Fine Gael’s Dr. Liam Twomey called on the Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, TD, and the Taoiseach to clarify their knowledge of issues regarding NAMA at the time of its publication and its effectiveness in getting credit flowing to Irish businesses.
During the Order of Business in the Seanad last week, Dr. Twomey said, ‘Speaking on the day of publication of the NAMA legislation last September, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, said NAMA would strengthen and improve the funding position of the banks in order that they could lend to viable businesses and households. This means it would get credit flowing. The Taoiseach said the Government’s objective in restructuring the banks was to provide access to credit for Irish businesses at a critical time. When both individuals were making these statements, they clearly had evidence to the contrary, that it would not get credit flowing or that there were concerns about whether it would get credit flowing.’
Dr. Twomey requested that the Taoiseach make a statement to clarify what he knew and the reason he withheld this information from the public. ‘Those of us currently working as well as our children and grandchildren will have to pay back this €47 billion and will own two defunct banks, so we need an answer from the Taoiseach.’
‘Due to our lack of competiveness, foreign companies have been leaving our shores to set up business in cheaper, more cost effective economies. Our own Irish businesses who are the real life blood of this country are suffering. The Tanaiste, Mary Coughlan announced that her department would ‘consider’ establishing a state loan guarantee scheme for SMEs to promote banks to lend to viable businesses. If NAMA was working in the way stated by the Minister last September, why is the Tanaiste looking at a state loan guarantee for SMEs,’ questioned Dr. Twomey. ‘A difficulty in accessing credit was cited as one of the main problems for businesses today so we need to deal urgently with this issue.’
Dr. Twomey added that County Wexford has been particularly badly hit by the closure of a number of small businesses. ‘The figures on the live register went up 3.8% in January and to add to that, we now have the closure of the English based Halifax bank branches in Gorey and Wexford town, with the loss of more jobs.’
Dr. Liam Twomey, Fine Gael Wexford
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Thursday, February 11, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
PRESS RELEASE - PRISON PATENTLY NOT WORKING - TWOMEY
Short and unnecessary prison sentences a waste of time and money
Speaking in the Seanad Fine Gael Wexford Senator, Liam Twomey, said our prison policy is fatally flawed, with our prisons bursting at the seams and taxpayers spending millions each year on an utterly failed system.
“Our prison policy is an abysmal failure which is failing victims of crime, the perpetrators and the taxpayer shelling out an inordinate amount of money with little or no results.
“It costs somewhere in the region of €100,000 each and every year to keep an offender in prison and with our prisons bursting at the seams we have to ask ourselves if our recent prison policy is achieving its objective as a deterrent to committing crime.
“The annual report of the Irish Prisons Service 2008 showed that:
• of those incarcerated in 2008 a third were non-nationals, the majority of whom were awaiting deportation;
• There was an 88% increase in the numbers imprisoned for not paying fines;
• For the majority of prisoners, the average stay was approximately 4-12 months.
“Research shows that in difficult economic times an upsurge in property crime takes place. The latest CSO statistics on crime confirm that fact, indicating a rise in burglary, robbery and related offences. A comparison of Quarter 4 in 2009 and Quarter 4 2008 showed that burglaries rose by 8.8% and possession of an article with intent to burgle or steal was up by a staggering 39%.
“Fine Gael has long advocated a radical change in policy on crime including the creation and adoption of an alternative dispute resolution system to deal with the payment of debt.
“Hardened criminals view our current system as a soft-touch, administering three to four month prison stints. The emotional effects of such a stretch inside on those imprisoned for non-payment of fines can not and must not be underestimated.
“With a cost of roughly €2,000 per week to jail these offenders, it is patently clear that we need to review current practice which is neither cost effective nor a suitable deterrent. Real deterrents are needed to prevent crime with short or unnecessary prison sentence clearly a waste of time”.
Speaking in the Seanad Fine Gael Wexford Senator, Liam Twomey, said our prison policy is fatally flawed, with our prisons bursting at the seams and taxpayers spending millions each year on an utterly failed system.
“Our prison policy is an abysmal failure which is failing victims of crime, the perpetrators and the taxpayer shelling out an inordinate amount of money with little or no results.
“It costs somewhere in the region of €100,000 each and every year to keep an offender in prison and with our prisons bursting at the seams we have to ask ourselves if our recent prison policy is achieving its objective as a deterrent to committing crime.
“The annual report of the Irish Prisons Service 2008 showed that:
• of those incarcerated in 2008 a third were non-nationals, the majority of whom were awaiting deportation;
• There was an 88% increase in the numbers imprisoned for not paying fines;
• For the majority of prisoners, the average stay was approximately 4-12 months.
