Free Technology event for Older People TRY IT

Statement by the Taoiseach on the Meeting of the European Council, Brussels, 8 and 9 December 2011.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to brief the House ahead of the next meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 8 and 9 December. The meeting will begin on Thursday evening next with a working dinner and will reconvene on Friday morning. 

The key issue before us will be the economic and financial crisis facing the European Union, and particularly the rapidly evolving situation within the Euro Area.

We will also address growth-enhancing measures and we will take stock of the implementation of commitments made by the twenty-three participating Member States in the Euro Plus Pact. 

We will also return to the issue of energy - including energy efficiency, the internal energy market, energy infrastructure and external energy policy - following up on progress since we set key policy orientations in February of this year. The question of nuclear stress tests will also arise in this context.

We will hold our annual stocktake on progress in relation to enlargement. On Friday morning we will participate in a short ceremony during which the Croatian Accession Treaty will be signed. I very much look forward to this and congratulate again the Croatian Government and people on the work and dedication it has taken to bring us to this point.

The meeting is also expected to consider the question of Romanian and Bulgarian accession to the Schengen area. We will also address the evolving situation in Iran.

The Polish Presidency will also brief us on progress in discussions on the Union’s next Multiannual Financial Framework – the Union’s multi-year budget – covering the period 2014/2020 - and will pass the baton forward to the Danish Presidency that will take office in January. 

Economic Policy 
As the House will appreciate, the economic situation in the euro area is evolving rapidly. Markets remain highly volatile and it is increasingly evident that calm will only be restored if leaders are prepared to take the clear and decisive action the situation demands.

This is a matter of the highest concern and urgency. There is a real and present sense of danger, with many openly suggesting that the very future of the currency as we know it is at stake.

The House will appreciate how damaging this continuing situation is for Ireland. We are engaged in the very difficult task of restoring our economy and returning to growth, and we have been making headway. The current climate of uncertainty puts what we have achieved at risk at a time when we are preparing to make even greater efforts to get back to economic independence, including through the measures in the upcoming budget. Everything we do in working with partners at the European Council next week will be driven by that clear objective. A stable eurozone is a vital national interest for Ireland and its future. 

But the question is not just a concern for Ireland. We have seen growth prospects for Europe generally receding, and there is concern in the international community that the crisis in Europe will spread beyond our borders and will contribute to a further slowdown in an already difficult global economic situation.

The truth is we cannot go on like this.

We need to reach decisions, to demonstrate conviction and solidarity, and to find a credible basis on which to move beyond crisis.

We agreed a great deal in October, on banks on the EFSF, on restoring debt sustainability to Greece. But it is clear that it has not been sufficient to restore confidence or to achieve the type of international buy-in we had hoped for.

We now need to examine what kind of deal would enable us to make the breakthrough we need.

There are, effectively, two sides to the equation. 

We need to reach agreement on immediate steps to overcome the current crisis.  Without this the crisis will continue and risks spiraling beyond our control.  In saying this, I fully appreciate the difficulties this presents for some. 

It is essential that European leaders make and implement clear decisions quickly to prove our shared determination to protect our currency, to support member states that are working towards economic recovery, and to introduce strong rules to ensure fiscal discipline. 
We also need to take the further steps necessary to ensure that economic coordination in the euro area is improved and that the rules underpinning the currency are strengthened and made more enforceable. 

Let me be clear – Ireland supports the creation of stronger economic governance throughout Europe, and particularly throughout the Eurozone. 
The Irish people are paying the price now for the absence of such rules in the past. I am determined that we will never go back to the practices that drove our economy off a cliff – reckless spending, poor oversight of banks and over-reliance on property-related tax revenues.

Ireland should not fear this process. In fact, we should welcome and embrace it. We are a small open economy and our prospects for recovery are heavily dependent on our ability to export our goods and services, especially to our European partners. For this, we need economic stability and growth in our neighbourhood and beyond. 

As this House will be aware, President Van Rompuy is currently preparing an interim report to present to next week’s European Council. This report will identify possible steps to strengthen economic union, focusing on further strengthening economic convergence within the Euro Area, improving fiscal discipline and deepening economic union, including exploring the possibility of limited Treaty changes.

