MATT CARTHY TD

Carthy commits Sinn Féin support for Carers

Local Sinn Féin MEP, Matt Carthy, has said that his party is committed to tackling the difficulties faced by Carers in accessing social protection supports.  He was speaking following his meeting with Brigid Finnegan, Cavan Monaghan Supports Manager with Family Carers Ireland, where they discussed the need to ensure that the valuable work of carers is recognised by government.

Family Carers Ireland were meeting with elected representatives to highlight their proposals for inclusion in this week’s budget.  Among the priorities that they had earmarked on behalf of the 355,000 carers across the state were:

1. Reform the means test for Carer’s Allowance
2. Increase the hours a carer can work/study from 15 hours to 18.5 hours
3. End the postcode lottery in home care and carer supports
4. Replace the Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant withdrawn in 2013
5. Extend the GP Visit Card to include carers in receipt of the Carer’s Support Grant.

During the course of the meeting Matt Carthy committed Sinn Féin to these measures and also to further supports for family carers in order to fully utilise the invaluable work that they provide for their loved-ones and our wider society.

Speaking this week he said:

“While this week’s budget contains some measures that will be welcomed by carers, they simply do not do far enough.

“The National Carers’ Strategy was published by Government back in 2012.  It committed to supporting and empowering Carers yet it is the Governments’ own policies which prevent this.

“It is not enough to simply complement Carers and the work that they do every day.  Instead, we need to tackle the very issues that they have consistently raised.

“The very fact that our social protection system does not support and assist Carers should ring alarm bells when its very purpose is to do just that.  Far too many Carers are receiving no State support for the care that they provide day in and day out.

“This is despite the fact that they save the State billions of euro every year. Those that do receive either Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit are prevented from managing their own time as regards being able to supplement their payment with employment outside the home for any lengthy period.

“Many of them are further punished at retirement as they are unable to access an adequate State Pension after years of caring for another person.

“Sinn Féin, via our Social Protection spokesperson John Brady TD, have published a comprehensive policy document outlining how we can better appreciate the work of carers.

“We have proposed an end to any arbitrary rules regarding outside work patterns – carers should be trusted to make these judgements for themselves.  We have targeted specific and intensive supports through existing job activation schemes to assist Carers when their caring role ceases and absolute certainty that they will not be punished with a reduced State Pension because of their years spent in a caring role.

“We also want to see changes to the way in which means are assessed for Carers Allowance, an increase in the Carer’s Support Grant and access to secondary social welfare supports for Carers who are currently denied these additional supports.

“The measures introduced need to be about more than showing our appreciation for Carers; they need to be about listening to them, taking action and making their lives that little bit easier.

“I look forward to continue working with Family Carers Ireland so that we can continue to support them in their invaluable work.”

ENDS

“Workers and families pay the price again for FG/ FF budget policies” – Matt Carthy MEP

Budget 2020 was a wasted opportunity according to Sinn Féin MEP Matt Carthy.  “Instead of giving families and workers a break” he said “Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have targeted them for stealth tax hikes once again”

Speaking following the announcement of the Budget by Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe the Midlands North West representative accused the government of failing to give workers and families a break.

He echoed the sentiments of his own party’s finance spokesperson, Pearse Doherty, who described the budget as short on ideas, short on policies and short on solutions.

Matt Carthy said:

“This Budget could and should have given workers and families a break. It hasn’t.  Instead it has burdened them with an increase in carbon taxes, stealth charges than cannot be avoided by most people living outside of the cities.

“With the political will and the right ideas, this budget could put money back in people’s pockets and improved their access to public services.  Clearly, neither Fine Gael nor their Fianna Fáil backers have the will or the ideas.

“The budget should have begun to broaden our horizons, making sure that work pays and delivers security and the chance to plan for the future.  It could have marked the beginning for a fair tax system, making sure that those who benefit most from our economy – the banks, multinationals and international property investors who have been given a free ride for far too long – pay their fair share.

“The government have again failed to deliver on these modest expectations.  As Pearse Doherty rightly said, it is a budget that is short on ideas, short on policies and short on solutions.  It is a budget that lacks ambition, lacks direction, and lacks hope.