“Research shows that in difficult economic times an upsurge in property crime takes place. The latest CSO statistics on crime confirm that fact, indicating a rise in burglary, robbery and related offences. A comparison of Quarter 4 in 2009 and Quarter 4 2008 showed that burglaries rose by 8.8% and possession of an article with intent to burgle or steal was up by a staggering 39%.
“Fine Gael has long advocated a radical change in policy on crime including the creation and adoption of an alternative dispute resolution system to deal with the payment of debt.
“Hardened criminals view our current system as a soft-touch, administering three to four month prison stints. The emotional effects of such a stretch inside on those imprisoned for non-payment of fines can not and must not be underestimated.
“With a cost of roughly €2,000 per week to jail these offenders, it is patently clear that we need to review current practice which is neither cost effective nor a suitable deterrent. Real deterrents are needed to prevent crime with short or unnecessary prison sentence clearly a waste of time”.
Friday, January 22, 2010
PRESS RELEASE - TWOMEY QUESTONS EFFECTIVENESS OF BANKING ENQUIRY COMMISSION
Dr. Liam Twomey of Fine Gael has questioned the effectiveness and openness of the Banking Enquiry Commission. The Commission is due to be established in June after two reports have been completed, one by the Governor of the Central Bank and the second by a recognised expert or experts, who will conduct a preliminary investigation into the causes of the banking crisis.
Agreeing with his party leader, Dr. Twomey said that the remit of the initial reports does not mention the role that the Government had in creating the banking crisis. “We, the public, deserve to know about how and why the banking crisis came about but this needs to be done in an open and public manner. County Wexford has been very badly hit by the recession and the banking crisis. Looking along Wexford’s Main Street, you can see the number of small businesses that have closed down over the past couple of years. Last month, Wexford town had 6,629 people on the Live Register, an increase of 37.5% since December ‘08. This increase can in part be put down to the banks not offering the financial support that SMEs need.”
Dr. Twomey believes that this commission and report will be no different to previous investigations and reports produced by this Government: alot of tax payer’s money will be spent to pay the experts for the report but very little or any of the recommendations of the report will be implemented.
Agreeing with his party leader, Dr. Twomey said that the remit of the initial reports does not mention the role that the Government had in creating the banking crisis. “We, the public, deserve to know about how and why the banking crisis came about but this needs to be done in an open and public manner. County Wexford has been very badly hit by the recession and the banking crisis. Looking along Wexford’s Main Street, you can see the number of small businesses that have closed down over the past couple of years. Last month, Wexford town had 6,629 people on the Live Register, an increase of 37.5% since December ‘08. This increase can in part be put down to the banks not offering the financial support that SMEs need.”
Dr. Twomey believes that this commission and report will be no different to previous investigations and reports produced by this Government: alot of tax payer’s money will be spent to pay the experts for the report but very little or any of the recommendations of the report will be implemented.
PRESS RELEASE - EXTRA FUNDING FOR ROADS - TWOMEY
Dr. Liam Twomey of Fine Gael has requested extra funding for Wexford County Council to help in their repair of the damage to the county’s roads after the snow and ice in December and early January. Speaking in the Seanad, Dr. Twomey called on the Taoiseach to respond to the need for emergency funding by local authorities, after Minster Dempsey insisted to the Transport Committee that “he did not have a pot of gold”.
During the Seanad’s Order of Business, Dr. Twomey said “We must deal with this problem as a matter of urgency. If the Minister cannot do anything, the Taoiseach should be invited to come before the House to explain why the Government cannot make emergency funding available to local authorities in order that they might repair the roads. If repairs are not carried out, certain roads will deteriorate to an unbelievable degree in the next few months and will eventually be closed. Billions of euro have been provided for the banks because it has been stated the finance system is so important. However, the country’s infrastructure is equally important. The Leader should invite the Taoiseach to address the Seanad to indicate why funding has not been made available for urgent repairs to roads throughout the country.”
Dr. Twomey acknowledged that secondary roads are the worst affected but pointed out the importance of infrastructure for local farmers and rural businesses and communities. “This will result in more economic damage to rural communities who have already suffered at the hands of the government’s budgets in 2008 and April of last year. The Transport Committee heard that the entire €411m budget which has been allocated for all surface repairs in 2010, is likely to be exceeded by the national emergency total alone.”
Dr. Twomey wanted to commend the individual County and Borough Council workers, who showed their commitment by all the hours that they put in over the holiday period in December and January. However he is concerned about Minister Dempsey’s defence of the government’s limited response to the recent severe weather and also by the council’s delay in declaring an emergency on 8 January, some 9 days after the heavy snow and ice on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. “With climate change, we are more than likely going to see this kind of weather again and we cannot have as slow or as limited a response the next time”.
