Changes to driving licences application process could threaten thousands of jobs

Fine Gael Meath East TD, Regina Doherty, has today (Monday) warned that measures need to be put in place to safeguard thousands of jobs which could be threatened by a planned change to the way driving licences are issued.

Under the new plans, people may be able to get their photo taken and their new driving licence produced in one location. But there are fears this could have a detrimental impact on the 4,000 people who are employed providing photo ID services in pharmacies and other outlets across the country.

“The Road Safety Authority (RSA) will be the new national driver licensing authority from next year, and will be responsible for new credit-card style driving licences. The RSA is tendering for the new card production service, which is expected to offer customers the facility to get their digital photo taken and their new licence produced in one spot.

“There are serious concerns about the impact this could have on the Photo ID industry, which supports up to 4,000 jobs. Pharmacies, like all other outlets in the retail sector, have been severely affected by the economic downturn. Providing a photo ID service gives them a regular and important source of income. In 2010, about 667,000 driving licences or permits were issued and the Photo ID business generates up to €9 million in revenue per year.

“Removing this income stream will pose serious difficulties for pharmacists, photo booth providers and other retailers. A compromise should be possible; in France scanners were installed at city halls (where licences are issued) to capture printed photos which customers had taken elsewhere. A similar approach should be considered here.

“It’s possible that all Government issued ID cards will swap over to the new system. This would have a seriously detrimental impact on the photography industry. If we want to counteract this, we need to ensure that people will still be permitted to provide their own photos when accessing the new service. If consumers are given a choice on where they get their picture taken, photo ID providers will be given a chance to compete.”

latest statement from Ulster Bank

Dear Deputy Doherty

Please see below for your information our latest statement, which provides an update in relation to our systems and also the guiding principles that will be applied to impacted customers.
External Statement: 16 July 2012

Jim Brown Chief Executive, Ulster Bank;

“All of our systems are running as normal this morning in the timeframes we would expect and normal service has now been restored for the majority of our customers. Given the scale of the incident, the clean up continues and a small percentage of outstanding transactions are being processed over the next couple of days. There is no doubt that there will be reconciliations to some customer accounts that also need to take place over the coming days and weeks. However, for the majority of customers it is now business as usual.
As normal service resumes for our customers, we are beginning the job of ensuring that customers who have been adversely impacted by this issue are put back to where they would have been had this problem not occurred. The following four principles are guiding what we will do:
Refunding fees & charges:

We will fully refund all fees and charges* incurred by Ulster Bank customers or customers of other banks as a result of this issue. Fees and charges directly under our control will be reversed automatically and we have already started this process. We are working closely with other banks to put a similar process in place.

2)      Out of pocket expenses:
No customer will be out of pocket as a result of this issue. For customers wishing to make a claim for any out-of-pocket* expenses incurred, we will launch a comprehensive process later this week so anyone impacted will fully understand how to progress any claims they may have as a result of this issue.

3) Credit ratings:
We know that this is a significant concern for customers and we are working with the credit reference agencies to ensure that no customer's credit rating is affected as a result of this incident.

4) Recognition of inconvenience caused:

We understand that this issue has caused significant and unacceptable disruption and we are introducing a range of measures to recognise the impact it has had on customers’ day-to-day banking needs. We are currently consulting with regulators and consumer groups and will be in a position to communicate further details by the end of this week.
Our dedicated helpdesk remains open 8am to 10pm to take your call on 1800 205 100. If you are calling from abroad, please call +353 9156 2910.
I apologise unreservedly to our customers for the inconvenience we have caused to them as a result of this unprecedented incident and thank them for their continued patience. Our priority throughout has been on resolving this for our customers and helping those affected.”

New law will make Ireland a safer place for our children

Fine Gael Meath East TD, Regina Doherty, has today (Thursday) welcomed the passage of the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012 by the Houses of the Oireachtas, saying the new legislation will make Ireland a safer place for our children. 

“This is a ground breaking piece of legislation that will strengthen the protection of children, and put an end to the decades of secrecy and denials that dominated Irish life. As individuals and as a society we have a duty to protect our children. This piece of legislation ensures we will fulfil that duty. 

“For too long a culture of sweeping problems under the carpet and a refusal to address and confront difficult issues led to abuse being unreported, and children being unprotected. The new legislation means it will be an offence to withholding information on serious offences against a child or a vulnerable adult. This is the strongest possible recognition that it is not ok to turn a blind eye when you know abuse is taking place. 

“Ensuring that we all act in the best interests of the child is at the heart of this legislation. It does however take account of the extremely sensitive nature of this issue. It allows a person who is accused of withholding information to rely on the view of a parent or guardian who believes the information should not be disclosed, provided they are taking the wishes of the child into account. 

“It also takes account of the fact that the majority of abuse against children or vulnerable adults takes place in the home. There may be cases where a mother is afraid to report the abuse of a child in a violent domestic situation; she certainly should not be criminalised for this. This is an important distinction in the legislation. It’s essential that we have a certain amount of flexibility in our law to take account of real life situations. 

