EU Amsterdam Treaty in 1996 I The Children & Family Relationships Bill is passed underpinning all EU work on equality for lesbian in 2015 providing protection in law for lesbian and gay people. and gay families. I Labour Minister Mervyn Taylor brings in a number I Following the recommendation of the of Bills in the 1990’s that protects against Constitutional Convention the Government discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. delivers on its commitment to hold a referendum I The first Civil Unions Bill is introduced in the Dáil on same-sex marriage in 2015 which is passed by Labour’s Brendan Howlin in 2006, and while in decisively by the people of Ireland. opposition we support the Civil Partnership This extensive record of achievement highlights legislation passed in 2010 based on that earlier Labour’s continuing commitment to full and equal work. citizenship for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender I Labour commits in its 2011 Manifesto to a people. Marriage Equality referendum. DOLPHIN HOUSE - LOW PAY HOUSING PRIORITY COMMISSION A €16 million The new Low Pay Commission has begun its regeneration of review of the Minimum Wage and will report Dolphin House in July. In 2011 the new Labour-Fine Gael is to begin in Government restored the minimum wage to the New Year. €8.65 per hour. A job that pays fair wages is Under the first the best protection against poverty. The phase of Commission will examine all aspects of development, employment from pay and conditions to existing flats competitiveness and the need to protect will be existing jobs and is chaired by Dr. de Buitleár. reconfigured to make 63 larger apartments, and 37 additional houses and apartments will be constructed. The reconfiguration work will see buildings stripped back to their skeleton, the replacement of all sewage systems and drains, water and electricity services. It will also involve the removal of some internal non- structural walls and the addition of balconies and lifts. Flats will be amalgamated to make larger units. Typically a floor of six flats would be knocked through to create four new flats, with three-bedroom units becoming two-bedroom units and two-bedroom becoming one-bedroom. THESE ARE THE DID YOU KNOW ? The agreement between Fianna Fáil and the ECONOMIC FACTS: Troika indicated that the Budget for 2015 I Over 100,000 new jobs created since 2011 would require €11.4 billion to service Ireland’s I Unemployment below 10% from a high of 15.1% national debt. Labour in Government has I 410,000 low paid workers taken out of USC reduced this burden by as much as €4 billion I €3.8 billion for Social Housing investment for this year. I Budget deficit down from €22 billion to €5 billion I Strong export figures and return of consumer confidence THE USC I New Strategic Banking Corporation to aid SMEs The last Budget took 80,000 low paid workers out of the USC net bringing the total I High speed broadband installed in all 2nd level schools to 410,000 employees who are not liable for I 1,700 new teachers and SNAs will be employed in 2015 Universal Social Charge. The USC brings in I 92,517 fewer people on National Live Register €4 billion each year. It is the intention of I MicroFinance Ireland provides loans of up to €25,000 to government in the next Budget to further businesses who employ 10 people or less. ease the burden. ZERO HOURS The issue of low pay and low hour contracts where employers can control workers for their own purposes is a major issue. This type of insecure employment is now creeping into Ireland. The Labour Minister, Ged Nash T.D. has asked University of Limerick to prepare a study for him on the issue. A new Bill on collective bargaining will be published within the next month. As soon as the Report on zero hours contracts is ready Minister Nash will respond. DELIVERING FOR IRELAND 1. TAX CUTS AND USC CUTS FROM 2. FASTEST GROWING ECONOMY JANUARY 1ST IN THE EUROZONE The cuts which took effect in Just a year after exiting the Troika Bailout January are the first step in programme, Ireland now has the fastest easing the burden on low and growing economy in the entire Eurozone. middle income workers. This fast economic growth is creating jobs and income for the citizens of our country. 3. BUILDING HOMES FOR FAMILIES Budget 2015 prioritised building new homes for families. We have already re-started social housing programmes, refurbishing boarded-up homes, and we are developing a construction programme to increase the number of homes built to nearly 40,000 by 2020. 4. REVERSED THE CUT IN THE MINIMUM 5. BUILDING SCHOOLS & WAGE & ESTABLISHED LOW PAY HOSPITALS Since 2012, despite being in serious financial difficulty, COMMISSION the Government has commenced or completed 319 new One of the first things Labour did was to reverse the cut in the minimum wage which schools and major extensions. It has also opened 37 new Fianna Fáil introduced. Under Labour leadership, the Government has also set up a Low primary healthcare centres and is working on a further Wage Commission to work towards better pay for those on low wages. 33. 6. PROVIDING 7. RE-STARTED RECRUITMENT INTO SPORTS GRANTS THE PUBLIC SERVICE, INCLUDING FOR CLUBS GARDAÍ AROUND THE The Government has ended the recruitment moratorium, COUNTRY and has re-started public sector recruitment, including Since 2012, the Government has given recruiting several hundred over €70 million in grants to Sports new Gardaí. Clubs around Ireland. 8. BACK TO WORK FAMILY DIVIDEND The new Back to Work Family Dividend, announced in Budget 2015, will help jobseekers with families to return to work. Under the scheme, parents returning to work will retain the element of the welfare payment which they receive for their children. It means that, over two years, a family with one child will receive additional support of €2,324 to supplement wages. A family with two children will receive €4,649, those with three children will get €6,973, while those with four or more will get €9,298. Working with your local Labour Team Cllr Rebecca Moynihan Michael O'Sullivan Gary Honer Michael Conaghan TD [email protected] 087 1370972 087 7519019 01 618 4033 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Dáil Éireann, Eric Byrne TD Kildare Street, Dublin 2 @EricByrneTD Phone: 01 618 3223 Email: [email protected] /EricByrneTD Web: www.ericbyrne.ie 0612.