O’Mahony Claims Driving Tests Backlog will not be cleared by June

It’s not realistic to suggest that the waiting list will be cleared by June. In Mayo, the number of drivers on second and subsequent provisional driving licences is 4876 while the number of drivers on first provisional driving licences in Mayo is 5926.
“With the waiting lists as long as they are, it’s extremely unlikely that the commitment given by Minister Dempsey, after his humiliating climb down from his original ill thought out proposal, will be met. There’s no way all the backlog in Mayo will be cleared by June and I think the Minister should come out now and tell the public exactly what the real situation is,” said Deputy O’Mahony.

O’Mahony wants Kiltimagh MAN go ahead

The Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) were established to enable telecommunications companies to provide cheap ‘always-on’ high-speed access to the Internet, a vital tool for industry and business to be efficient and competitive. They are publicly owned, while allowing all telecommunication operators open access to the networks. They are fibre-based and technology neutral resilient networks, which will ensure adequate capacity for generations to come.
Deputy O’Mahony said that the Kiltimagh MAN was provided by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in 2003, with an input from Mayo County Council. The cost was in the region of €400,000 with a major disruption for residents and visitors to Kiltimagh over a three month period at the height of the summer.
“What is clear is this. The Kiltimagh MAN was a waste of taxpayers money and a waste in terms of the summer of disruption faced by the people and visitors to Kiltimagh. There were so many other projects that that sum of money could have been used for in the town”said Deputy O’Mahony.
He said successive responses from the Ministers have been evasive and economical with the true facts of the situation. Following the latest response from Minister Ryan, IRD has made contact with Enet and from their website requested quotes from each of the seven supposed service providers for the Mayo area who were to respond in 5-7 working days. Only one response was received which indicate that service is not available. Nothing was received from the other six or from Enet itself.

“The issue of ‘Backhaul’ (outward connectivity, ideally over fibre) was not addressed at the outset of this project and has not been since. Hence, there is the equivalent of a 50 lane motorway surrounding the town but no means to get on it or off it and no connection to a motorway which will connect to the next town. I am told that the fibre in Kiltimagh can accommodate all of the voice traffic in the world at any given instant.
“It will cost money to make the MAN operational. It can be done for a cost of about €70,000 but would cost more were it done properly, i.e. over fibre. Enet will not provide backhaul and light the fibre until such time as users formally contract for a significant level of service. Business users cannot be expected to contract for services when they cannot be told what is available at what cost. This is a major problem,” said Deputy O’Mahony.
In 2004, the Government appointed Limerick based company Enet as the Management Services Entity. Their role was that of a ‘letting agent’ on behalf of the Government for this infrastructure. Enet may not sell service to an end user, i.e. companies like IRD Kiltimagh. They may only sell to Telecoms/Internet service providers or operators who in turn may sell to the likes of IRD. This is a vital point as despite repeated attempts to ascertain what services would be available at what cost, no answer has been forthcoming. This is because Enet is not in a position to ‘quote’ on behalf of those who will sell service to IRD Kiltimagh in due course.
“IRD Kiltimagh has made repeated attempts with former minister, Noel Dempsey and now with Minister Eamon Ryan, the respective Ministers in this Department to have the Kiltimagh MAN made operational. They have been told by both that the MAN is operational, however when the IRD pass this information on to Enet, it is denied.
“IRD has also failed to determine from either Minister what obligations Enet are under in their contract with the Government. In other words, if they have no obligation to make each MAN operational, then it is probable that they will cherrypick the main towns and leave the likes of Kiltimagh aside as they will be a lot longer getting their return on investment.
“While it’s not the preferred solution, IRD has asked that the Kiltimagh MAN be taken from Enet and run by themselves or Mayo County Council or both. The MAN is particularly important in the context of IRD providing the 32,000 sq. ft. Cairn International Trade Centre Project which is on site at the moment,” said Deputy O’Mahony.

