A pilot multi-denominational national school for Dublin 15 designed to be a model for the whole country has been scrapped by Education Minister Mary Hanafin, Fine Gael Dublin West TD Leo Varadkar TD has said.

“Minister Hanafin has abandoned plans to set up a multi-faith national school under the patronage of the Dublin County Vocational Education Committee in Diswellstown, Dublin. This pioneering school was supposed to open in September 2008 and would operate on a multi-denominational basis with provision for religious instruction for those who want it.

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The Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hannifin TD, has confirmed that she has abandoned her commitment to establish a new model VEC national school in Diswellstown, Dublin 15 by September 2008 next year. The Minister announced plans to establish “Diswellstown Community National School” in a statement to the press on February 17th, 2007. This is still posted on the Department’s website. …[more]

The decision of the Constituency Boundary Commission to redraw the constituency boundaries in North Dublin presents a real challenge for local politicians in Dublin West and Dublin North. The Commission decided to add an extra seat to Dublin West to make it a four seat constituency which was expected. However, in a surprising decision, twelve thousand people living in south-western side of Swords will now be added to the constituency. …[more]

Fine Gael’s Leo Varadkar TD has welcomed a decision by Fingal County Council to refuse planning permission to Aldi Stores (Ireland) Limited to build a 1,610 m2 supermarket and six apartment blocks on a 1.46 hectare site in Clonsilla Village. Deputy Varadkar along with Cllr Eithne Loftus objected to the planning application and held a public meeting in Clonsilla on the issue last month. …[more]

Fine Gael Enterprise Spokesman Leo Varadkar TD will challenge Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin in the Dáil today (Wednesday) over fears that unemployment will reach 200,000 next year. Speaking before Priority Questions to Minister Martin, Deputy Varadkar called for a Comprehensive Strategy of Economic Renewal in the public and private sectors to restore competitiveness, invest in infrastructure and provide measures to assist small and medium enterprises.

“The past two years have seen a steady increase in unemployment, rising from about 3.7% in 2001 to 4.7% this year. However, the recently published Pre-Budget Outlook projects that unemployment will rise to 5.5% next year and for the rest of the decade. The ESRI warned again this week that economic growth will slow to 3 next year.

“A 5.5% unemployment rate actually means that there will be at least 20,000 more people on the dole next year, bringing the total to 190,000. It may even breach the important 200,000 figure. This would be highest live register figure since 1998, the year after Bertie Ahern became Taoiseach.

“The Fianna Fáil Government’s mask of economic competence is starting to slip. The Government is throwing in the towel when it comes to job creation, estimating that job growth will fall to just 1.25% next year from a norm of between 4% and 5% in recent years. This would mean that over the next three years, the total number of jobs created will not even match job growth in 2006. There were 85,000 jobs created in 2006, while predictions for the next three years are just 81,000 new jobs.

“This Government’s employment strategy has been entirely based on a debt-fuelled construction boom and an unsustainable expansion in public spending. Construction and public services have accounted for 61% of jobs growth since 2000. This is not a sustainable jobs strategy for a small trading economy like Ireland.

“We are well past the stage for talking about ‘early warnings’ or ‘wake-up calls’. Ireland now needs a Comprehensive Strategy of Economic Renewal that harnesses efforts right across the public and private sectors. In order to manage the transition the Government must restore competitiveness, urgently invest in infrastructure, provide fiscal responsibility and Ministerial accountability. Fianna Fáil must also provide value for money in government services, a real and sustained cross-department multi-agency action plan to upskill our workforce, radical public sector reform and a better deal for small businesses and the self-employed.”

Ireland is facing its toughest employment prospects for a decade with the sharp rise in Live Register figures just the latest warning about the deteriorating employment and economic environment Fine Gael Enterprise, Trade & Employment Spokesman Leo Varadkar TD said today (Friday). This comes on the back of a Central Bank prediction that unemployment will rise to more than 5% next year.

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Fine Gael Enterprise, Trade & Employment Spokesman Leo Varadkar TD has called on the Fianna Fáil Government to immediately seek alternative investors after US pharma company Amgen indefinitely postponed plans for up to 2,000 high-value jobs in Co. Cork.

“This is a very disappointing development for Cork and the entire southern region. The Amgen facility would have been as significant for Cork as Intel was for Leixlip and as IBM was for Blanchardstown.

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One millionaire makes €115,200 refund

Fianna Fáil’s stamp duty changes, as Fine Gael warned before the last election, are of greatest benefit to people who can afford to spend more than €1 million on their first home, Fine Gael Enterprise Spokesman Leo Varadkar TD said today (Wednesday). This confirms that Fianna Fáil was more interested in looking after millionaires when they drafted their limited Stamp Duty changes.

Deputy Varadkar was speaking after he received new figures revealing that three first time buyers have so far received more than €100,000 in stamp duty, indicating they paid more than €1.1 million for a house. Information supplied to Deputy Varadkar by the Minister for Finance revealed that the largest single refund for stamp duty up to 26th September was €115,200, while another seven received refunds of between €50,000 and €100,000.

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