Cllr Dermot Looney, a Labour Party representative on South Dublin County Council, has said that the Council’s decision to outsource bin collection to a private company is a “grossly unfair and undemocratic act” taken without the consent of elected representatives. Looney was commenting in the wake of SDCC management agreeing over the weekend to privatise the brown and bin collection service to Greyhound R&R Ltd, in spite of a recent Council motion opposing any attempts to privatise the service. Looney seconded an emergency motion proposed by Cllr Cathal King at Monday’s Tallaght Area Committee meeting opposing the privatisation.
“This decision has clearly been in the pipeline for some time,” noted Cllr Looney, “but the manner in which it was announced was bizarre indeed. I first found out about it on a visit to the Council’s website early Saturday morning. It turns out that the elected Councillors had only been informed about this through a late Friday afternoon email in which we were told the deal was done – but we were told to remain quiet about it. Meanwhile, the Council have posted the information to its website, and Greyhound sent out a self-congratulatory press release which the Council have been happy to publicise!”
“The elected representatives of this Council have had no hand, act nor part in this ‘executive decision.’ I have done everything in my very limited power as a Councillor to stand up for the public bin service, and in particular the thousands of less well-off and elderly residents who rely on the waiver, via motions, questions and political pressure at Council level. However, the decision of successive governments to take any powers away from elected representatives regarding waste means we could not halt this move.”
“We are now told that the waiver will only last another 12 months, and that no new applications are being accepted. This is a grossly unfair decision which will cause huge worry for the thousands of people currently availing of the waiver – not to mention those who will be forced to rely on social welfare in the coming weeks and months.”
“Furthermore, it is clear that this decision has already had a huge negative impact on residents. Those on the Friday collection route, including hundreds of people in my own neighbourhood of Greenhills, did not have their bins collected last week and have also missed out on non-collections on Saturday and Monday.”
“Greyhound are promising lower prices – and they may indeed be true to their word in the short term – but this privatisation may very well lead to market oligopoly in time, with a small number of large private companies operating an effective cartel and being able to push up prices. An accompanying decline in service is very possible in such a market environment. I will be calling on the Council management to at the very least retain the existing waiver system in the long term at our next meeting.”
Monday, 21 March 2011
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Press Release - Grassroots should reject ‘unbalanced, short-sighted” coalition deal, urges Labour Cllr
Cllr Dermot Looney, a Labour Party representative on South Dublin County Council, has said that he will oppose the Labour Party’s entry into government with Fine Gael at Labour’s Special Delegate Conference this Sunday. Looney said that, far from being ‘balanced,’ as has been claimed, Fine Gael would outnumber Labour in any such arrangement by 2 to 1, with a resultant policy bias towards Fine Gael’s plans for cuts, conservatism and privatisation.
“Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the party as a whole, Labour has emerged from this general election out on its own in second place;” noted Looney, “an historic achievement for a party which has always played third fiddle in Irish politics. Fine Gael, meanwhile, has been given the lead position but does not have a mandate to govern on its own.”
“Fine Gael have a number of options at this point, including seeking the support of independents or coalescing with their centre-right colleagues in Fianna Fáil with whom there are few major differences. Labour members have just one choice – whether to lead the opposition to a government of cuts and austerity, or to join with it as a minor partner.”
“Having spoken to many Labour members and voters from all sorts of backgrounds during this campaign and in its aftermath, I believe there is substantial opposition to a Fine Gael-dominated government from the grassroots of the Labour Party and from ordinary communities across Ireland. Such a government would be unbalanced and short-sighted.”
“It is clear that a deal is not in the interests of the Labour Party, its voters or the values we have carried since the party was founded by James Connolly 99 years ago. But, more importantly, this coalition would not be in the national interest.”
“The interests of the Irish people are not served by the Labour Party fighting for scraps from a Fine Gael menu of cuts and social conservatism. The national interest will be best served by the strongest ever Labour Parliamentary Party acting as a powerful and constructive opposition in the upcoming Dáil, and seeking to lead the next government not only in terms of numbers, but of policy.”
