Wexford Hospital “sell out” is high treachery

Wexford Sinn Féin have condemned the u-turn on the building of a new A&E Unit and obstetrics ward at Wexford General Hospital, and have laid the onus on the new Fine Gael/Labour coalition government to find out where the funding earmarked for the project has gone.  Sinn Féin Cllr Anthony Kelly has said that whoever is responsible for the disappearance of this funding must be exposed, and has said that their “sell out” of Wexford General Hospital amounts to high treachery.

Cllr Kelly said;

“How dare members of this new government tell the people of County Wexford that the vital upgrade project at Wexford General is going ahead, before pulling the plug two days later.  Are they really suggesting that €21 million disappeared in two days?  Our new government seems to believe that blaming the last government will exclude them from blame.  Fine Gael and Labour are in government now.  If we are told that our hospital is to lie in a state of limbo for four years, then it is this new government that must be held accountable.” 

“Minister Brendan Howlin has stated that the HSE has led us on a merry dance.  I fear that it is this new government and Minister Howlin who are attempting to lead us on a merry dance.

I’m calling on Minister Howlin and his government colleges from our county, Deputy Kehoe and Deputy Twomey, to find out what has happened to this money and to explain to me why they announced that the funding was there, only to say that it was missing two days later.  Did they not think it prudent to count it first maybe?  Someone is playing games here and it needs to end now.  Those responsible are guilty of the sell out of Wexford general Hospital and high treachery against the people of this county.”

“I’m calling on the people of County Wexford to stand up and fight this sell out.  Wexford Sinn Féin has campaigned for well over a decade for better health services at Wexford hospital.  We have never been afraid to get onto the streets and air our discontent.  If this new government refuses to see sense, then we will go back onto the streets.  I’m calling on every man, woman and child in County Wexford to join us and to end the Wexford General Hospital stalemate once and for all.”

Thousands to be removed from Social Housing List

Cllr Anthony Kelly has said that he has great concerns at the new government’s decision to implement new restrictions on social housing applicants which are based upon the plan introduced by the outgoing Fianna Fail led coalition on their last day in government.  The Wexford Sinn Féin rep placed a successful motion against the plan before Wexford Borough Council last week.

Cllr Kelly said;

“These measures will have a devastating impact on thousands of low income families throughout the state who could be taken off housing waiting lists and left in unsuitable and inappropriate accommodation.  In his final act as Minister, Fianna Fáil’s Michael Finneran signed into law the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011.  This included new income thresholds for social housing which could result in the result in thousands of families in need of social housing no longer qualifying for a home.” 

“It’s true that Minister Willie Penrose has increased the income thresholds since coming into office, but this is simply a sugar coating of a cruel act that will have a negative impact across this nation.  Thousands of families are still in danger of being removed from the housing list, and Minister Penrose betrays his true intentions by suggesting that he will ‘look again at the eligibility criteria for social housing in about six months time.’  Does that mean that we get the original Fianna Fail plan put into action in six months time?”

“There are empty houses scattered across this country, in the hands of the Irish nation via NAMA.  According to state figures based on the last census and information from the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government, there are over 300,000 vacant houses in Ireland today, not including holiday homes.  Many of them are now under NAMA control.  There are more than 100,000 households on the social housing waiting list.  Over five thousand people were recorded as being homeless by Focus Ireland last year.  Why is our government trying to remove people who need to be housed when there are 300,000 thousand houses lying idle and gradually slipping into a state of deterioration?  I have placed my motion before Wexford Borough Council to highlight the hypocrisy of this situation and to stop a new government treating its people the same as the last one.”

Kelly calls for ban of “online head shops”

Wexford Sinn Féin councillor Anthony Kelly has called for an end to the sale of illegal head shop drugs in Wexford via the internet.  A simple google search will lead Wexford teenagers to a website where they can buy the banned substances.  Cllr Kelly has placed a motion before Wexford Borough Council calling for the setting up of legislation to prohibit the online sale of these banned substances.

“There was a time when five head shops operated in this county,” Cllr Kelly said.  “We in Sinn Féin felt that the head shops sale of unregulated drugs would do untold damage to our communities, and we campaigned for their closure.  We thought we had dealt with the problem, but now they have re-emerged online.  The potentially lethal banned drug Mephedrone, which mimics the effects of cocaine, is now available for our young people to buy online.”

“The Psychoactive Substances Bill allowed Gardaí to seek a court order to close head shops suspected of selling these dangerous drugs, and made possession and supply a criminal offence.  These people have found a loop hole and I’m demanding that it is closed now.  The suppliers and sellers of these illegal drugs must be prosecuted and their operation closed permanently.”