politcal news from Cork, Ireland
SINN Féin city councillor Chris O’Leary has called on Labour TD Ciarán Lynch to explain what he claims is the South Central deputy’s U-turn on social welfare cuts.
“The Sinn Féin motion reminded deputies that over 205,000 children (19%) are ‘at risk of poverty’ while another 96,000 children (9%) are living in consistent poverty. This means they are experiencing material deprivation: they don’t have a warm waterproof coat or they go without a substantial meal daily.
Ted Tynan
WORKERS Party city councillor Ted Tynan has said that, “far from being the voice of fairness on behalf of working class people it promised prior to the last election, the Labour Party was now leading Fine Gael in attacking social welfare and public services”.
Cllr Tynan has that the latest comments of a number of Labour ministers that cuts in Child Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance are likely to be in the next budget sound “more than a softening-up exercise than public statements of concern for the less well-off”.
SPEAKING in the Dáil on the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill, Fine Gael Cork South Central Deputy, Jerry Buttimer, said that people must honour the responsibilities associated with signing up for social welfare payments.
“A society should be judged by the way it treats its most vulnerable members. The provision of social welfare is one mechanism we use to assist those most in need.
THE Labour Party Spokesperson on Disability and Equality, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, has called on the Minister for Social Protection, Éamon Ó’Cuív, to take extra measures to tackle the huge backlog of social welfare appeals.
In response to a parliamentary question from Deputy Lynch, Minister Éamon Ó’Cuív revealed that there are currently 20,959 people currently awaiting an appeal with the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
Mick Barry
“No to Social Welfare Cuts – Time for Organised Protest” is the title of today’s public meeting in the Chambers Bar opposite the courthouse on Washington Street.
The meeting is being organised by Socialist Party councillor Mick Barry and is aimed at persuading unemployed Corkonians to organise in opposition to the threat of social welfare cuts in next months’ Budget.
Michael McGrath
FRAUD control activity carried out by the Department of Social Protection (Southern Region) in 2009 resulted in 29,642 claims being reviewed and savings of €14.45 million being achieved, according to Cork South Central TD Michael McGrath.
The Southern Region covers Cork, Kerry and Limerick. Reviews undertaken and savings arising from activity in the Department’s Headquarters are not included. The Department does not record this data by County.
“The Department’s Southern Region has confirmed to me that 29,642 individual reviews were carried out in 2009, resulting in almost €14.5 million of savings. The majority of the reviews related to jobseeker’s allowance / benefit with 23,626 cases reviewed.
Gearoid Buckley
PEOPLE signing on for Jobseekers Benefit in Bandon face a wait longer than the national average waiting time for their claims to be processed according to Gearóid Buckley, Labour Party Councillor for Bandon.
Cllr Buckley said, “While I accept that waiting times have reduced greatly in recent times, Bandon still has the longest waiting time in Cork South-West. According to figures released for the month of April there is a waiting time of nearly five weeks for Jobseekers Benefit applications to be process. This is just too long.
Bernard Allen
FINE Gael TD Bernard Allen has described as “an absolute disgrace” the fact that social welfare claimants across Cork are facing delays of up to 14 weeks before they can receive badly needed State supports.
Deputy Allen made the comment after it was revealed that 22,000 social welfare claimants across the country are facing long payment delays due to public sector unrest.
Deputy Allen said, “As we have also seen with the Passport Office debacle the Government’s handling of its own employees is going from bad to worse and this failure is impacting directly on the Irish public.
RSS feed
Recent Comments