Roads around Castledermot in need of urgent attention - Daly

The roads in the vicinity of Castledermot are in a disgraceful state claims

Fine Gael Kildare South General Election candidate, Cllr Richard Daly.

“Following concerns expressed to me by residents in the area I toured some of the secondary routes adjacent to Castledermot in the past few days and was appalled by the condition in which I found them. While I am not an engineer I experienced road surfaces which needed resurfacing and road edges which could prove very dangerous if a driver were forced to the edge to allow passing traffic.” Said cllr Daly

“With a new motorway under construction the resulting construction traffic has caused serious deterioration of the existing routes which need urgent attention. In the recent inclement weather flooding on some of the roads has occurred most probably from the excess mud blocking the drains.

The road adjacent to Knocknacree Cross has been deemed so dangerous by one bus driver that he will not travel it and in the meantime at least one family is forced to walk on the road which to me seems unsafe.

Education, enforcement and engineering can lead to safer roads and I am publicly calling on Kildare County Council to examine these roads adjacent to Castledermot as a matter of extreme urgency and prioritise resurfacing, drainage and edging works to prevent serious accident.”

ENDS

Concern at elderly care proposals – Daly

Fine Gael Kildare South General Election candidate, Cllr Richard Daly, has said he is concerned about a number of aspects of the Government's new proposals on long-term care for the elderly.

“We have seen the introduction of a new death tax on the elderly. It appears the Government intends to wash its hands entirely of the future care of the elderly, those who built up this country, worked in far more difficult times than now and paid their taxes and PRSI, but now find they will be subject to a death tax after they have gone, in some cases requiring the sale of the family home.

“The persons who will need nursing home care in the next ten to 15 years are those who worked in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, built the Celtic tiger and paid their taxes and PRSI. They find themselves levied with a new death tax of 15 per-cent.
“The Government’s proposal is built on three pillars, namely, an inspectorate regime for nursing homes, community services and this funding proposal. The Government seems completely unaware of what is happening in respect of the provision of community services. It is some years since those in psychiatric institutions were abandoned in communities with no facilities to support them, but I see something similar happening now.

“The Government is proposing that by January 1, 2008, there will be community services to look after elderly people in their homes and communities. The current rate of provision of such services makes a mockery of this issue. The Government is living in fantasyland if it believes the services will be provided. There are not enough general practitioners, nurses, occupational therapists or home-helpers and the State cannot employ the physiotherapists it has trained. Where will the Government find the personnel to provide cover to people refused entry to nursing homes?

“To expect those services to be in place by January 1, 2008 is complete and utter fantasy. If the Government has been unable to prevent the serious abuse of some elderly in some licensed nursing homes, where a monitoring regime is supposed to exist, how does it expect that a community service to look after those elderly who are semi-highly dependent can be put in place by that date? How can it justify this as one of the fundamental pillars of this new programme, which also includes a death tax?

“The Government has always proclaimed itself a low-tax Government, but it has introduced a raft of stealth charges and new taxes in the past few years. In the Budget, the health levy was increased by 25 per-cent, there was an increase in the cost of private beds in public hospitals, and the Government voted through a measure requiring 5 per-cent of the notional value of a person’s home to be assessed for the purposes of a claim for subvention.

“What will happen in the case of a person who is unable to avail of home supports and is required to go to a nursing home, but is refused for not being high-dependency? Are these people being told to get lost and go back where they came from? If they are refused the option of nursing homes, where will they go?



“In a country of considerable wealth, we have failed once again to provide for the vulnerable. That is the legacy of this Government.”

Daly calls on Kildare consumers to 'shop local' for Christmas

Kildare South General Election candidate, Cllr Richard Daly, has called on consumers in the county to ‘shop local’ this Christmas.

“There is no denying that every consumer deserves the right to seek out the cheapest prices when shopping, but I feel there is great value to be had in many of the smaller towns.

“Retailers in small towns in county Kildare provide a first class service throughout the year, and rather than travelling long distances in search of a bargain, I feel shoppers should look close to home first of all and try and maintain a certain loyalty to places where they have shopped for most of the year.”

The Fine Gael candidate said local retailers often relied on the loyalty of their customers to ensure their businesses remain viable.

“In recent years, retailers in the county's smaller towns have come under increasing pressure in a market in which multi-national chains have tried to monopolise with huge advertising campaigns.

“But many local shops have responded by spending large sums on modernising their premises, and providing state of the art facilities for the modern consumer.”I feel this sort of investment in local business deserves to be supported by the community.

“Every penny spent in the these communities means that businesses can prosper and continue to provide much needed employment in less populated areas.

"Successful businesses in smaller towns provide crucial full-time and part-time employment.

“In order to maintain the vibrancy and the future development of our smaller towns, the local community must row in behind these hardworking businesses and ensure their viability."

