Public suffer as HSE embargo takes its toll

As applications rise for payments under the community welfare system due to cuts in social welfare payments and with more people out of work local community welfare officers are unable to cope with the rising demand. This is not the fault of the staff who are trying their best but is a direct result of the national HSE staff embargo.

The Government needs to increase the number of community welfare officers available in Waterford in order to cope better with the rising applications from members of the public seeking help. While the Minister for Social and Family Affairs is rightly creating an extra 115 posts to meet increased demand in her own department people are being turned away from the local community welfare office due to insufficient staff numbers arising from the HSE embargo. This does not make sense as over 70% of the community welfare budget is funded by the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

Prior to the introduction of the HSE embargo the agreed Community Welfare Officer compliment was 18 and half yet the current number of CWO’s locally is 14. According to figures recently released by SIPTU, applications for medical cards rose 20 per cent between 2007 and 2008 in some regions; while claims for supplementary welfare increased 45 per cent and claims for mortgage assistance were up 70 per cent over the same period. In addition, mortgage assistance claims have increased by another 12 per cent since Christmas. Community welfare officers are dealing with families struggling to pay mortgages, put food on the table and pay lighting and heating bills. The basic fact is that more people are in need yet are finding it more difficult to get into the system. In Waterford people are constantly turned away from the Community Welfare clinic as the numbers are simply too great.

The HSE embargo is a crude instrument and does not reflect the changing reality on the ground. Given that most of the Community Welfare system funding comes from the DSFA I am calling on the Government to be flexible and make an exception to allow for the placement of extra staff in this area. At the very least the agreed staff compliment of 18 CWO’s in the Waterford office should be met.

City Council should develop a Waterford City Green Tech Plan

Waterford City has traditionally been heavily dependent on manufacturing for jobs. This has in many respects thwarted entrepreneurial activity in the city and left us vulnerable as the jobless figure heads for 15,000. The current strategic focus on tourism as a key economic driver is sensible and deliverable. The recently launched ‘Destination Waterford’ venture in tandem with the new Waterford Crystal project and the Viking triangle plan will undoubtedly position the city to maximise its potential in this important area. But is this enough?

I see this as only one piece in the jigsaw and we need to develop other industries in the city. One of the emerging industries internationally is in the area of green technology. Waterford City is well placed to take advantage of this. Waterford I.T. has leaped forward in terms of their research focus in recent years and the Eco-Innovation Research Centre is one its three centres of excellence. To take full advantage of this I would like to see the city council develop a City Green Tech Plan. The plan could have as its core aim the need to optimise the availability of SEI and Science Foundation Ireland funding. Indeed Science Foundation Ireland has grown dramatically the amount of research in R&D clusters around the state. Waterford City could become one of the countries leading areas in Green Technology.

Having a city green tech plan would focus our minds on practical things that we should be doing. It would encourage us to maximise the use of indigenous renewable energy such as wind, biomass and bio fuel, prioritise funding in local renewable energy projects and work with local education providers in maximising our potential in this area. We could for example work with the local VEC to make free retraining opportunities available to unemployed trades-people to qualify them as energy rating assessors, or in the installation of solar, wood-pellet, ground heating and mini-wind turbines, as well as energy-saving and insulation systems. The potential is endless and I think a City Council Green Technology Plan would pull all of the stakeholders together and position the city as a national driver and leader in the area of green technology.

Dishonest marketing and packaging of products a disgrace

The proliferation of ‘Head Shop’s in this state is causing huge concern for parents and people who work in the field of drugs. Products are being dishonestly marketed and packaged to be something they are not. A whole range of products for sale in these shops are in fact a clever substitute for cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis. The packaging entices young people to buy the products for personal use yet the small print says they are not for human consumption.

Products sold as bath salts have street names such as ‘Hurricane Charlie’ or ‘Snow’ but are in fact cocaine substitutes. Ecstasy tablets in capsule form are sold as plant food and cannabis substitutes are sold as ‘Herb’ and ‘Spice’. One of the real dangers is that nobody knows the effect of these products. Lads in China and Eastern Europe are constantly producing new versions of these products which are completely untested. In reality we do not know what is in them. If you purchase a product from a pharmacist you have confidence in what it is you are buying because of the strong regulatory systems in place. The chemical composition of most of these products is unknown. This potentially makes them as dangerous as the drugs being sold on the streets. The absolute minimum required is the putting in place of a regulatory framework to deal with this.

The legal sale of such products is also making it more difficult to win the battle for the hearts and minds of young people on the issue of drugs. When they can be bought so easily, so cheaply and are marketed in such a ‘cool’ way how are we to convince young people that taking drugs is harmful.

A casual observance of these shops shows a steady trickle of young people eager to make a purchase. You can get advice as to which party pills (Ecstasy) are the strongest and which will give you the best ‘buzz’. Most people have no idea what it is they are putting in their mouths.

This creates a real problem in the fight against drugs and means we have to re-double our efforts in educating young people. It is horrifying to think chemical products are being sold in such a dishonest way and that young people especially are being enticed to use them. Undoubtedly these so called ‘Head Shops’ must be subject to new and robust regulation. At a minimum we must put in place robust guidelines as to how these products are packaged, marketed and sold. The bigger and more important battle is to successfully educate people about the dangers of these products and drugs generally.

