Category Archives: News
Dáil to debate FF motion demanding transparency on Irish Water
Mayo Deputy Dara Calleary is calling on Government TDs in Mayo to back a Fianna Fáil motion demanding transparency in the operations of Irish Water. The Dáil will debate a Fianna Fáil motion this week calling on the Government to lift its Freedom of Information ban on Irish Water. Deputy Calleary said it will give Mayo’s Fine Gael TDs the opportunity to ensure that Phil Hogan’s Super Quango is finally held accountable for the tens of millions of tax-payers money it receives and the billions in assets it has been given ownership of. “The news that Irish Water has wasted €50 million of taxpayers’ money on consultant fees is, we […]
Calleary pays tribute to local emergency workers
Mayo Deputy Dara Calleary has paid tribute to the emergency services in Co Mayo as efforts continue to tackle severe flooding along the west coast. “We have seen our local gardaí, fire service, civil defence and community volunteers go above and beyond the call of duty in very difficult circumstances over the past number of days,” said Deputy Calleary. “Our local emergency workers must be commended for their swift and thorough response to severe flooding that has caused disruption and damage to homes, businesses, public areas and amenities in Ballina, Belmullet, Newport, Westport and other parts of the county. They must be given every support and resource necessary at a […]
Read MoreGovt failing consumers by not addressing anomalies in gift voucher system
Fianna Fáil Enterprise Spokesperson Dara Calleary says the Government is failing consumers by not introducing adequate legislation to give gift vouchers the same status as cash for retail purchases. Deputy Calleary says Irish consumers were hit badly this year when a number of high profile retailers went into administration and thousands of customers were left out of pocket when some companies refused to honour in-store gift vouchers. Deputy Calleary commented: “This weekend marks the real start of the Christmas shopping season throughout the country. Last year thousands of people received gift vouchers from retailers as Christmas presents. Unfortunately less than a month later, some, including high-profile names, went into administration […]
FF calls on Govt to intervene as Lufthansa Technik considers closure
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Jobs Dara Calleary has called on the Government to intervene as aircraft maintenance firm Lufthansa Technik considers closure. Deputy Calleary said, “400 highly skilled high quality jobs are at risk here. These are jobs that the local economy and the Irish aviation sector cannot afford to lose. The Government has a duty to intervene and explore all options for preserving the future of aircraft maintenance in Ireland. “Just yesterday, the Taoiseach was out announcing hundreds of new airline jobs as a result of a Ryanair expansion. At a time when the airline industry in Ireland is growing significantly, it’s difficult to understand how Dublin can be […]
Read MoreBallina is Pride of Place winner!
Mayo Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary has expressed his satisfaction that Ballina has been crowned the winner of the 2013 Pride of Place for Towns with a population over 2,000. The announcement was made a gala function in Derry on Saturday night last. “The Pride of Place Award is a much sought after accolade for towns, villages and communities throughout the country. The fact alone that villages and towns must be nominated for inclusion in the competition by their respective Local Authorities is a vote of confidence in those competing towns and I am absolutely thrilled that our town, Ballina, has been awarded this prestigious title,” said Deputy Calleary. “The […]
National Training Fund surplus must be invested in job activation
The Government is sitting on a multi-million euro unspent resource in the National Training Fund (NTF) while hundreds of thousands of job seekers are looking for work, according to Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Jobs Dara Calleary. Figures revealed to Deputy Calleary through Parliamentary Questions show that there was an unspent resource of €155m in the NTF at the beginning of this year. According to the Department of Education, which manages the fund, this is likely to stand at just under €117m at the end of the year. “This money needs to be invested in valuable training opportunities for those seeking work. It makes no sense to sit on such a […]
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Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Jobs Dara Calleary has said the news of 80 job losses at Homecare Medical Supplies comes as a major blow to East Mayo. The Irish-based company has been forced to axe 80 positions, including 50 in Kiltimagh and 15 in Ballyhaunis, having lost an important HSE contract. “My thoughts are with the workers and management at Homecare Medical at this extremely difficult time. This comes as a terrible blow to them and their families, particularly in the weeks leading up to Christmas,” said Deputy Calleary. “Homecare Medical is a valued employer in Kiltimagh and Ballyhaunis. The loss of these jobs will unfortunately have a significant impact on […]
Read MoreCalleary questions why Ballina does not have drivers licence facility
Deputy Dara Calleary has questioned why there is no drivers licence centre in Ballina when the headquarters of the Road Safety Authority is located in the town. The Fianna Fáil Deputy said it makes no sense that the RSA, which operates the new drivers license system, does not allow drivers to get their licences from the Ballina facility. “Under this new system, drivers applying for new or renewed licences must go to one of the 34 new National Driving Licence Service Centres. What people are struggling to understand is why one of these centres isn’t located at the RSA headquarters in Ballina,” explained Deputy Calleary. “The RSA has the office […]
Read MoreOECD report a wake-up call on jobs crisis
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Jobs Dara Calleary has said the OECD report published today must wake the Government up from its complacency over the jobs crisis, in particular the deeply worrying levels of long-term unemployment and youth unemployment. “In recent weeks Ministers have been repeatedly congratulating themselves on the rise in employment reported by the Quarterly National Household Survey. However they conveniently ignored the warning from the CSO that a significant part of the reported increase may not reflect any actual real new jobs,” said Deputy Calleary. “As the OECD report points out, we risk losing an entire generation of young people unless we tackle the problem of youth unemployment […]
Read MoreSurge in education costs highlights growing pressure on Mayo families
Mayo Deputy Dara Calleary has said the latest Consumer Price Index revealing yet another surge in the cost of education highlights the growing pressure on Mayo families. According to the figures released by the CSO, the cost of education is 4.8% higher than it was this time last year and is one of the main contributors to the increase in inflation. Deputy Calleary commented, “The cost putting a child through school and college is one of the greatest expenses facing any family. These latest figures show it has become even more expensive this year. “One of the main reasons for the increase is yet another hike of €250 in the […]