Cash strapped Kildare families face fuel bills they can’t pay – Daly

Cash strapped Kildare families are facing ESB and gas bills they cannot pay while the Government reaps the benefit of price hikes according to Fine Gael Kildare South General Election candidate, Cllr Richard Daly.
"Recent price hikes in electricity and gas charges were premature and the obstinacy of the Government and the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in turning a deaf ear to consumer concerns about the numerous gas and electricity hikes is truly amazing.
"Electricity price rise due next January will mean that prices have increased by 60% over the last six years – with hard working families facing into another year of price hikes, coming after a series of ESB increases in the last number of years – 3% in Jan ‘06, 4% in Jan ‘05, 8.6% in Oct ‘04 and 5% in Jan ‘04.
"January’s price increase will mean Irish consumers will pay about 17.5% more for electricity than their British counterparts, facing an annual bill of approximately €900.
"In September, consumers were hit with a 33.84% hike in gas. This comes on top of the existing burden of high mortgages, long commute times and high childcare costs, all of which will only fully impact in mid 2007. Thanks to this increase the average Irish consumer will pay €1,200 a year for gas - almost €300 more than in Britain.
"The direct corollary is the Government gets a windfall in extra VAT rising from €116 million to €223 million between 2001 and 2005 and culminating, if the present trend continues, in a massive €362 million by the end of 2006 - a major win for the Government, a major loss for the domestic and industrial consumers.
"The net losers are, as usual, the householder, manufacturing and service industries. These additional hikes are placing a heavier burden on those families who are already overloaded and are a threat to the economy from the increasing lack of competitiveness in both the manufacturing and service sectors. To pile price increases on top of those who are already overburdened in this fashion is irresponsible at best and at worst cynical, but more seriously shows significant flaws in the regulatory system applied here."

Daly Marks another year on empty school site

Education planning in Kildare is a scandal


Fine Gael Kildare South General Election candidate, Cllr Richard Daly, who is principal of Athy Community College, will today (Friday) mark the failure of the Department of Education to commence work on a new Community College for Athy by once again holding an outdoor civics class on the site of the proposed college.

“It is six years since Taoiseach Bertie Ahern planted a tree on the site of a proposed new Community College for Athy, when he promised speedy delivery.

“Once more, I am taking a class on this empty, greenfield site to highlight the frustration caused to pupils, parents and teachers by the Government’s failure to build the long-promised new Athy Community College,” said Cllr Daly

“Last year, I held an outdoor class on this site to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the failure to advance this project since the Taoiseach’s promise.

“The project was first promised by the Department of Education seven years ago. Following our protest last year the Department initiated a planning process and a meeting took place between interested parties and the Taoiseach.

“It will now be September, 2008 before Athy Community College is completed.

“The delay in building a new Athy Community College is an example of the ineptitude and out-dated methods which exist in the Department of Education.

“It will take nine years for this project, which was to be fast-tracked, to reach completion.

“Is it any wonder there are parts of Kildare with no school places available whatsoever?

“The Department is seriously in arrears in its building programme, but is not spending its annual budget.

“Towns and villages all over the county are awaiting primary schools which should have been constructed years ago.

“In Newbridge, there are no longer any remaining primary school places despite the fact that the Department was aware of an impending crisis some years ago.

“It appears that crisis stage has to be reached before the Minister for Education realises the obvious.

“I wonder how many other school principals will be forced to take similar drastic action to advance building programmes which lag behind population growth?” asked Cllr Daly.

Daly calls for a national refuse waiver system

Following the announcement that Kildare County Council are considering privatising the refuse collection throughout the county Fine Gael General Election candidate Cllr Richard Daly says that the only people to suffer under this privatisation are the elderly and the lower income families.

“In the past we have seen privatisation of the refuse collection creating inequality throughout the county where some citizens benefit from waivers under the public system and others have no such facility under privatisation. I have highlighted this inequality in the past.

It is sad that those who least can afford it will be the losers in such a privatisation. The elderly and those who can ill afford it will loose all waivers and be forced to pay full price under private refuse collection.

A national waiver system must be introduced for those entitled to it to ensure a responsible and equitable approach to waste collection. We already have a problem of illegal dumping which will undoubtedly escalate if a large section of the county is forced to pay considerably more.

All political parties should be insisting on a national waiver system and in the shortest possible time” said cllr Daly

Crime and Safety are Major Issues for Kildare voters – Daly

Fine Gael Kildare South General Election candidate, Cllr Richard Daly has said that residents throughout the constituency have complained about the escalation of crime and the fears for their personal safety and the protection of their property.

“We have seen in recent weeks newspaper headlines relating to thugs and vandalism in several Kildare towns, a lack of implementation of our laws to protect our citizens and a Garda force which is under resourced and understaffed as our population booms in the county.

The basic “life-threatening”issues of crime and health are what need to be addressed and urgently. Castledermot, Newbridge, Monasterevin and Athy have all been victims of thuggery and vandalism in the past couple of weeks while the promised resources to our Gardai have not arrived.

An under equipped Garda force cannot respond to the escalation of anti social behaviour and crime. The criticism on the doorstep is not about the Gardai, it is about the lack of Gardai.