Report shows Government are failing children

An important report was published last week which clearly exposed how the Governments latest budget targeted children and how national health policy is also failing children. The Children’s Rights Alliance Report Card 2010 provides a comprehensive overview of how the State performed in its services to children in 2009. The Report shows an overall disimprovement on 2008 when the Government was given a Grade of D; this year's grade is 'D minus' which I believe is a true reflection of the situation.

Budget 2009 and 2010 have targetted low income families with children. The failure to eliminate child poverty during the 'Celtic Tiger' period is compounded now by measures which are worsening the lives of low income families. The cuts to Child Benefit and to education are especially damaging and will have long-term negative consequences for children. It is little wonder that the Report Card gives the Government an 'E' mark for the 'material well being' of children.

The Report's overview of health services for children is especially damning. Across the range of essential health services - primary care, therapeutic services, hospital care, mental health - the story is the same. Children are being let down, early intervention is not happening, services are either not in place or inadequate, waiting times are inordinately long. As the Report states, access to to healthcare is a right for every child and cannot be set aside in a recession but this is the danger we face.

The Report's finding that the Government is 'seriously behind target' on the provision of the long promised primary care network is important. As the Report states 'for children, the kind of community-based, early intervention and preventive healthcare services provided within a primary care structure are critical'. I agree with the Report's call for the ring-fencing of multi-annual funding for the development of primary care. The Government must take very seriously and act upon this and all the other recommendations of the Report.

Billy Elliot musical and class politics

I visited London recently and went to see the musical Billy Elliot. I thoroughly enjoyed the show. It was entertaining, emotional, thought provoking and extremely relevant given the times we are in. Based on the film of the same name, this is the story of a boy who wants to be a ballet dancer, even though his father wants him to box. It is set in Northern England in the 1980s at a time of grave industrial unrest. Margaret Thatcher had all but declared war on the trade union movement. The main character Billy is the son of a striking coal miner.

The musical excellently captures the hardship and difficulties faced by the miners. Whole communities were demonised and divide and conquer tactics were used to pit worker against worker. I am not going to get into the rights and wrongs of the strike only to say that history never fails to repeat itself.

As unemployment again reaches record levels both in Ireland and the UK it is ordinary people who suffer most. The wealthy are protected and workers who attempt to fight back and take a stand are demonised. We all know the mantra – sure aren’t you lucky you have a job. I genuinely believe that most politicians have no understanding of what it is like to live in poverty, to survive on social welfare or on low pay. The sad reality is that it is often children who suffer most. There are many Billy Elliots’ out there, dreaming of better things as the system works against them. The musical portrays class politics in a very vivid way and its portrayal of the trials and tribulations of a working class family from the North of England are every bit as relevant as the time in which they were set.

When is a deal not a deal?

In 2006 I travelled to Scotland to take part in negotiations aimed at bringing about agreement between the DUP and Sinn Féin. The discussions lasted a number of days and the end product was the St. Andrews Agreement. This paved the way for the restoration of the Northern Institutions and in devolving power on policing and justice from Westminster to the assembly. A deal was done and all parties signed up including the DUP.

The deal was straightforward. As a pre-requisite to re-establishing the institutions Sinn Féin was to hold a special Ard Fhéis accepting policing in the North. This was done. Sinn Féin was to take its place on newly established policing boards. This was done. A timeframe for devolving policing and justice powers was to be set. This was done. However the timeframe has not been met. Indeed several agreed dates have come and gone.

There is an attempt by some to downplay or dismiss the importance of all of this. No devolved Government can properly function without having democratic control over policing and justice matters. The clandestine makeup of the Northern Ireland Office, MI5 and MI6 cannot continue to set the agenda. In short we must implement what it is we agreed.

The DUP are reneging on clear commitments. They are desperately trying to spin their way out of implementing the St. Andrews Agreement of which both Governments are co-signatures. The optics of the presence of both Government leaders is twisted to present an image of two parties who are unable to agree and who need paternal support. This is far from the truth. Sinn Féin implemented its side of the bargain within three months. Three years on and we are still waiting for the DUP to move. How much longer should we participate in a sham assembly- a month- a year – another three years? We have made the call and we are no longer willing to participate in a sham. The DUP must move and if they do so they will find very willing and able coalition partners.

Crystal City will sparkle once more

The last few weeks have been bitter sweet for Waterford. A sad and somewhat bitter taste was left in the mouths of many as the Waterford Crystal Kilbarry Plant and visitors centre closed its doors. I cannot imagine the mix of sadness and anger that former Waterford Crystal workers must feel. To have been left high and dry without an adequate redundancy package was compounded by a collapse of the pension fund. It should never have happened.

They say every cloud has a silver lining. I tend to agree. I suppose it means that we should always look for the positive in everything and look to turn a disaster into an opportunity. Waterford City Council, through the offices of the City Manager and the support of the full council were instrumental in returning Crystal Manufacturing to the City. Opportunities have to be grasped and in this instance we did so with both hands. The formal announcement by the WWRD Group that crystal manufacturing will resume in the heart of the city centre is fantastic news.

What is striking is how quickly this is all coming together. The sight of cranes, scaffolding and builders on the old ESB site is a joy to behold. Hopefully the June target of being ‘open for business’ will be met. I have no doubt that it will. The artist’s impression of what the finished product will look like is impressive. It was not so long ago that I and many others were calling for the building to be demolished. Than disaster struck and the economy collapsed. But again disaster was turned into opportunity and with a little bit of foresight we have something special. I look forward to the grand opening.