Tag Archives: Government

Ireland’s leading business groups, which represent the vast majority of the country’s employers, have called for ongoing negotiations on the formation of the next government to deliver a clear, comprehensive agreement that will ensure the next administration is in a position to run its full term. The next government needs to have an unwavering focus on the significant challenges we face as a country, one with the mandate, authority and capacity to plan ambitiously and take difficult decisions if needed. The country would not be served well by a government preoccupied by the possibility of an imminent general election, according to the SFA, ISME, Ibec, Irish Exporters Association, Construction Industry Federation and Chambers Ireland. “Any political agreement must first and foremost serve the interests of the country as a whole. Over the coming days, all parties and TDs must play their part in supporting the creation of a stable environment for policy making and legislation that will last a full …

The Government has today (Monday) launched the Mid-West Action Plan for Jobs, aimed at delivering 10-15% employment growth in the region by 2020. The plan is the fourth of eight regional jobs plans to be published as part of a new €250million regional jobs strategy led by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton. Having suffered very badly during the economic crisis, unemployment has now fallen from 16% when the first national Action Plan was launched to 11.2% this year. Numbers in work have started to steadily increase, with agency led jobs growing by 9% between 2011 and 2014. At the launch in Limerick, Minister Bruton said the challenge for this Regional Action Plan is to build on that success and target growth in key sectors of potential like Aviation, Lifesciences, Engineering, Internationally Traded Services and Tourism. If the potential of these sectors is harnessed properly an extra 23,000 jobs can be added by 2020. Key targets of …

TAOISEACH  Enda Kenny has accused Deputy Timmy Dooley of having “some neck” following a dispute over their respective parties’ record on social housing. Deputy Dooley alleged the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny has a “habit of making statements, which are untrue”. “In some instances, people have come to accept them as fact. Deputy Kenny initially made the statement that the problem with social housing went back to the previous government’s time, where they didn’t build houses. That is patently untrue,” he claimed. When Fianna Fáil were in government during previous recessions, Deputy Dooley said they increased the house building programme to meet the demand and need. “It seems to me that Enda Kenny doesn’t care about this issue. He is only interested in winning the next general election and he will sail into the sunset, leaving a pent-up problem for future generations,” he claimed. However, a spokesperson for the Taoiseach said Deputy Dooley has “some neck” accusing any other party of leaving …

Labour TD for Clare, Michael McNamara may not face automatic expulsion from the Parliamentary Party after voting against the Government. Deputy McNamara put forward a bill, not supported by the Government, to give effective trade union recognition to the Garda representative associations and remove a ban on them striking. The Clare TD voted against the Government coalition but Labour sources say he will not face the normal automatic rule of expulsion or lose the Government whip because it was his own piece of legislation. Deputy McNamara, however, still believes the issue will have to be tackled. “I’m disappointed that the relevant line ministers didn’t accept the legislation – I’m disappointed, but no more than that,” he said following the vote. “If you cannot introduce a piece of legislation, then what is the point of being here? I introduced a piece of legislation which I believe is necessary – it brought about changes which Ireland will have to introduce, both [in] …

Sinn Féin has selected Noeleen Moran as a candidate to contest the next General Election in County Clare. Ms Moran, who stood for the party at the local elections in May, was selected at a party convention t in the West County Hotel. Ms Moran said, “I am both proud and honoured to be selected to represent Sinn Féin in Clare. Locally, the party has been growing steadily and we are now in very good shape. We are in a very strong position to contest the General Election whenever it may come. “The people of Clare have been subjected to years of austerity under the reign of Government representatives. It is disgraceful what the ordinary people of this country have had to endure under the current Government and the Fianna Fáil-led administration that came before it. The savage cuts to our health system and other vital frontline services have been deplorable. “It is time for change. There is a lot …

Over 20% of small firms in the Clare area do not know who their local public representatives are, and only 18% are aware of the technology and business grants available worth up to €5,000. This was revealed in the inaugural Magnet Regional Business Barometer (MRBB), a study of over 600 SMEs across the Republic of Ireland by Amarach Research on behalf of cloud telecoms provider, Magnet,. The study revealed that companies of five staff and under are least confident, and all feel the Government is not doing enough for them. Nevertheless, more than 70% small firms in Clare and the Mid-West are optimistic about the year ahead, making them among the most positive in the country. SME decision makers are much more positive than the general public, with 75% of SMEs saying the economy is improving, while just 55% of the general public feel this is the case.The manufacturing sector is most positive in its outlook for the year ahead, …

The potential loss of Aer Lingus slots at Heathrow Airport are at odds with Government plans to correct regional imbalance, the presidents of four chambers of commerce in west have warned. “Recent Government concerns articulated by Jobs Minister, Richard Bruton that Ireland will ‘pay a heavy economic social cost in years to come if regional imbalances are not addressed’ will ring hollow should slots at London Heathrow (LHR), currently controlled by Aer Lingus, be lost in any planned sale of the national carrier,” Paddy Darmody (Ennis), Shannon (Kevin Thompstone), Galway (Frank Greene) and Limerick (Cathal Treacy) said in a joint statement. They stress connectivity through Heathrow gives a small open economy like Ireland unrivalled daily air connectivity to the biggest airport in our country’s leading trading partner and global access and connectivity from Irish airports through the full range of carriers operating at Heathrow. “With Heathrow currently at full capacity, the benefits to IAG of acquiring 23 additional slot pairs are …

The Government cannot continue to ignore the voice of the people over the Irish Water shambles, Deputy Timmy Dooley has warned. The Fianna Fáil TD said the Government’s disastrous handling of the set-up of Irish Water has caused considerable public anger. “At the weekend, I along with thousands of people from communities in every part of Clare, marched against the Government’s strategy and delivery on Irish Water. Fianna Fáil has been against the way Irish Water was set-up from the very beginning and the complete lack of debate on its establishment was a disgrace. This, together with the bonus-culture and over €50 million being spend on consultants, led to the huge numbers we saw in Clare protesting over the weekend. “The protests included people against water charges of any sort, but also a sizeable section of people disgusted with how the Government has handled the issue. The complete lack of fairness by not including an ability to pay clause, utter confusion …