welcomed the outcome of a meeting between Cork City Council officials led by City Manager Tim Lucey

Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn has welcomed the outcome of a meeting between Cork City Council officials led by City Manager Tim Lucey, local public representatives and members of the Blackpool Community, which took place on Tuesday 30 November.



Following the meeting Councillor O’Flynn said that he has placed a motion before the Council, in which he called for a reduced commercial rate to be introduced in the Blackpool Village. Speaking on this O’Flynn said; “this is a proactive approach to combating and tackling dereliction in the Blackpool area and attracting new business into the idea.”



Councillor O’Flynn also thanked the Manager for showing an interest in the project and for his firm and proactive approach to tackling dereliction. Cllr O’Flynn also praised residents for their continued commitment to the regeneration of Blackpool.

Relevant Council Departments will meet together to discuss moving away from the bonfire night

Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn has welcomed the announcement by Cork City Council, that following a motion he placed before them, the relevant Council Departments will meet together to discuss moving away from the bonfire night and towards more community based activities for 23 June.

The original motion to Cork City Council was as follows; “That this Council would put in place a blanket ban on bonfires in the City 365 days a year. In particular the 23 June would no longer be known as ‘Bonfire Night’ but rather ‘Community BBQ Night’ similar to block parties that are organised in the United States.”

Speaking on the new plans in place by the Council O’Flynn said; “I welcome this move by the Council. Bonfire night has become an excuse for vandalism and anti-social behaviour and each year the emergency services are placed under tremendous pressure as a consequence bonfire night.




O’Flynn continued; “I hope as a result of this action by the Council we will see communities holding block parties with a BBQ, games and fun events organised around it. I think that while the positive aspect of bonfire night has always been the Community input, this has been hijacked by those who simply start fires on the night without any regard for anyone else.”

In Cllr. O’Flynn’s opinion the new scheme will be a great way for communities to organise events in a way to brings people together for the purpose of having a fun night that is inclusive of all the community.

O’Flynn welcomes Senior Citizen Announcement

O’Flynn welcomes Senior Citizen Announcement


Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn has welcomed the announcement that following a motion he put before Cork City Council, the Council will write to all Senior Citizens, informing them of the relevant Council authorise to deal with any queries which they might have.
In his original motion Councillor O’Flynn called for the establishment of a senior citizen liaison officer that would be able to deal with issues such as housing allocation, housing maintenance, grants, waiver forms and other issues which effect older people in Cork City.
The announcement that the City will now provide Senior Citizens with contact details of City Officials is a welcome one according to the Northside based Councillor. Speaking on this O’Flynn said; “I found many of our Senior Citizens were having great difficulty in contacting the Council and as such I felt it was the duty of the Council to make it easier to do so and improve communication. I think that this is a most welcome step in the right direction.”
Speaking on his reason for putting forward the motion initially O’Flynn said; “meeting regularly with Senior Citizen groups, I found they experienced a lot of confusion when dealing with City Council and felt that they are being bounced from pillar to post in dealing with various issues. In some cases they were only provided with an email address to make contact with the relevant authorities which was not always feasible. This announcement thus is a welcome improvement and one I am glad to support fully.”

Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn welcomed the announcement that the Christmas Market will take place again this year

Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn welcomed the announcement that the Christmas Market will take place again this year. Councillor O’Flynn said that the event last year was very successful and it gives a good boost to the city centre and adds a positive atmosphere to the Grand Parade and really captures the mood of the season. “With there being so much doom and gloom going around at the moment, I feel free events like this are what is needed to lift peoples spirits. Not only will it benefit the other traders in the city, but it will encourage people from outside the city to come and visit Cork.”

Councillor O’Flynn went on to say; “Last year alone over 120,000 visited the Market and this year it is hope numbers will be larger. I know of people who came from across Munster and further a field and they will be returning again this year to visit the Christmas market.”

While the event has been announced, plans still remain in place to ensure the success of the event. Councillor O’Flynn from his own interest in the project promises to examine and work closely with event planning committee to ensure that the Cork City Christmas Market becomes a major event in the cities calendar and something that people everywhere

€150,000 has been allocated to the Glen Preschool, Glen Avenue by Pobail.

Glen Preschool

Cllr. Kenneth O'Flynn has welcomed the announcement that €150,000 has been allocated to the Glen Preschool, Glen Avenue by Pobail.

As a result of this funding, the Pre School will be able to construct a new playground and will also be able to put in place additional prefabs, as well as setting up activates for 6-12 year olds.

Speaking on this the Fianna Fáil Councillor said; “This is great news for the staff, parents and pupils of the Glen Preschool. This is an opportunity for the school to expand and upgrade its facilities which will be a great benefit to all involved with the school.”

The money will be distributed via the Community Enterprise Directive of Cork City Council, who in conclusion Cllr. O'Flynn praised for their continuing good work for the development of the City .

Free Parking

Free parking







Cork City Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn has placed a motion before Cork City Council calling for two hours of free parking to be introduced on North Main Street and Paul Street car parks every Saturday between 9am-11am. Cllr. O’Flynn said; “City Council must give business the lead with ideas like this which not only benefit the consumer, but also allow people the freedom and ease to come into town, park their car for free for a period of time and not have to worry about cost or the clampers.” Cllr. O’Flynn believes his motion would not just benefit the local economy but inspire retailers to take further initiative to boost their own business in a way that is cost effective and fair to consumers.

Having met with leading members of the Cork business community in the past number of months, Cllr. O’Flynn has found that Saturday trading in the City is at an all time low. Speaking on this he said; “With centres like Mahon point, Blackpool, Douglas and Wilton Shopping Centre with free parking all day the incentive is for consumers to go to these destinations and shop at their leisure. If we in the City can allow them the two free hours parking, we give them a greater incentive to return to the City Centre and not to worry about having to pay high car park fees.” Councillor O’Flynn stated his belief that in particular this would be a huge boost to the faltering Saturday trade in the City.

Encourage entrepreneurs

Encourage entrepreneurs




Cllr. Kenneth O'Flynn has placed a motion before Cork City Council calling on the Council to introduced staggered rates new business wishing to set up in the City. Speaking on this O’Flynn said; “As part of my motion I called for the Council to introduce staggered rates whereby in the first year the person setting up the business would not have to pay rates, in the second year they would only pay half rates and in the final year quarter rates.” Councillor O’Flynn stated that he believes such a plan will allow entrepreneurs a foothold in the City to establish their business and he believes that they would thrive over the three years, without being burdened by full rates.

Councillor O’Flynn stated that City Council should concern itself more with encouraging the establishment and growth of business in the City, rather then putting barriers in its way. He believes that motions such as this are steps towards encouraging growth and assisting business people to not just get their business started but to make them successful.

Minister for Communication to index link the television licence.

Fianna Fáil Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn has called on the Minister for Communication to index link the television licence.

Speaking on this O’Flynn said; “RTÉ have been pointing out significant salaries paid to bankers, politicians and public servants. Yet their ‘stars’ are all paid in excess of An Taoiseach or Barack Obama.”

Continuing O’Flynn said; “RTÉ have failed to deliver in terms of commitments it made when it had a significant increase in the licence fee back in 2001, when Síle de Valera was Minister and given that they have argued the licence fee be index linked that now with deflation the fee should be reduced.”

