Lyons welcomes SOLAS

I have welcomed the announcement yesterday by Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn that a new further education and training authority, SOLAS (Seirbhísí Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna) is to be established.

The new authority,which will operate under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills, will co-ordinate and fund the wide range of training and further education programmes around the country. It will  help identify skills gaps, point to weaknesses and duplication in existing provision and link courses more closely to both the needs of the individual and the labour market. FÁS will be disbanded.

SOLAS will ensure that further education and training programmes provide jobseekers and other learners with the new skills needed for the new jobs in Ireland’s 21st century labour market. It will champion a greater emphasis on generic, transferable skills including people-related skills, thinking and problem-solving skills and digital literacy skills. It will also be underpinned by stronger quality assurance, occupational standards, international benchmarks and course content reviews. This is indeed good news for those looking to retrain and upskill, and I certainly welcome this move to improve the standards, as well as the content, of courses in response to growth areas such as the services and ICT sectors.

As Minister of State Ciarán Cannon mentioned, there are 2,500 training places available in IT. I met with a group today, FIT (Fast Track into Information Technology) located in Glasnevin, who are providing some of these places. They have a 70% progression rate which shows the impact that relevant skills development and training can have in getting back into the workforce and I look forward to the positive results that SOLAS will have in this regard.

The Household Charge Explained

I have received a few queries regarding the upcoming household charge recently from some of those who are concerned about how this will affect them in the future. With this in mind, find below some FAQs on the household charge.

Why is the household charge being introduced?
Due to the EU/IMF agreement that was signed by the previous government, Ireland is committed to the introduction of a property tax. The household charge is an interim measure that will run for 2 years and is a measure to tackle our current deficit of €18 billion

How much will it cost?
The household charge will be €100 for the year and this will be introduced in January 2012

What will it be used for?
This charge will raise approximately €160 million in 2012 and will fund local services such as fire and emergency services, street cleaning, lighting, etc.

Who is exempt?
Those who are receiving mortgage interest supplement, living in social housing or certain unfinished 'ghost estates' will not have to pay the household charge - nor will commercial property and premises owned by a charity have to pay this charge.

When will the property tax be introduced and how much will that cost?
After the 2 years of the household charge is complete, property tax will be introduced. This will take into account the value of the property and the income of the household. More details will be available on this in due course. However, I am committed to ensuring that low income households are protected and treated as fairly as possible in this regard.


I hope this gives you a better understanding of the household charge. If you have any further queries or concerns on this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01 6183280 or email john.lyons@oir.ie

Lyons welcomes extension of drug treatment court to rest of Dublin Northside

I have given my backing to the expansion of the Drug Treatment Court to the remaining areas of Dublin's Northside.

The Drug Treatment Court Programme is aimed at people with drug addiction problems who come before the District Court on minor criminal charges linked to their drug addiction. It has operated in Dublin 1, 3 and 7 since 2000 and was given the go-ahead to extend its catchment area by Minister Alan Shatter last week.

Extending this service to Dublin 9 and Dublin 11 and other areas north of the Liffey is a hugely positive move. We all know the problems caused by addiction in our communities and this initiative offers people who are serious about tackling their drug problems the treatment they need.

The expansion of the programme gives judges the option of alternatives to prison in certain cases. Potential participants are assessed for a period of 6-8 weeks by a team of probation officers, liaison nurses, Gardaí and education coordinators. This is an example of joined-up thinking to address drug problems that affect many families and local communities.

A Department of Justice report on the Drug Treatment Court in May 2010 illustrated the potential benefits of the programme to the State. Savings in the prison service, to the Courts in handling repeat offenders and for Gardaí in dealing with criminal offences related to addiction are all possible. Similar expanded programmes in the UK and US have shown great cost-effectiveness and have reduced reoffending.

I also welcome that the expansion of the DTC for a 6-month trial period and that it is being to be fully evaluated at each stage. The 2010 report also calls for improved gathering of statistics as part of any services and I think this is vital to show the value of the programme to Ballymun and Finglas and to measure its cost effectiveness to the country.

In the tough economic times we are in, this expansion will use existing resources to tackle the problem of drug addiction and associated crime and this is positive step by the HSE and the Courts Service.

