Category Archives: News
Mayo families facing double blow on back to school costs – Calleary
Families across Co Mayo are facing an extremely difficult autumn as education costs soar and the Back to School Allowance is cut, according to Fianna Fáil Deputy Dara Calleary. Deputy Calleary said many low-income families will suddenly be hit by the €50 cut in the Back to School Allowance this summer, while the latest inflation figures show a 5% increase in education costs over the past year. “It has slipped many people’s minds that the government slashed the Back to School Allowance in the Budget, and that the cuts will kick in this summer,” he explained. “The allowance is being cut by €50 per child for the new school year. […]
Calleary welcomes his local school to Leinster House
Mayo Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary today welcomed his former primary school St. Oliver Plunkett’s to Leinster House. Deputy Calleary, who attended the school in the 1980s, hosted the students and their teachers, who were treated to a guided tour of Leinster House, including a visit to the Dáil Chamber and to the Senate. Deputy Calleary said, “I was delighted to meet the boys and girls of my own primary school, St. Oliver Plunkett’s, at Leinster House today. The students enjoyed a very informative tour of the building and hopefully learned a little about how work is carried out in the Houses of the Oireachtas. This is a very worthwhile […]
New FF policy launched to keep town centres at heart of community
Fianna Fáil TD for Mayo, Dara Calleary, says the party’s new policy document on keeping Irish towns alive has all the ingredients necessary to restore the importance of the town centre. Deputy Calleary said the launch of ‘Streets Ahead’, which is the new Fianna Fáil policy document setting out a fresh vision for the future of Irish towns, would ensure that towns again become the fulcrum of the community. “Towns like Ballina and Castelbar face continuing challenges just to survive. The commercial rates system is outdated and favours out of town shopping centres. It has led to an exodus of shoppers away from town centres; where retailers are finding it […]
Read MoreCalleary seeks clarity on pay & conditions for REA workers
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Jobs and Enterprise Dara Calleary has sought clarity on the pay and conditions of workers currently covered by Registered Employment Agreements (REAs) Deputy Calleary commented, “This Supreme Court ruling affects tens of thousands of workers who have been covered by REAs until now. There is still confusion over whether those currently covered under existing contracts will see a forced reduction in pay and conditions as a result of this decision. “I welcome a move beyond outdated employment agreements that were set decades ago, in the absence of other protections for workers. However, we cannot allow a free-for-all for employers as a result of this ruling. I […]
Read MoreRelief for B&Q staff but threats to retail sector remain – Calleary
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Jobs and Enterprise Dara Calleary has welcomed the news that 640 jobs will be saved at DIY chain B&Q, but has cautioned that the ongoing threat to retailers cannot be ignored. “This is a huge relief to the 640 workers at B&Q and their families. It is also a relief to the chain’s loyal customer base in Ireland and to the communities in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Athlone and Naas that benefit from these stores keeping their doors open,” said Deputy Calleary. “The deal to save B&Q includes a substantial investment from its parent company and a significant reduction in rents. While it is welcome that a […]
FF Dáil motion calls for action on fodder crisis
Fianna Fáil is calling for the establishment of a dedicated unit within the Department of Agriculture to co-ordinate the response to the fodder crisis. The Dáil will this week will discuss a Fianna Fáil motion criticising what the party claims was a slow and inadequate response to a crisis which has been devastating for hundreds of farmers across the West of Ireland. Mayo Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary explained, “I and my colleagues spent weeks in the early stages of this crisis appealing to the Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to see what was going on, and take decisive action to prevent unnecessary hardship for families. Unfortunately, it took several weeks […]
FF vow to protect future of Mayo’s small schools
A very large crowd attended a public meeting in Bangor Erris on Thursday night on the need to protect small schools that are under threat of closure. The meeting was the first in a series of meetings as part of the Fianna Fáil ‘Save Our Schools’ campaign. The party’s Education Spokesperson Charlie McConalogue was joined by Mayo TD Dara Calleary, other local representatives, and members of the Erris Save our Schools Committee for the meeting in The Talk of the Town, Bangor Erris, which was hosted by the local Fianna Fáil organisation and chaired by John Cosgrove. Deputy McConalogue said many communities across the West of Ireland are becoming increasingly […]
Read More3 Mayo FF members elected to party’s Ard Comhairle
Three Mayo Fianna Fáil members were elected to Fianna Fáil’s governing body, the Ard Comhairle, at the party’s 74th Ard Fheis at the weekend. Deputy Dara Calleary was re-appointed Honorary Secretary of the party while 26 year old Barrister Lisa Chambers from Castlebar was re-elected as party Vice President. Mayo accountant Henry Cleary was also elected to the Committee of 20 representing grass roots members on the Ard Comhairle, beating off stiff competition from other members. More than 4,000 Fianna Fáil members from across the country travelled to the RDS in Dublin for the 2-day event. The theme was ‘A Fairer Way to Recovery’ and focused on tackling the mortgage […]
Read MoreCreating employment by driving enterprise – Dara Calleary, FF Ard Fhéis, April 27 2013
Delegates, Oireachtas colleagues, Councillors, ladies and gentlemen I want to thank you for your participation and involvement in this morning’s workshop. I want to especially thank Gina Quinn and Tara Buckley for giving up their Saturday to share their expertise and insights with us-I hope you will all agree that they have added significantly to our debate this morning. I want to thank my colleagues John McGuinness & Senator Mary White for their input today but also on an ongoing basis. They bring practical experience to the table with histories of been job creators themselves in a range of successful businesses. Creating employment-Our greatest challenge The greatest failure of this […]
Read MoreBangor FF to host ‘Save our Small Schools’ Public Meeting
Bangor Fianna Fáil Comhairle Cheantair is hosting a Save our Small Schools meeting in The Talk of the Town on Thursday May 2nd. Charlie McConalogue T.D., the Party’s Spokesperson on Education will be the guest speaker. Chairman of the Comhairle Cheantair John Cosgrove explained that the Fianna Fáil organisation were hosting the meeting due to the concerns being expressed throughout Erris in relation to the future of the peninsula’s small schools. “This Government has adopted a policy of severe harm to the future of small schools with pupil/teacher ratios rising and as a result schools in the Barony of Erris are going to lose teachers and resources. “On top of […]
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