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.