O’Flynn has stated that he believes that RTÉ essentially has index linked its television licence fee to match the rate of inflation it is now time to bring the fee in line with deflation and reduce it; In February 2009, the CSO announced that during January 2009, the country experienced deflation, with prices falling by 0.1% from the same time in 2008. This is the first time deflation has hit the Irish economy since 1960. Overall consumer prices decreased by 1.7% in that month.Minister Lenihan in an interview has stated that month-on-month there has been a 6.6% decline in the cost of living this year.”

In light of the deflation statistics Cllr. O’Flynn says that he feels a move to index link the television licence to deflation and make a cut in its costs.

What is the Breakdown for the €72 Billion Exposure,

What is the Breakdown for the €72 Billion Exposure,

Please see below a breakdown of the Liabilities of Anglo Irish Bank. The €72 billion figure is a relatively fluid figure as it is affected by currency changes and also some elements of the liabilities might not need to be paid in full if the bank were instantly liquidated.
Key Elements of Anglo Irish Bank’s Balance Sheet (End June 2010)
Deposits from Banks €33.3 bn
Customer Deposits €23.2 bn
Debt securities in issue €16.5 bn
Subordinated Liabilities €2.5 bn
Derivative Financial Instruments €4.4 bn
Other elements €0.5 bn
Total Liabilities €80.5 bn
What were the Recent Changes Announced by Government in Relation to Anglo Irish Bank, Asset Recovery Bank & Investment Bank,
The Government decided that Anglo Irish Bank will be split into a Funding Bank and an Asset Recovery Bank. Anglo Irish Bank has not expanded its loan book since it was nationalised in early 2009 and this will remain the case. It is intended that in due course the Recovery Bank will be sold in whole or in part or that its assets will be run off over a period of time.
The guaranteed position of depositors will be unchanged by the new arrangements. The depositors will become customers of the Funding Bank which will be fully capitalized and continue as a regulated bank.
What is the Purpose of the Change & what will be the End Result
"Today’s decision by the Government will provide certainty about the future of Anglo Irish Bank. Resolution of this, our most distressed institution, is essential to the promotion of confidence and stability in our financial system."-Minister Brian Lenihan
Under the restructuring plan, the Funding Bank will be a Government-backed/guaranteed specialist deposit bank which will contain the bank’s deposit book. It will be a stand-alone, regulated bank, completely separated from Anglo’s loan assets and it will be owned directly by the Minister for Finance. This bank will not engage in any lending, but will provide a secure home for Anglo’s depositors and any new customers who wish to deposit their funds with it. Depositors with the Funding Bank will be completely insulated from the future performance of the rest of the current Anglo Irish Bank loan book.
The Asset Recovery Bank will also be a licensed regulated bank. Its dedicated focus will be on the work-out over a period of time of the assets not being transferred to NAMA in a manner which maximises the return to the taxpayer.
The Government believes that it is essential to identify, with as much certainty as possible, the final cost for the restructuring and resolution of the bank. This will underpin international financial confidence in Ireland. Accordingly, the Central Bank will determine the appropriate levels of capital needed in both institutions. Its decision will be announced by October.

What is the Breakdown for the €72 Billion Exposure,

Please see below a breakdown of the Liabilities of Anglo Irish Bank. The €72 billion figure is a relatively fluid figure as it is affected by currency changes and also some elements of the liabilities might not need to be paid in full if the bank were instantly liquidated.
Key Elements of Anglo Irish Bank’s Balance Sheet (End June 2010)
Deposits from Banks €33.3 bn
Customer Deposits €23.2 bn
Debt securities in issue €16.5 bn
Subordinated Liabilities €2.5 bn
Derivative Financial Instruments €4.4 bn
Other elements €0.5 bn
Total Liabilities €80.5 bn
What were the Recent Changes Announced by Government in Relation to Anglo Irish Bank, Asset Recovery Bank & Investment Bank,
The Government decided that Anglo Irish Bank will be split into a Funding Bank and an Asset Recovery Bank. Anglo Irish Bank has not expanded its loan book since it was nationalised in early 2009 and this will remain the case. It is intended that in due course the Recovery Bank will be sold in whole or in part or that its assets will be run off over a period of time.
The guaranteed position of depositors will be unchanged by the new arrangements. The depositors will become customers of the Funding Bank which will be fully capitalized and continue as a regulated bank.
What is the Purpose of the Change & what will be the End Result
"Today’s decision by the Government will provide certainty about the future of Anglo Irish Bank. Resolution of this, our most distressed institution, is essential to the promotion of confidence and stability in our financial system."-Minister Brian Lenihan
Under the restructuring plan, the Funding Bank will be a Government-backed/guaranteed specialist deposit bank which will contain the bank’s deposit book. It will be a stand-alone, regulated bank, completely separated from Anglo’s loan assets and it will be owned directly by the Minister for Finance. This bank will not engage in any lending, but will provide a secure home for Anglo’s depositors and any new customers who wish to deposit their funds with it. Depositors with the Funding Bank will be completely insulated from the future performance of the rest of the current Anglo Irish Bank loan book.
The Asset Recovery Bank will also be a licensed regulated bank. Its dedicated focus will be on the work-out over a period of time of the assets not being transferred to NAMA in a manner which maximises the return to the taxpayer.
The Government believes that it is essential to identify, with as much certainty as possible, the final cost for the restructuring and resolution of the bank. This will underpin international financial confidence in Ireland. Accordingly, the Central Bank will determine the appropriate levels of capital needed in both institutions. Its decision will be announced by October.


What is the Breakdown for the €72 Billion Exposure,

Please see below a breakdown of the Liabilities of Anglo Irish Bank. The €72 billion figure is a relatively fluid figure as it is affected by currency changes and also some elements of the liabilities might not need to be paid in full if the bank were instantly liquidated.
Key Elements of Anglo Irish Bank’s Balance Sheet (End June 2010)
Deposits from Banks €33.3 bn
Customer Deposits €23.2 bn
Debt securities in issue €16.5 bn
Subordinated Liabilities €2.5 bn
Derivative Financial Instruments €4.4 bn
Other elements €0.5 bn
Total Liabilities €80.5 bn
What were the Recent Changes Announced by Government in Relation to Anglo Irish Bank, Asset Recovery Bank & Investment Bank,
The Government decided that Anglo Irish Bank will be split into a Funding Bank and an Asset Recovery Bank. Anglo Irish Bank has not expanded its loan book since it was nationalised in early 2009 and this will remain the case. It is intended that in due course the Recovery Bank will be sold in whole or in part or that its assets will be run off over a period of time.
The guaranteed position of depositors will be unchanged by the new arrangements. The depositors will become customers of the Funding Bank which will be fully capitalized and continue as a regulated bank.
What is the Purpose of the Change & what will be the End Result
"Today’s decision by the Government will provide certainty about the future of Anglo Irish Bank. Resolution of this, our most distressed institution, is essential to the promotion of confidence and stability in our financial system."-Minister Brian Lenihan
Under the restructuring plan, the Funding Bank will be a Government-backed/guaranteed specialist deposit bank which will contain the bank’s deposit book. It will be a stand-alone, regulated bank, completely separated from Anglo’s loan assets and it will be owned directly by the Minister for Finance. This bank will not engage in any lending, but will provide a secure home for Anglo’s depositors and any new customers who wish to deposit their funds with it. Depositors with the Funding Bank will be completely insulated from the future performance of the rest of the current Anglo Irish Bank loan book.
The Asset Recovery Bank will also be a licensed regulated bank. Its dedicated focus will be on the work-out over a period of time of the assets not being transferred to NAMA in a manner which maximises the return to the taxpayer.
The Government believes that it is essential to identify, with as much certainty as possible, the final cost for the restructuring and resolution of the bank. This will underpin international financial confidence in Ireland. Accordingly, the Central Bank will determine the appropriate levels of capital needed in both institutions. Its decision will be announced by October.