O’Mahony wants more facilities for Mayo youth

Deputy O’Mahony said that while he was in favour of engaging with and supporting young people at all times, the focus had to be on action. “We should focus more on action, the provision of facilities and the delivery of services. Consultation is pointless if action does not follow,” he said.
Deputy O’Mahony made particular reference to examples of young people and their parents being deprived of services for which they are crying out. IN particular, he detailed the situation that exists in Mayo where parents of children with autism are anxious that a specialist school be established for their children. “Applied behaviour analysis, ABA, is the scientifically proven method of treating autistic children. Twelve schools have been approved for funding in respect of this method. However, a further 12 schools submitted applications which, to date, have been turned down. A group of parents in Mayo are desperate to establish one in Mayo and in the past year the group has collected 100,000. Meanwhile, the Government has spent millions of euro on court cases in which it was obliged to defend itself for not providing some of the services to which particular children are entitled.
“I would love Ministers to have heard the impassioned plea of one of the parents of an autistic child at one of the school’s meetings in recent months. It would have brought tears to a glass eye. The father was paying tribute to his wife for looking after their autistic son. He referred to it being a life sentence on her because she was obliged to care for the boy 24 hours a day. The parents at the school were informed that if psychological assessments relating to their children were carried out, their position would be considered. They had them carried out on a private basis because it would have taken two years for this to happen under the normal system. The assessments were sent to the relevant Department but, as yet, no acknowledgement has been received in respect of them,” he said.
Mr O’Mahony said he could speak for hours about the importance of providing facilities for young people in towns and villages. He said the issue keeps arising when one engages with, talks to or consults young people. Many voluntary organisations are doing a fantastic job but they must continue to receive the support and funding they require.
“Organisations such as the No Name Club should benefit from positive discrimination when it comes to funding for premises. This should particularly be the case on foot of the great work they do in promoting a positive outlook and a healthy, responsible lifestyle. Young people also who live on the fringes must be frustrated at the way they are treated. I am aware of a group of young people who could be described as boy racers. Recently, they approached some adult leaders and requested assistance in respect of establishing an organisation for their members. They want to be seen to be acting in a responsible way and to complete a driving course that will assist them in obtaining cheaper insurance and becoming better drivers. They approached the Garda and received its support and are now working with members of the force and building a sense of trust with all members of their community. The name of the group, Ballyhaunis Automaniacs, might sound contradictory but I am aware of the great work its members are doing. We need more work of this nature and greater support for it,” said Deputy O’Mahony. ENDS

TD’s and GAA stars tog for charity fundraiser match

The venue is Milebush Park in Castlebar, the time is 8pm and the date is Thursday, November 29. Mayo’s TD’s and senator, including their only female member, Beverley Flynn, will join with their county council colleagues and a motley crew from the local media to play the Mayo Over-40 All-Ireland champions in a special challenge match that will raise funds for the People in Need (Mayo).
It promises to be quite an occasion. As we write, rumours are spreading of participants engaging in Spartan regimes as they prepare for the biggest (in some cases, only) game of their lives. Training camps apparently have been established and a Dail tactical think in of how best to combat the technical know how of Mick Morris’ men has been put in place.

Expect sparks to fly. Both teams are proven winners and no one will want to lose. Think about it . . . imagine having to live with the shame of losing to (a) a politican, (b) a veteran veteran GAA player or (c) worst of all, a hack who will spend the rest of his or her days writing about the night they made Ronaldinho look like a Junior B player.

You’d be mad to miss it

Kilkelly violence raised in the Dail – O’Mahony

The Minister for Justice, Conor Lenihan, told Deputy O’Mahony that the first call relating to the incident was recorded at 11.03pm and three arrests were made in Kilkelly at 11.30pm.

“On the night in question, three violent incidents occurred in the Swinford Garda District area within a short period of time and within a radius of 15 miles and I am informed that all incidents were attended to without any unnecessary delay,” said Minister Lenihan.

Deputy O’Mahony was also informed by Minister Lenihan that the personnel strength of the Swinford District on October 31st (latest date for which figures are readily available) was 49 and on the night in question seven members were on duty. “They were deployed between the station and on patrol in Swinford, Charlestown and Ballyhaunis while three members of the Divisional Traffic Corps, based at Ballina Garda Station, were also on duty in the Swinford area,” Minister Lenihan told Deputy O’Mahony.

