The Labour Party | Autumn 2015

SENATOR LORRAINE HIGGINS

KEEPING IN TOUCHWITH LOUGHREA

I have contacted Galway County Council togarner support for the development of LoughreaLake as an urban beach.

Parts of the lake already consist of sand butthere is a lot of stone in the area too so I haveasked the Council about the possibility ofremoving the stone from around the lake inorder to create an ‘urban beach’. Were this tohappen, in addition to the benefits of a newamenity, there is a good chance the beach wouldbe approved for blue flag bathing which would be good news for locals and tourism.

Loughrea is well-positioned to deal with an increase in tourist numbers and there is real potential here to create a space thatwould bring great enjoyment and also increase interest in Loughrea from a tourist perspective. I hope Galway County Councilwill consider this idea with a view to putting the necessary works in place during the coming months.

URGING COUNCILSUPPORT FORLOUGHREA ‘URBANBEACH’ PROJECT

With Minister Alan Kelly at my office in Loughrea recently

I was delighted to organise a meeting for the members of theLoughrea Town Hall and Cinema organising committee with Ministerfor the Environment, Community and Local Government Alan Kelly inrelation to the future plans for the building and the need forcommunity input in its future.

This is an important piece of infrastructure for the whole communityincluding the arts, drama, scouts, heritage, various youth groups andmust be utilised in a way that facilitates all the great work so manyvolunteers do. Consequently, it is absolutely imperative that they havean input into the future of this building.

This committee have a real plan to use the building as an arts hub andhave numerous local groups and businesses supporting theirendeavours. Their plans are visionary for the building and indeed theirwider touristic ambitions which would do wonders for Loughrea andthe surrounding hinterlands.

Our meeting with Minister Kelly was very progressive and he hasagreed to work with the me and the Committee to ensure the Councilare in tandem with this group's ambitions for the building.

TOWN HALL PLANSTAKING SHAPE

Only one fifth of sentences for burglary convictions lead to jail termsof five years or more, while almost half of all convictions for robberyattract sentences of three years or less. And to add insult to injury forthose affected by the actions of these thugs, many robberies arecarried on by repeat offenders.

Currently, there is no minimum or mandatory sentence for burglars inIreland something I have long called for both in the Seanad and on RTE.Criminals are clearly not being deterred from committing burglaryagain and again and I feel it is high time we strive for better standardsin our criminal justice system and work to ensure that justice is seen tobe done for the benefit of both victims and society as a whole. A mandatory sentence to act as a deterrent for would beburglars would be more palatable for the victims and for the thousands of people out there living in fear in rural Ireland.

Increased pressures on Gardai at local level, as well as an ever improving road network has only served to give these criminalsthe confidence to rob, pilfer and maim. The human cost is such that victims and their families are likely be traumatized forthe rest of their lives. I have already drafted legislation on cyber crime and it is my intention to draft legislation for minimumsentencing for those terrorising rural Ireland. This is an essential step to ensure people feel safe in their homes.

STIFFER PENALTIES NEEDEDTO STOP RURAL CRIME

I have requested that the Minister for Justiceestablish a taskforce for dealing with antisocialbehaviour on housing estates.

I have received a number of complaints from peoplein Galway East on this matter which is causing untoldstress to residents, many of whom feel helpless in theface of such carry on, but must continue to live intheir homes.

I think it is profoundly unfair that the bad behaviourof a minority should make life so difficult for themajority of people, who have no problem fulfillingtheir roles as responsible neighbours. Housing estatesby their nature require people to live close togetherand to share public spaces within the development.Crucial to this arrangement is that all those living inclose proximity to others be mindful of their dutiesas part of a community. This means treating theirneighbours and shared spaces with respect. Wherethis deal is not upheld, residents need greaterprotections to tackle anti-social elements, be theyother homeowners or tenants.

It is unacceptable that law-abiding citizens be lefthelpless in this regard while such behaviour escalates.If individuals cannot live peaceably and respectably ina housing estate, residents should be able to appealthis situation, rather than feeling trapped andintimidated in their own homes.

It is imperative the Minister engages with localcouncils, the gardai and residents committees ofestates affected to work together to tackle thisproblem and I hope to see more stringent policies inplace to support residents who find themselves inthis situation.

ANTI-SOCIALBEHAVIOUR IN ESTATES

The Central Bank’s rulingrequiring a 20% depositrequirement to buy ahouse has had amajor impact on theability of first timebuyers to get theirfoot on the propertyladder and we arealready seeing theimpact on the market.

We need to look at anAmerican-style solution where theyhave a number of private mortgage insurance companiesoperating in the market and their function is to bridge the gapwhen a lender doesn't want to fully finance the purchase of aproperty. For instance while the bank might finance the propertyto the tune of 75%, these insurance companies will then step intothe fold and indemnify the potential non-payment of 25%.Buyers taking out these policies will pay an annual premium andget their home and the financiers find alternative ways ofspreading non-payment risk.

Young families and people seeking to get on the property laddersimply want a fair deal. A 20% deposit is all well and good if youare a seriously high-earner but for the vast majority of us this is abridge too far.

This situation needs to be addressed swiftly, otherwise we riskknocking an entire generation of young Irish people off theproperty ladder before they have had a chance to climb it. I haverequested the Government to introduce such measures aimed attackling prohibitive conditions in the housing market for firsttime buyers.

Speaking on RTE Prime Time about the need for minimumsentencing for burglars

GOVERNMENT SUPPORTNEEDED FOR FIRST TIMEBUYERS

It is clear that the greenwaycannot go ahead as planned,given many farmers fears are notbeing dealt with. The voices ofour farming community must belistened to and every effort madeto deal with their concerns.

