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The European Commission’s second quarterly report today, states that Ireland has made “Important progress” on it’s public finances, banks and economic reform measures. Small businesses and the unemployed here in Thurles might not agree and possibly look to the future in a slightly poorer light. Those who now own this country, namely the EU and IMF, lowered the Irish unemployment rate forecast for this year slightly, from 14.5% to 14.3%, but warned that the rising figures for long term unemployment needed “Considerable attention“.
On Thursday, President Barack Obama talked the American Congress and the American nation through his “American Jobs Act,” a plan to create jobs in America now. It will of course be up to Congress to act on his set of bipartisan ideas, that claim will put people back to work and put more money into the pockets of working Americans, thus hiking consumer spending.
Here are a few important points about how the American Jobs Act plan will work, which is worthy of scrutiny by our own present Irish Coalition Government.
Firstly, it provides a tax cut for small businesses, not big corporations, to help them hire and expand and provides for an additional tax cut to any business that increases its pay roll. Yes it would require the managers of small businesses here in Ireland, to take a small leap of faith, but this leap could be encouraged if the tax cut itself was a real incentive. Keep in mind that our population stands at 4.58 million, our Retail Sales Index decreased 0.6% (July 2011 compared to July 2010) and our Standardised Unemployment Rate is 14.4% (August 2011) as per CSO Ireland. The last time unemployment reached near the current highs was in 1994.
 Irelands Unemployment Rate Ireland’s unemployment rate now exceeds the average rate prevalent in the European Union. The unemployment crisis is a function of the collapse mainly of the construction sector and related sectors associated with the so called housing bubble. Presently the lack of access to credit in our economy and the fiscal consolidation measures enacted by Fianna Fail, leave us somewhat stagnant.
A factor often proposed as a contributory factor in our unemployment crisis is the cost of Irish labour, but the sums do not add up. Irish labour costs in the wholesale/retail sector are 10.9 per cent lower than the EU average.
Labour costs in the EU rose by 1.3 per cent in the hospitality sector between 2008 and 2010 and by 4.9 per cent in the wholesale/retail sector over this same period. By contrast, note labour costs in Ireland declined in the hospitality sector and were just 1.3 per cent in the wholesale/retail sector.
Secondly, this proposed Act should put people back to work, including teachers, first time employees and construction workers who will begin repairing their crumbling bridges, damaged roads and public schools, with projects chosen by relative need, and not by ‘cute hoor,’ vote catching politics, the likes of which have existed, and I regret to relate, continues to thrive here in Ireland. Construction remains a drag on Irish employment, with the sector accounting for more than 40% of jobs lost in the year, to the fourth quarter of 2010.
I claim to be no economist, but the American Jobs Act rings of fair logic and if they have their figures right and support is forthcoming, it will be fully paid for by asking the wealthiest in their midst to begin to pay their just and fair share.
 Details of a so-called Household Charge, also known as a Flat Rate Water charge, will be introduced in early 2012, according to Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr Phil Hogan.
Like everything else, these days, which is newly undertaken by our Coalition Government, we are told it is a requirement of Ireland’s European bailout package, so it is not the government, who force any hardship on the residents of Ireland, blame our new invaders Europe. If the government can not blame Europe, we are told it will create jobs. This €160 million that this charge is expected to raise, we are told will be set aside to fund essential local services.
True liability will be fully determined in January, with payments due three months later and a late payment penalty of €10 per month will apply in cases where the payment is late. Households can choose to pay by direct debit in four instalments to spread the cost throughout the year.
What Local Services?
What local services is Phil Hogan talking about, we get none? Firstly Minister, both County and Local councils have no employees to carry out funded essentials services. Secondly, we already pay car taxes for repairs to our road which are no longer repaired. Potholes presently in Thurles are now growing into craters. Our pavements are far beyond what is permitted by normal health and safety standards. Everywhere we attempt to park our cars we are forced to pay between €1 and €3.50 in extra charges, indeed a visit to our public toilet is €0.50. Where is this money going and what services are you now funding?
Presently we have 9 local councillors in Thurles with all their powers removed working without any employees /staff. Why are we paying Chiefs when all the Indians have long fled the Reservation ? Where is the dust gathering McCarthy report when we need it? Local councillors are only being kept for use as over paid Party Canvassers for local politicians, come next election. Most do not turn up to their one Council meeting, held each month, but still receive full payments.
Perhaps the Minister has forgotten, so let us remind you:-
Hospital A&E charges have risen to €100. On diagnosis of your ailment, if you have no medical insurance you will not receive immediate attention, but will wait from 9 months to 3 years for basic surgery etc..