http://www.nama.ie/Publications/2010/NamaAWorkingSolutionPresentation14Sept2010.pdf

Cut Rates & Keep Jobs

Cllr. Kenneth O'Flynn has called upon the Government to begin a revaluation of properties as the last significant valuation of commercial property has been carried out since 2007 the height of the property boom in order to cut rates for business and protect jobs. Speaking on this O’Flynn said; “170,000 properties were valued at the height of the boom back in 2007, no substantial valuation has taken place since. Businesses are paying boom rates but taking in recession receipts “

Continuing on this O’Flynn said; “It is evident that the current local authority rating system, which is used to calculate the commercial rate liability of a business, is not fair. The Valuation Act of 2001 was supposed to bring in a rating system which has enabled safe and certain revenue for the local authorities every year, while also allowing commercial businesses to plan ahead due to the fact they would know their liability for next year, but it does not take account of falling property prices”



Cllr. O’Flynn who is himself a businessman was sceptical stated “many commercial premises have fallen in value by 28 to 30 percent and even though their commercial rates liability are connected to the value of their premises, commercial rates are still allowed to rise by the level of inflation even after a downwards revaluation .”

This in Councillor O’Flynn’s opinion is; “This is producing devastating results for businesses as they are also dealing with shrinking revenue due to the recession which is effectively putting them in a position where costs are rising and income is falling. An article I read in July, said that commercial rates in the city are now almost equating to 30 percent of their rental costs when taking into consideration that some rental prices have dropped to reflect the drop in sales. While rental prices, the value of the buildings and business revenue are all going south, commercial rates have neglected to reflect the change in the economy.”

In conclusion O’Flynn said; “It also must be asked what is the point in valuing every commercial business in the country, when in reality the commercial rates will depend on the fiscal requirements of the local authority as oppose to their value.” Councillor O’Flynn also stated his desire to bring these matters up directly with Minister Brian Lenihan at the next National Executive meeting

Your chance tomorrow to volunteer for work overseas

Your chance tomorrow to volunteer for work overseas

IRISH AID, the Government’s overseas development programme, will host “the largest overseas volunteering fair ever held in Ireland” this Saturday.

The fair aims to highlight long and short-term volunteering opportunities in developing countries. It will be held in the Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre in Dublin, with 29 organisations taking part, including GOAL, USIT and Slí Eile as well as Irish Aid.

The fair is free and open to the public. It will run from 11am until 4pm, and according to Overseas Development Minister Peter Power is “the perfect opportunity for individuals looking to get involved in volunteering abroad to discuss their options with volunteer-sending organisations”.

Speaking ahead of the fair, Minister Power encouraged those interested in overseas volunteering to attend…

Events such as this also help to promote synergies among organisations working in volunteering. The health and safety of development workers and volunteers overseas is of crucial concern and it is very important that volunteers are managed in a professional way. The Volunteering Fair will showcase the Irish Volunteering Code of Practice which supports organisations that manage and work with volunteers.

Visitors to the Fair will be able to meet with representatives of the organisations and past volunteers, and attend workshops on volunteering options. There will also be presentations on the work and requirements of several of the organisations.


Meanwhile next week Minister Power will accompany Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin to New York to attend a “major” meeting on hunger.

Micheál Martin and the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will co-host a meeting of international leaders to address world hunger and under-nutrition.


The event, 1,000 Days: Change a Life, Change the Future Partnering to Reduce Child under-nutrition, will be attended by world leaders, international organizations, civil society and the private sector.

It is designed to “highlight action to reduce child under-nutrition, focusing on programmes targeted at the 1,000 day window of opportunity, the period beginning with a woman’s pregnancy and continuing until a child is 2 years old”.

Cllr. Kenneth O'Flynn has welcomed the proposed Blackpool Development Plan which is to be voted upon shortly by members of Cork City Council.

Cllr. Kenneth O'Flynn has welcomed the proposed Blackpool Development Plan which is to be voted upon shortly by members of Cork City Council.



Speaking on this the Northside Councillor said that there have been certain criticisms raised with regards to the issue of dereliction. O’Flynn however said that he feels under the leadership of the new City Manager, Tim Lucey, the issues relating to dereliction will be tackled. O’Flynn said; “Speaking to the new manager last Monday at a private meeting, he certainly inspired me with confidence that he is willing to take action on these issues and work with public representatives to make the Plan work for the benefit of Blackpool.”



O’Flynn did however stress that the spine plan for Blackpool must be completed before the new plan can be put into action. On this he said; “the finger posts to Blackpool Village must be erected, the ornamental plaques indicating the lanes of old Blackpool must be laid and a map must be put in place on the plaza outlining the historical areas of interest in Blackpool.”



On the continued issue of flooding O’Flynn said; “the threat of flooding in Blackpool remains for residents and business alike. I have stressed that provisions be made to combat this and find a solution to stop the flooding as presently businesses in Blackpool are finding it increasingly difficult to be insured as a consequence of the flooding.”



O’Flynn concluded by saying when the spine plan is completed and the proposed Blackpool Development Plan implemented, the area will have the potential to be one of the cities primary locations.

fuel allowance

You May be entitled to receive the fuel allowance, which is now being paid to eligible persons. Fuel allowance payments have now recommenced for eligible persons and will continue through to next April. The scheme operates for 32 weeks each year from September to the end of April. The Fuel Allowance is a payment under the National Fuel Scheme to help with the cost of heating your home. It is paid to people who are dependant on long-term social welfare or Health Service Executive (HSE) payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs

you may want to log on to http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/social-welfare/social-welfare-payments/extra-social-welfare-benefits/fuel_allowance

Cork Walk of Fame Commemorate the Famous Corkonian’s

Cllr. Kenneth N. O’Flynn has put forward a motion to Cork City Council, calling on the Council to put in place a walk of fame on Cook Street to Commemorate the famous Corkonian’s who over the years have contributed to the reputation of the City both locally, nationally and internationally.

Speaking on this the Northside Councillor said; “Cork has a rich heritage and can boast an impressive list of people who have contributed to the reputation of the City in various fields. For example of the top of my head I can think of several people fror example with Literature Frank O’Connor, with Sport Roy Keane and
Christy Ring in Theatre Joe Lynch in Politics Jack Lynch, with Music Seán Ó Riada and Cara O’Sullivan. While in Industry we have the two great distilling names the Beamish and Murphy Families and in Science, the mathematician George Boole.”