“Labour has the best potential Ministers in Dáil Éireann but I want to see them in Government implementing Labour policies, not Fine Gael ones.”
“Coalition between an emboldened Fine Gael and a numerically far inferior Labour Party will be bad for Ireland and bad for Labour. I will be asking Labour members to vote against the deal on Sunday and, regardless of the outcome, will seek to play a constructive but principled role in the party in the time ahead.”
“Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the party as a whole, Labour has emerged from this general election out on its own in second place;” noted Looney, “an historic achievement for a party which has always played third fiddle in Irish politics. Fine Gael, meanwhile, has been given the lead position but does not have a mandate to govern on its own.”
“Fine Gael have a number of options at this point, including seeking the support of independents or coalescing with their centre-right colleagues in Fianna Fáil with whom there are few major differences. Labour members have just one choice – whether to lead the opposition to a government of cuts and austerity, or to join with it as a minor partner.”
“Having spoken to many Labour members and voters from all sorts of backgrounds during this campaign and in its aftermath, I believe there is substantial opposition to a Fine Gael-dominated government from the grassroots of the Labour Party and from ordinary communities across Ireland. Such a government would be unbalanced and short-sighted.”
“It is clear that a deal is not in the interests of the Labour Party, its voters or the values we have carried since the party was founded by James Connolly 99 years ago. But, more importantly, this coalition would not be in the national interest.”
“The interests of the Irish people are not served by the Labour Party fighting for scraps from a Fine Gael menu of cuts and social conservatism. The national interest will be best served by the strongest ever Labour Parliamentary Party acting as a powerful and constructive opposition in the upcoming Dáil, and seeking to lead the next government not only in terms of numbers, but of policy.”
“Labour has the best potential Ministers in Dáil Éireann but I want to see them in Government implementing Labour policies, not Fine Gael ones.”
“Coalition between an emboldened Fine Gael and a numerically far inferior Labour Party will be bad for Ireland and bad for Labour. I will be asking Labour members to vote against the deal on Sunday and, regardless of the outcome, will seek to play a constructive but principled role in the party in the time ahead.”
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Press Release - Looney slams welfare claim backlogs of up to 4 months
Cllr Dermot Looney, a Labour Party representative on South Dublin County Council, has said that information supplied to the Labour Party indicates a delay for as long as four months for certain welfares. Applications for Disability Allowance are taking an average of 18 weeks, according to the latest information from the Department of Social Protection. The Department outlined other average waiting times such as:
Applications for Disability Allowance are taking an average of 18 weeks, according to the latest information from the Department of Social Protection. The Department outlined other average waiting times such as:
* Invalidity Pension - 16 weeks
* One Parent Family Payment - 15 weeks
* Widows Pension (Non-Contributory) - 12 weeks
* Carer's Allowance - 11 weeks
* Carer's Benefit - 11 weeks
* Family Income Supplement - 10 weeks
* State Pension (Non-Contributory) - 10 weeks
Cllr Looney noted that figures obtained by Labour TD Róisín Shortall show that waiting times for these categories are clearly getting worse. “The average waiting time for Invalidity Pension was 12 weeks in August - now it's 16. Disability Allowance was 13 weeks in August - now it's 18. Carer's Allowance was eight weeks in August - now it's 11.”
“It is obvious that waiting times are worst where the decision involves the assessment of medical evidence. There is a real question if the Department has enough medical officers to deal with the amount of such claims.”
“In many cases, the people applying for assistance are living on the breadline. The long waiting period puts tremendous strain on such people and their families. Residents in Tallaght, Greenhills and other local areas are now forced to rely on the generosity of the already hard-pressed St Vincent de Paul and other charities, or the assistance of the local community welfare officer to get by. We know that in many cases they are forced to borrow from family, friends and, in the worst cases, moneylenders.”
