Highest number from Independent TD Seamus Healy who has made 1,323 since 2011
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and former Minister for Health James Reilly have made more than 300 representations each on behalf of constituents in relation to medical cards since 2011, according to new from the Department of Health.
Mr Kenny has made 330 representations over the past 4½ years, while Dr Reilly, who was Minister at the Department for over three years until July 2014, has made 315.
They are both among the top 40 TDs who have made most representations.
Current Minister for Health Leo Varadkar is at number 100 of the 220 parliamentarians, having made 126 representations to the National Medical Card Unit dedicated contact channel.
The disclosure that both Mr Kenny and Mr Reilly made a higher than average number of representations may draw criticism from the Opposition, given that thousands of patients lost their right to discretionary medical cards during 2013 and 2014. The Government reversed the decision following its poor performance in the local elections in the summer of 2014.
The TD who has made the highest number of representations is the Tipperary Independent Seamus Healy who made 1,323, almost double the number of representations made by the second-placed TD, another Tipperary Independent Mattie McGrath, who made 741.
In third place is another Independent Michael Healy-Rae from Kerry, who made 670 representations.
The information was obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs Sean Sherlock. The Cork East Labour Party TD is the fourth in the list with 664. He made the highest number of representations in his own party, one ahead of his Labour Party colleague and Minister for Environment Alan Kelly who made 646 representations.
Longford-Westmeath TD Robert Troy is the highest-ranked Fianna Fáil member on the list, with 622 representations, while Martin Heydon of Fine Gael, with 599, made more representations than any other Deputy in his party. Other Ministers who made a high number of representations include Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan (436); Minister of State for Sport Michael Ring (398) and Minister of State for Europe Dara Murphy (367).
The table is broken down between calls, emails and letters. Mr Healy made more than 650 calls and sent more than 650 emails but sent no letters. The most frequent letter writers were Barry Cowen of Fianna Fáil (44), Jack Wall of Labour (43) and Mr Sherlock (38).
Source: Taoiseach has made 330 representations for medical cards
The announcement of 200 jobs for Clonmel is welcome but more needs to be done and done urgently said Deputy Seamus Healy in a statement.
Tipperary has not been getting its fair share of job creation.
The County has unemployment levels of 18%, twice the national average, with 14,400 people signing on. Towns across the County are blighted by unemployment with over 25% unemployment in the towns of Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary, Thurles, Roscrea and Nenagh.
This announcement comes in the wake of a litany of job losses, 200 at Intellicom, 50 at Grants and more at C & C, Gleeson’s, Abbott and Boston Scientific.
The County also lost a nett 321 IDA jobs in the 2 years to 31/12/2014.
Tipperary has not been getting its fair share of job creation with 90% of job announcements going to the east coast and the cities of Cork, Limerick and Galway.
The Government’s regional jobs strategy announced yesterday adds insult to injury. It prioritises investment in named towns Sligo, Tralee, Castlebar, Galway, Dundalk, Limerick, Athlone, Carlow and Waterford.
There is not a single Tipperary Town on the list.
In the South East the strategy prioritises Waterford and Carlow for investment for building advance manufacturing and office facilities
This doubly disadvantages all Tipperary Towns and must be changed.
Tipperary’s Ministers Alan Kelly and Tom Hayes need to step up to the mark and demand fair play and a fair share of job creation for County Tipperary Towns.
Seamus Healy TD
Tel: 087-2802199
08/09/15
In addition to their successful trek of the North Patagonian Ice Cap in Chile, Dr Clare O’Leary and Mike O’Shea have successfully completed their trek of Lake Baikal in southeastern Siberia. We wish them continued health and success in their adventures and hope they make their North Pole dream come true very soon.
The Government has published the 31st Amendment of the Constitution Bill, which sets out the wording to put to the people in the Children’s Referendum on Saturday, 10th November.
Ahead of the Referendum, the Government is mounting a major Information Campaign to outline and explain the proposed constitutional changes, to ensure that the public fully understands the proposed Amendment.
A dedicated new website www.childrensreferendum.ie provides information on the referendum. If you work for an organisation, we ask you to promote this website by posting the link and the attached image on your organisation’s website.
This Referendum proposes to place a dedicated Article in the Constitution, which has children as its central focus.
This Referendum is about strengthening the Constitution:
- to protect children from abuse and neglect by putting their safety and welfare at the centre of decision making.
- to support families; State intervention will be required to be proportionate, in line with the Government’s policy of continuing development of early-intervention and family support services to protect children in their home.
- to treat all children equally on key issues such as adoption, regardless of the marital status of their parents.
- to recognise children in their own right by providing an express statement of each individual child’s inherent rights and giving Constitutional recognition to the best interests and views of the child, in court cases affecting their life.
Your co-operation in promoting www.childrensreferendum.ie and the logo is much appreciated. You can also follow us on Twitter at @childref12
At the Annual General Meeting of the Workers and Unemployed Action Group it was unanimously agreed that the group would make a donation to start the Mayor’s Fund for 2012.
Yesterday afternoon, members of the group met with WUAG Cllr Billy Shoer, Mayor of Clonmel and presented him with a cheque for €1000, from the Worker’s and Unemployed Action Group, toward the Mayor’s Fund.
The cheque was presented by WUAG Treasurer, Mrs Kathleen Bulbert. Also present were WUAG Councillors Pat English, Brian O’Donnell and Helena McGee.
