News | MATT CARTHY TD

Government failure to address role of Meat Plants in Covid spread criticised

Government failure to address role of Meat Plants in Covid spread criticised by local TD

Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, was scathing of the government’s failure to address the role of some Meat Factories in spreading Covid-19 during a Dáil debate. He accused the government of giving meat processing plants a ‘free rein’ throughout the Coronavirus pandemic and suggested that factories found to have failed in their responsibilities to be held financially responsible.

The Sinn Féin Agriculture spokesperson also expressed a belief that the recent cases of a Covid-19 variant first discovered in Brazil were associated with meat plants.

Carthy was speaking during a Dáil debate on legislation regarding mandatory quarantine for international travellers, legislation that Sinn Féin say doesn’t go far enough.

Deputy Carthy said:

“I have never met so many frustrated and angry people as over the past week.

“I have received correspondence and have spoken to people on the telephone who are exasperated. They are exasperated because it has been a year since the first case of Covid-19 entered our shores, yet only today we are talking about, at some point in the near future, putting in place mandatory quarantine for international visitors.

“Even then, it will not be the comprehensive mandatory quarantine system that we know would make a difference.

“Many people have told me that they are willing to put up with the sacrifices they have been asked to make, including their children’s mental health, they will put up with the exasperation in their children’s eyes and frustration among their colleagues.

“They are even willing to close their businesses if that sacrifice on their part is matched by action on the part of the Government.

“It has not been in the areas where it really matters.

“International travel is one area in which the Government has been blind and is steadfast in its refusal to put in place the measures required.

“They have also refused to address the issues in meat factories. I have spoken on countless occasions to the Minister for Health, his predecessor, the current Minister for Agriculture and his predecessor and have pleaded for adequate controls to be put in place.

“At the outset of the pandemic we knew that meat factories were a breeding ground for this virus. We have seen a carte blanche approach and a free rein being given to meat factories to such an extent that I firmly believe the Brazilian variant reported in this country is directly linked to meat factories and that encompasses and represents the inaction and failure of the Government to put in place the protections that are necessary.

“We have heard about six rounds of serial testing in our meat plants. It is clearly not enough. We know that because when it came to the point where the State had almost no cases of Covid, meat factories were ground zero in terms of the re-emergence of the second wave. Time will tell what role they played in the third wave.

“Meat factories are, of course, an essential part of the food production system. That does not and cannot give them the right to wreak havoc. It does not give the Government the right to turn a blind eye.

“I ask the Minister and Cabinet again to put in place the measures that will ensure workers in our meat plants are protected by being tested on a regular basis and that controls are put in place.

“If a meat factory, due to a lack of due diligence, becomes a source of yet another community cluster, the provisions by which the owners of those factories are held financially responsible need to be put in place”.

ENDS

Carthy commends McAnespie family, calls for publication of Crowley report, during Dáil debate

Carthy commends McAnespie family, calls for publication of Crowley report, during Dáil debate

The family of Aidan McAnespie, shot dead by the British Army at Aughnacloy in 1988 were commended in the Dáil last week during a debate on the first anniversary of the ‘New Decade-New Approach’ agreement which led to the re-establishment of the Stormont institutions last year. Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, called on the Irish government to publish the Crowley report which was delivered to the Justice Minister following Aidan’s killing.

The debate coincided with the 33^rd anniversary of Aidan’s murder and his family have since been engaged in a ‘dignified and determined’ campaign for truth and justice, Carthy said.

The Sinn Féin Deputy said that the process to resolve conflict legacy issues was agreed at Stormont House in 2014 but that the British government had failed to implement their responsibilities under that agreement.

Deputy Carthy said:

“On 5 February, a group of survivors and families of victims of the Ormeau Road massacre gathered at the Sean Graham bookmakers, where on that day in 1992, five innocent men were slaughtered by loyalists with the assistance of British state agents. In what subsequently became notorious scenes, the PSNI disrupted the small dignified ceremony and arrested Mark Sykes, one of those who was actually shot but managed to survive the attack.

“These events have highlighted again the acute and sometimes double standards that have applied to the conflict in our country and, just as importantly, to the resolution of legacy-related issues. Thousands of families still await truth and justice.

