Fine Gael’s Dr. Twomey was pleased to be able to facilitate Wexford General Hospital Community Alliance when Dr. McKiernan asked if he could help set up a meeting with the leader of Fine Gael, Enda Kenny and Fine Gael’s Health spokesperson, Dr. James Reilly.
Dr. Twomey said that the meeting went well. “Dr. McKiernan and Fr. Fegan wanted to be reassured that Fine Gael is committed to Wexford General Hospital and to keeping its A and E Department open and Enda and Dr. Reilly promised them that commitment. As Fine Gael may be leading the next government, it is important for the Alliance to know that we are on their side.”
“We in Fine Gael have a very different approach to Minister Harney and this government in providing health care. Our health policy is called Faircare and that is what it will be: a fair health care system for all. It puts the patient at the centre of the health system and patients will be seen based on medical need and not based on money. This policy will do away with the two tier system that has proven so unfair for patients in Wexford and throughout the country, over the years.”
Dr. Twomey added that he was again dismayed but not surprised that Wexford General Hospital had the second highest number of people on trolleys outside of Dublin this week. “Again this underlies the importance of Wexford General Hospital to the people of Wexford. Fine Gael realise how essential the current hospital services are and particularly the 24 hour A and E department. It is because of Fine Gael’s commitment to the hospital that Dr. Reilly is coming down on Monday 29 November 2010.”
Dr. Twomey pointed out “the government is not gone yet and the budget details still have to be announced. As long as Fianna Fail is in power, I will continue to fight to ensure that current services at Wexford General Hospital are maintained.”
Dr. Liam Twomey, Fine Gael Wexford
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Saturday, November 13, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ASKED ABOUT SUGAR FACTORY CLOSURE
Fine Gael’s Dr. Twomey wants Fianna Fail and its Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to explain why Ireland’s sugar beet industry was closed down, when the European Commission did not have the correct information. “According to the European Court of Auditor’s Report, when the Commission made it s proposal on sugar reform in 2005, they were unaware of Greencore's rationalisation /restructuring that had taken place leaving it with just one factory in Mallow.”
“The sugar beet industry was extremely important for Wexford farmers. When Greencore closed its factory in 2006 it ended eighty years of beet and sugar production in Ireland and affected 3,700 growers in Wexford and throughout the south east and southern areas of the country as well as the staff in Mallow and associated industries around the country. “
“The government have a number of questions to answer. It was up to the then Minister of Agriculture Mary Coughlan to give the Commission the correct information and defend the beet farmers and the sugar industry in Ireland. Fianna Fail are always saying that the smart economy is the way forward for Ireland but did they consider at the time that sugar can be used as a source of bioethanol or that sugar is also used by other chemical industries?”
“During the Celtic Tiger, Fianna Fail neglected Irish industry and agriculture in favour of construction with the result that Ireland is now importing €99 million worth of sugar annually into the country. According to Iarnrod Eireann, the loss of the sugar beet industry was also a cause of the railway line closure between Waterford and Rosslare, earlier this year.”
“Our agri-food industry produces exports worth €8 billion annually and provides 250,000 jobs throughout the country; therefore it is very important for the future of this country. For this reason, Fine Gael believes it is essential to make a strong case for Ireland to ensure good support from the EU will continue to be received under the Common Agricultural Policy, which is up for reform in 2013. Agriculture is an indigenous and well organised industry that continues to offer increased potential for Ireland. Fine Gael will do its best to protect Irish farmers unlike Fianna Fail with the sugar beet farmers in 2005.”
“The sugar beet industry was extremely important for Wexford farmers. When Greencore closed its factory in 2006 it ended eighty years of beet and sugar production in Ireland and affected 3,700 growers in Wexford and throughout the south east and southern areas of the country as well as the staff in Mallow and associated industries around the country. “
“The government have a number of questions to answer. It was up to the then Minister of Agriculture Mary Coughlan to give the Commission the correct information and defend the beet farmers and the sugar industry in Ireland. Fianna Fail are always saying that the smart economy is the way forward for Ireland but did they consider at the time that sugar can be used as a source of bioethanol or that sugar is also used by other chemical industries?”
