The most consistent and angriest complaint on the door steps is of broken promises and the resultant targeting of those on low and middle incomes for cuts and new taxes.
When considering promises and announcements by Labour and Fine Gael in this General Election Campaign, voters are considering what happened to the promises they made in the last General Election Campaign.
The Public have been pointing out to me the litany of broken promises which include:
St. Michael’s Unit.
At a local level, Labour Leader Eamonn Gilmore, promised to protect South Tipperary General Hospital. Labour Minister, Kathleen Lynch, in government, closed down St Michael’s Psychiatric Unit in Clonmel and transferred it to Kilkenny.
Hospital Trolleys
We will “end the scandal of Hospital Trolleys” said Enda Kenny. The result is Trolley Chaos in our Emergency Departments, the closure of 2,000 hospital beds, the loss of 11,000 health staff and the loss of 2 million home help hours.
Water Tax
Through the 2011 General Election TESCO AD and in its election manifesto, The Labour Party promised to prevent the introduction of domestic water tax. In government they agreed to introduce this tax and Minister Alan Kelly is now implementing it.
Child Benefit
In the 2011 General Election Tesco AD, the Labour Party said it would prevent Fine Gael reducing Child Benefit. Labour leader Joan Burton, in government, did the opposite and cut Child Benefit.
FAMILY HOME TAX
Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny, said “ It Is Morally Wrong, Unjust and Unfair to Tax a Person’s Home”. But in Government, he introduced this unfair tax.
Lone Parents
Speaking in the Dáil on 18th April 2012, Minister Joan Burton said she would only proceed with plans to reform the One Parent Family Payment by 2014/15 if she got a “credible and bankable commitment” by the time of Budget 2013 that the Irish Government would put in place “a system of safe, affordable and accessible child care, similar to what is found in the Scandinavian countries to whose systems of social protection we aspire”.
Minister Burton went ahead with the changes without any such child care system being in place.
Crime
Enda Kenny promised to increase the Garda Force by 2,000 Gardaí. The result was 2,000 less Gardaí, 130 Garda Station closed and increased levels of rural crime.
Heating Allowances
Then there was the Labour Manifesto promise to invest in ending fuel poverty which causes unnecessary deaths of older people every winter. “However, Labour will also take immediate action to alleviate the risk of fuel poverty in the short term by reinvesting €40 million from the
carbon tax to alleviate fuel poverty, and by developing a national fuel
poverty strategy as set out in Labour’s Fuel Poverty and Energy
Conservation Bill.” Labour Party Manifesto 2011.
Instead, the heating allowances were cut by the Labour Leader
The Public are fed up of broken promises. They are taking the recent spate of promises from all the political parties with a large dose of salt.
The Door Steps say Don’t Believe Them and Don’t Let It Happen Again!
Seamus Healy TD
Tel : 087-2802199
08/02/2016
I will be raising this issue directly with the Taoiseach in the Dáil, today when I will be taking Leaders Questions on behalf of the Technical Group at 4.30 pm.
The closure of the C&C plant in Borrisoleigh with the loss of over 140 jobs is a huge blow to the town, the surrounding area and the county as a whole. Since the company took over Gleesons in Borrisoleigh and Bulmers in Clonmel, it has been cutting jobs and worsening terms and conditions of employment.
We can be sure that this shameful decision to close the Borrisoleigh plant is the prelude to further attacks on the conditions of employees. Now it says it will provide 80 extra jobs in Clonmel. We will believe it when and if we see it because of the track record of the company.
The workers and their trade union representatives must receive the fullest support from the government and its agencies in the face of this disgraceful development.
This blow is all the more devastating because of the dreadful unemployment rate in County Tipperary and the continuing neglect of the county by the government.
It follows the loss of jobs at Grants and Supervalue stores in Clonmel and Tipperary Town with attendant redundancies.
The rate of unemployment in County Tipperary is well above the national average. TIPPERARY is being forgotten despite the county being represented by a Labour Senior Minister and a Fine Gael Minister of State in government.
∗ There was a nett loss of 321 IDA jobs in the County over the 3 years to 21/12/2014-the first 3 years of this government’s term of office
∗ Not a single Tipperary town was included in government’s decision to provide 150 million for advance factories and offices despite my protests to Minister Bruton in the Dáil.
∗ Disposable income in Co Tipp is 5% below the national average and 16% below that in Dublin.
∗ Tipperary is not getting its fair share of new jobs- the vast majority of jobs are being created on the East Coast, Cork and Limerick.
I have repeatedly raised these matters in the Dáil and I have sought more spending on roads, house building and other infrastructure in the county.
There is an emergency employment crisis in Co Tipperary. Promises by government are not enough. Action by Government Now, before The Election, is Necessary.
Firstly, the Government must intervene to save the jobs in Borrisoleigh and instruct Enterprise Ireland accordingly
Secondly, the decision to exclude Tipperary including locations such as Borrisoleigh from the building of IDA Advance Factories and Offices must be reversed and the government strategy must be formally amended in this regard.
Seamus Healy TD 087-2802199
13/1/2016
Workers & Unemployed Action 