Tag Archives: Clare TD

Sinn Féin TD for Clare, Violet-Anne Wynne has expressed her delight at being appointed to the Dáil select committee on the Rights for People with Disabilities. Deputy Wynne said she is very passionate on the topic of people with disabilities and has experience and knowledge in this area since completing her degree in Psychology from Trinity College Dublin in 2009. “Over the years I have gained experience working with the home help services and I fully understand the frustrations that parents with children with special needs face, as my third born Travis was diagnosed in 2017 with Autism. I would hope that this experience will stand to me when dealing with the issues people bring forward to me,” she said. The Clare TD will be working alongside her party colleague Deputy Pauline Tully to ensure that the concerns of people living with disabilities right across this country are highlighted at the highest level. “I have been raising the difficulties being …

Sinn Féin’s Clare TD, Violet-Anne Wynne, has said that serious issues surrounding Covid-19 testing need to be addressed as some people, including healthcare workers, are waiting up to two weeks for test results. “It is clear that there are serious issues surrounding Covid-19 testing that need to be addressed. I am being contacted on a daily basis by people in Clare, including healthcare workers, who are alarmed to be waiting around two weeks for Covid-19 test results carried out in Ennis,” she said. “We are hearing alot about testing target aims, but the HSE is not disclosing a number of key statistics – what is the number of people waiting to be tested in Clare and elsewhere and what is the number of people waiting to have test results processed?, ” the Clare Dáil Deputy emphasised. “These statistics need to be disclosed in the public interest. The current testing situation in Clare is having serious knock-on effects for contact tracing, with reports …

Clare TD Michael Harty has condemned “in the strongest possible words the indescribable slaughter of the Innocents in Manchester last night.” The West Clare GP said, “To kill and injure teenagers and children on a happy night out at a concert is beyond comprehension. It goes without saying that no cause, no ideology can excuse this outrageous attack on the young and vulnerable. “As a doctor, I am very well aware of the grief and pain suffered by the loved ones of those who die in horrific circumstances. I am equally aware of the slow, difficult and sometimes incomplete recovery of those who survive. They are all in our thoughts today as they battle for life and hope in the face of this atrocity.” The independent Deputy, Dr Harty spoke of the close links between Ireland and County Clare and the city of Manchester. “Over the decades, many of our sons and daughters emigrated there. They found work and a …

CLARE Independent TD, Dr Michael Harty has been appointed chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health. Reflecting on his appointment, Dr Harty said he stood for election in Clare with a commitment to improve services in rural Ireland and to try to make some positive contribution to improving our health system. “Health is one of the greatest challenges facing our country at the present time. As a general practitioner, I am acutely aware of the difficulties encountered by our people as they try to grapple with the shortcomings of the health services,” he said. Deputy Harty continued, “I hope this committee will have an important role in shaping policy and legislation that will positively impact on our health services in the coming years. Because of the makeup of the new Dáil, committees have an opportunity to influence government as never before. I look forward to working with my new colleagues on the committee and promise them and all who are invited …

Clare independent TD Dr Michael Harty has expressed his frustration over the failure of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to engage in meaningful discussions about supporting a new minority government led by the other party. Dr Harty has also confirmed no agreement has been reached between five rural independent deputies and Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil to support a new rainbow coalition. However, both parties have agreed to the proposed introduction of a new rural affairs minister with a substantial budget. According to Dr Harty, one of the main tasks of the new minister is to “rural-proof” proposed decisions taken by other government departments to assess their impact on rural communities. The Kilmihil-based deputy has joined Deputy Michael Collins from West Cork; Denis Naughton, Roscommon; Mattie McGrath, Tipperary and Noel Grealish, Galway, in a team of rural deputies who have held discussions with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil about a potential government partnership agreement. Dr Harty said the group, which …

Clare TD Michael McNamara has been readmitted to the Parliamentary Labour Party. “I will be informing Labour TDs and Senators of this development at the next meeting of the Parliamentary Party,” Deputy Emmet Stagg said in marking the formal announcement. Deputy McNamara said, “Labour has a huge amount of work to do in the coming months, and in the run-up to the election and I want to play a full part in that work. I will be making it my priority to seek to reform Dáil procedures to ensure that it reflects the priorities of those who vote at elections. “I am proud of the record of this Government and, in particular, I am proud of the role that Labour has played in this. This government, with Labour at its heart, has turned the economy around. We are now creating 1,300 jobs a week, and we have created fiscal space of some €1.5b for Budget 2016.

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] …

Difficulties experienced by low-paid workers on zero-hours contracts are to be the focus of a major new study, Clare TD Michael McNamara has confirmed. The study will survey workers and business owners on the impact of ‘zero hours’ contracts, in which workers are given short-term notice of their hours, if any, of work each week. The Labour Party Deputy said,“Workers in these situations have no idea each week what their wages will amount to, making it all but impossible to plan for bills, rent and other living costs. “To address this, my colleague Minister Ged Nash has announced details of a major new study into the area, which will gather information on how widespread and how common such contracts are, and to look at how they affect employees’ rights. Once finished, Minister Nash will make recommendations to Government based on the findings.”