TEMPORARY REPRIEVE FOR VETTING UNIT
16th December 2011I am welcoming the announcement that temporary staff in the Garda Vetting Unit, who were due to be displaced in the coming week, have received some reprieve.
It was made known to the staff today that the temporary staff contracts will be extended to allow a full review of the matter.
I had raised this issue in a Dáil Debate earlier this week. I questioned the laying off of experienced, skilled staff at a time when the Vetting Unit is inundated with a huge burden of applications. I also called for clarification on the fact that interns from the JobBridge scheme are due to come on stream in the Unit in the New Year.
I am glad to say that these temporary contracts have now been extended for a short time in order to allow a full review of the unit and its staffing needs to take place. No staff will now be lost in the unit prior to such a review. I welcome this decision by Minister Shatter and I will continue to stay in contact with him to ensure the fair treatment of the staff who have served this unit so well.
This review is particularly important given that the National Vetting Bureau Bill 2011 is due to come before the houses. This bill will extend the number of organisations, companies and individuals who will require Garda Vetting and will therefore have a significant impact on the workload of the GVU. It is important that the experienced, diligent staff of the unit be retained to combat this workload and I will continue to work with the staff there to ensure that this is the case.
Dáil Statement Re; Garda Vetting
15th December 2011In the past few days my office has been inundated with calls from employees of the Garda Vetting Unit at Thurles who were informed that they are being laid off prior to Christmas. This is particularly galling when they are also aware of the recruitment of up to 16 interns from the JobBridge scheme who are due to take up positions in the Unit in January.
These Clerical Officers would have been employed on temporary contracts, which were continually extended, up until now. They were hired to tackle the huge backlog of applications within the unit. Many of these have been working in the Unit for a number of months or even years in some cases.
They have proven their professionalism and experience at all times when processing applications for Garda Vetting.
These Clerical Officers are dealing with personal, sensitive information and have through their time in the unit proven their loyalty and discretion. The staff and management of the GVU are doing an exemplary job under difficult circumstances and I would like to take this opportunity to publically commend them. This unit is a relatively new one and since its inception it has been burdened with limited accommodation and a staggering work load. Yet despite these difficulties, and due entirely to the diligence of staff and management, they have succeeded in reducing the backlog in recent months from a waiting time of 16 weeks to just 4 weeks and will be down to the target of 2 weeks prior to Christmas.
This work ethic should be treasured yet these employees are being pushed aside as the backlog has now been brought under control. Their Christmas bonus is an unemployment notice with 10 people losing their jobs prior to the Christmas break.
The first issue that must be raised is to question the impact these job losses will have on the Vetting Unit. The delay in processing Garda clearance certs has in the past caused huge difficulty for people hoping to commence work or for people hoping to study certain college courses.
Indeed the Minister has promised legislation in the form of the National Vetting Bureau Bill 2011 which contains proposals to extend the remit of Garda Vetting requirements to include a greater number of organisations. More robust measures to ensure the protection of children and the vulnerable in our society would be most welcome but the impact this this will have on the GVU must be properly examined and assessed. I would remind the Minister that the loss of these positions will adversely affect the waiting times for the processing of an application for vetting, given the huge increase in the workload of the GVU which will come about as a result of this new legislation. The legislation will broaden the scope of the vetting unit and place a huge additional demand on its service.
The issue relating to the use of interns raises questions about the JobBridge Scheme. The coincidence of offering internships to displace current job holders is a despicable way to manoeuvre a scheme and manipulate people. The workers to be displaced are angry, disillusioned. The workers rightfully feel aggrieved and consider that they have been replaced for a cheaper alternative.
Answers must be given as to why there is a need for interns when others are losing their jobs. It is highly questionable that experienced, fully trained staff are being laid off yet inexperienced interns are being taken on.
It is illogical, inefficient and wasteful to disemploy someone on contract work who is fully trained on the intricacies of the system and to replace them with someone who has no training in this field. New interns will have to learn the system from scratch which will again adversely impact on the waiting times for the processing of applications.
If it is the case that these interns will be doing the work of the replaced Clerical Officers then this is nothing more than a cynical attempt by the government to massage the unemployment figures and to bolster the evidence that the JobBridge scheme is successful in returning people to work. The government is simply juggling with the numbers to improve public perception of its limited and failed job creation proposal. This type of shuffling is juggling with people’s careers, ambition, personal lives and their future hopes and aspirations.
It is unacceptable that these 10 capable, competent individuals are now consigned by Government decisions to unemployment and as a result will be forced to become a burden on the Social Welfare System.
