Jim O’Callaghan Demands Equal Pensions for Men and Women
Jim O’Callaghan, Fianna Fáil candidate for Dublin South East, is calling on Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen to introduce equal pension rights for both men and women, in order to give older women an increased chance of financial independence.

Currently, the ‘qualified adult’ (dependent spouse) payment is approximately 70% of the full adult allowance and is paid to the primary claimant (generally the husband). As women constitute 95% of qualified adults, the inequality within the system is directly linked to the welfare of older women.

“At age 65, women have a 41% chance of being below the 60% poverty line. This is appalling, and reform is desperately needed in the area of pension rights”, O’Callaghan said. “Making these payments to the qualified adult’s husband also severely limits her independence. If the relationship is troubled or violent than this presents further hardship for the woman.”

Creighton calls for abolition of HSE
Lucinda Creighton, FG candidate in Dublin South East, called for the abolition of the Health Services Executive. She stated that the HSE is a bureaucratic quagmire, which has allowed Mary Harney abdicate all responsibility for the current health care crisis in the country.

“It is time for radical thinking in relation to the health services. It is not simply enough to say that the balance of power between the HSE and the Minister needs to be shifted. Brendan Drumm is now the official spokesperson for the Government in all matters pertaining to health. Under a Fine Gael led administration, power to reform must be firmly vested in the hands of the Minister and the Cabinet.”

People with disabilities in Ireland (PwDI)
All election candidates can expect to be quizzed very thoroughly on their commitment to equality for people with disabilities and their specific plans for reform over the next five years under a new initiative launched recently.

PwDI (People with Disabilities in Ireland), the national organisation representing all people with disabilities hosted the first in a series of nationwide seminars designed to assist all people with disabilities to have maximum impact at the forthcoming election.

Labour conducts local healthcare survey
The Labour Party is conducting a major survey to determine people’s experience of our healthcare system.

Ruairi Quinn TD said: “Labour TDs, senators, councillors and candidates are constantly hearing from constituents about problems they face on an ongoing basis such as waiting for hours on an A&E trolley; having surgical procedures cancelled; being put on a waiting list to get on a waiting list; or picking up an infection like MRSA while staying in hospital.

“We know that there are serious deficiencies in our health system, but when we are arguing for reform, we need to be armed with hard data. This survey will provide us with precisely that.

Poolbeg Incinerator– European Parliament Committee To Visit Site
The Petitions Committee of the European Parliament will visit the Ringsend/ Poolbeg site as part of an investigation to establish if European environmental legislation has been breached.
Welcoming today’s outcome in Brussels, Dublin South East Fianna Fáil election candidate Cllr Chris Andrews, who took the case to the Committee said: “This is a very positive development and is testament to how seriously the EU takes its environmental legislation.”

Doolan– Minister needs to tackle sale of Council flats
Sinn Féin’s Dublin South East Representative, Councillor DaithÌ Doolan, has today called on the Minister for Environment Dick Roche, “to tackle the chaos that is currently holding up the sale of Dublin’s City Council flats. Residents of Dublin City Council flats should have a right to buy their own flats just as residents in City Council houses have done for years.”

Speaking after the Court decision to reject 120 residents’ attempt to have their flats sold to them at 1988 prices Cllr. Doolan said, “residents here in Ringsend have been left in a legal limbo for years. Offers were made to these residents in 1988 only to have those offers withdrawn by the then Dublin Corporation.”

Cllr Kevin Humphreys calls on Minister Noel Ahern to stop procrastinating
Cllr Kevin Humphreys renews his call for the government to bring forward legislation to allow Council Tenants to purchase their homes from Dublin City Council.

“Minister Noel Ahern has procrastinated for far too long. It is now two years since former City Manager, John Fitzgerald, confirmed its plan to offer over 16,000 council flats for sale to tenants. The scheme was to begin in the autumn of 2004 but has been continuously delayed by Central Government.”

Ballsbridge will benefit from local planning, says Cllr. Wendy Hederman
The ad hoc and piecemeal development of Dublin is about to become a thing of the past. For the first time a Local Area Plan is being produced for a whole area– in this case Ballsbridge–treating the area as an ‘urban village’.

“This is a very important step in ensuring any development still protects the natural and built environment, and improves the quality of public spaces and community facilities.” says Councillor Wendy Hederman “As the Local Area Plan must be voted on by the City Council, following submissions from the public, we have a unique level of control over what can be built now and into the medium term.”

The draft Local Area Plan went on public display in the week commencing 22 January, and will come before the Councillors for amendment and/ or adoption around April 2007.

Andrews urges restraint on unnecessary clamping.
Fianna Fáil Councillor Chris Andrews has called for action to deal with the nuisance of over-zealous and unnecessary clamping which has become a nightmare for drivers in the Dublin area.

“Clamping and parking-fines should only occur when there is an occupancy level of over 70% by motor-vehicles,”said Andrews. “The idea behind clamping is to deter drivers from causing obstructions. To clamp a car or give a fine to cars parked in empty or practically empty streets is to miss the point,” he added.