“The process for resolving these issues was agreed at Stormont House in 2014. However, one signatory to that agreement, as it happens, probably the most important signatory, has failed to live up to its responsibility.

“The British Government has steadfastly refused to adhere to its agreed actions and, in fact, has stubbornly resisted all efforts to deliver truth to bereaved families. This can be seen recently in its refusal to establish a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane. The Finucane family and the Ormeau Road families are among hundreds of people bereaved at the hands of loyalists who operated with the support and frequently the direction of British forces.

“Often, these actions occurred in this State, including bombings in Dublin, Monaghan, Castleblayney and Belturbet and the assassination of John Francis Green.

“Often, British forces cut out the middlemen and murdered Irish citizens directly.

“This week marks the anniversary of the death of Aidan McAnespie. Aidan was just a 23-year-old man when he was shot dead in 1988 by the British army at Aughnacloy, near the Monaghan-Tyrone border, while he was walking to a football game. The British army had repeatedly warned Aidan and members of his family that it intended to get him, and they did.

“His family have since campaigned for truth and justice. I want to put on the record of the House today our pride and esteem in the McAnespie clan for their dignified and determined efforts. I repeat their often-made call for the Irish Government to publish the Crowley report, which was conducted after Aidan’s murder. It is the least they deserve.

“I want to put on record that all families who were bereaved during the course of the conflict, regardless of which organisation was responsible whether they be republican, loyalist, British or other state forces, deserve truth and justice.

“An assurance is needed that there will not be a hierarchy of victims in respect of legacy resolution as there was during the conflict. Of the hundreds of murders carried out directly by the British army, only four soldiers served any time in prison. Not one served more than five years and all were readmitted to their forces. Their victims have been denied justice, and very often truth, on every occasion.

“Therefore, as we look forward, which is what these debates must be about, we must recognise that every year of justice delayed is justice denied and injustice compounded.

“The process that was agreed at Stormont House must be enacted.

“This House must be united in that call” he concluded.

ENDS

Bank of Ireland branch closures at ‘Blayney & Clones ‘potentially devastating’

Bank of Ireland branch closures at ‘Blayney & Clones ‘potentially devastating’ – Matt Carthy TD

Sinn Féin Deputy calls for government intervention

Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy has said that Bank of Ireland’s announced bank closures at Castleblayney and Clones could be ‘potentially devastating’ for towns that have been trying to rebuild over recent years. He described the bank’s announcement to shut 103 branches across the country as the ‘wrong decision at the wrong time’ for customers and staff, and he said that it will create further undue hardship in the wake of the recent Ulster Bank decision to withdraw from the market.

Deputy Carthy has called on the government, as a major shareholder in Bank of Ireland to intervene. He recalled that the Irish people were forced to bailout the bank to the tune of €4.7billion following the financial crash.

He said that the closures will be a significant blow to the towns of Castleblayney and Clones which have both seen heroic efforts by local communities over the past number of years to revitalise their towns following decades of government neglect and the impact of partition and conflict.

Teachta Carthy said:

“The Irish government is a major shareholder in Bank of Ireland. Therefore, the Minister for Finance and the Central Bank must intervene at the highest level to try to have this decision reversed. Crocodile tears from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael representatives will not suffice. Those parties oversaw €4.7billion of Irish people’s money into this bank – the least we can expect that in government those same parties will intervene to stop this disastrous decision.

“The closure of branches in Clones and Castleblayney could be potentially devastating to those towns. In recent years local communities in both towns have been doing tremendous work in revitalising their local economies. Both towns suffered greatly as a result of partition and conflict and also due to the absolute neglect of successive governments.

“The removal of these bank branches come after several other public services have been removed from towns like Clones and ‘Blayney. Any recovery has been driven by the work of local businesses and townspeople often despite government refusal to invest adequately in services and infrastructure.

Excuse of Covid

“It is particularly galling that Bank of Ireland have cited the reduced footfall in their branches over the past year as a key rationale for these closures. They know that this reduction is almost entirely related to the Covid-19 restrictions. In essence, Bank of Ireland are penalising local communities for adhering to public health advice. “This is tantamount to profiteering and will refuse critical facilities to vulnerable customers.