Cllr. O’Flynn believes that the project would not just offer a fitting tribute to these famous names but that it would also become a premier tourist attraction in the City Centre.

Apps for Cork

Cllr. Kenneth N. O’Flynn has put forward a motion to Cork City Council, calling on the Council to develop an application for iPhones and Satellite Navigation devices which would allow users the opportunity to download for free the historical points of interest in Cork City.

Speaking on this Cllr. O’Flynn said; “I think that this would be a good way for the City to provide an easy to use and informative virtual tour of Cork City allowing them to access points of interest and get the relevant information on these places.”

Continuing the Northside Councillor said; “in drafting the motion I asked that in developing this application, the Council pay particular attention to the historical walking tours which have been set up by Cork City Council in the past year. I know myself that the walking our on the Northside of the City based around Shandon has been agreat success and brought many people to the area with an interest in
history and the rich heritage of Cork.”

Bike Sharing Scheme

Cllr. Kenneth O’Flynn has welcomed a reply to a motion that he put before Cork City Council, in which he called upon the Council to implement a bike sharing scheme. In the reply the Roads Control Division and representatives of the Planning Department have begun to investigate the options available to fund public amenity projects such as the Public Bike Scheme.

Cllr. O’Flynn welcomed what he says is; “the first step in the right direction by the Council in relation to this scheme.” Bicycle sharing are increasingly popular, a number of bicycles are made available for shared use by individuals who do not own the bicycles. Public bicycles are a mobility service, mainly useful in urban environment for proximity travels. It is able to remove three difficulties of daily cycling use: home parking, theft and maintenance of your private bicycle.

The reasons for implementing bicycle sharing systems are as numerous as the forms the systems take. Recently and most notably, municipal governments, including Dublin City Council, have promoted systems as part of intermodal transportation, allowing people to shift easily from other forms of transport to bicycle and back again. However, for years community groups have promoted bicycle sharing as an easily
accessible alternative to motorized travel, hoping to reduce the carbon footprint of commuting as well as enable residents to become healthier through exercise.

Helping Home Owners

Helping Home Owners

Support for Mortgage Holders in Difficulties

The tradition of home ownership is very strong in Ireland. Successive governments facilitated home ownership in a variety of ways including in via mortgage interest tax relief. I The OECD has concluded that Ireland has one of the most ‘tax-friendly’ housing environments in the world. Banks and Building Societies which are registered with the Financial Regulator must under the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears make every reasonable effort to agree an alternative repayment schedule with borrowers who find themselves in difficulties.

Registered lenders are required under the terms of the Code to give consideration to alternatives such as deferral of payments, extended terms of mortgage, changing the type of mortgage or capitalising arrears and interest.

On the 5th February the Financial regulator wrote to all mortgage lenders informing them that from 17th February the Statutory Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears has been amended where arrears have arisen on a borrower’s primary residence. The Regulator’s initiative followed a request from the Minister for Finance that the ‘waiting period’ be doubled as a means of taking pressure off mortgage holders who were experiencing difficulties.

Registered lenders are now required to allow at least 12 months from the time arrears first arise before applying to the Courts to commence legal actions.

In addition to the Code of Conduct, the Irish Banking Federation has announced that its members will hold off on legal action against those in difficulty as long as the borrowers who are in difficulties stick to mutually acceptable arrangements that are put in place to deal with the debt. These arrangements are subject to six monthly reviews.

Advice for mortgage holders with problems is available through the Money Advice Budgeting Services (MABS).

The Money Advice Budgeting Services (MABS) provides a free, confidential and independent service for people who find themselves in difficulties particularly with mortgage arrears.

The Government has recently increased the advisory services provided through the Money Advice Budgeting Services (MABS).

The Irish Banking Federation and MABS have agreed an operational protocol which will enable MABS and the Irish Banking Federation to work closer with each other, to help people who find themselves in difficulties.

In addition to the advice and guidance through MABS the Government, in the most recent budget, refocused mortgage interest relief on those who bought their homes at the peak of the market.

The Government is also providing financial support to over 15,000 families, through the Mortgage Interest Subsidy Scheme.

With an eye to the longer term the Government has established a Review group on Mortgage Arrears. Headed up by the Department of Finance the Group is examining problems arising from both mortgage and non-mortgage debt, considering measures to assist people with mortgage arrears to keep possession of their family home and examining measures adopted in other countries to deal with this problem. The Group will report on a rolling basis on the most sensible and effective way to deal with these problems.

PRSI Scheme to Create Jobs

PRSI Scheme to Create Jobs



Under the Government’s latest job creation initiative €36 million will be made available to businesses that create jobs.
Under a new Government initiative, an employer who creates new jobs for people who have been out of work for 6 months or more will be fully exempt from PRSI liability for the first year of that employment.
The scheme will save an employer in the region of €3,000 from the annual cost of employing an additional worker.
The Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme will help to create jobs and help to get people who have lost their jobs back to work.
The scheme, which will be open to applications in relation to any job created in 2010, is being specifically targeted at people who have been out of work for 6 months or more because evidence suggests that that after 6 months on the Live Register there is a danger that people will drift into long-term unemployment.
An employer will not have to pay PRSI for 12 months from the time an application is approved.
There are a number of safeguards built into the scheme to ensure that it has maximum impact and prevents any abuse:
 The job must be full-time and must be new and be additional: employers will not be allowed to substitute existing employees to avail of the scheme.
 The job must last for six months or more. If it does not the PRSI exempt amounts will have to be repaid by the employer.
 The employer will be required to furnish an up-to-date Tax Clearance Certificate.
 Employers will be limited to a maximum participation rate of 5% of their existing workforce or, for smaller companies, a maximum of 5 new jobs.

New Law to Govern Property Management Companies

New Law to Govern Property Management Companies

The Government has introduced legislation in Dail Eireann which will be of particular interest to apartment owners and to people with homes in ‘mixed developments.’ The new legislation, the Multi-Unit Development Bill 2009, will regulate new and existing management companies.

The legislation, implements recommendations made by the Law Reform Commission on the regulation and management of apartment blocks and other multi-unit developments in June 2008

The legislation provides a legal framework that will govern the establishment and operation of management companies. It also provides for the transfer of ownership of common areas within apartment block or other multi-unit developments.

The Bill introduces statutory regulation in this area for the first time. It addresses issues relating to the obligations of developers, the operation of management companies and protects the owners of new and existing units in apartment blocks and other forms of multi-unit developments.

Critically the Bill provides for the transfer of common areas to owner management companies prior to the sale of any units in an apartment block. This will overcome the difficulty faced by many buyers of apartments where developers continued to effectively hold control of common areas, a feature that some developers sought to exploit through the operation of management companies which they continued to control.

The Bill also makes provision for voting rights and sets out regulations for the establishment and maintenance of schemes for service charges. It makes mandatory the provision of sinking funds necessary for the long term care and maintenance of apartment blocks. The legislation also sets out mediation and a court based resolution system for resolving disputes.

The legislation together with the recently published Property Services (Regulation) Bill 2009, will, when in operation bring a very important new form of regulation into Irish property management. It will transform the regulatory environment for management companies, impose new obligations on developers and give new powers to apartment owners.

