Pandemic unemployment must be tackled now – Kelly

County Wexford Sinn Féin elected representative Cllr Anthony Kelly has said that the latest state unemployment figures show that we are experiencing a pandemic of joblessness, and unless positive and decisive action is taken now, we will lose our chance of economic recovery.  The Wexford town councillor has demanded that the new coalition puts an emergency job creation programme into action immediately.

Cllr Kelly said;

“A few months ago, when Fianna Fail were busy cutting state benefits and the minimum wage, and introducing the Universal Social Charge on budget day, they promised us that unemployment would stabilise at 13.2%.  Today it stands at 14.6%, and is rising.  7.3% of our work force is now long term unemployed.  Our labour force is shrinking.  In the last quarter alone, we lost 28,000 workers.  28.8% of under 25s are unemployed.  Is it any wonder that thousands of our young people are leaving the country at that rate?  The most troublesome statistic is this.  Neither the last government nor the current one have taken any positive steps to tackle this crisis.  Michael Noonan would prefer to talk to EU leaders about bank debt than tackle Ireland’s unemployment pandemic.”

“Given how serious the situation is, the fact that the jobs plan has been kicked down the road in the Programme for Government for 100 days is outrageous.  We have half a million citizens already inflicted by this deadly pandemic, and many more worried that they will be in the next wave of victims.  What does our new government do? They review.  Review?  Either they have a plan for job creation or they don’t.  Reviews won’t take people off the dole queues.  Reviews won’t stop our young people from emigrating to find work.  Reviews won’t tackle the obvious social and economic damage that long term unemployment inflicts upon an Irish family.  This government must implement a progressive job creation programme now, or else move out of the way and let a new government that will in.”

Kelly concerned over sale of state assets

A Wexford Sinn Féin rep has raised concerned over the new government’s plan to sell up to €2 billion in state assets.  Cllr Anthony Kelly has said that such a move will lead to the loss of strategically important national services; the sale of which will generate profit that will be moved directly into paying back toxic loans.

“Last week we saw Mr Noonan get backing from the EU and IMF to put a reckless Fine Gael plan into motion that will result in the sale of profitable publicly-owned companies such as ESB, Bord Gáis and An Post,” Cllr Kelly said.  “The coalition government are stating that funds raised from the sale of these state assets will be used to fund a job creation programme.  This will not be the case, as the IMF will not allow it.  As we have seen in Greece and other nations where the IMF has arrived, the wholesale sell off of state assets to repay debts is common practice.  We in Sinn Féin fear that this government is on the verge of selling off profitable public companies to make more money to throw into the growing bank debt hole.”

“The programme for government states that the government will be guided in relation to any sale by the McCarthy report.  Professor McCarthy is likely to recommend a large scale sell off of state assets, including either a part or total sell off of Coillte.  Given that this group controls 7% of the states land, the projected loss from the coalitions ‘car boot sale’ could be devastating for generations to come.”

New Social Housing income thresholds must be reversed - Kelly

Wexford town Sinn Féin councillor Anthony Kelly has called upon Minister Willie Penrose to reverse the new income thresholds for social housing brought in by former Minister Michael Finneran in one of his last acts as Minister.  Cllr Kelly warned that these new thresholds would result in the removal of thousands of families from housing waiting lists.

Cllr Kelly said;

"Minister Penrose must address this situation immediately.  Failure to do so will result in thousands of families being further plunged into poverty.  The removal of these families from housing waiting lists will result in them being left in unsuitable accommodation.  At a time when we have over three hundred thousand empty houses in the care of NAMA, this makes no sense.  I would remind Minister Penrose that its the taxpayer who is funding NAMA, not himself, Enda Kenny nor Eamon Gilmore."

South East Unemployment Pandemic

County Wexford Sinn Féin rep Anthony Kelly has said that the South East is suffering more than most due to the effects of this recession.  The Wexford town councillor has said that the recent Quarterly National Household Survey figures show that 41,700 people are unemployed in the south-east region.

Cllr Kelly said;

"Its a well known fact that the South East, County Wexford in particular, had a high concentration of people employed in the construction sector.  Maybe that is why unemployment in our region has now reached 18.1 per cent, compared to 8.8 per cent two years ago.  This is the highest regional unemployment rate in the State. Its a disgrace, and proof once again that County Wexford was neglected by successive governments during the boom years, while other counties prospered."

"I'm calling upon this government to honour its election promises, promises of job creation and rapid action, promises that won them the election.  The time for procrastinating is certainly not now.  This is a time for swift and progressive action.  A job creation policy must be implemented now.  Failure to do so now will write the epitaph of this government, and perhaps this nation."

Token pay cuts are an insult to electorate – Kelly

Wexford Sinn Féin elected rep. Anthony Kelly has said that pay cuts introduced by the new government are nothing but a token gesture aimed at pacifying an electorate that demanded change but instead have gotten a government committed to the same failed principals as the last one.  Cllr Kelly said that the newly strengthened Sinn Féin representation in the Dail would introduce legislation within 100 days to cut Ministers salaries by 40% and TDs salaries by 20%.