Deputy O’Mahony also attended a public meeting in Kilkelly last week, which was called by local residents in the aftermath of the incident.
“The people in Kilkelly are concerned that something similar will happen again in the future and they’re seeking reassurances that the resources will be available to deal with it. What happened was unacceptable and disgraceful and such scenes have no place in a modern society,” he said.

Broadband goes live in Shrule – O’Mahony

“It’s an issue that keeps coming up, time and time again at constituency clinics and I’ve said this before but it’s worth repeating that the provision of broadband is as important as the provision of any piece of major infrastructure.

“It enables businesses to prosper; it allows people work more efficiently from their home and equally as importantly, it makes communication between people who might be separated by continents so much easier,” said Deputy O’Mahony.

Ag Minister fails to reassure 2,000 Investment Scheme applicants – O’Mahony

Fine Gael Mayo Deputy John O’Mahony has criticised the Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan for ‘glib, meaningless’ replies on the closure of the Farm Improvement Scheme (FIS). Deputy O’Mahony said that all farmers who legitimately applied before the closing date of the 31st October should have their applications approved.

“Some 2,000 farmers lodged applications between the 21st and 31st of October but the Department has decided to only process applications submitted on or before the 21st. This is grossly unfair considering the actual closing date of the scheme was the 31st October.

“I asked the Minister in a Dáil question if she would honour applications made between the two dates and her glib reply is as meaningless as it is typical of Government doublespeak. The Minister says that applications prior to the closing date will be ‘processed by my Department up to the level of funding available for the Scheme.’ This is totally meaningless if the funding for the scheme has been withdrawn or exhausted and it is also at odds with her Department officials who say such applications will not be processed at all.

“The FIS was supposed to run for seven years and instead it was wound up after four months despite the demand for on-farm investment. This is a sign of chronic incompetence on the part of the Government especially given the Agriculture Minister handed back €107 million of her budget to the Department of Finance last year. The Minister has a massive under spend on one hand while vital schemes go under funded on the other. The Minister should devote herself to rectifying this imbalance instead of giving offensive Dáil replies to the thousands of farmers who need on-farm investment aid and are being shut out of the FIS.”

Note for editors: see relevant Parliamentary Question below

Parliamentary Question No.370

To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if following the recent withdrawal of the farm investment scheme applications received between 21 October and 30 October 2007 will be honoured by her Department for grant aid under this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
- John O’Mahony.

For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 20th November, 2007.

Ref No: 29360/07

REPLY

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: (Mary Coughlan)

Applications received under the Farm Improvement Scheme prior to its suspension on 31 October 2007 will be processed by my Department up to the level of funding available for the Scheme.

Government must alter Childcare scheme – O’Mahony

“This issue has already been discussed in a meeting of the Parliamentary Party and it was apparent at the meeting that the new Childcare Subvention Scheme is simply unworkable in rural Ireland. I know from my own meetings with Community Groups in Mayo of the concerns for the future of their groups if this scheme gets the go-ahead. The new scheme will impose intolerable financial pressures on many parents by increasing the expense of childcare. Many parents presently in employment and not in receipt of social welfare will find under the new scheme that they are excluded from benefiting from subventions currently paid for childcare services. So will many parents in employment in receipt of modest earnings who do not qualify for Family Income Supplement,” said Deputy O’Mahony.

He said that upon the commencement of the new scheme, such parents will be required to pay substantially higher weekly fees to crèches. This is because the withdrawal of subventions currently paid will make it impossible for current services to continue without increasing charges to parents who will not benefit from subventions.

‘”The new scheme will force some parents to leave employment and become dependent on social welfare payments. Under the new scheme, the prospects of returning to the workforce, or for parents presently working in the home who wish to resume employment or obtain essential training and education, will also be severely undermined.

“Many of the groups providing not-for-profit services have a legitimate concern that as a consequence of the new arrangements it will become financially impossible to continue to provide present services. There is a real risk that many community childcare groups will no longer be able to operate. Presently such crèches cannot recruit staff on a permanent basis as they do not know whether they will be able to pay future salaries.

“Major changes need to be made to the new scheme. The existing childcare subvention scheme should be continued until 31st December 2008 to allow time for the Department of Children to address all the
anomalies and difficulties the new scheme will create. Essentially it should be withdrawn, re-evaluated and a better scheme published,” said Deputy O’Mahony.