“These closures are blatant profiteering. They will damage small-to-medium sized businesses in particular. We know that when there isn’t a local branch available, SMEs have less access to credit.

“How are these businesses supposed to get back on their feet in the months ahead if they cannot avail of basic banking facilities?

“In Sinn Féin, we support the call of the Financial Services Union for a moratorium on branch closures until the end of 2022.

“But crucially we demand government intervention. The Minister for Finance holds a significant interest in Bank of Ireland, while the Governor of the Central Bank is responsible for consumer protection. They have a duty to do everything possible to prioritize the needs of citizens, consumers and they communities we live in.

“They need to show the same urgency for local communities as they did for the banks themselves when €4.7billion was pumped into Bank of Ireland.

“On a broader level Sinn Féin has proposed the establishment of a Future of Banking Forum to address topics such as banking in the digital era and how banks can better serve consumers and communities who rely on their services.

“Bank of Ireland’s announcement was not strategic, but rather a hasty response without merit that cannot be justified.

“They should promptly reconsider this decision and yield to Sinn Féin’s call for a branch closing freeze until the Covid-19 pandemic is over. If the bank don’t make such a gesture then immediate government intervention must ensue.”

ENDS

Oireachtas Forestry report presents route to rebuild trust

Oireachtas Forestry report presents route to rebuild trust – Matt Carthy TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture Matt Carthy TD has welcomed the launch of an Oireachtas Agriculture Committee report on the challenges facing the forestry sector.

Carthy highlighted that a recurring theme in the Committee’s engagements was of government failing farmers involved in forestry, warning that the launch of the report provided what could be a final opportunity to ‘win back farmers’ who were a critical component in any forestry policy. He also said that it is imperative that local communities feel ownership of that policy as it pertains to their areas.

Teachta Carthy said:

“A working forestry strategy should deliver for local communities, for the rural economy and for the environment. The Department of Agriculture has allowed a policy to evolve that delivers none of these things.

“Trust in the department has broken down amongst all sectors in forestry. The issues facing the timber industry, farmers, communities and environmentalists have been known for some time but government has allowed the failures to fester to the crisis point you now face.

“Farmer participation in forestry has fallen to perilously low levels. This is at the heart of the challenges facing Irish afforestation policy.

“If we are to make a success of agro-forestry in this state, the department must win back the trust of farmers, and make it economically appealing to them.

“The Oireachtas Agriculture Committee report sets out the course for rebuilding that trust. It calls on the government once and for all to properly support all of those effected by Ash Dieback. It demands assurances for farmers regarding the licensing system and it seeks measure to ensure farmers are not disadvantaged due to the commercially smaller nature of their forestry.

“The report also specifically calls for economic supports for farmers to ensure the re-enter and remain within forestry and that farmers should not be discriminated against based upon their ability to conduct their own Natura Impact Assessment.

“The report also calls for a specific strategy to promote indigenous, broadleaf planting and for research to ensure the reconstitution of the Elm and Ash species.

“Everything in this report is achievable but it will require government resources and political will – it is up to the Minister now to deliver what is required”.

ENDS

Insurance reform delayed as FF & FG TDs vote to defer Sinn Féin bill

Insurance reform delayed as FF & FG TDs vote to defer Sinn Féin bill

Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, has described as ‘bitterly disappointing’ the decision of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Deputies to delay the Bill, authored by Pearse Doherty, that would help end the insurance rip-off.

Sinn Féin’s Insurance Bill would reduce insurance prices by banning the practice of ‘dual pricing’, used by companies to identify loyal customers and charge them artificially high premiums. The practice affects millions of policyholders, costing many customers hundreds of euro per year on their car and home insurance.

Teachta Carthy said:

“Last week the Dáil voted on Sinn Féin’s Insurance Bill to ban the practice of dual pricing and increase transparency in how the insurance industry sets prices. It was bitterly disappointing that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs, including those representing Cavan/ Monaghan voted to defer the movement of this bill to the next stage by 9 months.

