State Can Save €21 Million By Ending Welfare Subsidy To Insurance Companies

Róisín

April 29, 2013

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Delays in producing legislation to end an effective State subsidy to insurance companies is costing the State €21 million annually. The subsidy typically arises whereby a person suffers an injury in an accident, is forced to stop work for a while, and therefore suffers a loss of income. If the person claims a social welfare payment during the period off work but subsequently makes a successful insurance claim against a Read More

Thousands face over-charge of Local Property Tax and they won’t even get a Refund- Dáil speech

Róisín

April 18, 2013

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A Ceann Comhairle,   I raise this issue today because I believe there is a very real risk that many thousands of home-owners face being over-charged the new Local Property Tax.     The Local Property Tax is an unfair tax. It’s anti-urban, anti-jobs, and above all takes virtually no account of ability to pay.     But the administration of the tax makes that unfairness even worse.   The Read More

Revenue Property Tax Guidance Causing Widespread Confusion

Róisín

April 11, 2013

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There is widespread confusion among the public as to how to arrive at an honest valuation of their property for Local Property Tax purposes because of the completely inadequate valuation guidance offered by the Revenue Commissioners. The Revenue Commissioners used a complex statistical model based on a range of data sources to arrive at an estimate for each property around the State. However, such obvious determinants of house price as Read More

Thousands of Pensioners face forced “Gap Year” because of Government inaction

Róisín

March 13, 2013

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Today in the Dáil, I raised the issue of the pensioners who will have no other option but to sign on the dole in 2014 because the Government has failed to align the new State Pension age with the retirement age attached to their contracts of employment. The Government aims to save about €60 million in a full year following the abolition of the State Pension (Transition) next year. The Read More

Grants for Disabled and Older People Cut by 40%

Róisín

March 8, 2013

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Department of Environment funding for home adaptation grants for people with disabilities and for older people have been cut by an average of 40%. Councils around the country received notification of their funding last week and details were provided to me in response to a Dáil question yesterday evening. (see details below)  The reply reveals that Leitrim suffered the worst percentage cut of a whopping 89%, followed by Laois (76%), Read More

72,000 now on Primary Care Waiting Lists while key staff still await appointment.

Róisín

February 24, 2013

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New figures provided to me through a Dáil Question show that at least 72,000 people await one of the core primary care services, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, or occupational therapy. The breakdown is as follows: Speech and Language Therapy The total waiting for speech and language therapy, mostly young children, is 34,617. Of this, 15,713 are waiting on an assessment and 18,904 are waiting for treatment.  6,500 are waiting Read More

The Anglo Deal – From Bank Guarantee to Debt Guarantee

Róisín

February 18, 2013

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Like any deal, the deal to rip up the Anglo Irish promissory notes and instead issue long-term Government bonds has its good points and bad points. In very simple terms, the Government has basically swapped a short-term loan for a long term loan. While it brings some short-term benefits, the Irish people are still carrying a massive debt that wasn’t their’s in the first place. On the one hand, the Read More

Property Tax is the Final Straw

Róisín

February 18, 2013

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There is one item dominating TDs clinics at the moment and that’s the Property Tax.   There is an overwhelming feeling of dismay and anger at the new tax. The Property Tax is the final straw for most people.   Older people, in particular, can’t understand how they can be subject to the tax if they are on a low fixed income. Most will be deferring the tax if they Read More

Taxpayers forking out €70 million in tax breaks on foreign property

Róisín

February 3, 2013

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Irish taxpayers are forking out up to €70 million in tax breaks on property outside the State. Revenue figures, provided to me through a Dail question, show that in 2010, the last year for which figures are available, the estimated cost of allowing landlords write off mortgage costs against rental income from foreign property was €69 million. In 2009, the cost amounted to €71m. In total there were 13,522 cases Read More

Róisin’s Dáil Contribution on the HSE Governance Bill

Róisín

January 31, 2013

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