The National Consumer Agency has welcomed the publication of the bill as representing a “good day for consumers”. The agency has specifically welcomed the obligations to transfer common areas to owner management companies and the extinguishment of the beneficial interests of the developer on completion of a development. It welcomed the transparency in relation to service charges and the statutory requirements to create a sinking fund.

The Apartment Owners Network which supports campaigns for Irish apartment owners has also welcomed the publication of the bill.

“That this Council would put in place a blanket ban on bonfires in the City 365 days a year.

That this Council would put in place a blanket ban on bonfires in the City 365 days a year.













Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn has placed a motion before Cork City
Council which reads; “That this Council would put in place a blanket
ban on bonfires in the City 365 days a year. In particular the 23 June
would no longer be known as ‘Bonfire Night’ but rather ‘Community BBQ
Night’ similar to block parties that are organised in the United
States.” Speaking on why he placed this motion before the Council
O’Flynn said; “I think the days of bonfires are past us. Not only do
they create temporary unsightly smells and smog clouds in some cases,
they also give people an unwarranted excuse to burn rubbish and other
household waste.”

Cllr. O’Flynn said the symbolism of bonfire night, which began in
pre-Christian times and was adopted as part of Saint John’s Eve
following the arrival of Christianity to Ireland has no relevance in
modern Ireland. He said; “In its present form bonfire night is an
excuse for vandalism and anti-social behaviour and each year the
emergency services are placed under tremendous pressure as a
consequence bonfire night.”

So what does the Fianna Fáil Councillor have in mind instead of the
bonfire night; “I would prefer to see communities holding block
parties with a BBQ, games and fun events organised around it. I think
that while the positive aspect of bonfire night has always been the
Community input, this has been hijacked by those who simply start
fires on the night without any regard for anyone else.”

Councillor O’Flynn believes replacing bonfire night with a community
night which he is at present calling; ‘Community BBQ Night’ will be a
great way for communities to organise events in a way to brings people
together for the purpose of having a fun night that is inclusive of
all the community.

Cork Opera House












Northside Fianna Fáil Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn has called on the City Manager to suspend the board of the Opera House in the wake of the decision to close the theatre from 4 July until 29 September.

The Blackpool based Councillor said; “I am flabbergasted that at the height of the city’s tourist trade, we are without one of the most iconic sites in our City. Cork City without the Opera House is like Paris without the Eiffel Tower.”

While two Events will be honoured during the temporary closure include Daniel O’Donnell concerts and an Aprés Match show, Cllr. O’Flynn said that this is; “not good enough. While I am glad that the Opera House is honouring to stage what will be successful shows, to think that only 2,000 will avail of the theatre over the summer is disheartening.”

The Councillor believes the City Manager needs to suspend the board while a full investigation into the matter is carried out by Cork City Council. Speaking on this O’Flynn said; “This is the people’s Opera House and it was their money that built it. The people of Cork love
their Opera House and they deserve nothing less to receive answers as to why in the second city in Ireland is on the brink of maybe losing its main theatre.”

With a background in the Arts, O’Flynn believes that now is the time people with a knowledge of both business and culture should come together to save this important part of City life.

We need to Establish a Grot busting unit












Fianna Fáil Cork City Councillor, Kenneth O’Flynn has called upon the Council to establish a grot busting unit.Speaking on the issue, O’Flynn said; “In the U.K. the ‘Grot-Busters’ campaign has proven hugely effective in seeking the clean up of many areas and in particular the tidying up of so many scruffy buildings.” If introduced the plan would see Cork City Council “Grot-Busters” going out to
private buildings or areas in need of cleaning and then carrying out this work. After this work would be carried out the person who owns the property would be made to foot the bill. The Councillor believes that such a plan would go a long way to making people more responsible not just for their own properties, but in the case of green zones or wastelands in private ownership. Whereby the securing and maintenance of these areas would be improved to avoid any fining or indeed prison sentencing on failing to pay for the work carried out by
‘Grot-Busters’.

O’Flynn believes this coupled with greater education of the public against illegal dumping and the need to maintain buildings to an acceptable standard within a local community will go a long way in helping to aesthetically rejuvenate communities as well as fostering greater personal responsibility among individuals. Councillor O’Flynn says he will be meeting shortly with Council officials to impress upon them the merits of this scheme.

Former St Mary’s Road Library

Former St Mary’s Road Library







RECENTLY agreement was reached between the HSE and Cork City Council to use the former St Mary’s Road Library as a community resource and to provide there a range of facilities for the elderly including the possibility of a drop in centre.

Cllr Kenneth O’Flynn welcomed this announcement saying, “This is a very important development for the elderly people of Shandon and it provides additional facilities to the community.

“I am delighted to see the former St Mary’s Road Library being put to good use. It will continue to be a vital asset to the Shandon community, especially to the elderly people of the area.

“The City Council stressed that they seek to assist community groups and that if anything specific can be done they will be happy to have it examined.

Purpose built homes for the Butter Exchange Band and the Girl Guides.

Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn has welcomed the announcement by Cork City Council that two derelict buildings at 6A and 7 John Redmond Street will be converted into purpose built homes for the Butter Exchange Band and the Girl Guides.




Cllr. O’Flynn welcomed the development saying; “One of the buildings had been the home for many years of the Butter Exchange Band and it is wonderful to see the City Council, having acquired these buildings last year are now using them for the betterment of the Local Community in Shandon.”


Cllr. O’Flynn continued; “The project will not only provide permanent homes for the Butter Exchange Band and the Girl Guides but it will rid the area of two derelict sites and replace them with well designed new buildings.”

The overall cost is estimated to be in the region of €350,000 and will be funded out of profits made from the sale of Navigation House at Albert Quay.

Expel to Israeli Ambassador

Cork based Fianna Fáil Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn has impressed upon Minister Michéal Martin to expel to Israeli Ambassador to Ireland in light of this weeks attack by Israeli Commandos upon Humanitarian Aid Ships bound to Gaza. Speaking to journalists on this issue the Councillor said; “As well as the state sponsored apartheid of Palestinians by the State of Israel, it now seems that the Israeli Government wishes to up the ante and starve the Palestinian people into total submission. The very fact that the blockade excludes all supplies into the Gaza Strip begs the question what is Israel’s real intention in the area.”




The Fianna Fáil Councillor was also critical of the United States silence on the matter stating; “We have in the past seen in cases like Northern Ireland and South Africa it was only by international pressure and most importantly by the United States that a deal was brokered that brought about peace.

I think now that if America as the policeman of the world, takes off its rose tinted glasses in relation to Israel and see’s what is happening that it might force the Israeli’s to enter into meaningful dialogue with the Palestinian authority to end the blockade and return to working towards building a lasting Peace Settlement in the Middle East.”




The Councillor concluded; “As part of this International Pressure, I think the best way that Ireland can act is to expel the Israeli Ambassador and to make clear to the State of Israel, that we as a people who have forged our National Identity in the face of colonial oppression, naturally support the Palestinian cause for Self-Determination. While this cause is being stagnated and denied by the State of Israel, Ireland must act upon principle and with a sense of Justice and fair play and until Israel begins to embark on a similar path we must continue to put International pressure upon
them.”