“This legislation would put money back in the pockets of motorists and homeowners by reducing their premiums. It would stop insurance companies penalising and ripping-off loyal customers. It is inexcusable that the government would seek to delay such reform.

“In the past decade, insurance costs have risen by 35 percent despite the cost of claims falling by 9 percent.

“Insurance companies price gouge Irish customers every year using a practice that is banned in 20 US states and is soon to be banned in Britain. They use dual pricing to target loyal and vulnerable customers and then charge them artificially high premiums when they renew.

“This is the loyalty penalty, overcharging customers by hundreds of euros every year.

“Banning dual pricing would reduce the cost of home and car insurance for customers, requiring the Central Bank to draw up and enforce regulations that will govern the ban, with any insurance companies that ignore the ban facing heavy financial penalties.

“In Britain, the financial regulator estimates that a ban would cut insurance costs for customers by 10%, saving customers between €4 and €13 billion over the next decade.

“Unfortunately, the government tabled a motion that delayed this legislation for nine months. It is regrettable that Cavan Monaghan Fianna Fáil & Fine Gael deputies facilitated this delay considering the high insurance charges faced by motorists, home-owners and businesses in this constituency.

“In reality the government decision will delay this reform for over a year. Irish consumers will pay the price for this dithering.

“It is time to end the insurance rip-off and reduce prices for customers. This government are clearly not up to tackling that rip-off; but we in Sinn Féin are. We will continue to press this matter at every opportunity”.

ENDS

No justification for delay in paying student nurses and midwives

No justification for delay in paying student nurses and midwives – Matt Carthy TD

Local Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy has called on the government to stop delaying pay for student nurses and midwives.

The government reversed its position on January 20^th and supported a Sinn Féin motion calling for student nurses and midwives to be paid. But the government has failed to implement that stated position and student nurses on the frontline continue to do their work without remuneration.

Teachta Carthy said:

“Once again I am receiving calls from student nurses and midwives whose placements have resumed without them being paid for their work. Many have found themselves in a desperate financial situation.

“After months of dragging its feet, the government finally accepted Sinn Féin’s position in January and supported our Dáil motion to pay these student workers for the work that they do.

“The financial pressures they are under at the moment while working on the frontline are well known, and if anything may have even deteriorated in recent weeks. With thousands of healthcare workers on sick leave due to the high infection rates we are relying on these students to support our health service.

“The government have accepted that student nurses and midwives should be paid, so the Minister must put an end to these endless delays and see it done.

“Nearly a year into this pandemic the excuses need to stop.

“Some students will have been placement throughout the entire pandemic, they will not have the benefit of sick pay or supports if they contract Covid-19 in the workplace.

“This is an atrocious manner to treat those who have given so much in the face of the pandemic and are committing to a career in caring for us all.

“This situation is completely unacceptable and the Minister needs to deliver for these critical frontline workers”.

ENDS

Mental Health Services in Monaghan ‘at dangerous levels’

Mental Health Services in Monaghan ‘at dangerous levels’ – Matt Carthy TD

Local Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy has described the waiting times for Primary Care Psychology Services in County Monaghan as ‘unacceptable’ and a ‘localised consequence of a national scandal.’ He said that the levels of services provided to Monaghan people is dangerous.

Teachta Carthy said:

“I am currently liaising with one constituent at the moment who has been advised of a wait time ‘in excess of 75 weeks’ for much needed psychology support.

“It is deeply troubling and worrisome that members of our community are facing such exorbitant wait times for absolutely critical care.

“Early intervention is key when it comes to any medical intervention and this is equally the case with matters of mental health. The HSE now try to justify current delays as arising from Covid-19 but the truth is that lengthy waiting lists existed long before the current pandemic. They are a result of significant under-prioritisation of mental health services by successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments.

“Mental health services have consistently faced underinvestment and been in a state of crisis for decades.

“Covid-19 has exacerbated the situation because many more people, especially young people, are now in need of these supports due to the impact the lockdown has had on their well-being. It makes it all the more important that these waiting lists be addressed as a matter of urgency.

“I have tabled parliamentary questions to Minister for Health to assert the full situation in Monaghan and the consequences of staff redeployments have had on services.

