ICTU to mull strike action over levy [Business World]
- Published: 05 February 2009
Source: Business World
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has left it unclear whether it is prepared to take industrial action to oppose the pension levy slapped on public sector workers this week.
Its general secretary David Begg has said that congress will convene a meeting ot its full executive council to discuss the matter. He said there would be no "knee-jerk" reactions to the levy or the government's overall 2bn euro cutback package. However, he did not rule out what he called a "campaign" against the government if congress could not obtain a re-engagement. He refused to be more specific, saying that Congress would consider all options. Mr Begg was speaking at a press conference in Dublin. In other reaction to the levy, the secretary general of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, John Car, r warned of a "strong response" if what he called the "disproportionate" measures were not changed. He said that three quarters of the burden in the cutbacks would be borne by public servants, while those who had got the country a mess were not being asked for anything.
Angry teachers threaten action [Irish Times]
- Published: 05 February 2009
Source: Irish Times
By: SEÁN FLYNN, Education Editor
TEACHER UNIONS: OPPOSITION AMONG the teacher unions to the new pensions levy intensified yesterday with the Teacher's Union of Ireland (TUI) threatening to take strike action.
The INTO also said all options, including industrial action, were on the table after a meeting of its executive yesterday. General secretary John Carr welcomed the Taoiseach's readiness to engage in dialogue with the public service unions and said the INTO would engage fully in the process.
"But," Mr Carr said, "these talks are a final opportunity to achieve a fair society." He condemned the Government's economic measures as totally unacceptable.
The TUI said it had been inundated with calls and e-mails from members furious at the new levy. It said it is "ruling nothing out" in terms of its response to the pension levy.
The union's executive committee meets tomorrow and union president Don Ryan said it will be taking members' views on board in formulating a response.
The TUI is seeking an early meeting of the Public Services Committee of Ictu with a view to considering an extensive programme of action in opposition to what it calls "the continued scapegoating of the public service and of the continuing cushioning of wealthy private sector employers, bankers and developers".
Mr Ryan said: "We are particularly appalled by the campaign of misinformation by Government. A myth has been spread that teachers, as public service workers, make no contribution to their pension entitlement. This assumption is completely false."
He said capital taxation, taxation of property other than primary residences, wealth tax, and targeting of tax evaders and tax exiles are some of the means that must be used by the Government to resolve the financial crisis that is of their own making.
INTO president Declan Kelleher said: "This is not social solidarity and neither is it a proportionate and fair response to our economic difficulties."
Opportunity to achieve equity lost - INTO Secretary [Donegal Democrat]
- Published: 05 February 2009
Source: Donegal Democrat
By:Paddy Walsh
The Irish National Teachers' Organisation has expressed regret that sufficient progress could not be made within the social partnership talks to achieve an outcome that would protect lower to middle income groups in the time frame available.
"An opportunity to achieve fairness and equity in Irish society was lost," said John Carr general secretary of the primary teachers' union. "As a result public servants are now to pick up the tab."
He said sufficient progress had not been made on issues such as pensions, taxation and the engagement of the private sector to enable a deal to be reached. He accused the employers group IBEC of not engaging in meaningful talks and said the construction industry representative body the CIF was out of the loop.
Mr Carr said hopes of a fair solution to the country's economic difficulties in which all sectors would share the burden of economic recovery had evaporated. Nothing had been done so far to ensure that tax dodgers and tax exiles were targeted. "Price controls to prevent rip off merchants hiking up prices have not been put in place. Tax breaks and tax loopholes remain in place. There has been no reform of TDs salaries and expenses. Executive remuneration remains untouched. Private sector workers like doctors, dentists and hairdressers are free to charge what they like."
The INTO general secretary pointed out that during the social partnership talks there was real engagement by public service unions. "But it was impossible to reach an agreement without tackling all of the other issues as well."