“This pay cut is a cynical token gesture aimed at making the electorate believe that they have voted in real change,” Cllr Kelly said.  “The reality is that even after this cut Ministers will still be paid €3,255 per week in the midst of an economic crisis.  Our new Taoiseach will be earning €4000 every week without including his expenses.  These are the very same Ministers who are refusing to reverse cuts to social welfare recipients and asking people to live on €188 per week.  These are the people who talk about political reform but are still happy to earn three times the average industrial wage.”

“Sinn Féin will be bringing forward a bill to drastically reduce these high wages.  No one can justify representatives of the Irish people living in luxury while the rest of the nation suffers the full brunt of the economic crisis.  All the parties contesting the last general election promised real political reform.  My party will be testing that commitment with legislation and we will be watching carefully to see who supports our Bill and who doesn’t.”

No to Water Charges

Cllr Anthony Kelly has stated that Wexford Sinn Féin will resist any attempts to introduce water charges in this county. Cllr Kelly said the new Fine Gael/Labour coalitions plan to introduce the rates is ill thought and shows no compassion for the thousands of families in County Wexford and beyond already struggling to survive.

"I am saddened that a government that contains Labour is planning on introducing these charges at a time when Irish families simply could not possibly afford them," Cllr Kelly said. "These charges have nothing to do with the environment and are instead design to raise revenue in a completely unfair fashion. This is a regressive form of taxation which will hurt those on low incomes the most."

"Its insanity that Fine Gael and Labour plan on spending hundreds of millions of euro on installing metres in every household while at the same time we have not fixed the antiquated water system that is loosing massive amounts of water every single day. This is the kind of incompetent thinking that characterised the Fianna Fail/Green regime. Is this what we have in store for us from this new regime? Is this what those people who voted for Fine Gael and Labour hoping for change actually voted for? Sinn Féin understands that good clean water is expensive to produce and that exchequer finances are limited. That is why we support investment of progressively raised central taxation in works to eliminate wastage in the mains system and to encourage conservation at a household level.”

The Campaign goes on - Kelly

Cllr Anthony Kelly has vowed that Wexford Sinn Féin will continue to be at the forefront of the fight to prevent any further downgrading of Wexford General Hospital, despite having missed out on a coveted Dail seat in the recent election.  Cllr Kelly, the Wexford Sinn Féin election candidate, has also said that his party is now the main opposition party in this state, and he aims to insure that Sinn Féin in this county will be the voice of opposition against any future cuts or lack of affirmative action by the new regime.

Cllr Kelly said;

“Obviously there is disappointment among some of our supporters that we failed to win a Sinn Féin Dail seat for County Wexford in the recent election.  I want to assure these people that nothing has changed.  We opposed the unfairness and incompetence of the last government.  In fact, it was my party that brought them down.  I want the people of this county to know that Sinn Féin will take action against the incoming government if they fail to honour the promises that they made to the electorate during the election campaign.  I want the people of this county to know that we will continue to resist downgrading of our health and education services, cuts aimed at the most vulnerable citizens in our state, and narrow minded government attempts to tax our way out of recession.”

“The test of our new government, and indeed our newly elected Dail Deputies, is whether they will put Irelands interests and the interests of Irish citizens before all else, including the repayment of toxic bondholder debts.  Will this government introduce a realistic job creation plan, and will they invest their full energy into tackling the unemployment and emigration crisis?  Are they prepared to abolish the Universal Social Charge?  Will they be able to cope with the now inevitable mortgage crisis?  Sinn Féin is now the real opposition in the Dail, and we will be the voice of coherent opposition in County Wexford.  If the government fails the people of County Wexford, we will be there to fight them.”

Planned government job cuts will "finish off" Irish health system

Cllr Anthony Kelly has said that the planned axing of 25,000 public sector jobs by the new Fine Gael/Labour coalition will have an extreme adverse affect on the Irish health system, and will in essence "finish off" whats left of our states health service. The Wexford town Sinn Féin rep has admitted that the new programme for government promises much reform for the health service, but said that he was worried that the exact number of health staff working in the front line that will lose their jobs had yet to be revealed.

"Twenty five thousand public sector workers will be made redundant under the new programme for government," Cllr Kelly said, "How many of them will come from our health service? You cannot make sweeping cuts in the health service without vastly damaging frontline services. Staff shortages are already affecting patient care. I am conscience that Wexford Labour TD Brendan Howlin has called for a better health service for this nation for that past few years. I urge him to be the moral compass for the Fine Gael/Labour coalition now, and to resist any actions that may further damage health services in Ireland. I warn him that if he does not, he and his new government colleagues will have to face an electorate that has already decimated one political giant this year."

"There is still no sign that Fine Gael and Labour will reverse the health cuts imposed by Fianna Fail and the Greens. This new government is tied to the same irresponsible, failed economic policies of the Fianna Fail regime. I hope that they don't run the health service in the same manner."