“I hope that this legislation can be further enhanced with the passage of the Children’s Referendum later this year. I believe we need to clearly define what we mean when we speak of the best interests of the child, as opposed to the best interests of the family. If this is included in the wording of the amendment for the Children’s Referendum, making a judgement on what constitutes the best interest of a child will be much clearer. 

“By passing this Bill into law we have fulfilled one of the legislative commitments in the Programme for Government to strengthen child protection. It will complement other pieces of legislation which will further enhance the protection of children, including the Children First Bill and the National Vetting Bill.”

The Gathering Community Meeting 19th July

The Gathering 2013 originated at the first Global Irish Economic Forum which took place in Farmleigh in 2009.  The objective was to develop a link with our diaspora and to provide a platform to contribute towards Ireland's renewal.  The Gathering is about reaching out to all our connections abroad from family, friends and loved ones to business and education connections.  The Gathering calls on everyone to join in, by identifying overseas contacts and inviting them back for an unprecedented year-long celebration.  It gives everyone an opportunity to work together on a project which will have a positive impact on Ireland's economic recovery.

Community meetings will take place nationwide and the Boyne Valley will be one of the first regions to host such an event.  The Boyne Valley (Meath & South Louth) Community meeting will take place on Thursday, 19^th July with registration at 6.30pm at the new Conyngham Arms Hotel. 

This is an open invitation to attend the meeting and we would like to encourage as many festivals, clubs, community groups, colleges, businesses or even individuals with international networks and a good idea to attract people back to theBoyne Valley during 2013.  We are encouraging everyone to think firstly about what contacts you have abroad and secondly, how you can motivate them to return to the Boyne Valley next year.

Please forward this email to all of your contacts to encourage them to attend.

Please email your acceptance to attend The Boyne Valley Gathering Event to mwhelan@discoverboynevalley.ie.

Health Committee to call HSE and Medical Missionary reps to discuss Shine case

Fine Gael Meath East TD, Regina Doherty, has welcomed the decision of the Oireachtas Health Committee to unanimously support her motion to call before it representatives from the HSE and the Medical Missionaries of Mary to discuss the fallout from the Michael Shine abuse case at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

“There was a very welcome development in the Shine case earlier this week, when victims reached a multi-million euro settlement with the Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM), which ran Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital when the alleged abuse took place. 

“However a number of questions remain. The HSE needs to explain what changes in practices and processes have been implemented at the hospital in light of the striking off of Mr Shine. The public needs to be reassured that patient safety concerns are being adequately addressed.

“I want to ask the HSE whether its new standards on patient safety are being implemented at the Lourdes Hospital, and what steps the Executive is taking to prevent something like the Shine case from ever happening against. We need to know if further changes are required.

“The MMM have a serious case to answer. The order needs to explain what happened to the IR£1 million fund which was set up as part of an agreement to sell the hospital to the then North Eastern Health Board. The fund was intended to meet the needs of victims of Michael Shine, but it is unclear what has happened to the money.

“The MMM also need to explain why they consistently failed to act in the best interests of the victims. It is a sad fact that the actions of a few have tarnished the reputations of many within the order. 

“I look forward to vigorously addressing these issues with both the HSE and the MMM when they appear before the Committee.”

Committee on Health and Children presents report on Children First Bill to Minister

The Committee on Health and Children today presented its report on a key piece of legislation on Children’s Rights to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald TD. 

Earlier in the year, the Minister sent the Heads of the Bill, which aims to put Children First: National
Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children on a statutory basis, to the Oireachtas Committee
on Health and Children for consultation before the Bill is finalised.

“Over the past two months the Committee undertook an extensive consultation process by engaging

 with key stakeholders through receiving submissions and holding public hearings. 

“It is in the interest of all in society, all children and parents that the Children First legislation is practical and effective. It must deliver a reformed child protection regime. We protect children by making sure that concerns are acted on, not ignored. The observations and recommendations in this report are intended to inform and guide the drawing up of the Children First legislation.”

The report recommends that the Bill:

· reflects the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and be consistent throughout in using the "best interests of the child" criterion for actions taken to protect children.
· be implemented on a phased basis so that services and organisations are not overwhelmed, and to allow initial difficulties to be identified and resolved.
· be drafted so that its provisions, terminology, definitions and offences mesh seamlessly proposed and existing legislation related to reporting and prosecuting abuse. 
· gives equal recognition to the need to report emotional abuse as well as other types of abuse. 
· Defines and clarifies the term "sexual abuse" in and provisions requiring reporting be clarified. 
· the organisations that are covered by the Bill should be carefully reviewed. 
· includes a specific provision for Designated Officers to be vetted 
· should ensure that reporting criteria and thresholds are set at appropriate levels so that trivial matters do not add unnecessary work or cause unwarranted stress and anxiety. 

The report also recommends that the State invests substantially in resources, including personnel, training, support and feedback to support the implementation of the Bill, particularly in the early stages.