More information on the Drug Treatment Court and Reports by the Department of Justice are available at:http://www.courts.ie/offices.nsf/fd1b5d60ef39f31380256e43003d0107/cfaf3511b9b9639e80256e45005861cf?OpenDocument

John speaking in the Dáil on Dáil Reform

Minister's comments on online gambling good news for Irish players & jobs

I have today welcomed Minister Alan Shatter's statement that preparations are at an advanced stage to update our gambling legislation - to include measures to address online gambling - as welcome news for Irish players and those employed in the sector in Ireland.

It is estimated that approximately 1,600 people are currently employed here in companies that provide online poker, betting and ancillary support services. This industry has developed without the necessary legislative architecture to regulate it and to provide the clear transparent controls that are required.

Minister Shatter's response to Parliamentary Questions I submitted on the matter indicated that he is preparing a comprehensive package of proposals to reform existing legislation and this is very welcome news. 

I especially welcome the Minister's comments that while the promotion of employment in this sector will be a major consideration when drawing up the new legislative framework, the first priority will be public safety. Users of these increasingly popular online formats such as betting exchanges and online poker need protection and this legislation provides an opportunity to address this issue.

I would also urge the Minister to consider in his reforms, measures to allow for the extension of the betting levy to these online formats. The Government needs the additional taxation revenue that would come from this move - to complement revenues generated from the existing betting levy.

An opportunity now exists to provide a legislative framework that protects the interests of online players, industry workers and taxpayers alike and I look forward to further developments in this regard. 

Religious orders must engage with minister on Ryan report

I have called on religious orders to stop trying to avoid paying their fair share of compensation to the victims of residential abuse.

It is high time that the congregations named in the Ryan Report face up to their moral and financial responsibilities and begin a serious engagement with the State as to how best they can make a credible contribution to compensating victims.

I am deeply alarmed by media reports which indicate that at least some of the orders involved are planning to reject an invitation issued to them by my colleague and Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn to attend talks on Friday to discuss the issue. This kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable and suggests that the orders are trying to frustrate attempts by this new government to ensure that the financial liability is spread fairly between Church and State.

I fully endorse Minister Quinn's statement last week in which he called for a 50:50 contribution from both sides. The religious orders have only paid a fraction of that figure to date and they need to step up to the mark. As has been suggested already, one way of making up some of the shortfall would include transferring ownership of school properties to the State.

Unlike the shameful actions of the then Fianna Fail/PD government in 2002, where religious orders were allowed to make only a token contribution to compensating abuse victims, Labour and our colleagues in this administration are determined that the figure agreed at the end of this process is fair and just to all concerned.

Help Make Ballymun a Tidier Place!!

Help make Ballymun a tidier place!!

Ballymun Tidy Towns are holding litter pick - tidy up days from 2-4pm throughout the Summer:

•  July 14th on the Balcurris Ring Road

• July 28th in Sillogue Park and Avenue

• 11th August in Gateway.

So join in and help make Ballymun a tidier place!

For more information, contact Kathleen on 01 8625846 or email kathleen@globalactionplan.ie

Passing on vat cut will benefit businesses

I have echoed calls for businesses to pass on the cut in VAT as it has the potential to stimulate business and generate employment.

Friday's cut in the VAT rate from 13.5 per cent to 9 per cent on tourism and leisure related activities - to aid businesses to cut costs - should be seized upon by all those who have not yet passed on the savings to customers.

We are also in the middle of the peak tourist season and a great opportunity now exists for businesses to capitalise on this saving and to increase their revenues.

This practical measure was a central part of the Government's Jobs Initiative which aims to stimulate growth in key sectors that have the potential to generate employment.

If passed on, these savings have the potential to be beneficial to businesses, workers and customers alike and I would urge businesses to pass it on immediately.

Apply for your Medical Card Online!!

You can now apply for your medical card online!! This is a quicker, easier and stress-free way of applying for the medical card.

The online service is suitable for people who are likely to qualify for a medical card on income grounds. For the first time in the health service, in many cases, the assessment process is immediate and documentation is only required in cases where the medical card is being issued.

Eligible applicants will get their medical card quickly - there is a 15 DAY GUARANTEE for processing! This is down from 12-16 weeks.

If a person is not eligible on income grounds, the completion of the online application determines this immediately, and the person is provided with a written assessment of the application with 15 days. In such instances, the person may still be eligible on a discretionary basis, and should make an application in the normal way.

Go to the medical card website for more information or to apply / renew your medical card!

If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01 6183280 or email john.lyons@oir.ie