The Workers and Unemployed Action will run a subsidised (€5) bus to Dublin for this very important event on Saturday 11th October.
The bus will leave the Cashel Road Clonmel at 10am sharp.
Anyone interested in going please contact Seamus Healy ‘s office at 052-6121883
I put forward this notice of motion:
“That Tipperary County Council requests the Government to abolish the student services charge for apprentices which had been implemented on apprentices since January 2014. The imposition of the student service charge of up to €1,433.00 is nothing more than a tax on training.”
€1,433.00 is nothing more than a tax on training. As a council we should use our influence to have this inequitable tax abolished.
These charges are both unreasonable and inequitable for the following reasons:
The charges were imposed by Government in the last budget and implemented from the 01 January 2014 with the object of raising €1.6 million in revenue to the State.
The charge depending on the duration of the training period in an institute of technology can vary from €833.00 to €1,433.00.
This tax on training is referred to as a standard service charge, this despite the fact that student services are not available to, or availed of by apprentices.
Apprentices are employees of companies, not students, and pay income tax and PRSI along with many other taxes and charges already.
Apprentices are amongst the lowest paid workers in the Republic of Ireland and in the first years of employment are paid less than the minimum wage.
No other country in Europe imposes such a charge on apprentices.
There is no age restriction entering apprenticeship and many apprentices in modern Ireland carry the responsibility of a family rent or mortgage costs.
The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development recently assessed the Government Action Plan for Jobs and particularly warned that more must be done to tackle youth unemployment. All of the Governments actions to date in this area flies in the face of such experts.
I asked that Tipperary County Council request the Government to ensure that the imposition of student services charges on apprentices is rescinded and that this motion be circulated to all councils.
This motion was approved by the council and was referred to the Minister for Education and Skills, Ms Jan O’Sullivan for her consideration and reply.
I will keep you informed as to progress.
Government must drop plans for USC hike for older people – Age Action
Age Action has warned the Government that its plans to increase the rate of Universal Social Charge (USC) for pensioners and medical card holders from 4% to 7% from January would cause untold hardship among a section of society which is already struggling to make ends meet.
“During our consultations with older people across Ireland in recent months we heard time and again from older people who are being forced to choose between food, fuel and medications,” Age Action spokesperson Eamon Timmins said. “This unacceptable situation is a result of increasing demands on their fixed pensions from new taxes and charges. Another hike in the USC would push some older people over the edge.”
The older people’s charity noted that the reduced rate of 4% for people aged over-70 and medical card holders under-70 was introduced in 2011 and was due to expire at the start of 2015, as reported in today’s Irish Independent. But it urged the Government to reverse this decision and maintain the reduced rate.
“Given the hardship which older people on low incomes are facing, it would be ludicrous to scrap the reduced rate, knowing the suffering it would cause,” Mr Timmins said. “This government was elected on the promise that it would protect the vulnerable. If it is serious about honouring this promise, it cannot introduce yet another tax hike, and take more money out of the pockets of low income pensioners.”
Age Action has called on the Government to make a definitive statement, before the European and local elections, that the 4% reduced rate, and those eligible for it, will remain unchanged and that plans to increase it to 7% will be dropped.
Age Action’s consultations with older people across Ireland highlighted the huge financial pressure that many were facing. From their fixed pensions (and falling pensions in the case of some older people), they are paying a long list of new taxes and charges including property tax, hiked prescription charges, soaring fuel bills (with cuts to their fuel supports), rising telephone charges (following the abolition of the phone allowance last year), and rising medical costs (for older people in poor health who are losing their medical cards on income grounds).
FOR MEDIA QUERIES CONTACT EAMON TIMMINS, HEAD OF ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATIONS, AGE ACTION, 01-4756989 OR 087-9682449.
May 16, 2014
Eamon
Eamon Timmins
Head of Advocacy and Communications at Age Action Ireland Ltd | 30/31 Lr Camden Street | Dublin 2
Tel: 01 4756989 | Fax: 01 4756011 | Email: eamon.timmins@ageaction.ie |
Website: www.ageaction.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AgeActionIrelandwww.facebook.com/AgeActionIreland | Twitter:www.twitter.com/AgeAction
Workers & Unemployed Action 