Nenagh Hospital down graded to the status of a clinic.
Deposit Interest Retention Charge (DIRT) has risen to 27%.
Proposed Septic Tank Charges from the Autumn under an EU directive relating to ground water quality.
The Universal Social Charges (USC) is now a permanent fixture.
Policing reduced with more Law and less Justice, resulting in increased crime.
Cigarette prices increased by 10 cents per box of 20, without any warning.
Passport Fees for persons over 65 have been introduced.
Bus and Rail fares hiked by over 100% in some cases in Thurles, (Still waiting for a reply to my Email from Leo Varadkar.)
Social Welfare Benefits have been decreased.
NCT on cars now include an annual dimension on vehicles over 10 years. This only affects the lower paid worker. A one year old Garda Cars or car used by a Commercial Traveller has run up twice the mileage of my four year old model, but needs no NCT. Think about it.
Student services charge increased by €500 to €2,000, with Student Grants cut by 4% to 30%.
Optical and Dental Benefits cut even to those who have contributed to same for over 30 years.
Childcare Supplements cut.
I think we now need to introduce a type of Egyptian Military Council and bring before this Council, those politicians, bankers, lawyers etc., suspected of corruption, misappropriation and the deliberate wasting of public funds, through the dereliction of their duty. Irish people are now quickly learning that leadership is above the law.
Readers note:- Under the terms of Ireland’s deal with the EU/IMF, the government are fully committed to introducing property tax in 2012, while increasing it in 2013, followed by a full system of property taxation in 2014. This means that this €100 charge is simply the starting point, and with households also set to face an additional water charge by 2014, disposable income looks set to continue to diminish rapidly.
Best of ‘Irish Luck,’ in collecting this one, you see we are all on debt row (Pardon the pun.) here in Co. Tipperary Minister, you assisted in putting us there.
Truth is we cannot even borrow the necessary money, even if we were willing to pay this crippling tax.
Governments have forgotten the basic rules of a fair economy and fiscal management, “A part of everything you earn is yours to keep.” Latter is what gets everyone out of bed in the morning.
 Tipperary travelling a slippery road. Some TDs, claiming to represent the people of Tipperary and who signed in at Leinster House for expenses worth up to €38,000 a year, failed to take part in a significant number of Dail votes. Fine Gael’s Tom Hayes is one of quite a number of elected Tipperary public representatives identified by the Independant today, of claiming expenses by fobbing in, but yet not turning up for Dail votes.
Tom has been absent for ten votes, but is still behind the main offenders, namely TV celebrity Michael Healy Rae, and keen bog environmentalist Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, both of whom have the poorest voting records since elected.
According to the same newspaper Casino promoter, Mr Michael Lowry TD, only voted 3 times, out of a possible 24 and missed 7 of these votes while clocked in. He was just plain absent from Leinster House on the other voting days. Michael Lowry was also one of the biggest recipients of the “Party Leaders’ allowances,” since its conception in 2005, with payments of almost €250,000 according to Departmental figures obtained under freedom of information legislation by the Irish Times, and which has cost Irish taxpayers, nationally, in total, more than €4.6 million. This allowance, paid on top of salary and other allowances and expenses, is understandably tax-free and recipients do not have to account for how the money is spent. Nationally twenty-six Oireachtas members are now entitled to this allowance, well up on the ten who were claiming it last year, due to the success of so many Party defecting Independents, in last February’s general election.
Now do you understand why Cabinet Ministers should be placed above ordinary citizens and as such, be allowed to leave Dublin’s traffic jams and use emergency bus lanes, they just cannot get to work.
In the light of this leadership shown by our politicians, it is not totally surprising then that John Hennessy, the Regional Director of operations in HSE West reveals this week that the Mid Western Hospital in Limerick, attempting to serve the population of North Tipperary, has a staff average absenteeism rate problem. Low staff morale is sited as probably a key factor, but certainly not pay and conditions. This absenteeism rate stands at 7.3% among the 703 nursing staff and 11.5% in the hospital’s 211 other care staff, hence the corridor trolley service currently on offer.
Meanwhile according to that English newspaper the Irish Daily Mail, (You surely remember the newspaper that campaigned for the reintroduction of the HPV Cervical Cancer vaccine in Ireland, while their London edition were printing stories attacking the same vaccine.) state that cash-strapped Montrose bosses in RTE are to fork out €10 million to implement 75 redundancies, while TV licence payers are invited to gain entertainment by watching washed-up celebrates clean horse manure from racing stables. I can’t wait to get home and switch on.