"These waiting times are simply unacceptable, and the Government needs to act immediately to speed up the process by employing more staff in assessing and processing, if necessary transferring them from areas of lower priority. In the medium term, it is clear that better technology can be employed in servicing the needs of welfare recipients,” said Looney.
Applications for Disability Allowance are taking an average of 18 weeks, according to the latest information from the Department of Social Protection. The Department outlined other average waiting times such as:
* Invalidity Pension - 16 weeks
* One Parent Family Payment - 15 weeks
* Widows Pension (Non-Contributory) - 12 weeks
* Carer's Allowance - 11 weeks
* Carer's Benefit - 11 weeks
* Family Income Supplement - 10 weeks
* State Pension (Non-Contributory) - 10 weeks
Cllr Looney noted that figures obtained by Labour TD Róisín Shortall show that waiting times for these categories are clearly getting worse. “The average waiting time for Invalidity Pension was 12 weeks in August - now it's 16. Disability Allowance was 13 weeks in August - now it's 18. Carer's Allowance was eight weeks in August - now it's 11.”
“It is obvious that waiting times are worst where the decision involves the assessment of medical evidence. There is a real question if the Department has enough medical officers to deal with the amount of such claims.”
“In many cases, the people applying for assistance are living on the breadline. The long waiting period puts tremendous strain on such people and their families. Residents in Tallaght, Greenhills and other local areas are now forced to rely on the generosity of the already hard-pressed St Vincent de Paul and other charities, or the assistance of the local community welfare officer to get by. We know that in many cases they are forced to borrow from family, friends and, in the worst cases, moneylenders.”
"These waiting times are simply unacceptable, and the Government needs to act immediately to speed up the process by employing more staff in assessing and processing, if necessary transferring them from areas of lower priority. In the medium term, it is clear that better technology can be employed in servicing the needs of welfare recipients,” said Looney.
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Senators - Please, No More Gifts!
I have been blown away by the wasteful spending of certain Senators in parties other than my own who court votes from Councillors by sending frequent letters and, at Christmastime, cards and gifts.Last year, my 'haul' included a number of diaries, a book on local elections, a box of chocolates and a tie. What a total waste of taxpayer's money and abuse of parliamentary resources!
I've already received one diary this year from a FG Senator - see left. I don't know who paid for it - but it came in a Seanad envelope.
In anticipation of receiving more, I wrote to all 60 Senators this evening as below. It will be interesting if I receive any replies from the "usual suspects."
------------------------
A Sheanadóirí,
As a County Councillor elected in June 2009, I was very surprised last year to receive all sorts of "gifts" in the posts from Senators from parties other than my own, presumably in the hope of securing my support in a future Seanad election.
I received another such "gift" today. In anticipation of receiving any more, I want to state that I do not wish to receive any further "gifts" from any Senator. In my view, they are a waste of taxpayer's money as well as a needless expense. The only impact that the receipt of such a "gift" would have on my voting intention is negative.
I would encourage any Senator intending to spend their own money on sending Christmas cards or "gifts" to every Councillor in the land to instead give the money to one of the many worthy causes which need it most, such as their local St Vincent de Paul or other local or international charity.
Is mise, le meas,
Cllr Dermot Looney
The Labour Party / Pairtí an Lucht Oibre
South Dublin County Council / Comhairle Contae Áth Cliath Theas
----------------------
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Article re Pat's-Rovers Crowd Trouble
Article re Pat's-Rovers match
---------------------------
Our Local Clubs Belong to the Fans, Not the Fools
- Cllr Dermot Looney
As a Councillor representing the Shamrock Rovers heartland of Tallaght – not to mention a teacher in a Rovers-mad sixth class in St Dominic’s NS, just down the Bypass from Tallaght Stadium - it’s hardly in my interest to be a St Pat’s fan. But that’s exactly what I am, long-suffering and all though my support has been.
So although my political sensibilities may have been split during the FAI Cup semi-final replay last week, my footballing loyalty held true to the bitter end. Constituents and schoolkids alike have since kept me well-reminded of Rovers’ 1-0 victory in the replay!