“Sinn Féin presented a fully-costed alternative budget that shows how we could have invested in public services, supported growth in our economy and giving families and workers a break.

“We outlined the options that the government could have taken to ensure real and deliverable solutions, putting citizens, not vested interests, at the centre of the economy and at the top of their priorities.

“The truth is that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil – partners in this budgetary process – could have tackled the rip-off costs faced by countless families – sky-high insurance premiums, extortionate rents and mortgage rates, eye-watering childcare costs and back to school costs.  They choose not to do so, to their shame.

“The Sinn Féin budget proposals would have raised incomes and made sure that work delivers a secure standard of living.  Unfortunately it appears that for so long as Fine Gael are in government ordinary families and workers will be forced to pay the price for their failed policies.”

For info the Sinn Féin alternative budget, authored by Pearse Doherty is available to download at www.sinnfein.ie

ENDS

New European Commission must stop marginalising Irish fishing communities – Matt Carthy MEP

Sinn Féin MEP, Matt Carthy, has said that the EU nominee for the post of Environment and Oceans Commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevičius from Lithuania, has yet to prove that he is up for the job of protecting and supporting fishing communities.

In a hearing with members of the European Parliament last week Mr. Sinkevičius defended the removal of reference to fisheries in the new portfolio title.

Speaking from Brussels on Tuesday Carthy, MEP for the Midlands North West, said that he believed that Mr. Sinkevičius’s replies to questions were too ambiguous which was worrying for the Irish fishing sector.  The apparent lack of insight from the new commissioner, he said, was concerning considering the importance of fisheries to communities across Ireland´s coastline.

Carthy said:

“The commissioner designate correctly acknowledges that marine biodiversity is facing a crisis as a result of industrial overfishing, marine litter and climate change.

“However, the choice made by the new Commission to remove fisheries from the title of the portfolio will be seen as a further step in the marginalization of traditional fishing communities.

“Of course, this is more important than titles.  Even if we now add the word “fisheries” to the current portfolio the concerns would persist until we see a specific commission portfolio that prioritises fisheries across its three dimensions – social, environmental, economic – and recognises its value to our coastal economy”.

Brexit

Raising the Brexit related concerns of Fishing communities Carthy continued: “Fishers from Ireland catch 36 percent of their total allowable catch in waters that fall under British jurisdiction. After Brexit, access to these fishing grounds could be blocked to EU vessels, including our own.

“The CFP and quota allocations to the various remaining Member states must therefore be revisited.  The quota share of the fish that vessels from Ireland currently catch in waters between Ireland and Britain is of major concern, but the Commissioner designate has not been reassuring on this matter.

“Ireland, following Brexit, with the largest remaining lucrative fishing grounds in the North Western Waters, will be geographically isolated from Europe. Ireland must be given a special status similar to other periphery regions as set out in the treaties.

“This fact was acknowledged when the European Parliament passed Sinn Féin´s amendment to legislation for the new Maritime Fund earlier this year inserting special funding specifically for Ireland´s remote coastal areas.

“In order to try to mitigate the damage that the neglect of our rural fishing communities have endured for years and the threat of a no deal Brexit, the European Commission and Council need to stop marginalising fisheries and endorse the Parliament´s position on funding for Ireland.  That means addressing the fishing quota and access crisis that Irish fishers will face if Britain leaves with no deal”.

ENDS

Minister confirms that northern drivers will not need to display GB stickers post-Brexit – Matt Carthy MEP

The Sinn Féin MEP, Matt Carthy, has welcomed confirmation received by his party’s Transport Spokesperson, Jonathan O’Brien TD, from Minister Ross that: “These stickers (GB stickers) are prescribed under international road traffic conventions, including the Geneva Convention which I mentioned, and which applies between Ireland and the UK.  The purpose of the sticker is largely to identify a vehicle as visiting rather than as based in the jurisdiction, for tax purposes.  However, there is no offence of not having a sticker of this kind in Irish road traffic legislation”.

Matt Carthy said:

“I welcome this confirmation of the legal situation.  Common sense has prevailed and the threat to northern drivers of having to put a GB sticker on their car is an empty one it seems.  Beyond the political importance this is a practical concern for hauliers and many other drivers and workers.

