Tag Archives: Pat Breen

Clare’s new Junior Minister, Pat Breen has pledged to meet senior management in Roche’s headquarters in Basel, if necessary, as part of efforts to secure an alternative buyer or employment to avert the phased closure of the Clarecastle plant. Deputy Breen, who is one of the 15 new Junior Ministers announced by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, pledged to exert some political pressure to try and get Roche to sell its Clarecastle plant on a stand-alone basis rather than pursing the sale of its plants in Clare, South Carolina, USA and Florence, Italy. The Ballynacally man is the first Clare deputy to serve as junior minister in over six years since former Clare Fianna Fáil Deputy, Tony Killeen ended his stint as Minister for State for Fisheries and Forestry following his elevation to become Defence Minister in the cabinet in March 23, 2010. Mr Killeen was first appointed Minister of State in May 7, 2008 and survived a later reshuffle when former …

CLARE’S newly elected Oireachtas members are to be invited to the next meeting of Clare County Council, where councillors will put funding for the county’s roads “on the shopping list”. The council is also set to write to the Government seeking funding of €1.6 million towards maintaining the roads. This comes after councillors last month sought to raise a loan of the same amount from the Department of the Environment, with the council currently awaiting a decision. At this week’s council meeting, Councillor Christy Curtin urged that they request the Government to reactivate local road grant allocations. He commented that in the wake of the withdrawal of funding allocations for the Local Road Improvement Scheme and the suspension of the Community Involvement Scheme, people in rural Ireland “aren’t getting the benefits of other citizens”. Figures released by the council show that the Local Improvement Scheme funding dropped from €906,000 in 2009 and 2010 to €302,000 in 2011, the last time …

It’s going to be another big day at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon for the General Election 2016 Clare Constituency count. The Clare Champion captures the atmosphere in photos by John Kelly   DAY 2 IN PHOTOS:   DAY 1 IN PHOTOS:    

FOLLOWING the publication of the Clare Champion-commissioned 2016 Clare Constituency General Election Poll, Paddy Power Betfair have reacted by making significant changes to the odds of offer for the candidates. “Following a poll from The Clare Champion our prices have drastically changed. Two sitting TDs (Joe Carey (FG) and Michael McNamara (Lab) are in massive trouble,” commented a spokesman for the bookmakers. The odds for Pat Breen and Timmy Dooley have tightened from 1/12 to an almost unbackable 1/25. Independent Dr Michael Harty has moved in from 5/4 to 1/4, with the odds on Sinn Fein’s Noleen Moran shortening significantly from 10/1 to 8/13. Michael McDonagh (FF) has also come in from 9/4 to 6/4, while sitting TD Joe Carey (FG) has drifted from 1/8 to 10/3, the other sitting TD under pressure, Michael McNamara (Lab) out from 5/2 to 4/1. Ann Norton (Ind) has drifted in the market from 3/1 to 14/1, Clare Colleran Mollloy (FF) 9/1 to 14/1, …

Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs, Pat Breen, has welcomed the announcement in Budget 2016 of an increase in Ireland’s overseas development aid budget. “Budget 2016 seeks to improve life for people at home in Ireland, as well as in the poorest regions across the globe. In recognising Ireland’s responsibility to the world’s most vulnerable people, Budget 2016 increases our overseas development aid budget by €40 million on last year’s figure. Our ODA budget for 2016 will be a substantial €640 million, a 7% increase in the overall budget,” said the Clare Fine Gael TD. “Ireland has a longstanding and proud reputation as being a very generous overseas aid donor. While we have been through a very tough couple of years here at home, we did not neglect the world’s poor and continued a substantial approach to overseas development aid. Last year we ensured no cuts to the ODA budget and this year, now that we have the …

THE Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney has announced that almost €7.8 million will be issued to Clare farmers under a special scheme. The Department of Agriculture have started to issue €117 million in payments nationally and €7,797,885.91 here in Clare under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme. “These payments will provide a financial boost for the 3,564 farmers in Clare who have been approved to receive this payment. The Minister also confirmed that payments will continue to issue as individual farmers’ cases are confirmed eligible for payment,” Fine Gael TD Pat Breen said in welcoming the payments. “It is also expected that 70% of the Basic Payment Scheme will be paid from October 16, with balancing payments issuing from December 1. It is essential that we continue to support farmers in every way we can during the current challenging times. Fine Gael’s top priority is to secure the economic recovery. We have a clear plan …

A new package of measures has been announced by Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to address difficulties in the dairy and pigmeat sectors. This is good news for Clare farmers, according to Fine Gael TD Pat Breen. “These measures are very welcome for Irish dairy and pigmeat farmers. Particularly positive is the decision made by the EU Commission to allow advance payments of 70% under the direct payments scheme and 85% for rural development schemes before completion of controls. These advance payments are expected to be made to farmers in Clare by mid-October and should significantly ease cash flow, he said. Deputy Breen said this package from the EU Commission is the result of hard work at a European level by the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney and reflects the majority of the demands presented by the Minister to the Commission in a six point plan. “The increase of more than 100% in the rate of private storage aid for …

Fianna Fáil claims regarding the future of the Free Travel Scheme have been dismissed by Clare TD Pat Breen. “This issue arises every year ahead of the Budget and it is only scare mongering to suggest that the Free Travel Scheme will not be protected by this Government,” the Fine Gael deputy said. Mr Breen said it was Fianna Fáil who imposed a cap on funding for the scheme under their National Recovery Plan, 2011-2014. “In spite of the tight budgetary restrictions over the past few years, this Government has managed to protect the scheme and we are committed to its full retention,” he said. The scheme provides free travel for all people living in the State aged 66 years or over, as well those who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. There are currently 828,000 people who have direct eligibility and €77 million is expended on the Scheme annually. “I am very much appreciate the importance of …