Jobs Initiative

“It is one step of many that we will have to take as part of our economicstrategy, to get people back to work”

Eamon Gilmore TD, Labour Party Leader

Summer 2011

LABOUR PARTY

Michael McNamara TD

What’s in the Jobs Plan?

� 21,000 training, education and intern places

� VAT on tourism related good and services cut from 13% to 9%

� Visa Waiver Programme to apply to short stay visitors of 14 nationalities

� Reversal of cuts to minimum wage

� €30 million made available for school building works

� €30 million for “Better Energy – The National Upgrade Programme” to

insulate homes

� €75 million boost for transport projects to create at least 1,000 new jobs

� Employer’s PRSI for workers on below €356 a week will be halved

� Air passengers tax abolishedCllr Pascal FitzgeraldClare County Council087 [email protected]

Cllr Tony McMahonShannon Town Council086 [email protected]

Cllr Greg DuffShannon Town Council087 [email protected]

Cllr Paul O’SheaEnnis Town Council086 [email protected]

YOUR LOCAL LABOUR TEAM WORKING FOR YOU

Michael McNamara TD

0612

With thisjobs package,the newGovernmenthas donemore in twomonths, topromoteemploymentandeconomic

recovery, than the last Governmentdid in two years.

Unemployment is not a matter ofstatistics. The unemployed are ourneighbours, our children, and ourfriends. They are people who wantnothing more than the opportunityto work in their own country, providefor their families, and get on withtheir lives. This Government isdetermined to do everything we canto provide those opportunities.

The Jobs Initiative is but one step onthe road to economic recovery, but itis an important one, and one inwhich, as a Labour Party Minister, Iam proud to have been involved.

Brendan HowlinMinister for Public Expenditure & Reform

My first 10k Charity Run was for the Clare Crusaders.

DELIVERING ON JOBS

LABOUR PARTY DELIVERING ON JOBSIn the Programme for Government we made a commitment that in our first 100 days, we would introducea jobs initiative. This is precisely what we have done.

While it is a significant set of proposals worth €1.8bn over four years, we don’t claim that this is going tosolve the entire problem of joblessness in Ireland or that everybody who is out of work will be facilitatedby this. However, it is one step of many that we will have to take as part of our economic strategy, to getpeople back to work.

The Jobs Initiative is a clear statement that the new Government has a new approach to the economiccrisis.

Eamon Gilmore TD, Leader of the Labour Party, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade

Dear Constituent,

Earlier this year I was privileged to have been elected as your Labour TD. We face hugechallenges in the years ahead but already we are beginning to make progress on building anew Ireland with the announcement of the Jobs Initiative at the beginning of May, and aseries of measures being taken right across Government to reform the way we run ourcountry.

As the second largest party in the Dáil, the Labour Party now forms part of a NationalGovernment charged with public sector reform, making savings by cutting waste and fraud inthe social welfare budget, making literacy a national cause, protecting homeowners indistress with their mortgages and transforming the primary care health system.

Labour in Government will provide a strong, stable and balanced Government to confront thecrisis facing our country. If there is anything I or your local Labour team can do to assist youin the future, please do not hesitate to contact us. My number one aim is to make sure weget Ireland back to work and the Jobs Initiative is the first step in the right direction.

Michael McNamara TD

CONTACT ME

t: 065 689 3639

e: [email protected]

w: labour.ie/michaelmcnamara

What’s inside...

� Jobs Initiative

� Tourism Strategy

� School & RoadConstruction

� Business Lending

� Minimum Wage CutReversed

� Training & InternshipPlaces

GETTING IRELAND BACK TO WORKFUNDING APPROVEDFOR 22 CLARE SCHOOLS

Constituency offices:New Road, Ennis, Co. ClareT: 065 68 93639Skycourt, Shannon, Co. ClareT: 061 479 020

Clare Labour T.D. Michael McNamara has receivedconfirmation from Minister for Education and SkillsRuairí Quinn that fourteen local primary schoolsand two post-primary schools have been approvedfunding under the Summer Works Scheme 2011.