But outside of the fanbase of both clubs, all attention focussed on the crowd trouble after the final whistle. Within an hour of the final whistle, radio phone shows were buzzing with conflicting reports of what was likened to a full-scale riot.
Like everyone else with a passion for League of Ireland football, I’ve seen it all before – both the crowd trouble and the damaging reports. What rankles with me is that the extraordinary work done behind the scenes at both clubs – simply to keep them going – is jeopardised by a small group of teenage wannabes, a smaller group of grown men who should know better, and sections of the media who only realise that we have a football league in Ireland when there’s a hint of trouble.
The pitch invasion by no more than 200 of 2000 Rovers fans in the ground may have represented a natural overspill of emotion after winning the match, but the danger in which it placed players and others was unacceptable. Similarly out-of-order was the movement of this throng to confront the St Pat’s supporters in the West Stand, the half dozen or so St Pat’s fans who jumped onto the pitch to confront the Rovers’ fans, and the ensuing minor skirmishes and plastic bottles being thrown back and forth.
Those who seek to portray this as ‘part-and-parcel’ of the ‘rough-and-tumble’ of the game – as some did in the media last week - are doing a great disservice to League of Ireland football. There was real fear in Richmond Park on the night. The throwing of flares or bottles or scuffles with stewards are not welcome in Richmond Park, Tallaght Stadium or anywhere else in football.
But this wasn’t the first pitch invasion in football - and it won’t be the last. And it is wrong for any newspaper or radio station to sensationalise the extent of last Tuesday’s incidents. Some outlets – the Echo included – reported sensibly on the crowd trouble. Others hyped it up – a great boon for the few wannabe-hoolies who revel in such coverage.
For my part, I was struck by the discipline of Pat’s and Rovers fans on Tuesday who remained off the pitch and stayed uninvolved despite provocation by some of those on it. Football fans aren’t angels – stand beside me on the Camac Terrace on any given Friday night and you’ll testify to that – and nor should they be. The League of Ireland, for all its faults, has not been pasteurised and retains the working-class character and edge that has been lost in the Murdoch era of overpriced top-flight football across the water. But our ordinary, decent fans rarely get a mention and yet are tarred with the hooligan brush whenever incidents such as these are reported. We need to learn the lessons from nights like last Tuesday for these ordinary fans and their clubs.
Firstly, the punishment for those involved in any form of violence must now be strict and immediate. Fans have been banned by clubs in the past, but to save any confusion and to ensure the integrity of our game, perhaps it is time for an “FAI ban,” meaning that such ‘fans’ would be banned from the Aviva Stadium and FAI-sanctioned away trips as well as all domestic games. It is also clear that security must now be tightened both at and around games of this nature.
Secondly, fans should redouble our efforts to promote our clubs rather than have incidents like this sensationalised in the media. Community-based papers such as The Echo give excellent coverage to both Pat’s and Rovers, but other outlets treat so-called ‘domestic football’ with disdain. Real fans should challenge the sensationalism at all opportunities. I see on a daily basis the amazing work done by Shamrock Rovers in promoting a positive identity for kids in Tallaght, as well as their excellent youth set-up which keeps kids on the pitch and off the street corners. St Pat’s do likewise. Fans should seek to promote these plus-points in the traditional media and online through social network sites.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, longstanding supporters at both clubs have a role in encouraging younger fans to steer clear of trouble by both words and action. For me, the only thing more depressing than the scoreline last week was seeing a grown man throwing a bottle and another storming onto a pitch swinging an umbrella. After all, Pat’s and Rovers belong to the fans, not the fools.
---------------------------
Our Local Clubs Belong to the Fans, Not the Fools
- Cllr Dermot Looney
As a Councillor representing the Shamrock Rovers heartland of Tallaght – not to mention a teacher in a Rovers-mad sixth class in St Dominic’s NS, just down the Bypass from Tallaght Stadium - it’s hardly in my interest to be a St Pat’s fan. But that’s exactly what I am, long-suffering and all though my support has been.