As well as consulting with the Presidents of the Commission and Eurogroup, President Van Rompuy’s office are this week conducting an intensive round of bilateral consultations at official level with Member States. Senior Irish officials are actively participating in this process.

President Van Rompuy will also meet with Ministers at next  Monday’s General Affairs Council, at which Ireland will be represented by Minister of State Creighton, before finalising the report he will bring to the European Council.

I have been impressed by the manner in which President Van Rompuy has approached his task - he has been determined to identify first what needs to be done and only then what we need to do to achieve it.

It is quite likely that some of the measures he recommends will require Treaty change to put into effect. We will listen carefully to what he has to say and we will engage positively in the process ahead.

However, I have to say that while we need to ensure that we have the legislative framework we need for the future, we must also acknowledge that Treaty change is not something that can be achieved overnight.

Quite properly, the Treaties set out a process, involving all the relevant institutions and national parliaments, that ensures that all proposals for change are given the level of detailed scrutiny they deserve. 

It cannot realistically be expected to offer a full solution to the immediate and critical problems we face. 

To tackle immediate crisis, the first priority must be to use the existing instruments and decisions to their full potential so that the markets can be convinced that European leaders are fully committed to defending and protecting their currency.

That demands immediate action and a demonstration to the markets that we have the financial firepower necessary to stabilise the situation.

I have said that this could come from allowing the ECB to play a stronger role. There are other possibilities we could envisage, including some form of eurobonds. It is the ends and not the means that are critical here.

We should also agree to take steps towards strengthened coordination and discipline that are possible within the existing Treaties. The Commission has recently published some important proposals in that regard that merit serious consideration. 

Next week’s meeting is an important one. What we agree at the European Council must be credible and convincing in the eyes of the financial markets and credible in the eyes of the public.

In my approach to the meeting I will be reminding colleagues that, economically, Ireland remains vulnerable.

Recent times have shown that the risk of spill-over from one Member State to another is very real. While we have returned to modest growth this year, after three years in decline, Ireland's recovery is fragile.

We will continue to need the support and solidarity of our EU and international partners for some time to come. 

For its part, the Government has stressed that delivering on our EU/IMF Programme , while continuing to invest in job creation remain its top priorities– in full and on time. That is what we have done so far and that is what we will continue to do. It is the only path to rebuilding confidence in Ireland. A stable currency is indispensible to our success. 

Economic Policy – Other Issues
The meeting will also look at the broader question of the growth enhancing measures we considered at our meeting in October. I expect that we will agree to fast track a range of measures intended to boost sustainable growth and job creation, and will invite the Council and the European Parliament to facilitate and progress these efforts.

In this regard, the proposals identified in the Commission’s recently published Annual Growth Survey are highlighted as offering significant potential.

This is important work. While we need to address the crisis, it is vital that we do not become so consumed by it that we neglect what needs to be done  to restore growth and to generate jobs. I will be stressing the importance of this to my colleagues. 


The publication of the Growth Survey launches the next European Semester - the second we have undertaken, and the first to take place under the strengthened rules provided for in the recently adopted legislative six-pack. 

The European Council will also track progress on implementation of commitments under the Euro Plus Pact by the twenty-three participating countries, including Ireland.

Discussion of employment policies, including those needed to mobilize labour for growth, will be informed by the deliberations of the EPSCO - Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs - Council at the end of this week.

Energy 
In February, the European Council offered orientations on energy policy. Next week we will return to the matter to see what progress has been made. We will focus on completing the internal energy market, energy efficiency, developing energy infrastructure and external energy policy. We will also consider the initial findings of nuclear stress tests, based on a Commission report, and the progress report on the security of nuclear power plants. 

Other Items
The European Council will also address the issue of Enlargement of the Union – arguably the EU’s most successful policy to date. We will endorse a set of conclusions to be finalised at next Monday’s General Affairs Council meeting. These draft conclusions are expected to reflect the progress made by a number of countries as part of an Enlargement package.