“Unfortunately the Minister, like his predecessors, describes these issues as ‘service matters’ and fobs questions off to the HSE for reply. The crisis in mental health services, which is particularly acute in County Monaghan, is a result of political decisions. Therefore, it will take political action to resolve this matter.

“I am also calling on the Minister, and the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs that support this government, to ensure that the provision of mental health services be deemed a core part of the state’s response to Covid-19”.

ENDS

Fine Gael incompetence on show as PAC cannot be told when or at what cost National Children’s Hospital will be completed

“Fine Gael incompetence on show as PAC cannot be told when or at what cost National Children’s Hospital will be completed” – Matt Carthy

The Fine Gael government were “so incompetent that the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) could not be told the final cost or even a completion date for the new Children’s Hospital”. So said Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, following an engagement with the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) at a PAC meeting last week.

Deputy Carthy described newly revealed delays and increased costs at the National Children’s Hospital as an utter failure and stated that he has no confidence that further delays will not be measured in years and hundreds of millions of euro.

Teachta Carthy said:

“The Oireachtas last heard from the NPHDB in November of last year when they advised the Health Committee that they were working towards a completion date of August 2022.

“That was a fanciful notion, and they conceded to the PAC that the project is now at least a further 10 months behind.

“With a further ‘service activation’ period estimated at nine months, it will now be 2024 at the earliest before the hospital will open.

“At that same meeting in November, the NPHDB told the Committee that there were 600 claims totalling €200 million levelled by the contractor against the NPHDB. These figures now stand at 700 claims and €300 million.

“Government urgently need to take a handle on these spiralling costs.

“It is absolutely unbelievable that the previous Fine Gael government agreed to a contract that exposes the state to such uncertainty.

“I have genuine concern for what this review will yield in terms of another supposed final cost. It seems certain that it will exceed €2 billion at a minimum. Fine Gael cannot wash their hands of this monumental debacle.”

PAC hearing interaction

Deputy Matt Carthy: To recap, a project is in place that was originally estimated to cost €650 million. In December 2018, the Government approved an investment decision of €1.433 billion. Those costs appear to have spiralled to the extent that it has been suggested that expenditure may reach anything up to €2 billion. The board says that a report will be furnished next month but we are quite a bit into the lifetime of this contract.

Can the witnesses give a sense, say, to the nearest hundred thousand euro, of what the overall cost of this project will be?

David Gunning (NPHDB): We will have to wait for the report to come out. I am not at liberty to share that information. As a bit of background, if I could—–

Matt Carthy: On the basis that the report has not come out, can Mr. Gunning give an estimate to the nearest €1 million, if he cannot to the nearest €100,000, or even to the nearest €100 million? Let us be as broad as that.

Can we at this stage of the project be given even that information?

David Gunning: Given the commercial sensitivity, the other issues we are managing and the relationship with the contractor, I cannot possibly share that information.

Matt Carthy: The Dáil’s Committee of Public Accounts cannot even get a figure, to the nearest €100 million, for how much this children’s hospital will cost.

We learned today that the board has a complex contract in place with a contractor, to facilitate different levels of dispute resolution and conciliation and all that comes with that, yet we heard there have been 700 conciliation claims by the contractor, with a potential outlay of €300 million. We learned that, leaving aside High Court actions, we spent €691,000 and €466,000 on legal costs in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

We are learning – the witnesses might tell me if I am wrong – that the number of conciliation claims on behalf of the contractor will only increase. Despite all that, we still cannot get a specific timeframe for when the hospital will be complete.

Mr. Gunning stated on a number of occasions that he came on board in 2019. Who is responsible for this absolutely scandalous debacle, whereby we have a contract built on quicksand, based on what I can see and what the committee has heard today?

David Gunning: The Deputy has asked a very tough question.

We as the development board are responsible for the delivery of this hospital, including design, build, equipping, commission and handover and that is absolutely what we intend to do. We have four main work streams, as I mentioned. The design element is practically complete and we now need to ensure the design is delivered. We are engaged on that.