I have listened to the concerns ofthose potentially affected andaccept the need for the proposedroute to be realigned toaccommodate farmers’ wishesand goodwill.

Realigning the route, for examplealong the old Loughrea toCraughwell road, would go someway to addressing theseproblems.

I have raised this with theMinister for Transport PascalDonohue and it is my hope thatthe will of the people will beconsidered and alternativeapproaches adopted to thebenefit of our local communities.

LOCAL FARMERS’GREENWAYFEARS MUST BEADDRESSED

The rollout of free GPcare for 5214 childrenaged under 6 fromGalway East is goodnews for localfamilies. Many peopleworry about the costof bringing their childto the doctor so freeGP care for childrenunder 6 will make areal difference to afamily's householdbudget. We have alsoensured that adultsaged over 70 willbenefit from free GP care. This means that from this summer, up to 300,000 childrenand older people nationwide who currently have to pay to see their GP will no longerhave to.

But free GP care is about more than reducing the day-to-day cost of living for familiesand pensioners. The enhanced primary care services being rolled out mean that theUnder 6s will benefit from a new, landmark asthma cycle of care programme andpreventative wellness checks. Adults of all ages will benefit from the new diabetescare programme

This is the first step in the phased introduction of a universal, free GP service. It marksa shift towards promoting health and wellbeing that will benefit our health system asa whole. It is also an important milestone in achieving our priority of enhancingprimary care and keeping people well in their own community.

FREE GP CARE FOR UNDER 6s ANDOVER 70s

Last year I carried out a survey in schools in County Galway and 85%of students felt cyberbullying is a major issue while 80% believednot enough is being done about it. Coupled with my own experience Iwas aware there was a gap in our legislative armour and I was keento cover this because I feel a duty as an Oireachtas member to makeour online platforms a safe and decent place for the millions ofpeople using them but particularly for children and vulnerableindividuals.

I recently drafted and launched new internet safety legislationHarmful and Malicious Electronic Communications Bill 2015 whosepurpose is to protect and mitigate harm caused to individuals by allor any digital communications and to provide such individuals with ameans of redress for any such offending behaviours directed at them.

It is wrong that there are penalties for the victims of abuse andthreats online in that their mental health may very well be affectedbut there are no penalties or deterrents for the instigators of theseabuse or threats.

I am looking for cross party support for it because it’s too importantan issue to play political football with it as it affects every householdin the country.

DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCENEW CYBER BULLYINGLEGISLATION TO PROTECTOUR CHILDREN

Representing the Irish Govenment at the YoungParliamentarians Conference in Brussels recently

With Minister Brendan Howlin after the announcement of the€27billion Capital Plan. The money is to be invested inschools, roads, transport, connectivity and garda stations andwill provide employment to the construction sector andrevitalise our towns and villages.

If you’d like regular updates from Lorraine, visit her website atwww.lorrainehiggins.com or connect with her on LinkedIn. You can also follow her on Twitter (@LorHiggins) and Facebook(Lorraine Higgins). She’s very active on social media, posting daily about employment newsand local stories from around the constituency. Get in touch to have yoursay on issues local and national, or send in a query. Lorraine would love tohear from you.

Get in touch…Following on from the hugely successful CVclinic I held recently I will be holding others,together with a Free Legal Advice Clinicwhere you can get free advice on variouslegal matters. Feel free to contact my officeon 091 842200 for details of both. I will also be holding my regular AdviceClinics every second Monday.

CLINICS

The political season is well underway with plenty of action in and around the Dáil andSeanad. As always, Senator Lorraine Higgins would be more than happy to facilitate toursfor any interested constituents. If you, your family or friends would like to visit theHouses of the Oireachtas, please do not hesitate to contact her office on 091 842200.

Tours of the Houses of the Oireachtas

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14 healthcare and 6 nursing posts affiliated to St Brendan's Home inLoughrea are left unfilled since last February so I have asked for theMinister for Health to intervene to request the HSE to allow for aderogation so Galway jobs be advertised and filled locally.

In order to relieve pressure on the county Emergency Departments theseposts were allocated to St Brendan's to facilitate step down beds. Agencyworkers are currently working in these posts but this is coming at a costto the exchequer and ultimately the taxpayer, for a short period, while thehiring of the full time posts was conducted.

This is a simple advertise, conduct interviews and hire procedure so thedelay is ludicrous and the matter needs to be resolved as soon as possible.The impact full-time permanent employment would have on 20 familieswould be immense.

The delay with the HSE National Recruitment service is baffling and as aconsequence I have asked the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar tointervene to allow a derogation to local management to advertise theseposts locally and fill them locally. I hope he will look favourably on it andact without delay.

MINISTER MUST INTERVENETO ALLOW 20 JOBS BEADVERTISED AND FILLED

Over the course of the last year both myselfand a number of parliamentary colleagueshave been fighting for a reduction in theUniversal Social Charge. I feel this is a relic ofIreland’s insolvency and must be reduced soIrish families have more money in theirpockets. People have made huge sacrificesover the course of the recession and now thatthe country is back on solid footing andexpected to achieve 3.7% economic growthand be the fastest growing economy of theEU this year, now is the time to rewardfamilies for the difficult years they havesustained.

Any reduction cannot be tokenism and mustbe real to reflect the sacrifices made by eachand every one of us. My commitment to youis to fight to have this unfair tax reduced.

WE NEED AREDUCTION IN THEUNIVERSAL SOCIALCHARGE