Finally, as I have said, I look forward to signing the Croatian Accession Treaty on behalf of Ireland - welcoming Croatia as an “Acceding State", entitled to interim privileges until accession makes it a full Member State. Ireland has long supported Croatia in its efforts to join the Union and we look forward to welcoming it as the newest Member State in July 2013. 

Doherty urges women to avail of regular breast checks

Fine Gael Meath East TD, Regina Doherty, has urged women to avail of regular breast checks. Deputy Doherty, who chairs the Fine Gael Internal Health Committee, was speaking following publication of a new report which highlights cancer survival rates here.

“Survival rates for breast cancer in Ireland have improved significantly in recent years. Despite this, they are still the third lowest in the OECD, according to a new report. “Early diagnosis is key when it comes to the successful treatment of cancer.

The Breastcheck service has made huge advances in this regard in recent years. The Government-funded programme provides screening and invites women aged 50 to 64 to go for a free mammogram every two years. “The service helps to identify the disease at an early stage, and it is a key defence in our battle against breast cancer. I would encourage all women who receive an invitation from Breastcheck to attend their appointment.

You can also go to www.breastcheck.ie to see when checks are being carried out in your area. “It is important to remain breast aware, and there is an onus on all of us to keep our health in check. During these times of economic hardship, we can easily let some things slip by the wayside. But it is important to remain vigilant in our battle against cancer.

“This Government is serious when it comes to tackling cancer survival rates. That is why a catch up cervical vaccination programme was rolled out in secondary schools this September. This will help to save countless lives, and will hopefully lead to a significant fall in the rate of the disease in future generations.

The Programme for Government also contains a commitment to extend the Breastcheck service to women aged 65-69. This is something I intend to pursue with the Minister for Health, James Reilly.”

Water Mains Flushing to Dunshaughlin Water Supply

Meath County Council wishes to advise that water mains flushing to Dunshaughlin Water Supply network will be carried out from Tuesday 29^th November 2011 to Friday 9^th December 2011 between 10am and 3pm daily Monday to Friday.

Mains’ flushing is carried out to improve the quality of water supply to our consumers. Consumers in areas where flushing will take place may notice temporary discolouration to their water however this discolouration should clear when allowed to run for a few minutes.  

Consumers in Dunshaughlin and surrounding areas may experience low pressure to their water supply for the duration of these works.

Meath County Council regrets any inconvenience caused.

Dunshaughlin Area Office
Drumree Road
Dunshaughlin

Road Closure R150 Kentstown

Road Closure R150 Kentstown

The R150 Road from Kentstown to Brien’s Cross (also known as Curtis Cross) and onwards to the L5608 Road at Mullaghfin will be closed to through traffic 24 hours a day from Tuesday 29th November 2011 until Friday 2nd March 2012.

Diversion signs will be in place. Residents and property holders will be facilitated with access throughout the closure period. Diversion route map shown below.

Click on the map to enlarge

Introduction of roadside drug testing will save lives – Doherty

Fine Gael Meath East TD, Regina Doherty, has said that the introduction of roadside drug testing will help to save lives. Deputy Doherty made her comments today (Monday) following confirmation of the move from the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar.

“We have come a long way in recent years in improving safety on our roads. This latest measure, as announced by Minister Varadkar, will strengthen the power of Gardai to assess drivers and determine whether they are under the influence of any drugs that would impair their driving ability.

“Driving is a complicated task at the best of times. It’s essential that there is a general understanding amongst the public that certain drugs affect your concentration and inhibit your capability behind the wheel.

“It’s already an offence to drive under the influence of drugs, but these new laws will allow Gardaí to conduct roadside tests, making it easier to detect drug driving. Members of the Gardaí have been trained in the new procedures by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety. New legislation is being drafted and Minister Varadkar hopes to introduce the measure in the New Year.

“While a range of illegal drugs such as cannabis and cocaine have a significant impairing effect on driving, some prescription drugs can also affect one’s ability. There’s an onus on GPs to ensure their patients fully understand the effects of certain medication. I would encourage anyone in any doubt about the side effects of medication they may be taking to contact their local doctor or pharmacist.

“The objective of this new measure is clear; to save lives. Any driver who fails the roadside impairment test, or who appears to be under the influence of drugs, will be arrested and brought to a Garda Station. This sends out a strong message that being under the influence of any intoxicant behind the wheel will not be tolerated.”