I am calling on the Minister to provide clarification on the serious consequences arising from this policy decision. I request the Minister to confirm the status of a further 11 staff whose contracts are due to expire next March. I demand confirmation of the exact number of interns to be taken on and a detailed explanation of the roles they will be undertaking. I require an outline of the misguided reasons and logic for the shabby treatment of the existing, experienced, staff to be displaced.
In conclusion Minister I would ask you to acknowledge that this decision is not cost effective, it is not in the best interests of the system and it is extremely unfair and unjust to the effected workers.
I am calling on you to reverse the decision and to renew the existing staff contracts.
Construction on Templemore Flood Works to Continue in 20
9th December 2011I am pleased by the announcement made by Minister of State Brian Hayes today, who stated that additional funding has been allocated to flood risk management in several areas throughout the country.
I welcome the fact that a portion of this funding will go toward the ongoing flood management works in Templemore. The Templemore project is listed as one of the projects where construction will commence on the remaining phases of the scheme.
The allocation of funding to finish this project is most welcome. By finalising this project the serious, on-going problem of flooding will be solved in the Templemore Area. Flooding is a hugely destructive and devastating force that causes huge economic damage not to mention the upset and stress to those affected. I am glad to see that the good work in the Templemore area will commence into the New Year. I will continue to maintain pressure on the Government to ensure that this project reaches completion.
SUMMARY OF BUDGET 2012-DAY 1
6th December 2011Education;
€250 increase to the college registration fee, bringing it to a maximum of €2,250.
Student grants to be cut by 3%, cut back in grants available to postgraduate students. Will now be assessed with regard to assets, will affect rural families and self employed.
The cost of primary school transport will double to €100.
Capitation grants for third and second level facilities to be cut by 2%.
Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance abolished for children under the age of 4.
950 teaching jobs to be cut, the majority (700) from post primary the remained from primary level.
Pupil teacher ratio to remain unchanged.
€30 million in training initiatives for the unemployed.
Environment;
€100 household charge to come into effect in January. Households will have 3 months to pay.
Enterprise;
Cut to redundancy insolvency scheme, employer rebate cut form 60% to 15%.
€20 to be allocated to a Labour Market Activation Fund.
Health;
Threshold drugs rebate scheme to increase to €132.
Health insurance to increase due to increases in charges for private beds.
Free GP care for those on long term illness scheme.
2% cut to disability, mental health and children’s services.
Reduction in use of agency staff.
Perscription charge to remain at 50c.
Justice;
Garda budget cut by €79m.
31 Garda Stations to close.
Public Sector;
Limited recruitment.
Reduced overtime and allowances.
Reduced allowances and secretarial support for former Taoisigh.
Staff to be reduced by 6,000.
Social Welfare;
Child benefit for 3rd and subsequent children reduced.
Increase in contribution to be made for rent supplement, increased from €24 to €30 for a single person, couples will now pay €35.
One parent family to be reduced.
Fuel allowance will only be paid for 26 weeks, down from 32 weeks.
Part time job seekers reduced by 20%.
Disability cut by 50% for young people.
Education to Suffer as a Result of Budget 2012
6th December 2011I have grave concerns in relation to the budgetary measures announced yesterday. This year’s budgetary measures are hugely detrimental to the educational sector and will be a further blow to already stretched families.
Of particular concern is the areas of the budget that relate to third level education.
The educational sector has been badly hit in this budget. It is widely accepted and recognised that education is the way forward and our best hope of recovering from these difficult times. We need a highly educated, diverse workforce to help us move forward into the future. This has been recognised time and time again.
Yet despite this the government has chosen to break its promise to the electorate and increase the college registration fee by €250 which now brings the fees payable to €2,250. In addition the government have further cut the student maintenance grant. This increase will put third level education out of the reach of many people. We owe it to our young people to offer then every opportunity and chance to access third level education to further their career prospects in these difficult times.
In addition it is unclear as of yet how this fee will apply. Will it be applicable per annum? Will it increase in the coming years? We do not yet have the answers to these questions but Minister Quinn has refused to rule anything out.
It is also worth noting that the student maintenance grant will now been assessed in such a way that assets will be included. This will be a huge blow to farming families and the self employed who may have a number of assets but in reality may have a very low level of income. The actual rate of grant has also been reduced and has been further scaled back for postgraduate students.
This is an unacceptable situation. Minister Quinn prior to the general election made pledge not to increase fees or cut the grant. He has now broken both these promises and ultimately deceived the electorate in making promises that he did not keep. Throughout my career I have made the accessibility of education a priority. This government has now chosen to make third level education aspirational rather than accessible.