“There are still questions over insurance and driving licences that need to be resolved.  I urge anybody living in the south with British licence to transfer it to an Irish licence as soon as possible to avoid any potential difficulties.  Leaving it until after Brexit risks having to begin the while licencing process again although I hope flexibility can be granted in this situation.

“On insurance, Britain has waived the requirement for Green Card for drivers going north but the EU has yet to waive this requirement for drivers coming from the north.  This is entirely in the power of the EU to do but, despite saying he is pushing for it, Minister Ross has failed to convince them to do so.  He needs to up his game and get the EU to agree to this exception, at least for Ireland.

“For us those of from the border region these are the real outworkings of what represents a hardening of the border.  We will not accept any burden that makes it more difficult to get about our lives on a cross-border basis.  Government need to be proactive across every department in addressing these issues”

Parliamentary response to Jonathan O’Brien from Minister for Shane Ross: 

For Oral Answer on : 02/10/2019

Question Number(s): 68 Question Reference(s): 39904/19

Department: Transport, Tourism and Sport

Asked by: Jonathan O’Brien T.D.

______________________________________________

QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport the efforts he is making to ensure that drivers in Northern Ireland will be permitted to drive legally here without additional paperwork or stickers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY
Although the Deputy does not say so, I am assuming that he is referring to drivers from Northern Ireland being able to drive into this jurisdiction if Brexit occurs without a deal in place.  The answer is that they will.

Specifically, driving across the border in a no-deal Brexit scenario will raise three issues.  The first is the driving licence.  Under the 1949 Geneva Convention on international road traffic, people will be able to drive here on their Northern Ireland licences, on a visitor basis.  No additional documentation will be required in this regard.

Next, there is the question of insurance.  There is a international system, pre-dating the EU, under which a so-called ‘Green Card’ acts as proof of motor insurance in international travel.  This system was created to facilitate international road traffic by providing for a single standard document as proof of motor insurance across all participating countries, rather than requiring people to carry different documentation for each country they enter.

Under EU law, Green Cards are not required for travel within the EU.  If the UK becomes a Third Country without a deal, the default position will be that Green Cards will be required for UK-registered vehicles entering the EU from the UK.  EU law does, however, provide that the EU Commission should set a date after which Green Cards will not be required from a given Third Country, if the Motor Insurers’ Bureaux of all the Member States so request.  This request was made late last year.  The Commission has yet to make a decision on setting a date.  Ireland has continued to request that the Commission make a decision, so that Green Cards will not be required.

The third and final matter is whether vehicles should have a national identification sticker.  These stickers are prescribed under international road traffic conventions, including the Geneva Convention which I mentioned, and which applies between Ireland and the UK.  The purpose of the sticker is largely to identify a vehicle as visiting rather than as based in the jurisdiction, for tax purposes.  However, there is no offence of not having a sticker of this kind in Irish road traffic legislation.  While I need hardly point out that a person is unlikely to be made liable for vehicle tax simply as a result of not having an international sticker, this is essentially a matter for Revenue.  I understand that there is likewise no offence of not having a sticker in UK law.

ENDS

British Government Brexit Border proposals “absolutely unacceptable” – Matt Carthy MEP

Sinn Féin MEP, Matt Carthy, joined the chorus of outrage this week to the British government’s suggestion of developing customs posts along the border as part of its effort to replace the ‘backstop’.  The Monaghan based representative described any such arrangements as “absolutely unacceptable”.

Speaking from Brussels on Tuesday the Monaghan based MEP said:

“This is a ludicrous proposition from the British Government that will be rejected by communities on both sides of the border.  It vindicates those of us who argued that the issues pertaining to the border in Ireland needed to be addressed in the first part of the Brexit negotiations.  While the British governments claimed that they could be trusted to protect the Good Friday Agreement this paper shows that, even at this late stage, they have either no understanding or no care for our peace process or the economy in any part of Ireland, including the north.