SOSAD Christmas Dinner Dance

Vacant NAMA Board position should be filled by representative from Northern Ireland - Doherty

Fine Gael TD for Meath East, Regina Doherty, has today urged the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, to seriously consider filling the vacant role on the Board of NAMA with a representative from Northern Ireland. 

“During yesterday’s meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, the issue of NAMA’s property portfolio in the north came under scrutiny. Northern members of the Joint Good Friday Committee who sit on the Committee raised a serious concern over a potential fire sale of these properties and the detrimental knock on effect this will have on the Northern Ireland property market. 

“Given the serious concerns expressed by the northern members of the Committee, we have decided to write to Minister Noonan asking him to give serious consideration to filling the vacant role on the Board with a representative from the north, so that their concerns can be taken into consideration in relation to any decisions made by the agency.” 

RTÉ ‘HEROES’ USES RESOURCES TO HELP SUPPORT IRISH JOBS

VIDEO: Words of encouragement from Drogheda actor Colin O'Donoghue & professional Golfer Des Smyth RTÉ ‘HEROES’ USES RESOURCES TO HELP SUPPORT IRISH JOBS With unemployment and emigration a reality for many people, RTÉ is currently running an innovative campaign using many of its resources to help support Irish jobs.  Entitled Local Heroes, this is a multi-platform campaign on television, radio, print and online which highlights the actions we can all take to make a difference in our communities and to our wider economy. The campaign centres around a six-part television series, Local Heroes – A Town Fights Back, which runs until Wednesday 14 December on RTÉ One.  In it the people of Drogheda work alongside campaign leader Senator Feargal Quinn and an assembled team of experts  to try to kick-start their local economy. RTÉ Radio 1 has also joined in the initiative, with Pat Kenny's daily show visiting towns around Ireland to see how they are adopting the Local Heroes initiatives along the Drogheda lines. A Local Heroes website is now live and features a full catalogue of the ideas and resources for individuals, groups, jobseekers and businesses who want to revitalise their towns and contribute to the local economy. For more information please click here.

KEEP IT KELLS! Drogheda’s actions have also inspired Kells, Co Meath, which will hold its Local Heroes public meeting on 1 December at 7pm in the Headfort Arms Hotel. Hosted by the Kells & District Chamber - with the support of Kells Town Council – the meeting will start with an introduction on how the Local Heroes Toolkit works and a brief discussion on the current issues facing Kells, followed by an Ideas Summit to come up with possible solutions to the issues raised. Geraldine Gaughran, president of Kells & District Chamber, attended the open day in Local Heroes Drogheda. “I was inspired to try and think of other things we could do in Kells. We’ve decided to not just focus on the heritage in Kells - the Book of Kells and monastic legacy - but to try and grow food tourism too. There is a huge amount of food producers in the area, including Sheridans Cheesemongers.” The Keep it Kells campaign encourages people to shop locally, with the slogan stating: Spend money in Kells = Keep jobs in Kells = Create jobs in Kells. “There’s lots happening. A number of good ideas came out when we put our submission together for Local Heroes. There was a lot of good stuff happening here already but it’s given us that focus.”

The case of Father Kevin Reynolds

"The Minister for Communications, Pat Rabbitte T.D. has announced that the case of Father Kevin Reynolds was considered at today’s Government meeting. It was decided by Cabinet that there should be an independent inquiry to determine the true facts and circumstances which led to the Prime Time programme on Fr Reynolds being broadcast on RTE in May of this year. The Minister noted that The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is the independent regulator responsible for the oversight of compliance in relation to broadcast content. It has a Compliance Committee which monitors and enforces compliance by broadcasters with various aspects of the relevant legislation relating to fairness, impartiality and enforcement of standards. Minister Rabbitte today requested that the BAI Compliance Committee use its powers under section 53 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 and to determine whether RTE has met its statutory responsibilities around objectivity, impartiality and fairness. He has asked that the Committee then report and make any recommendations in respect of this to the Authority. The decision of Government requests that the Report be concluded within two months."