So although my political sensibilities may have been split during the FAI Cup semi-final replay last week, my footballing loyalty held true to the bitter end. Constituents and schoolkids alike have since kept me well-reminded of Rovers’ 1-0 victory in the replay!
But outside of the fanbase of both clubs, all attention focussed on the crowd trouble after the final whistle. Within an hour of the final whistle, radio phone shows were buzzing with conflicting reports of what was likened to a full-scale riot.
Like everyone else with a passion for League of Ireland football, I’ve seen it all before – both the crowd trouble and the damaging reports. What rankles with me is that the extraordinary work done behind the scenes at both clubs – simply to keep them going – is jeopardised by a small group of teenage wannabes, a smaller group of grown men who should know better, and sections of the media who only realise that we have a football league in Ireland when there’s a hint of trouble.
The pitch invasion by no more than 200 of 2000 Rovers fans in the ground may have represented a natural overspill of emotion after winning the match, but the danger in which it placed players and others was unacceptable. Similarly out-of-order was the movement of this throng to confront the St Pat’s supporters in the West Stand, the half dozen or so St Pat’s fans who jumped onto the pitch to confront the Rovers’ fans, and the ensuing minor skirmishes and plastic bottles being thrown back and forth.
Those who seek to portray this as ‘part-and-parcel’ of the ‘rough-and-tumble’ of the game – as some did in the media last week - are doing a great disservice to League of Ireland football. There was real fear in Richmond Park on the night. The throwing of flares or bottles or scuffles with stewards are not welcome in Richmond Park, Tallaght Stadium or anywhere else in football.
But this wasn’t the first pitch invasion in football - and it won’t be the last. And it is wrong for any newspaper or radio station to sensationalise the extent of last Tuesday’s incidents. Some outlets – the Echo included – reported sensibly on the crowd trouble. Others hyped it up – a great boon for the few wannabe-hoolies who revel in such coverage.
For my part, I was struck by the discipline of Pat’s and Rovers fans on Tuesday who remained off the pitch and stayed uninvolved despite provocation by some of those on it. Football fans aren’t angels – stand beside me on the Camac Terrace on any given Friday night and you’ll testify to that – and nor should they be. The League of Ireland, for all its faults, has not been pasteurised and retains the working-class character and edge that has been lost in the Murdoch era of overpriced top-flight football across the water. But our ordinary, decent fans rarely get a mention and yet are tarred with the hooligan brush whenever incidents such as these are reported. We need to learn the lessons from nights like last Tuesday for these ordinary fans and their clubs.
Firstly, the punishment for those involved in any form of violence must now be strict and immediate. Fans have been banned by clubs in the past, but to save any confusion and to ensure the integrity of our game, perhaps it is time for an “FAI ban,” meaning that such ‘fans’ would be banned from the Aviva Stadium and FAI-sanctioned away trips as well as all domestic games. It is also clear that security must now be tightened both at and around games of this nature.
Secondly, fans should redouble our efforts to promote our clubs rather than have incidents like this sensationalised in the media. Community-based papers such as The Echo give excellent coverage to both Pat’s and Rovers, but other outlets treat so-called ‘domestic football’ with disdain. Real fans should challenge the sensationalism at all opportunities. I see on a daily basis the amazing work done by Shamrock Rovers in promoting a positive identity for kids in Tallaght, as well as their excellent youth set-up which keeps kids on the pitch and off the street corners. St Pat’s do likewise. Fans should seek to promote these plus-points in the traditional media and online through social network sites.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, longstanding supporters at both clubs have a role in encouraging younger fans to steer clear of trouble by both words and action. For me, the only thing more depressing than the scoreline last week was seeing a grown man throwing a bottle and another storming onto a pitch swinging an umbrella. After all, Pat’s and Rovers belong to the fans, not the fools.
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