The 22 Clare schools are among hundreds ofschools nationwide to receive funding under thisyear’s Scheme which covers projects such aselectrical, gas and mechanical works.

Welcoming the funding announcement, which isdrawn from a national allocation of 41.2m euro,Deputy McNamara said: “The Summer WorksScheme is an important scheme not only for itsdelivery of much needed improvements to Clareschools but the creation of jobs in the localconstruction sector during July and August.

“The Government is committed to deliveringimprovements in the quality of existing primaryand post-primary school accommodationthroughout County Clare despite the current fiscalconstraint. The capacity of schools to takeresponsibility for delivering small and medium-scaleprojects is a key component of this scheme and Iam delighted that 22 schools will benefit during2011.

“The upgrade works will take place during thesummer holidays so as to minimise the disruptionto the schools in question”, he added.

EU BACKSLAP SO WELCOME

The EU Commissioner for Employment

has given our Government the thumbs-up

on its job creation plan. We’ve been on

the receiving end of a fair bit of bashing

recently, so it’s great to hear something

positive from Laszlo Andor.

.....

This Government has been working to get

a better deal on the bailout loan, and our

so-called partners in Europe have

provided most of the opposition.

News Of The World Editorial

5th June 2011

MCNAMARA MICHAEL JOBS INITIATIVE 1120 17/6/11 15:03 Page 1

2,000 JOBS IN €30 MILLIONNATIONAL RETROFIT PLAN

DELIVERING THE SMART ECONOMY -“BROADBAND FOR ALL BY 2012”

3,000 CONSTRUCTION JOBS IN THEPIPELINE THANKS TO €40MINVESTMENT IN SCHOOLBUILDINGS

21,000 TRAINING AND INTERNSHIP PLACES PROMISED

VAT rates for the tourist sector have been slashed to

9%. This has been strongly endorsed by the major

players in the tourism industry.

This move has given the tourism sector a much needed

shot in the arm. The measures include:

� The abolition of the travel tax

� The targeted reduction of VAT to 9% for

restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues

� A short-term Visa Waiver Programme to apply to

short stay visitors of 14 nationalities

Labour’s Green Jobs plan is to be implemented with €30million National Upgrade Programme. The scheme willstreamline the existing residential insulation programmes,while creating 2,000 jobs for out-of-work constructionworkers.

“Every euro spent by homeowners and businesses on energyefficiency, not only brings about long term energy savings,but also helps support jobs and indigenous companies,”said Labour’s Minister Pat Rabbitte.

Labour’s Minister Pat Rabbittehas hit the ground runningwith his commitment toensuring all parts of ruralIreland will have access tobroadband and his plans for ataskforce to extend nextgeneration broadband acrossthe country.

The aim is to ensure thatIreland reaches an EU target

for ubiquitous basicbroadband access a yearahead of the 2013 deadline.

Next generation broadband isan essential component ofour economic recovery. Theavailability of high speedbroadband is crucial forbusiness and job creation, aswell as attracting outsideinvestment.

Before the Election, Labour promised that in the lifetime of thisGovernment we would provide an additional 60,000 additionaleducation and training opportunities to help those out ofwork, to get back into employment. Just eight weeks intoour term of office, we have already put in place themeasures to deliver on 21,000 of those.

� 6,000 places in the FÁS Specific Skills Trainingprogramme

� 5,900 places in the Higher Education Springboardprogramme

� 3,000 places in the Back to Education Initiativeprogramme

� 1,000 places in Post Leaving Cert Courses.� 5,000 places on internships

Labour Party Deputy Leader and Minister for SocialProtection Joan Burton said:

“Participants in the internship scheme will receive €50 in addition to their existing socialwelfare payment and they will retain all of their secondary benefits. It will provide a realalternative to people who find themselves without work.”