The build element is contracted out to the main contractor. On the equipping element, we have already equipped the centre at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown and we are in the process of equipping the centre at Tallaght Hospital. We are well advanced in the equipping of the national children’s hospital, NCH, at St. James’s Hospital. The commissioning work, which is a complex piece of work, is the commissioning of a highly complex digital hospital.

The planning for that is well advanced. We are well advanced and we just need to get the project progressing. I mentioned that the last of the concrete will be poured in the not-too-distant future. If one drives past the hospital, one will see the progress that is being made. We are making progress although the Deputy is absolutely right; we are not where we need to be.

Matt Carthy: Another member gave the analogy of building a house. If Mr. Gunning had contracted a person to oversee the design, building, equipping and all the other planning issues pertaining to building the house and, when 20% of the works had been done, that agent was not in a position to tell him when the job would be completed or what the final cost would be, would he consider that perhaps he had signed a bad contract and that that is where the fundamental problem lies in terms of the delivery of this project?

Greg Dempsey (Dept of Health): It is probably worth recognising that, since the 2019 PwC report, strong additional measures have put in place by the development board in order to strengthen oversight of the contractor and its process in terms of claims management. Although there were issues in the past, it is fair for Mr. Gunning and his team to state that they have strengthened their oversight and control mechanisms.

There is much uncertainty by the very nature of the cost. We are working through an updated timeline and cost but, in fairness, we should wait until we actually have assessed it and can discuss it confidently. That is why we are proposing to come back before the committee to do that work.

ENDS

Border Checks must not be a Distraction

Border Checks must not be a distraction – Carthy challenges Transport Minister on International Travel

Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy has told the Dáil that border checks must not be used as a distraction for government failures to tackle the surge of Coronavirus. In a debate with the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, Deputy Carthy said that the actions of local communities, where most people have adhered to restrictions and advice, have not been matched by government moves regarding international travel or testing & tracing capacity.

Teachta Carthy said:

“Communities right across the country, as well as businesses, families and individuals, have gone above and beyond anything we could have imagined this time last year with the onset of the pandemic.

“The truth is there are some things that only the Government can address if they are to be adequately resolved.

“The first is an adequate testing, tracing and isolation regime. The second relates to controls, regulations and the monitoring of particular sectors where clusters can develop very quickly and bring about a significant impact, including the meat industry. The third point relates to international travel restrictions.

“These are three big examples and with all three, the Government has fallen down in these areas.

“I have listened to the Sinn Féin transport spokesperson, Darren O’Rourke, since the formation of this Government and on repeated occasions he has brought issues of concern to the Minister and the Government as a whole. These relate to the need for testing for passengers before and after travelling and he raised the need for a traffic light system as far back as last summer. He has spoken consistently about the need to put in place a quarantine regime. Any movement on these matters has been far too slow and we must address that.

“This week in my county we have seen a number of additional checkpoints put in place on cross-border roads. The message should come from this House very clearly. People should not engage in unnecessary travel, regardless of where they are from.

“My native county of Monaghan borders six other counties, with three in the North and three in this State. The virus does not care which is which and will move across communities.

“My fear is that the prevalence of checkpoints in one direction is, in many respects, a distraction, because it does not deal with the issue of community transmission. The big advantage that we have had since the start, that we have articulated since the start, and that Ireland has in the battle against Covid-19, is that we are surrounded by water.

“That advantage has not been utilised to the degree that is necessary.

“My two questions are as follows.

“When will quarantine measures actually be in place for all those who enter this State without having completed a PCR test for non-essential travel?

Second, what is the Minister doing to promote and encourage cross-border and all-Ireland approaches in respect of this? I refer, in particular, to passenger locator information. When will the Minister ensure that there is seamless sharing of necessary information between authorities, both South to North and North to South?

In response, Minister Eamon Ryan said:

“We work as fast as we can in the circumstances we are in. I will provide some examples. When the UK Government raised a concern about a new variant, the next day, we banned travel from the UK. I believe we were the third country to do this. Perhaps the Danes and the Belgians were an hour ahead of us in doing so. Our response was immediate. At the same time, I believe we were one of the first countries in Europe to require the completion of a PCR test 72 hours before arrival. We did this ahead of the UK Government and others. We do not always respond in lockstep. While it makes sense to follow a two-island strategy, in that case we were ahead. The French Government raised concerns about the new variant and demanded antigen testing for hauliers. We set this up within days and it has been running without any difficulty. It was a difficult thing to set up and turn around, but we did it.