“It is incumbent on the EU and the Irish government to make it absolutely clear that any such proposal is absolutely out of the question.  The partition of our country has been a disaster economically, socially and politically.  It led to division and conflict and has stunted the potential of our entire country and especially the border region.  The Good Friday Agreement and our joint membership of the EU single market were the twin ingredients that have allowed us to begin undoing some of the damage of partition over the past twenty-odd years.  We cannot tolerate, from any quarter, the notion that there would be new controls on cross-border interactions.

“That is why it is also disconcerting to see reports that the Irish government may have invested in new customs vehicles for use in the border region”. (Photos circulating on social media this week showed a consignment of new customs vehicles arriving in Dundalk, Co. Louth).

Carthy said “To our community, having customs checks between Monaghan and Armagh is the equivalent of putting the same checks between Kerry and Cork.  This approach would not be tolerated anywhere else and will not be tolerated by border communities.

“The Irish government must use all resources to avoid any hardening of the border in our country.  That they appear to be investing in numerous customs vehicles without consulting with local communities is deeply worrying and will be unsettling to many.

“Now, is the time for all Irish political voices to remain steadfast in support of the backstop and in our determination to avoid any disruption to cross-border activity.

“What we need on this island, north and south, is to ensure there is no hard border, that our all-island economy is protected and that the Good Friday Agreement is protected.

“The British Government’s proposals published this week fly in the face of all of that, and it is a vexatious suggestion that mustn’t be given succour by Irish government actions.”

EU role in Irish Unity?

Matt Carthy also reported that he and his colleague Sinn Féin MEP, Martina Anderson, would next week host the launch of an independent legal and academic report detailing how the EU can assist in facilitating Irish Unity.  The document will be launched in the European Parliament on Wednesday next the 9^th of October.

Carthy said: “This report, authored by Professor Colin Harvey of Queen’s University Belfast and Barrister Mark Bassett is the first of its kind, and will explore how the EU can assist with the transition to Irish Unity, drawing on the assistance that the EU provided during the unification of Germany.  People across the island of Ireland have already begun a series of calm and considered conversations about our futures.

“It is clear, that should the British government proceed with their reckless Brexit agenda without consideration for the special arrangements that are required to protect Ireland, that the debate on Irish Unity will advance swiftly.  The provision for a poll on Irish Unity is a key component within the Good Friday Agreement and it will be seen by many in the north as a pathway back to European Union membership.

“So we need to start preparing for it now.  This report will be an important contribution to the debate and I look forward to engaging with colleagues from across Europe to ensure that we make a success of the journey towards a United Ireland that we are undoubtedly on”.

ENDS

Carthy presses EU Commission Agriculture candidate on CAP inequalities & dominance of processors & retailers

Sinn Féin MEP, Matt Carthy, has said that the EU nominee for the post of Agriculture Commissioner, Janusz Wojciechowski from poland, failed to impress during his hearing with members of the European Parliament on Tuesday.

At the hearing of the Agriculture & Rural Development Committee Carthy pressed Mr. Wojciechowski, who is set to replace Phil Hoan on the college of commissioners, on the deep inequalities that exist within CAP and on the growing dominance of a small number of corporate processors & retailers who have forced the depression of the prices received for their product.

Speaking afterwards the Midlands North West MEP said that he believed that Mr. Wojciechowski’s replies to questions were vague, oft times ill-informed and insufficient to inspire the level of confidence required considering the challenges facing farmers in Ireland, and elsewhere in the EU, over the coming years.

Addressing the commissioner-designate  at the hearing, Carthy said:

“The commissioner designate refers to the fact that the EU is losing farms at a rate of 4 million per decade.  I want to save the commission the expense of carrying out an assessment to identify the cause of this and explain that is simply because farms are not viable.  Farming has become unprofitable for too many and therefore farmers are being forced off the land.

“There are two areas that must be addressed to help tackle this.  The first is a reform of farm payments; currently just 125,000 of the wealthiest farm enterprises in the EU receive €13 billion in CAP payments.  That is about 10% of the overall EU budget(!).  This is a huge amount going to that small number of farm enterprises, while most farmers receive a pittance in comparison.

Farm protests

“Secondly, within the agricultural sector, we have seen ongoing consolidation of large corporate processors and retailers, and the European Commission has stood by while it has happened.  This consolidation has weakened the position of farmers and in turn depressed the prices that they receive.  As a result, this has led to unprecedented protests in Ireland by beef farmer.

