SPEECH BY MARY UPTON TD Labour Party TD, Dublin South Central Thursday, 23 April 2009 Speaking in the Dáil on the Social Welfare Bill

SOCIAL WELFARE BILL WILL CAUSE MISERY FOR THOUSANDS

This latest Social Welfare Bill will hit hardest the former poster children of the Celtic tiger. Young families with large mortgages and young children will be most affected by these proposals. It will also hit those who did not benefit from the Celtic tiger by reducing rent allowance and halving the jobseeker's allowance in certain cases. The Bill is the latest from a Government which is out of touch. Irish people want to see those who did the best during the boom times paying their share but this is simply not happening and this Bill is doing nothing to move in that direction.

The decision to reduce mortgage interest supplement to seven years is a serious decision which will have negative consequences for thousands of families across the State. One of the legacies of the Ahern-Cowen era of Government will be the reckless way in which they allowed the housing market to be inflated. Massive tax incentives were offered to landlords. The media is also culpable, given its relentless promotion of the property ladder.

SPEECH BY EAMON GILMORE TD Leader of the Labour Party Responding to debate on Labour Party motion re withdrawal of Christmas Social Welfare Payment Thursday, 23 April, 2003 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

FF TARGETS PENSIONERS RATHER THAN DEVELOPERS

There were only two groups of people who were happy with the emergency Budget on the 7th of April:  the big speculators, whose worthless land and half-derelict apartment blocks will be bought back off them by An Bórd Bail-out; and moneylenders.   

Listening to the Minister for Finance ask for solidarity in our national crisis - before cancelling the Christmas payment for pensioners, single parents, carers and the unemployed - moneylenders must have thought that their Christmas had come early.

In December 2008, the Saint Vincent de Paul were already reporting a dramatic rise in the number of people turning to moneylenders to make ends meet.  By December of this year, it is predicted that almost half a million people will be without work, and dependent on social welfare.   

Already, over 173,000 people have lost their jobs in the past twelve months...

DELIVERIES   
In addition to the congested conditions for customer parking outlined in SD09A/0046 the new retail/office complex at Orwell Shopping Centre would be inaccessible to larger articulated vehicles making deliveries. This will create traffic congestion on Orwell Road.

ORWELL PARK HEIGHTS PARKING  
At present cars often park along the residential street (Orwell Park Heights) to the side of Orwell Shopping Centre. The revised parking arrangements would result in a new alignment of the kerb side to provide designated parking spaces and new paving to prevent parking on grass margins and the pedestrian area outside the shops facing on to Orwell Park Heights. However in light of the revised parking arrangements in the rest of the shopping centre car park the lack of proper parking controls at this location would only result in an even greater inconvenience to residents in Orwell Park Heights.

CONSTRUCTION WORK
We would like to also like to make clear residents objection to early morning and night time construction work and the applicants request for South Dublin County Council for permission to do so.

COMMUNITY INPUT
In conclusion Residents are not against change or redevelopment. It is widely accepted that Orwell Shopping Centre does require refurbishment and visual enhancement. In addition to this most people would welcome additional employment in the area.

Planning application SD09A/0046 however does not however strike the right balance in meeting the community’s needs.