Over the past nine years the current government has shown they incapable of addressing the crime issue which affects our county despite the billions of unexpected euro in the state coffers. Equipping our Gardai will not have an inflationary effect and the money is there .”said cllr Daly

“Lack of Garda numbers mean that responses have to be prioritized. The urgent takes precedence to the most important. Crime response replaces crime prevention. The force becomes a fire brigade instead of a community resource for prevention.

The powerless people in our towns and villages can rest assured that making Kildare a safe place to live is one of my main priorities. Our elderly must feel safe in their homes and we as a community must ensure that as a society we take steps to address the basic neglect of our citizens rights to security.

In order to give local residents the opportunity to express their views on the current situation in their community I am holding a Public Meeting in Monasterevin on the coming Wed (1st Nov) in the Hazel Hotel where members of the community will be invited to express their opinion.”

Daly calls on Minister Power to protect the elderly -22-10-06

Despite another litany of promises, the Government has failed to follow
through with action to police standards in nursing homes, according to Fine
Gael General Election candidate, Cllr Richard Daly.

“If the test of any Government is how it cares for the elderly, the Fianna
Fáil/PD administration is a miserable failure and I am calling on Minister
Power to come to the assistance of this most vulnerable sector of our
community,” said Cllr Daly.

“Last May’s Prime Time Special highlighted the appalling treatment of
elderly residents at Leas Cross Nursing Home.

“Last June, the Government promised new law to allow for an independent
inspectorate, better enforcement and new national standards. It would also
allow the authorities to close a nursing home.

“Eighteen months on, little has improved, there is no new law, no national
standards, and very patchy enforcement.

“Last week, Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny read into the Dáil record some of
the findings of Professor, O’Neill who wrote the report on deaths at Leas
Cross.

“The findings were shocking and again highlighted the failure of the
inspection regime to police standards in nursing homes.

“Despite all their promise the Government has failed to follow through with
effective action and Minister Power as a Junior Minister in Health is in a
very strong position to be part of the solution.

“It is failing to deliver on a tough new nursing home inspectorate, despite
making 12 separate commitments to do so.

“The Bill setting up a new independent agency will not be published until
next year.

“Constantly long-fingering laws to ensure that Leas Cross never happens
again is one of the most searing indictments of the Government's attitude,”
said Cllr Daly.

Slow roll-out of Eircom broadband is costing money, jobs & investment in Kildare - Daly

Dutch broadband is ten times faster at half the price

Kildare South Fine Gael General Election candidate, Cllr Ricahrd Daly, has slammed Eircom for its slow progress in rolling out broadband and its refusal to upgrade telephone exchanges in rural areas.

“In some cases, it is taking up to 18 months to get a telephone line installed in parts of South Kildare, let alone broadband. There are still pockets of Kildare without broadband which were not included in last roll out.

“The recent announcement by Eircom that it will not upgrade exchanges with a thousand lines or less leaves rural Ireland in the lurch. Not alone is Eircom not prepared to provide the service themselves, but the company is actually blocking other telecoms companies that want to enter the market because of the failure of ComReg to insist on local loop unbundling.

“Minister Dempsey needs to re-evaluate what he considers a success in the roll-out of broadband when only 440 telephone exchanges out of 1,100 have been, or are going to be, upgraded.

“Irish broadband customers pay up to €50 a month for a broadband service that is much slower than other countries. It is clear that Minister Dempsey is not taking his responsibility seriously in terms of the roll-out of broadband.

“In The Netherlands, customers pay €22 a month for 20 megabyte broadband while Irish customers pay eircom more than twice as much for just one megabyte broadband.

“As a result, rural Ireland is losing, money, time, jobs and investment.”

(ENDS)

A New Culture of Safety on our Roads Must be a Priority

Following a year of unprecedented carnage on our roads the time has come when various agencies and government departments must combine forces to bring our road deaths to a much lower level. Following the introduction of the Penalty Points system our road death numbers fell but as soon as it became obvious that the chance of actually incurring penalty points was extremely low the number of deaths has grown.

We all want safety on our roads and I am sure that all political parties will assist in whatever it takes to introduce a culture of responsible driving on our roads. We have seen cultural change in our attitude to smoking, now let us seriously address our driving culture.
We need more Garda Resources of manpower and technology to enforce existing legislation
A reexamination of the whole Driving Test method including a shortening of the waiting time
The realistic introduction of speed cameras must be implemented
A system where a person who fails their driving test is allowed to drive home needs to be examined.
A system where it becomes dangerous to try to keep to the legal speed limit on our main roads must be questioned
A system where it takes years to implement adequate speed limits outside schools needs to be updated
A system where “bull Bars”, which can be terminal to a pedestrian in even a minor collision, are allowable but the absence of the county name on your number plate leads to failure of NCTE


Almost 400 people lost their lives on our roads last year – more than one per day and this does not include the hundreds injured and maimed. The number of families affected is staggering and the time has come when the safety on our roads must become a major priority of the government.


Richard Daly