“So the question for the commission nominee to answer is what he intends to do to ensure the redistribution of farm payments towards ordinary farmers and to tackle the small number of powerful corporate interests in the agricultural sector?”

In his response Mr Wojciechowski stated that the EU cannot decide the prices and the market must be free.  He proceeded to relay broad statistics and said that he wanted a debate.

Clearly unimpressed MEP Carthy chastised “I don’t know what that was but it wasn’t an answer to my questions”.  He suggested that another hearing with the commissioner will be necessary before the nomination of Mr. Wojciechowski can be ratified.

Matt Carthy proceeded, in his follow-up contribution to ask the commissioner-designate if he would give his view on two specific proposals.

Ban Below-Cost Selling

“Firstly will the commission nominee support a hard, mandatory, upper limit on high payments so that the balance can be redistributed to ordinary farmers?  And, secondly, I believe firmly that if we are to tackle the dominance of a small number of processors and retailers we need to introduce a ban on below cost selling by retailers on agricultural products.  Will the commissioner endorse that proposal?”

Again, Mr Wojciechowski responded in vague terms and Matt Carthy stated bluntly afterwards:  “If a nominee for the position of Agriculture Commissioner does not a view on these matters then they should not be looking for the job.  The previous Commissioner, Phil Hogan, had a position, unfortunately it was the wrong one on both counts.  If we continue along that track then we will continue to see the numbers of farmers decline.

“This could be the last chance to save family farming as a viable model.  In order to do so we need to have a fairer CAP and we need to rein in the large factories and retailers.  In the first instance, we need a commissioner who will work towards these ends” he concluded.

ENDS

Local MEP says that Sinn Féin Alternative Budget 2020 would give Monaghan families and workers a break

The Sinn Féin MEP for Midlands North West, Matt Carthy, has commended his party’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty on publishing an ‘Alternative Budget’ which clearly shows that it is possible to end the rip-off and give families and workers in counties like Monaghan a break.  In order to deliver these objectives, Carthy said, it is vital that the policies of Sinn Féin are implemented.

Sinn Féin’s alternative budget proposals include a provision for two free GP visits for every person without a medical card, a rent freeze and a relief worth one month’s rent, free travel on public transport for five to eighteen-year-olds and a reduction in the cost of childcare by an average of €100 a month per child.  Such moves are deliverable, Carthy said, and would make a real, tangible benefit to families in Co. Monaghan.

Speaking after the launch of the Sinn Féin alternative budget by Pearse Doherty on Monday, Matt Carthy said:

“The upcoming budget needs to do two things: end the rip off to give workers & families a break and secure Ireland’s future if there is a crash out Brexit.

“There is something seriously wrong when the vast majority of people have less money in their pockets now than they did when Fine Gael, supported by Fianna Fáil, came into power three years ago.

“The reasons for this are obvious – Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are making bad, short term decisions that are costing the tax payer billions and they are failing to intervene to deal with out of control costs in childcare, rents and essential household bills like insurance and mortgage interest payments.

“The consequence is that insurance companies, banks and landlords are making billions while workers and families in counties like Monaghan are being ripped off.

“Sinn Féin’s Alternative Budget offers clear, realisable solutions to the rip-off living costs faced by countless families – sky-high insurance premiums, extortionate rents, and eye-watering childcare costs.  Together, these ensure that Ireland’s cost of living is among the most unaffordable in the developed world.

“The budget cannot be just about survival, it must be about ensuring people can have a decent life and enjoy their time with family and friends.

“Sinn Féin’s alternative budget will give workers and families a break.  We would:

• Help renters by introducing an emergency freeze on rents and bringing in rent relief which would save them the equivalent of one month’s rent each year.

• Help families by reducing the cost of childcare by an average of €100 a month per child.

• Provide two free GP visits for every person without a medical card – so nobody delays going to the doctor because they are worried about the cost.

• Ensure there is No carbon tax increase in Budget 2020.

• End the insurance rip-off – first we’re going after the government take and then we are coming after the industry.

• Invest an additional €300 million to give people with disabilities and their families a break.