LABOUR RESTORES MINIMUM WAGEOne of the most shameful acts perpetrated by the lastGovernment was to slash the minimum wage from €8.65 to€7.65, a cut of 12 per cent.People on the minimum wage are among the most financiallydistressed and should not have been asked to shoulder theburden for poor decisions made by Governments, regulators andfinancial institutions.

Labour opposed this cut tooth and nail, and during the lastelection we promised to restore the minimum wage toits former level. Under the provisions of theJobs Initiative, we have done just that.Legislation to make that change is alreadybeing prepared and we hope that theincrease will come into effect in July.

Labour’s Education Minister Ruairi Quinn

announced that €40 million will be madeavailable to allow schools critical buildingworks such as special needs access, toiletfacilities, roof works and windowreplacements.

Minister Quinn said:

“Before the election Labour promisedthat we would prioritise job creation asan issue, and we are as good as our word.“This funding will provide major

improvements toshovel ready projectsin 374 schoolsnationwide, which Iknow they willwelcome. Not onlythat, the investmentwill also create 2,400direct and 480 indirectmuch needed jobs in theconstruction sector.”

NEW MEASURES ‘COULD SAVE TOURISM SEASON’The scrapping of the controversial Airport Travel Tax,announced as part of the Government Jobs Initiative this week,will result in higher tourist numbers to the region and morepassengers using Shannon Airport, it has been claimed. Theinitiative has been widely welcomed in Clare and “could savethe tourism season here in 2011”, according to the president ofthe Shannon Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation, MichaelVaughan.

The Clare Champion, 13th May 2011

IMMENSE BOOST FOR EMPLOYERSThe effect of halving of the lower rate of employer PRSI willbe “immense”, a Clare business organisation claimed thisweek. Rita McInerney, CEO of Ennis Chamber, told The ClareChampion.


€2.5 MILLION EXTRA RESTORATION FUNDS

As part of this week's Jobs Initiative, Clare County Council

will receive an additional €2.5 million under the

Restoration Improvement Programme.


CUTS IN VAT TO KICK-START

GROWTH IN TOURISM LENDING TO SMALLBUSINESSES A PRIORITY

This Government’s Jobs Initiative setsout an environment to support jobcreation in small and mediumenterprises (SMEs). This is a verypositive intervention to support thoseentrepreneurs and business peoplethat will create jobs and rebuild oureconomy.

New initiatives to help get lines ofcredit flowing include:

� a partial loan guarantee schemewill be in operation by the

autumn. For every €400m that isguaranteed by the State anadditional 4,500 companies canget further credit that will in turncreate more than 8,000 jobs

� a micro-finance fund will providefunding for small loans to start-ups

� improve cash flow to businesses.From 1st July 2011, allgovernment bodies (excludingcommercial semi states) will berequired to pay suppliers within15 days of receipt of a validinvoice.

2,000 JOBS ON THE HORIZON THANKS TO €75MINVESTMENT IN ROADS

Under the Jobs Initiative, County Councils are being provided with an additional €60mfor the improvement of regional and local roads. In addition, councils in our major urban

areas will be provided with €15m which will go straight into labour-intensive traffic management and smarter travel projects.

Labour’s Minister for Public Transport Alan Kelly said:

“We brought forward ‘shovel ready’ projects that willprovide stimulus to the local economy in transport and

tourism. This was finance that was freed-up forjobs and would never have happened without

the Labour Party being in Government. Byno means is it a full solution, but a first andvitally important step towards recovery.The transport element will create

approximately 1200 jobs that simplywould not be there otherwise.”

100 JOBS CREATED WITH NEW TÚS

SCHEMEThe new community jobs scheme, Tús, will

be rolled out across County Clare within

months with 100 job placements

available on the scheme. Clare local

development company has

announced that the scheme will

commence in May/June period

initially in Ennis and North Clare.


MCNAMARA MICHAEL JOBS INITIATIVE 1120 17/6/11 15:03 Page 3

Documents

Jobs Initiative