30 km/h speed limit

When it was proposed that Cork would follow in the footsteps of Dublin and introduce a 30 km/h speed limit in the City Centre, I asked myself one question; is this good for Cork? I entered politics with one goal: to serve my City to the best of my ability and for the betterment it’s Citizens. When proposals relating to the City have come before me as they do weekly at Council, the overriding deciding factor is what benefit it will be for the people of Cork City. No matter which avenue my train of thought took me I came to one conclusion; this would be a disaster for the City Centre.





Cork City Centre is already crucified by clamping and bad parking policies. There is already a perception that we are Ireland’s clamping Capital. These are problems which have forced businesses to either close down indefinitely or try to relocate to the suburbs to salvage business which they lost in the City Centre due to some of the worst parking policies put in place by Cork City Council.








The ultra-low speed limit is one of the worst decisions ever made this will frustrate ordinary traffic and infuriate careful motorists. The 30km/h zones only work when they are engineered properly in traffic-calmed areas, which are self-policing. Applying them en-masse on roads engineered for high volumes at flowing speeds is absurd. This is beginning to become a bit beyond the joke that we are continually being spoon-fed these measures of over regulation and being told they are good for us and that they will keep us safe. I believe that we need to step up and become more responsible about our driving and take heed of those around us, rather then have this legislated for us by local government.



Other City Councils in Limerick and Waterford have no plan to follow Dublin’s failed lead, I see no reason why we should play little Sir Echo and try and imitate the Capital in the interests of what some see as progress. I think if we are to be imitating policies it should be policies of cities which make a positive difference to the lives of people. So maybe we should look to Waterford and Limerick and say no to this proposal to introduce the speed limit that has failed in Dublin and has become a huge source of contention by a variety of sectors across Dublin City.



In this City I do not want us to adopt proposals that are bad for residents, business people or motorists who want to come in and do business the City. It begs the question is this City open or closed for business due to the crippling over regulation our business people are burdened with.



I would much prefer to see the €45,000 which has been allocated to the Council by the Department of Transport to be spent on introducing other forms of traffic calming measures and signage across the City.

HSE committed to developing health services for people living on the Northside of Cork

 
The HSE South has today (Friday, 14th May 2010) reiterated its commitment to developing health services for people living on the Northside of Cork city.
Regional Director of Operations HSE South, Mr Pat Healy said, “The HSE invested more than 91million Euro in community health services in North Lee in 2009; ranging from child and family services, mental health, disability, drug and alcohol addiction services; to services for older people. That investment included more than 18million Euro in primary health care services for the Northside; and 3.6million Euro provided to 140 Community Groups in the area.

Several new buildings that received funding from the HSE also opened last year, including the Knocknaheeny Senior Citizens centre and nearby Family Resource Centre. Family support services in Knocknaheeny; together with the Neighbourhood Youth Projects in Mayfield and the Glen received HSE funding of more than a million Euro; as did the Health Action Zones in The Glen, Mayfield and Churchfield; together with the NICHE Project. The HSE was also involved in funding ‘The Hut’ community facility. A further two million Euro was used to provide addiction services in the northside of the city and 30million invested in mental health service provision. More than 1,000 people with a disability accessed services from HSE multidisciplinary teams in North Lee, last year.


A sixth Community Day Care Centre for older people in North Lee opened in 2009, in Mayfield – the fourth such facility to open on the Northside in the last three years (between 2007-2009), bringing the total investment to more than 4 million Euro.
Every part of North Lee, from Knocknaheeny to Mayfield, Farranree to Blackpool, Gurranabraher to Dillons Cross and Glanmire, is now covered by a local community-based healthcare team. These Primary Care Teams include family doctors and a range of HSE professionals like physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists.”


The HSE is moving towards providing more health services in local communities, so that people can access services locally, closer to where they live, and avoid unnecessary stays in acute hospitals for services they could get elsewhere, more easily.


Yesterday, (Thursday, 13th May 2010) the HSE South announced plans to relocate orthopaedic services from St. Mary’s Orthopaedic Hospital to the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital.

Speaking at the announcement, Regional Director of Operations HSE South, Mr. Pat Healy said he was confident that the relocation of orthopaedic services from a stand alone site at SMOH to the SIVUH, an acute hospital with other complimentary orthopaedic specialities on site, such as rheumatology and anaesthetics, will best serve patients’ needs.


“We have given assurances that there will be no job losses for the 220 staff who will be affected by the relocation. The HSE South has already had contact with staff representatives and there will be full engagement on the relocation of services.”
He said he wholeheartedly acknowledged the contribution of the staff at SMOH, both past and present, in looking after patients in a most caring and professional manner.
There will be no loss of orthopaedic beds as a result of the transfer of services to the SIVUH.

The HSE is fully committed to maintaining and further developing the SMOH site as a health complex maintaining existing services on campus including mental health, intellectual disability, ambulance, outreach maternity and health centre services. The newly built community nursing unit on site is due to open this year.
The HSE vision for the SMOH site is not only the maintenance of existing services but also the expansion of a range of health facilities such as a Primary Care Centre and other health and personal social services.


In this context the HSE had had discussions with Cork City Council as part of the review of the Masterplan for the area and we are working with them on the future use of the site to accommodate our future requirements.

It is the HSE intention that that the opening up of the site will lead to the health facilities at the SMOH site becoming an integral part of the communities and the provision of health services in a town centre will bring services closer to the local communities of Knocknaheeny / Gurranabraher / Churchfield and provide health services in a manner which provides a positive outcome for the community in the area.

Economy is turning – Fine Gael’s policies will hold it Back” says O’Flynn

Economy is turning – Fine Gael’s policies will hold it Back” says O’Flynn



Fianna Fáil County Councillor, Kenneth N O’Flynn has today criticised the financially reckless policies in the Fine Gael Jobs Documents entitled ‘ NewEra’


Central to the Fine Gael proposals is to raid the National Pension Reserve Fund and to borrow more money to implement policies that are already substantially contained in the Government’s own ‘smart’ economy plan. In their document, Fine Gael says that we should ‘introduce smart meters, electric Vehicles and green energy proposals.’



‘Perhaps if they listened to recent government announcements, they would realise that all of these proposals are being implemented by the Government. This is classic Fine Gael strategy – pretend that you are coming up with ideas but just steal them off Fianna Fáil’ added Cllr. O'Flynn.



Fianna Fáil in Government is focusing on priority areas such as competitiveness; human capital; innovation; infrastructure; green economy; and trade in order to reenergize the jobs market. This is part of the Government’s ‘Jobs and Growth 2010’ strategy.



The economy is stabilising. Consumer sentiment is back to levels last seen in early 2008; exports have been incredibly resilient and are now driving our economy and the latest exchequer returns showed that revenues were now on target for the period to the end of April. Now is the time for smart thinking not reckless Fine Gael policies concluded Cllr O’Flynn

Environment

Wind is the way forward

Wind energy is environmentally friendly and helps us make wiser
choices with our precious natural resources. Compare wind to
conventional forms of electricity generation like thermal power,
which burns fossil fuels and contributes to climate change or
to nuclear power, which uses vast quantities of fresh water and
leaves behind toxic waste.