• Introduce free travel for 5 to 18-year-olds on public transport.

I commend Pearse Doherty for publishing this fully-costed alternative budget and I encourage people to read it to see clearly that there is a better, fairer way of spending taxpayers money and to ensure that people in Monaghan and across the country can be giving a break if the political will is there.  Sinn Féin have that political will” he concluded.

Sinn Féin’s alternative budget can be accessed here.

Carthy commits Sinn Féin support for ‘#Gaeilge4All’ campaign

Sinn Féin MEP, Matt Carthy, has welcomed the launch of the ‘#Gaeilge4All’ campaign, and supported the call for reforms to the way in which the Irish language is taught in schools to ensure better access to Irish medium education for all.

The Midlands North West representative was speaking after the launch of the new campaign by Irish language organisations on Monday.  He said:

“Sinn Féin are proud to support this campaign which is aimed at improving the way in which Irish is taught in schools.  It is badly needed and long overdue.

“The public support for the Irish language and its role at the heart of our education system is overwhelming.  Having a second language has proven educational benefits, which are unrecognised by too many.

“Irish medium education can also offer unique benefits; it keeps us rooted with our culture, our heritage and gives people a chance to develop language skills that are highly sought after.

“However, there is significant scope to reform how Irish is taught within our schools.  It simply doesn’t make sense that we spend so much time in school attending Irish classes for so many to complete their education unable to converse in our native language.  I therefore welcome this call for a unified vision for the role of Irish in our schools; from junior infants right up to third level.

“Irish must remain as a core subject for the junior and leaving certificate cycles, but adequate supports must be put in place to ensure this is the case, while key policy changes must be brought forward by the Minister for Education to ensure as wide a scope of people can access learning through Irish”.

“Ba chór go mbeadh deis ag gach dalta an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim agus tá sé ceart go mbeadh muid ag tabhairt gach tacaíocht dóibh. Chomh maith le sin, caithfimid tacú lenár múinteoirí agus breis acmhainní a cuir ar fáil dóibh.

“Mura dtabharfar aghaidh ar infheistíocht cheart a dhéanamh insan gcóras oideachais beidh costas i bhfad níos mó ar an stát amach anseo”.

ENDS

“Tidy Towns Committees throughout County Monaghan deserve huge praise” – Matt Carthy MEP

Carthy also welcomes “innovative” plastic bottle return initiative launched in Carrickmacross this week

Co. Monaghan based MEP Matt Carthy has conveyed his warm congratulations to Glaslough on winning the overall prize in this year’s Tidy Towns Awards.  Carthy also commended the Carrickmacross Tidy Towns committee on securing another Gold Medal in the competition and he praised all those from across Co. Monaghan involved in the Tidy Towns programme.

The Midlands Norhwest Sinn Féin representative said “Anyone driving through County Monaghan can see the results of hard work by the volunteers of our Tidy Towns committees.  It’s a real source of pride for all Monaghan people that the towns and villages in our county are always competing at the highest level.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Glaslough Tidy Towns Committee. I’ve had the pleasure of being in Glasslough village many times throughout 2019 and it has always been immaculate with a real attention to detail in flower arranging and upkeep of houses and shop fronts”.

Carthy also reserved special praise for his home town of Carrickmacross, which once again retained its gold medal status only finishing 5 points behind the overall winners Glaslough. “The committee’s work in Carrickmacross is tireless.  It has to be seen to be believed.  Knowing the members of the committee it is clear that they are driven by a love for their town.  I have personally seen them working all hours day and night to ensure that town looks as beautiful as it does.  They deserve huge credit.”

The local MEP was also eager to praise the initiative and innovation shown by Carrickmacross Tidy Towns in relation to schemes like the reverse vending machines for plastic bottles, which was launched in the town on Monday.

He said: “The introduction of Ireland’s first ever Plastic Bottle return machine is a prime example of the community spirit and innovative drive that organisations such as Carrickmacross Tidy Towns are renowned.  Last year the reusable coffee cup scheme led to a massive reduction in the amount of single-use plastic waste we produce in County Monaghan.  Coupled with this new initiative, Monaghan is clearly setting an example that other parts of Ireland can replicate.”

ENDS