The Fine Gael motion will call on the government to radically modify the new proposed childcare subvention scheme that the government intends become fully operational from 01 July 2008 as this scheme

- will impose intolerable financial pressures on many parents by increasing the expense of childcare;
- will force some parents to leave employment and become dependent on social welfare payments;
- threatens to cause the closure of many not-for-profit cr ches throughout the country;
- presently renders it impossible for such creches to recruit new staff on a permanent basis and
- undermines the prospects of returning to the workforce or the obtaining of essential training and education by parents presently working in the home who wish to resume employment. The motion also calls on the government to extend application of the existing subvention scheme up to 31 December 2008 to end the current uncertainty.

Students must survive on four euro per week – O’Mahony

Expecting people to be able to feed themselves for 4 euro per week is simply not living in the real world,” said Deputy O’Mahony. “The figure equates to 80c per day and how can anyone be expected to buy a meal for that price. Travel allowance for people attending at VTOS is also sub-standard and I am now calling on the Minister to at least double both allowances immediately,” he said.

The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is a second chance education initiative for unemployed persons, who are at least 21 years of age and in receipt of specified social welfare payments for at least six months, which is funded the Department. It is operated through the Vocational Education Committees.
The aims of the Scheme are to give unemployed people education and training opportunities, which will develop and prepare them to go into paid employment or on to further education opportunities leading to paid employment.
A training allowance is paid by the VECs to students who previously drew unemployment benefit or assistance. The student ceases to receive an unemployment payment and, instead, receives a VTOS training allowance at a rate equivalent to the maximum rate of unemployment benefit, plus a payment for an adult or child dependant, if appropriate. VTOS students also retain their social welfare secondary benefits.

Speech by FG’s John O’ Mahony TD, on ‘Undocumented Irish’ Private Members’ Motion

 also welcome the fact the government have agreed to support this motion. There are many issues that divide us in this house but it is right and fitting that we all unite in an effort to remove the fear of our Irish in the Unites States and regularise their situation. Fine Gael has always been committed to helping the undocumented Irish in the US. Theses are our people and they want to be given a chance to live with out the constant fear of deportation.

Many of these people left our shores before the Celtic Tiger arrived in Ireland; they didn’t leave by choice but went to seek employment that they couldn’t find at home. They haven’t been a burden on the US economy because they have worked hard and contributed to the American economy. They have paid there taxes. The Irish community have a long proud history and tradition of living and working in the US. They continue to contribute to the economic, cultural and social life of that country.

They don’t want to be illegal – they have tried over the years to regularise their situation – they have applied for visas but haven’t succeed in getting them.

However they haven’t forgotten their Irish roots and traditions either and deserve the chance to travel freely and not to have the fear of deportation every time they go near a border. They deserve the chance to travel back and forth to the Country of their birth.

All of us here on all side of the house have seen and heard at first hand the sad stories of the people not being able to come home for their parents or family funerals or weddings. We have seen the pain on parent’s faces who are to feeble to travel to the US to see their children and grandchildren because they cannot come home to visit them at Christmas or holiday time.

I have met many illegal Irish at various times when I have visited Gaelic Park in New York with football teams – there are Irish people who visit Gaelic Park and various venues throughout America where Irish people congregate because is the only way they can get a taste of home.

The hopes of our fellow Irish in the US have had many false downs over the years. After the collapse of comprehensive immigration reform earlier this year, it is now opportune time to bring forward this proposal for a bilateral agreement that will see a new renewable not immigrant visa that would make it easier for Irish citizens to work in the US. In return the Irish government would allow more US Citizens to work in this country.

 

It is appropriate that as we are approaching the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement where the United States through President Clinton played a major role in securing peace on our Island that both countries should now have a bilateral agreement to sort out this long running problem.

Only today I attended a press launch of MRCI who are campaigning for undocumented immigrants in this Country the testimonies we heard there from Fr Bobby Gilmore and some undocumented here in Ireland conveyed in stark terms the level of exploitation that can take place for the undocumented.

I strongly commend and support this motion.

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