Wind power is a pollution-free and endless source of energy.
It’s clean and limitless and leaves a small environmental footprint
on our planet. Wind is the natural choice.

Wind: a power unlike any other.

An environment with fewer emissions.
Electricity is a necessity of modern life. But modern life also means making wise choices. Wind energy is that choice. It helps diversify our energy mix and gives us a cleaner way to generate power for all.

Let’s take a look at conventional ways to create the electricity used in our homes and workplaces.In many parts of ireland, most of this electricity comes from power plants that burn fossil fuels like coal or natural gas. An inevitable by-product of burning these fuels is air pollution. When considering electricity generating options, we need to consider the full range of costs – including those associated with environmental impacts like air pollution andits long-term health effects.
With wind, there is a change in the air!



Wind energy generates no air emissions at all. Turbines are powered by wind, naturally, and generate no air pollution. Wind energy doesn’t contribute to
smog, acid rain or climate change. Adding wind to Ireland energy mix is a smart
choice for the future – and the right one too.



According to Environment studys
18% greenhouse gas emissions
are created by burning fossil
fuels to generate electricity.

Where there’s wind energy there’s less impact on water.

Fresh water is a precious natural resource we all want to preserve. Adding wind energy to Ireland energy mix is a great way to help us accomplish this goal.
Some hydroelectric power plants can disrupt existing water flows and flood vast areas
of land.Coal-fired power use over 500 times as much water, per unit of energy, as wind. Thermal power production in Irelands withdraws more fresh water than the manufacturing, municipal, agriculture, and mining sectors combined.2 other than occasionally washing the blades in regions with extremely low rainfall, wind farms require no water to operate.

Footprints in the wind.

So what is the environmental impression wind energy leaves behind? Minimal.That’s why the time is right for wind energy. Generating energy from wind doesn’t contribute to climate change, leaves behind no hazardous wastes and uses no water.
This might explain why this low-impact4, renewable, environmentally friendly source
of “green power” is a rapidly growing component of Irelands energy mix.
That’s why wind is the right choice right now.

The real cost of energy.



When we evaluate the cost of energy, we also like to consider the total environmental
impact of getting energy from its initial source to you. This includes site construction, mining, transporting fuel, and the cost of closing down the power plant. Known as a lifecycle analysis, it helps us understand the real environmental
and economic cost of energy. Wind energy has very low lifecycle environmental costs – largely associated with producing and installing the turbines – and that’s a good thing.

Conventional sources of energy have higher environmental lifecycle costs1 because of all the activity it takes to turn these natural resources into electricity. For instance, coal and natural gas must first be extracted from the ground before being shipped by truck or train or sent by pipeline to power plants for conversion into electricity. All this uses energy and creates air pollution.

Whereas a wind turbine generates electricity whenever the wind blows with no need for extraction, transportation or any other environmentally damaging process. Just the pure movement of air is all it takes to powerthe turbines.air is all it takes to power the turbines.


E N V I R O N M E N TA L B E N E F I T S

According to the Renewable
Energy Policy Project3, a
coal-fired power plant’s
lifecycle costs are over twice
as high as a wind farm’s, per
unit of energy produced.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Why are you standing for Cork City Council?
I got involved in politics to help change peoples lives for the better, too often we accept the way things are, rather than the way things should be. I am standing for the people in Cork that need their to have their voices heard

I have been listening to people in Dublin Hill, Ballyvolane Blackpool, the Glen, Shandon, Farranree, and Gurranabraher.
I know only to well the concerns of the elderly people, many of them afraid to leave there homes after 6 pm in the evening, because of anti social behaviour and crime in the area.
The ordinary working man and woman's biggest concern is if he or she has a job next week with the amount of companies relocating to India and south America and so on; or the single mother with children trying to educate and feed her children on a tight budget; I know the need of a young couples trying to pay a Mortgage for a home that is worth 30% less than they originally paid, and the needs of parents of a child with special needs that is in a class that is far to big and not getting the attention the child needs.
I know the need of these people only to well; I am standing up for them.

What experience do you have?
I ran a successful business in Spain for a number of years (insert detail)
I have been active in community affairs and local politics since I joined Fianna Fail, my first election was canvassing for my dad in the 1991 local election. I stood outside the Glen Hall in Blackpool with a board asking people to vote for my Dad.

I've worked on Brian Crowley's election campaigns, the by election and general election campaign, and the 1997 the presidential election, I was Munster treasure for Fianna Fail Ogra in 1995.I am currently working as Parliamentary Adviser to Noel O Flynn T.D. this has given me a huge insight into the challenges facing people in the constituency and indeed in the city.




What do you think of the current economic situation?
We have had 12 years of prosperity we have been a leading economy in Europe under Fianna Fail’s leadership.
However the reality is that the whole world is now in economic free fall from the USA to China.
We have hard times ahead of us we need to make the hard and unpopular decisions as some one in business I know only to well, we need to streamline from the top down, not from the bottom up.
We need to re-examine tax on the super rich; we need to look at the tax breaks that Artists can claim I think it is crazy that a singer or dancer can earn up two250k a year with out paying tax on it.
I think it is wrong to be sending money out of the country in social welfare benefits all social welfare benefits should be collected in the local Post offices not sent to bank accounts all around the globe.
What are the major challenges for the City of Cork and what do you intend to do about it?
As a Council we are in a time of economic difficulty we are burdened with a heavy responsibility.
Cork has faced many changes and challenges we have had both highs and lows, good times and bad times but we have always come out stronger
I believe Cork has a lot going for it.
• Our plan to rebuild Shandon Butter Exchange;
• Our Docklands Project:
• Our on going commitment to Tourism and Culture these plans are noble but yet not enough.

Dublin and Belfast are linking more and more each day, Limerick and Galway the same, and the continuous threat of Waterford City battling for its place in the South. If you note ongoing advertising of Waterford Port; how prime it is for industry and trade with Europe and USA, portraying that it is the natural gateway to Europe essentially stealing the true identity of Cork City, it is about time we fought back with our own visionary plan.

We have problems with anti social behavior being in our City from the center to the suburbs, and I understand that a great deal of our City budget is spent every year in repairing vandalism. There is a simple solution all that needs to be done on this, is we take away the opportunity for the crime to be perpetrated; we must keep the grass cut low; close off rat runs used to avoid the Gardai and light the areas that these thugs are congregating; we must have a real zero tolerance not a just talked about one.

It is my understanding that a number of houses purchased by Cork City Council have not been allocated and some of these homes are now falling into disrepair one example that comes to mind was a house purchased by Cork City Council over 11 months ago it has been broken in to three times a six thousand Euro kitchen has been removed all the windows are now broken and subsequently boarded up, to put this house back to the state it was bought in, will now cost the City Council over 15 thousand Euros this has no rhyme or reason with over five thousand people on the housing list. Frankly that is not acceptable.
Unemployment is now a growing problem in Cork what do you intend to do about it?
This is something of huge concern to my constituency I am very concerned about this, the top priority is that we keep jobs in Cork. The election of Barack Obama will not be helpful in relation to the American Companies. From what he's said I don't think Ireland is even on his radar, which worries me. So as a City Councillor I will do all in my power to work at keeping these all important American jobs in Cork.
Also I will be writing to the business community for their thoughts and ideas and producing a report based on their feedback.
What influence can a Councilor have on politics or on the lives of the people of Cork?
Well any Councilor is only as good as his last job. I think if I do anything positive or negative it'll reflect on my performance in June, my priority is to work for the people of Cork. They are my constituents and their wishes are paramount.
Do you agree with a freeze on rates and services charges?
YES
Do you believe that we should have a property tax for residential homes?
No.

economic crises

We are facing the most serious economic crises in 80 years, if Ireland is to survive this crisis and retain its financial and economic independence we will need to take tough decisions.