What all 3 papers failed to note, however, is the regular attendance nowadays by two TD’s at every possible public vote catching event. The recent invitation, to persons involved in promoting the Arts, by Minister Jimmy Deenihan, who was visiting Ballina/Killaloe, Co.Tipperary, last Thursday, saw Alan Kelly enter the Lakeside Hotel arm in arm with Jimmy. Despite RSVP to the Arts Office in North Tipperary County Council, Jimmy had no time to discuss the neglect of Thurles and surrounding towns and villages, so the Hidden Tipperary Group were ‘fobbed off,’ onto his Press Officer, Therese O’Connor. Jimmy it turns out was in a hurry to join Transport, Tourism and Sport Minister Leo Varadkar to announce a €7 million investment for that little known tourist area in Ireland known to the few as Killarney, Co Kerry.
For those of you who think I am being a bit cynical check this out. Click Here and ask yourself the following questions:-
Where is the Thurles GAA museum?
Where is the Thurles Source Theatre?
Where is Thurles Famine Museum?
Since when did Tipperary Institute become a Museum or indeed an Art Gallery?
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While our local Politicians, Urban and County Councillors and other gold chain wearing Community Leaders continue to practise a policy of party politics and personal gain, before and above fiscal rectitude or fair play, County Tipperary continues to be lead along and down a very slippery road, with the worst yet to materialise.
As you can see from the image attached, here in Tipperary we are beginning to erect public warning signs.
 Deputy Noel Coonan has given a guarded welcome to the amalgamation of Tipperary County Councils North and South, into one unified County Tipperary Council. The local Fine Gael TD said the merger will most definitely “lead to greater efficiencies and savings within the Council, with money being directed at essential works instead of duplicating administration costs.”
However, Deputy Coonan said it is paramount that the new Council be based in North Tipperary, especially since Clonmel already has an existing Borough Council.
“It is essential that the new Tipperary authority operates from the County Council building already located on the Limerick Road in Nenagh which was recently custom built and is in perfect condition to be fully utilised by this proposed new amalgamated Council. The finer details are in train and I will be strongly pushing for the Nenagh premises to be the new headquarters. Alongside this, Minister Phil Hogan has yet to outline how this merger will affect the number of Councillors that will be elected to the unified Council,” said Deputy Coonan speaking to Thurles Information, this morning.
A single County Council is expected to be established to govern the whole of Tipperary, with effect from the 2014 local elections. This new authority will serve a significantly increased population of over 159,000 people. This latter population increase compares with the present situation where North Tipperary County Council serves 70,219 and South Tipperary County Council serves 88,433.
North and South Tipperary were among the authorities for which the 2010 Local Government Efficiency Review Group report recommended joint management arrangements. [Click HERE for the report of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group.] It recommends that a full merger would achieve greater savings, both through the generation of scale economies and other efficiencies including the removal of duplication, with the integration of necessary administrations and public services delivery.
The Local Government Efficiency Review Groups report states that the national financial impact of their recommendations if implemented would amount to country wide savings of €511 million. While most of the recommendations concern efficiency savings, a number of recommendations also extend to cost recovery and revenue raising, with an emphasis on a more equitable distribution of the overall revenue burden. Of this €511 million total expected savings, €346 million would be made up of efficiency savings, and €165 million would be accounted for, through improved cost recovery and revenue raising. These savings would take a year or more to fully achieve.
 Jimmy Deenihan Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Local Fine Gael Deputy Noel Coonan has extended an invitation to Art Groups in North Tipperary and South Offaly to meet with Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan who is visiting Ballina/Killaloe, Co.Tipperary, this coming Thursday.
An informal meeting will be held in the Lakeside Hotel [Map Ref;] at 11.30am where Minister Deenihan will discuss funding options with interested art groups.
“This is a good opportunity for artists in the locality to meet with my Government colleague who will be available to discuss Arts Council funding and other channels of revenue that may be available. I’m delighted Minister Deenihan is visiting North Tipperary because we have a vibrant arts culture in the area that continues to blossom and needs to be nurtured,” said Deputy Coonan.
Minister Deenihan will be in the Lakeside Hotel from 11.30am until 12.30pm and has expressed his interest in meeting with local organisations.
Speaking to Thurles Information this morning Deputy Noel Coonan has requested: “Please spread the word to any groups you think may be interested in meeting with the Minister to discuss their various issues.”
RSVP please, to the Arts Office in North Tipperary County Council Tel: 067-44860 or Email Rosemary Gleeson to rosemary.gleeson@northtippcoco.ie
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