Tag Archives: Michael mcNamara TD

Clare primary schools are set to receive a funding boost to carry out small-scale repairs, with the announcement of the 2014 Minor Works Grant by Education Minister, Jan O’Sullivan. “Every primary school in Clare with permanent recognition will receive a small amount of funding to carry out small capital or improvement works to the school, with payments issuing to schools next week,” Deputy Michael McNamara in welcominig the announcements. “This funding will help schools make improvements to their school buildings and grounds, and invest in their furniture, and IT and sport equipment. Each school will receive a payment of €5,500 per school, and a further €18.50 per mainstream pupil, or €74 per pupil with special needs. The grant is worth €6,425 for a 50 pupil school and more than €11,000 for a 300 pupil school. “I know from speaking to parents and principals from across Clare of the efforts made to fundraise to cover minor repairs in recent years and …

Moves to increase the living alone allowance and introduce a Christmas bonus payment are proof older people have not been forgotten in Budget 2015, Clare TD Michael McNamara has asserted. “The slow but steady pick-up in the economy has allowed us to give something back in the recent Budget. We have been able to offer some relief to our older people in particular, who built this country and sacrificed so much in recent years,” he said in reaction to comments on the issues by Minister Brenda Howlin. “I’m glad to see the introduction of a 25% Christmas bonus, which pensioners here in Clare will receive this Christmas. “People around the country are at last beginning to feel some benefit from the recovery, and we want older people to be fully part of that recovery. Labour has always been deeply committed to supporting pensioners and older citizens, and the package of measures we have announced in this Budget show we have …

The Competition Authority is to investigate a complaint from Clare TD Michael McNamara about Irish regulations that restrict the export of live cattle by boat. McNamara had previously complained in the Dáil that the Irish regulations governing the transport of live animals posed an unnecessary barrier to trade in live animals and were contrary to EU free competition. Deputy McNamara said that because of falling beef prices in Irish farming, he has complained to the European Commission and to the Competition Authority that the licensing of boats from Ireland servicing the live cattle trade is far stricter than those applying in other EU countries and that boats licensed in other EU member states could not operate in Ireland. “I am very pleased that the Competition Authority will examine this situation. In the last Dáil session, I tabled a parliamentary question asking how many boats were licensed to take cattle to Libya and the Minister [ for Agriculture]  very proudly told me …

Proposals in respect of pension rights for airport workers in a Bill currently before Dáil Eireann “have no relevance” for the future of Shannon, it has been claimed. The State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014, will establish Shannon Group PLC on a statutory basis and will incorporate both the Shannon Airport Authority and Shannon Development “The Bill contains proposals which will affect pension rights of workers and former workers, not only in Shannon but also those who worked for Aer Rianta/DAA and Aer Lingus in other airports in the State,” ClareDeputy Michael McNamara noted “These proposals have no particular relevance to the future of Shannon Airport and they would seem to me to be misplaced in a Bill, the title of which suggests, is primarily about Shannon.  Therefore, I would like to see these proposals removed from Bill, so that they can be discussed further, without causing delay to the passage of the provisions which concern Shannon specifically. “Undoubtedly, this Bill marks …

CLARE TD, Michael NcNamara has welcomed a commitment from the Taoiseach that reform of the legal sector will go ahead. He was speaking in the Dáil after the resignation of Alan Shatter as Minister for Justice. “Unlike many, but not all on the backbenches of this House, I am more concerned with policies than personalities. Earlier this week the Cabinet agreed a mechanism for charging for water in the fairest way possible. It did so because it was part of the memorandum agreed with the Troika by the previous government. So too, was reform of the legal sector. Taoiseach, I want a commitment from you that this Government will not confine its reforms to those which affect the poor but will also carry out reforms that affect the wealthiest and most powerful sectors of our society. I want a commitment that the Legal Services Bill will proceed to Report Stage,” the Labour deputy said. Taoiseach Enda Kenny replied: “You have …

CLARE Labour TD, Michael McNamara, will this afternoon chair a parliamentary hearing in Strasbourg on mass surveillance, which will include a live video-link from Moscow with US whistleblower Edward Snowden. The video-link at the hearing on mass surveillance takes placethis afternoon at a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg. Other participants at the hearing include the former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service Hansjarg Geiger, who wants to regulate intelligence activities between friendly states, and London-based international law professor Douwe Korff. Deputy McNamara said: “Edward Snowden has triggered a worldwide debate on whistleblowers and that debate has fed into our internal discussions here. Given the recent controversies surrounding the practice of whistleblowing in Ireland, I hope to glean some interesting insights from today’s hearing in general. I’ll also be using the session to ask about the ECJ’s recent judgment on the invalidity of the data retention directive in Ireland and the implications it …