“During the Celtic Tiger, Fianna Fail neglected Irish industry and agriculture in favour of construction with the result that Ireland is now importing €99 million worth of sugar annually into the country. According to Iarnrod Eireann, the loss of the sugar beet industry was also a cause of the railway line closure between Waterford and Rosslare, earlier this year.”
“Our agri-food industry produces exports worth €8 billion annually and provides 250,000 jobs throughout the country; therefore it is very important for the future of this country. For this reason, Fine Gael believes it is essential to make a strong case for Ireland to ensure good support from the EU will continue to be received under the Common Agricultural Policy, which is up for reform in 2013. Agriculture is an indigenous and well organised industry that continues to offer increased potential for Ireland. Fine Gael will do its best to protect Irish farmers unlike Fianna Fail with the sugar beet farmers in 2005.”
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
FAIRNESS NEEDED IN BUDGET
Fine Gael’s Dr. Liam Twomey has said that the target of €6 billion will bring the deficit to 9.5% of GDP. “Unfortunately with Fianna Fail and the Greens at the helm, the public have no confidence in them and they do not believe that the cuts will be felt by everyone across the board. The public feel that people at the lower end will be hit harder than those at the top. Fianna Fail does not believe that those who have the most should pay the most and we have seen this unfair policy in Minister Lenihan’s apparent obsession to protect Anglo Irish Bank against all the economic advice and to the detriment of everyone else in county Wexford and across the country.”
“With 18,372 unemployed in County Wexford, this figure will rise without a stimulus plan. This has not been part of Fianna Fail’s policy in the last couple of years and Minister Lenihan’s solution seems to be for 100,000 people to leave the country so that the live register figures will decrease. There are about 100,000 small businesses in Ireland and if the government could support them so that they can increase their workforce by just one then that would be an extra 100,000 people off the live register.”
“This government has let the people down and Minister Lenihan and his colleagues have not been telling us the truth about the figures. They have been drip feeding the bad news in the hope that they can dupe the public into thinking that Fianna Fail has their best interests at heart. Fianna Fail have not put the country first and we have seen this first hand in County Wexford with the closure of the Rosslare to Waterford line, and the continuous threat to our A & E, our maternity services and our mental health services. Fianna Fail allowed the construction sector to increase in an unsustainable manner while ignoring our manufacturing industries and farming and this was felt most acutely in county Wexford. “
“With Fianna Fail running out of ideas, we need a Fine Gael led government with Ministers from County Wexford who will ensure that all our services will be maintained for the people of county Wexford.”
“With 18,372 unemployed in County Wexford, this figure will rise without a stimulus plan. This has not been part of Fianna Fail’s policy in the last couple of years and Minister Lenihan’s solution seems to be for 100,000 people to leave the country so that the live register figures will decrease. There are about 100,000 small businesses in Ireland and if the government could support them so that they can increase their workforce by just one then that would be an extra 100,000 people off the live register.”
“This government has let the people down and Minister Lenihan and his colleagues have not been telling us the truth about the figures. They have been drip feeding the bad news in the hope that they can dupe the public into thinking that Fianna Fail has their best interests at heart. Fianna Fail have not put the country first and we have seen this first hand in County Wexford with the closure of the Rosslare to Waterford line, and the continuous threat to our A & E, our maternity services and our mental health services. Fianna Fail allowed the construction sector to increase in an unsustainable manner while ignoring our manufacturing industries and farming and this was felt most acutely in county Wexford. “
“With Fianna Fail running out of ideas, we need a Fine Gael led government with Ministers from County Wexford who will ensure that all our services will be maintained for the people of county Wexford.”
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