During the Seanad’s Order of Business, Dr. Twomey said “We must deal with this problem as a matter of urgency. If the Minister cannot do anything, the Taoiseach should be invited to come before the House to explain why the Government cannot make emergency funding available to local authorities in order that they might repair the roads. If repairs are not carried out, certain roads will deteriorate to an unbelievable degree in the next few months and will eventually be closed. Billions of euro have been provided for the banks because it has been stated the finance system is so important. However, the country’s infrastructure is equally important. The Leader should invite the Taoiseach to address the Seanad to indicate why funding has not been made available for urgent repairs to roads throughout the country.”
Dr. Twomey acknowledged that secondary roads are the worst affected but pointed out the importance of infrastructure for local farmers and rural businesses and communities. “This will result in more economic damage to rural communities who have already suffered at the hands of the government’s budgets in 2008 and April of last year. The Transport Committee heard that the entire €411m budget which has been allocated for all surface repairs in 2010, is likely to be exceeded by the national emergency total alone.”
Dr. Twomey wanted to commend the individual County and Borough Council workers, who showed their commitment by all the hours that they put in over the holiday period in December and January. However he is concerned about Minister Dempsey’s defence of the government’s limited response to the recent severe weather and also by the council’s delay in declaring an emergency on 8 January, some 9 days after the heavy snow and ice on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. “With climate change, we are more than likely going to see this kind of weather again and we cannot have as slow or as limited a response the next time”.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
PRESS RELEASE- OVERCROWDING IN WEXFORD'S A & E UNTENABLE
Dr. Liam Twomey of Fine Gael has said that the situation in Wexford General Hospital is untenable with 26 people on trolleys in A & E, last week. “Since 2007, 19 beds have been closed in the hospital. When the Minister and the HSE make decisions to close wards in their Dublin offices, they just look at the statistics and not the people.”
He added that the patients on trolleys are suffering. When he has to send a patient to the hospital, the fact that the patient will be on a trolley is a serious consideration for him. He said that not only is it extremely difficult for the nurses to provide the nursing care that is needed, the patients are not being given the basic rights of dignity and privacy that all patients should be entitled to. It is also difficult for patients to sleep with constant movement of staff up and down the corridor. “If the closed St. Catherine’s’ Ward could be re-opened to allow patients to use the facilities in the Ward, patients would be more comfortable. Importantly, reducing the number of patients treated on trolleys decreases complications.”
Dr. Twomey believes that it is ridiculous that even during the “Tiger Economy” years we had these same overcrowding problems and the recession, with the Government’s cut in funds to Health, has resulted in a worsening of the situation. Rather than always going for the easy option of simply cutting patient beds and services, the Government should look at the actual savings that these measures make. In the US, it was shown that reducing the number of patients treated on trolleys resulted in a decrease in the overall length of stay for all patients – a real cost saving.
With over 500 patients nationwide on trolleys, Fine Gael has urged the government to urgently instruct the HSE to start contracting some of the 1,800 unoccupied nursing home beds to properly accommodate those people in acute hospital beds who need long stay care, among other measures. Dr. Twomey said that Fine Gael’s Fair Care health policy would result in a “money-follows-the-patient” budgeting system so that hospitals are paid for how many patients they treat. Patients will no longer be seen as “costs” to the health service, but as sources of “income”.
He added that the patients on trolleys are suffering. When he has to send a patient to the hospital, the fact that the patient will be on a trolley is a serious consideration for him. He said that not only is it extremely difficult for the nurses to provide the nursing care that is needed, the patients are not being given the basic rights of dignity and privacy that all patients should be entitled to. It is also difficult for patients to sleep with constant movement of staff up and down the corridor. “If the closed St. Catherine’s’ Ward could be re-opened to allow patients to use the facilities in the Ward, patients would be more comfortable. Importantly, reducing the number of patients treated on trolleys decreases complications.”
Dr. Twomey believes that it is ridiculous that even during the “Tiger Economy” years we had these same overcrowding problems and the recession, with the Government’s cut in funds to Health, has resulted in a worsening of the situation. Rather than always going for the easy option of simply cutting patient beds and services, the Government should look at the actual savings that these measures make. In the US, it was shown that reducing the number of patients treated on trolleys resulted in a decrease in the overall length of stay for all patients – a real cost saving.
With over 500 patients nationwide on trolleys, Fine Gael has urged the government to urgently instruct the HSE to start contracting some of the 1,800 unoccupied nursing home beds to properly accommodate those people in acute hospital beds who need long stay care, among other measures. Dr. Twomey said that Fine Gael’s Fair Care health policy would result in a “money-follows-the-patient” budgeting system so that hospitals are paid for how many patients they treat. Patients will no longer be seen as “costs” to the health service, but as sources of “income”.
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