There is no easy way out of this; there are no soft options that will work. We cannot afford the current level of state expenditure, we have to cut and we have to cut deep.

When it comes to cuts I have a simple philosophy- we need to defend the services that people need and that make a tangible difference to people's lives and deliver real value to citizens and the state. Anything else needs to justify its existence and prove it can deliver real value.

There are currently in excess of 600 separate departments and agencies. What are they all doing. To give one example there are approx 40 agencies which have an input into Primary School Education, yet a Primary Principle recently made the point that if you abolished all of them, and the Department of Education, as long as you had a payroll system and a means of evaluating children with special needs then the primary education could motor on successfully for the next five years and neither teachers nor pupils would know the difference.

Or take for example the Equality Authority, do we really need a Government Agency to write a report criticizing Pat Kenny on the Late Late Show for stating that some toys would be popular with girls or others with boys. Get real no we don't we need guards on the street- protecting the peace not the PC police.

If a quango can't explain the value it delivers to the public in one short paragraph cut and cut it now, and put the people in the Agency to do something useful like providing secretarial support in Garda stations to free up police officers to go on the beat

In government I do think we could run the country with less junior Ministers
In my own opinion there is a need for only five junior ministers operating at the following departments, the Department of the Taoiseach, Department of Finance, Department of Health and Children, Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform and the Department of Foreign Affairs. The junior ministers would exist as follows; Minister of State at the Department of An Taoiseach with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip. Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works. Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for Children and the Elderly. Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform with special responsibility for Equality. Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for European Affairs.
The recent Late Late Show debate on the Senate got many people questioning the importance of the Upper-House. My understanding was that the initial intention of the Senate was to incorporate the best minds from different levels of Irish society such as culture, education, labour, agriculture etc. At present the current Senate has evolved into a very different creature. On the whole I cannot say there are very many professional senators. I feel that the Senate as it stands is little more then a waiting room for the Dáil. As a consequence and of the little relevance that it has in the process of legislation, I think it is time that the Senate is abolished. I would agree with a referendum to do so be held in conjunction with the local elections.



Since entering the Council in December I have been canvassing and there is hardly a door I go to where I do not hear about the excessive wages our parliamentarians receive. I agree entirely with these sentiments. With this budget the government must cut the wages of all TD's by 20%. Another startling fact many people are not aware of is that there are deputies at both sides of the house who have served as ministers and are in receipt of their ministerial pensions while being members of the Dáil. I do not fell this is sustainable or acceptable in the current economic climate. Ministerial pensions should only become accessible when those in receipt of them have left active politics, be it at Dáil, Senate or European level. As well as this I feel that it is an honour to serve as a member of Dáil Eireann. Thus I cannot imagine why it is necessary for TD's chairing committees to receive large salaries for doing so. I think this is another area where cuts have to be made.

Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn has called on the Taxi Regulator to crack down on blatant breaches of the Taxi regulations.

“For the last number of weeks I have been receiving complaints that we have;

People driving taxi’s who don’t’ have full driving licenses

Drivers in procession of false taxi registration document;

Drivers using false tax and insurance documents;

Cases where one driver has full driving licenses a taxi license but who has three other drivers with neither.”

“If even half the complaints that have been brought to my attention are true, then we have a situation in Cork, where the system of regulation has broken down” he continued “ I have been told by a number of people that in some cases they no longer feel safe getting into taxi because of some of the drivers.”

Councilor O’Flynn called for the immediate appointment of a full time inspector for Cork to ensure that the taxi regulations are being observed, and that welfare of passengers is assured.

Councilor O’Flynn also said that if the Taxi Regulator failed to do their job, then the office and the Agency should be abolished. “ It is obvious that what happened at Anglo-Irish bank happened because the Financial Regulator was asleep at the wheel, I sincerely hope that we do not have another state regulator asleep at the wheel. The Taxi Regulator is supposed to enforce the regulations not just produce glossy reports and snazzy websites, we need action now, or the first public sector cut I will be advocating is the closure of the Taxi regulators office.

Ken O’Flynn identifies €175m in savings more than enough to fund the Christmas bonus for Social Welfare recipients

Ken O’Flynn identifies €175m in savings more than enough to fund the Christmas bonus for Social Welfare recipients
Councillor Ken O’Flynn has called on Government to pay in full the annual Christmas bonus for social welfare recipients
Councillor Ken O’Flynn described plans to cut the annual Christmas bonus as unnecessary and pointed out that if the Department of Finance had implemented its own procurement strategy drawn up in by PWC in 2002 it would now be saving a minimum of €175m per year or just 2% of procurement costs. Procurement is the acquisition of goods and/or services at the best possible total cost of ownership, in the right quantity and quality, at the right time, in the right place and from the right source for the direct benefit or use of corporations or individuals, generally via a contract.

“The Department of Finance is acting like Scrooge with regard to the Christmas’s of social welfare recipients and the elderly, yet it has failed miserably to implement the findings of a report it commissioned in 2002 and which could have saved the country millions” he said. “in point of fact a subsequent report in 2003 by the Information Society Commission, entitled 'Modernising Public Procurement', indicated that the government could potentially save up to €1 billion annually on public procurement.

“The permanent Government is cutting the Christmas bonus’s for the elderly but has failed to cut waste in the public sector” he said “I am calling on the Minister to as a matter of urgency to look for savings in the way that Government does its work. For example a Dublin engineer recently came up with a plan to save the country €1billion by redrawing the route for Metro North would reduce the cost by €1bn while streamlining public transport. Lets slash the waste in government before we cut benefits for the poor and the elderly”

Kenneth N. O' Flynn Welcomed the announcement of Christmas Market

Councillor Kenneth O’Flynn welcomed the announcement that the Christmas Market will take place again this year. Councillor O’Flynn said that the event last year was very successful and it gives a good boost to the city centre and adds a positive atmosphere to the Grand Parade and really captures the mood of the season. “With there being so much doom and gloom going around at the moment, I feel free events like this are what is needed to lift peoples spirits. Not only will it benefit the other traders in the city, but it will encourage people from outside the city to come and visit Cork.” In reference to last years market, Councillor O’Flynn said foreign visitors he brought to the market thoroughly enjoyed the crafts and gourmet items on sale and that the market for them captured a great sense of Irishness. Councillor O’Flynn went on to say; “Since coming onto the council, I have often talked about strengthening communities well I think it is positive events like this are the way to go about doing so.” While the event has been announced, plans still remain in place to ensure the success of the event. Councillor O’Flynn from his own interest in the project promises to examine and work closely with event planning committee to ensure that the Cork City Christmas Market becomes a major event in the cities calendar and something that people everywhere can enjoy.