Cowen turns down priest's €25m loan [Laois Nationalist]
- Published: 05 February 2009
Source: Laois Nationalist
By: Michael Tracey
THE proposal to build two primary schools put forward by a Portlaoise parish priest on the grounds of Summerhill are now "dead in the water" following the government's decision not to take up the generous offer. The proposal would not only have seen the parish donate lands for the building of two new schools and the refurbishment of Scoil Bhríde in Knockmay but also the provision of a €25 million parish loan to the government to build the schools.
Following a recent meeting with Department of Education and Science officials, Fr John Byrne PP was told that they would not be taking up the offer due to a supposed EU procurement issue. Fr Byrne told the Laois Nationalist: "The application is dead in the water. I am bitterly disappointed that the proposal has not been accepted, as the services are badly needed. I had hoped the proposal, which had made a lot of sense, would have been accepted by the department."
The full proposal included two 32-classroom primary schools at Summerhill in Portlaoise and the refurbishment and extension of Scoil Bhríde in Knockmay to a 32-class primary school. The parish was to provide the ten-acre site, which it had purchased for €2.25m and would have also provided extra land needed for the extension already in its ownership. Fr Byrne's proposal would have seen the building and refurbishment of the schools financed by a parish loan of roughly €25 million to be paid back by the Department of Education over 15 years.
The parish, with the assistance of the Presentation Sisters, was undertaking the financing of the two building projects.
Fr Byrne said the parish had repeatedly met all the department's demands over the last 18 months to meet the necessary criteria. "We were told at first that they could not build the schools because they did not have the site so we went and secured a site at Summerhill. We then went through the tendering process of a design team for the two schools. We were then told the department did not have the finances to construct it. We went and secured the finance only to be told that it will now not be accepted," he said.
Children over five years old no longer eligible for supplement [Irish Times]
- Published: 05 February 2009
Source: Irish Times
By: EITHNE DONNELLAN
EARLY CHILDCARE SUPPLEMENT: CHILDREN OVER the age of five years will no longer be eligible for the Early Childcare Supplement.
Moreover, the value of the supplement is also being cut by almost €10 a month under the Government's new plan to reduce costs.
Announcing the change yesterday Taoiseach Brian Cowen said €75 million would be saved through a reduction in the supplement from €1,100 to €1,000 per year and by restricting the payment to children under five.
Minister of State for Children Barry Andrews said the changes would actually save even more than Mr Cowen had indicated. He said they would save €77 million in a full year. Mr Andrews's spokeswoman said the measures would save €51 million this year and €77 million in a full year.
Furthermore, Mr Andrews's statement noted the supplement payment was actually being reduced from €1,104 to €996 per annum for each qualifying child. This means the monthly payment in respect of qualifying children will be reduced from €92 to €83.
Mr Andrews's spokeswoman explained that the discrepancies in the figures given by the Taoiseach and the Minister arose as a result of figures being rounded off in Mr Cowen's statement.
The change announced are due to come into effect on May 1st.
The supplement is a universal non-means-tested benefit introduced in budget 2006 for children under six. In last October's Budget the age threshold for the payment was reduced from children under six years to children under 5½ years of age. That threshold was reduced again yesterday.
Mr Andrews said the immediate need to cut public expenditure had resulted in the need to make difficult decisions and in this context, it had proven necessary to taper the amount of supplement paid and the duration for which it was paid.
"These changes represent the most equitable approach to delivering the requisite savings," he said.
"The Government was, and is, determined to maintain a direct payment to contribute to the cost of childcare . . . although, the changes to the scheme will result in a reduction of the total amount paid to parents of children under five years, the integrity of the Early Childcare Supplement has been maintained and will continue to provide a welcome support to parents in these difficult economic times," Mr Andrews added.
Reacting to the changes Irene Gunning, chief executive of Irish Pre-school Play Association, said there had been a lot of speculation that the supplement would be cut and to some extent people were expecting the reduction to be even more drastic.
She said the payment was for the preschool child and there was now a concern that parents of some children who really needed and would benefit from preschooling would not be able to afford it.
She added that a survey of her members in relation to how the downturn was affecting them had already found mothers were no longer taking unpaid maternity leave as they couldn't afford it. Moreover, some mothers were cutting the hours their children were in childcare because their own working hours had been cut.
