Replies to issues raised at Mullingar Area meeting

At last weeks meeting of the Mullingar Area Committee Cllr Ken Glynn received the following replies to the issues he raised.

Questions:

Q.7 Cllr.Glynn: To ask Westmeath County Council to prioritise Newbrook Grove and Newbrook Drive in this years’ road resurfacing budget.

Reply: Potholes at Newbrook Drive will be repaired as soon as possible.  This road will be considered for resurfacing in 2013.

Q.8 Cllr.Glynn: To ask Westmeath County Council to prioritise Columb Drive and Fairgreen in this years’ road resurfacing budget.

Reply: Potholes at this area will be repaired as soon as possible.  Columb Drive will be considered for resurfacing in 2013.

Q.9 Cllr.Glynn: To ask Westmeath County Council to outline what works it will carry out on the old St.Laurence’s Terrace area and consult with all local residents to see what long term plan can be put in place for this section of land.

Reply: The Council’s Housing Section demolished these old houses last year in order to make the area safe.  The Housing Section has advised that it will carry out an examination of this section of land but any proposals recommended would be subject to the availability of funding.

Motions:

6.9 Cllr.Glynn: To call on Westmeath County Council to immediately take steps to have the broadband company reinstate the green area at the entrance to Ashefield Estate to its original condition and that works are carried out to rectify this matter to the satisfaction of all local residents.

Reply: Westmeath County Council has received a cash bond from the broadband installers.This bond will not be refunded until all works are satisfactorily completed.

6.10 Cllr.Glynn: To call on Westmeath County Council to set in place a plan to carry out a review of the winter gritting schedule as a matter of priority.

Reply: The Council currently treats approximately 490km of public roads in the county, including all national routes, most regional routes and some local roads in the main towns.  The priority routes were reviewed in 2011 and 30km of additional routes were added to the list.  There is no capacity at present, in terms of staff and equipment, to extend the routes any further.  However, the NRA does intend to contract out the winter maintenance of the M6 and M4 before the 2013/2014 winter season and this change would necessitate a full review of the Council’s winter maintenance operations.  If the NRA proceeds to contract, this review will be undertaken before October 2013.

6.11 Cllr.Glynn: To call on Westmeath County Council to bring forward measures to prevent the ongoing problem of illegal dumping at Butlers Bridge near Lough Ennell.

Reply: Butlers Bridge is a litter black spot and is included on a rota of regular inspections.  All incidents of littering/dumping are investigated and the continued support of the public is essential in forming the response from the Council’s Environment Section. Appropriate enforcement action will be taken, which may include closing part of this road to vehicular traffic.

6.12 Cllr.Glynn: To call on Westmeath County Council to prioritise the road at Keoltown, Ballinea for road resurfacing as many parts of this road are in a poor state of repair and also to erect a name sign at the top of the road.

Reply: Potholes on this road have been repaired. There are two signs at the end of the road indicating Road L 51432.

Budget 2013 - A Fairer Way to Recovery

Fianna Fáil has published its submission for Budget 2013 “A Fairer Way to Recovery”.

The party’s submission proposes a budget adjustment package of €3.5 billion with an almost even split between taxation and expenditure measures.

According to the party’s Finance Spokesperson, the submission is based on three key priorities.

Deputy McGrath stated, “First, we are proposing that education, mental health and disability services be fully protected. Second, enterprise is at the heart of our budget approach and we will not add to the cost of employing people. Third, we are committing ourselves to a progressive approach to the budget unlike last year’s budget which hit poorer income households the hardest.

“We have also been able to exceed the government’s taxation targets without including a residential property tax. We are proposing a number of targeted stimulus measures, we are publishing an innovative package of measures for those stuck in a negative equity trap and we are proposing to extend mortgage interest relief for first time buyers for another year.

“The package we are publishing today is not a template for an easy budget, but we believe it is fair, progressive and it supports the very enterprises who have the ability to lead this country to recovery,” Deputy McGrath said.

Spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform Sean Fleming added, “The planned €550 million cut to the capital budget is too deep and we are proposing an extra €150 million in capital spending. We believe overall Social Protection expenditure can be reduced without cutting payment rates and we are urging the Government not to touch child benefit. We also propose a target of additional savings of €350 million across public sector pay.”

Spokesperson on Jobs and Enterprise Dara Calleary added, “The Government’s Jobs Initiative has failed to make any dent whatsoever in the jobs crisis, with the number of people in work dropping by 24,000 since the start of this year alone. We propose increasing the places in local employment schemes and investing further in employment-intensive capital projects. We also propose a series of measures providing greater supports to SMEs that will tackle the burden of commercial rates, provide stricter controls over the availability of credit and avoid transferring the cost of sick pay onto employers.”


A Fairer Way to Recovery - Fianna Fáil Proposals for Budget 2013

Fianna Fáil publishes legislation to cut bankers’ exorbitant pensions

Posted on 20/11/12 by Michael McGrath

Fianna Fáil has published a Bankers Pensions Bill which proposes substantial cuts to the exorbitant pensions being paid to a number of the country’s retired banking executives.

The party’s Spokesperson on Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath stated, “The Oireachtas has a duty to respond to the justifiable public anger surrounding the extraordinary pensions being paid to some of the country’s most senior retired banking executives. The issue came to a head when AIB confirmed at a recent Oireachtas Finance Committee meeting that the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme which benefitted from a €1.1 billion bailout is the same scheme that pays enormous pensions to the bank’s retired top brass.

“The Fianna Fáil bill builds on the pension reductions already imposed on retired public servants and proposes tiered reductions in pension entitlements of over €100,000 by between 20% and 40% for banking executives and retired executives in the covered institutions (guaranteed banks). In view of the exceptional level of support provided by the State to the covered institutions, I believe the introduction of legislation to reduce certain pension entitlements is reasonable and justified.

“In recent parliamentary questions, I have asked the Minister to provide details of funds paid into the banks’ pension schemes over recent years. I have also asked the Minister to provide details of the level of pension payouts being made by the covered banks to retired executives. To date, the Minister has failed to provide these pieces of information and I am calling on him to do so without delay.

“Our pre-budget proposals, to be launched this week, will also include further reductions in the pension entitlements of retired senior public servants, including government ministers.

“On the specific issue of the remuneration levels currently being paid to senior bank executives, Minister Noonan has appointed Mercer consultants to assist his Department in reviewing pay levels across the banking system and to report before the end of year. We await the Minister’s response to this review and we expect him to deal with the fact that over 1,700 bank employees earn basic salaries of over €100,000.

“I am calling on the government to accept this straightforward piece of legislation to bring some semblance of justice to the pensions being paid to retired executives.”


Bill to reduce pensions of retired bank executives