“As for concerns that have been raised about cross-border travel, I agree with the Deputy that we cannot completely seal off the Border. For example, someone who lives in Newry and works in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital or in Dundalk cannot be stopped from crossing the Border. One could think of a thousand such examples. There are those who have rightly pointed out that they were being restricted from travelling in the South but there was no provision in place to restrict others travelling from the North. In response, we immediately approached the Office of the Attorney General with a view to implementing a measure to impose fines in such cases. This was not easy from a legal perspective, but we did it.

“To answer the Deputy’s question on when quarantine measures will be put in place for those who arrive in the State without having completed a PCR test, the legislation will go to Government on Tuesday. It will then go straight to the Dáil. It depends on the business of the Dáil and there will need to be a vote on the legislation. It is something that is being worked out by the Business Committee. It will be done as soon as is possible. The legislation is not without complexity, and there are real concerns around civil liberties and other issues that we are seeking to get right. However, subject to the legislation being passed by this House, I imagine that it will be a matter of days following that, before it will be in place”.

Speaking after the engagement Deputy Carthy accused the Minister of missing the point. “Government have never gotten testing & tracing right. They have never faced up to sectors such as the Meat Industry. They have still not got a handle on international travel. And, they have not adequately worked towards an all-Ireland approach.

“These things need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Distractions will not help. Those many families and workers who have sacrificed so much over the period of this pandemic, deserve no less.”

ENDS

Sinn Féin’s Bill to end the insurance rip-off to be debated in the Dáil this week

Sinn Féin’s Bill to end the insurance rip-off to be debated in the Dáil this week

Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD has called on Dáil Deputies from across the political spectrum to give workers and families a break by supporting his party’s legislation to end the insurance rip-off.

The Sinn Féin Bill, authored by Pearse Doherty, will reduce insurance prices by banning the practice of ‘dual pricing’, used by insurance companies to identify loyal customers and charge them artificially high premiums. The practice affects millions of policyholders, costing many customers hundreds of euro per year on their car and home insurance.

Teachta Carthy said:

“It is time to end the insurance rip-off and reduce prices for customers. We know that this is a massive concern as could be seen by a huge attendance for the public meeting we hosted on this issue in Monaghan in 2019.

“The Bill which Sinn Féin will bring to the Dáil this week will put money back in the pockets of motorists and homeowners by reducing their premiums. It will stop insurance companies penalising and ripping-off loyal customers.

“Insurance costs in Ireland are far too high and it is time to ensure customers are treated fairly. In the past decade insurance costs have risen by 35 percent despite the cost of claims falling by 9 percent.

“Insurance companies are price gouging customers every year using a practice that is banned in twenty US states and is soon to be banned in Britain.

“Insurance companies use ‘dual pricing’ to target loyal and vulnerable customers, and then charge them premiums that are higher than the real cost of their policy. This is the loyalty penalty – overcharging customers by hundreds of euros every year.

“This cannot be allowed to continue.

“Our Bill will finally put an end to this price gouging by banning dual-pricing. It will require the Central Bank to draw up and enforce regulations that will govern the ban.

“Any insurance companies that ignore the ban will face heavy sanctions.

“The Bill will also require insurers to tell you exactly how your premium has been calculated.

“In Britain, the financial regulator estimates that a ban on dual-pricing would cut insurance costs for customers by 10%, saving customers between €4 and €13 billion over the next decade. Irish consumers deserve no less.

“This legislation will cut prices, increase transparency and reduce the amount of time consumers spend switching and searching for insurance policies.

“The insurance industry will fight against this Bill. We must ensure that it passes.

“I am calling on all Cavan Monaghan TDs to back this Bill and to stand up for customers who have been fleeced by unfair insurance costs for far too long.

“It is time to end the insurance rip-off.”

ENDS