Access short video clip of Chairman of the Committee Jerry Buttimer TD introducing the report:http://youtu.be/ofsMo1FgsRI


Access Report: http://bit.ly/MLtc97

Centra’s Children’s Allowance Deal shows self-regulation is not working

Fine Gael Meath East TD and member of the Joint Committee on Health and Children, Regina Doherty, has today (Wednesday) criticised the supermarket chain Centra for including alcohol in a Children’s Allowance Day deals promotion, saying that the incident proves self-regulation of the sale of alcohol is not working. 

“This is an incredibly irresponsible approach from one of the country’s best known retailers. I find it impossible to understand how Centra would deem it appropriate to link cheap alcohol with a social welfare payment designed to support children. Children’s Allowance is just that; an allowance for parents to spend on their children. It’s extremely distasteful to suggest it should be spent on cheap alcohol.

“Centra is blatantly abusing the standards on the responsible promotion of alcohol. This case further underlines the fact that self-regulation of the industry is not working. We have become accustomed to large retailers selling alcohol below cost as a means to attract customers, but this is a new low. 

“I understand that Centra has now withdrawn the flyers. But I think the firm should also apologise for this ill-advised marketing strategy. Retailers have repeatedly shown that they are incapable of acting responsibly when it comes to the sale of alcohol. 

“The damage that alcohol inflicts on society cannot be underestimated. According to the Department of Health, the cost to Irish society of alcohol related problems is currently in excess of €3.5 billion a year. It’s estimated that alcohol plays a role in more than 50% of all suicides here. Tackling this problem is one of the biggest challenges facing us today, from a health, societal and economic point of view. 

“The Government is working on regulations to directly address the issue. I believe a ban on below cost selling and restrictions on advertising multi-pack offers and irresponsible promotions like this one will be a progressive way of addressing this problem.”

New Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council

Big congrats to my friend Cllr Niamh McGowan on her election as Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council today, only the 3rd lady Chair

Doherty welcomes major breakthrough on bank debt

If we took SF’s approach we couldn’t have secured deal

Fine Gael Meath East TD, Regina Doherty, has today (Monday) welcomed the major breathrough through on bank debt secured at last week’s EU Summit in Brussels. Deputy Doherty added that we couldn’t have gotten to this point if we followed Sinn Féin’s approach to Europe.

“The deal reached by the Taoiseach and other EU leaders in the early hours of the morning on Friday is a major step forward for Ireland. It means will we be able to break the link between bank debt and the public finances; something the Taoiseach has been advocating for some time. 

“The Irish taxpayer was saddled with the huge cost of bailing out the banks in the deal agreed by the previous government. Now, thanks to the new agreement, banks will be directly recapitalised by the ESM, Europe’s new bailout fund. It is envisaged that this will be applied to Ireland retrospectively, which represents a huge shift in Ireland’s favour. 

“Sinn Féin was quick out of the traps after the deal was announced, describing it as a ‘bitter disappointment’. This is an incredibly transparent and cynical approach. Sinn Féin made these comments without seeing any of the details, which are still to be worked out. This work will begin in just a week’s time, when the Finance Ministers meet on July 9th. 

“The reality is that the Government has made a huge breakthrough, which will greatly enhance Ireland’s chance of exiting our current bailout, getting back into the money markets, and regaining control of our own affairs. And there is little doubt that we could not have got to this point if we followed Sinn Féin’s approach to Europe and the economy. 

“Sinn Féin wanted us to reject the Stability Treaty, which would have cut us off from the ESM, the very fund that is now going to be used to bail out the banks. Sinn Féin’s approach to Europe is purely based on self-promotion. Through a concerted campaign of co-operation, negotiation and engagement, this Government has delivered a better deal for the Irish people, as promised under the Programme for Government.

“There is still a lot of work to do, but we have made a major step in the right direction. A focus on growth coupled with a fairer deal on our bank debt will help Ireland to get back on the road to recovery.”

Doherty calls for link up between local Meals on Wheels and new HSE health eating initiative

Fine Gael Meath East TD, Regina Doherty, has today (Tuesday) called for the Ratoath Meals on Wheels service, of which she is chairperson, to be linked up with a new locally developed HSE initiative aimed at encouraging healthy eating amongst older people. 

“This new project being run by the HSE is a result of collaboration with Third Age in Summerhill and aims to tackle the problem of malnutrition amongst older people. It’s estimated the problem costs the State about €1.5 billion every year due to longer hospital stays and increased GP visits.

“The findings on the eating habits of older people are stark; one in three older people admitted to hospital are at risk of malnutrition. The ‘Eating Well into the Future’ project aims to identify nutritional concerns at an early stage, explore practical solutions, and deliver helpful information about nutrition.

“The health and nutrition programme will be delivered to older people in the community, with a pilot scheme due to begin in Co Meath. I am encouraging the scheme’s operators to consider incorporating it with the local Meals on Wheels service in Ratoath, which delivers three mornings a week. 

“The Meals on Wheels service has built up a long standing relationship with the older people we serve, and I think it would be an ideal channel to deliver this new educational and health eating support programme.

“I would like to commend Third Age for the work on establishing the project, and I hope this locally developed initiative can be turned into a national success.”