Latest news with #MEP
Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Fine Gael's Seán Kelly ‘could do a lot' as president but stops short of declaring run
Fine Gael 's Seán Kelly has said he 'could do a lot' as president as he continues to consider a bid for Áras an Uachtaráin while stopping short of declaring he will enter the race. The Ireland South MEP also highlighted comments from Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary , who described the presidency as a 'makey-uppy job'. Mr Kelly said while the remarks were 'a bit cynical' – and he did not agree with Mr O'Leary's approach – 'the makey-uppy is what I would like because what that actually means is flexibility to look at it and to do a lot of things'. Fine Gael is set to open its nominations process for the presidential election next month. READ MORE Former European commissioner and MEP Mairead McGuinness has also been tipped as a possible candidate but is yet to confirm any intention. Mr Kelly has been mulling over a possible run in recent months. His latest remarks came during a questions-and-answers session at a lunch jointly hosted by the Association of European Journalists and the European Parliament's Dublin office. He said he has been asked to run mainly by Fine Gael colleagues but also by people he knows through sport andwas 'thinking about it', but noted there were arguments 'for and against'. 'It's obviously the highest honour in Ireland but also it's a big change of lifestyle,' he said. 'It's a seven-year commitment, which I think is pretty long. It's unique, probably in elected politics, to be elected for that long.' On the qualities he could bring to the job Mr Kelly expressed a reluctance to be 'blowing my own trumpet until I have my mind made up'. 'I'd ask those who were asking me to go forward, what do they see in me that might make me a good president?' 'I'd be thinking – I could do a lot actually – but I won't spell it out.' In March Ryanair chief executive Mr O'Leary backed Ms McGuinness, saying he would be 'very proud' to have her as Ireland's next president. He also indicated he would not want the 'makey-uppy' role himself. Mr Kelly expressed hope there would be multiple candidates seeking the Fine Gael nomination as he believed party members would like to have their say on who would contest the election. On what can be bruising campaigns he said people were 'surprised and some maybe not too pleased' with the tone of the last two presidential elections and there were 'very fine people who were destroyed'.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Move to ban airlines charging parents extra to sit next to children welcomed
Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty has welcomed a move by the EU to ban airlines from charging parents extra to sit next to their children who are under the age of 12. Ms Doherty, who is a member of European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, said Irish airlines typically do not charge parents to sit next to their young children. Advertisement However, a number of other European airlines impose a charge in relation to seating of this type. Ms Doherty told Newstalk Breakfast that she had long been 'incensed' by the cash grab of airlines that opt to charge parents additional money to sit next to their children. 'Children under 12 shouldn't be without their parents. Airlines, I felt, were taking advantage of the fact that if they wanted to sit their families together, they had to pay extra charges. 'No more now; the Committee voted yesterday that airlines will not be able to charge families extra for sitting together.' Advertisement Ms Doherty described the charge as an 'abhorrent' practice and said legislation would end it once and for all. On Tuesday the Transport Committee of the EU voted through a series of measures which will increase the rights of passengers. The proposals will be voted on by the European Parliament in the coming weeks. If approved by MEPs, they will then be discussed by the European Council. Ms Doherty said the proposals were met with 'little or no resistance.' 'I think everyone knows this is a commonsense approach,' Ms Doherty said. 'The second thing is, we've seen in recent months a controversy where people were getting charged extra for bags. 'One of the things we voted on yesterday was that people will have a right to have a 7kg carry-on roller bag with them as a right, once it gets through the Parliament.' Ms Doherty added that she expects the changes to happen 'very soon.'
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Saudi Red Sea International plans IPO of MEP subsidiary
Saudi Arabian modular house manufacturer Red Sea International has announced its intention to float its subsidiary, Fundamental Installation for Electric Work Company Limited, a mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) contractor. Red Sea will not be selling any of its shares in the subsidiary, a bourse statement said. The prospectus relating to a potential IPO and listing details will be disclosed when Red Sea has secured the necessary regulatory approvals, it added. (Writing by Brinda Darasha; editing by Seban Scaria)
Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Explained: Centre's rationale behind MGNREGS spending cap, the problems with it
Second byline: Purbayan Chakraborty The Union Finance Ministry has capped spending under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) at 60% of its annual allocation for the first half of Financial Year (FY) 2025-26. There was no such spending limit until now. The programme has been brought under the Monthly Expenditure Plan/Quarterly Expenditure Plan (MEP/QEP), a spending control mechanism introduced by the Finance Ministry in 2017. MGNREGS, which provides up to 100 days of employment to any rural household on demand, was thus far exempt from MEP/QEP on account of being demand-driven. Civil society groups and MGNREGS worker unions have raised concerns about the move. Here's why. Finance Ministry's rationale MGNREGS has long been plagued with financial troubles, which are perhaps what the Finance Ministry hopes to address by implementing the MEP/QEP mechanisms. Data from the Ministry of Rural Development show that over the last few years, more than 70% of the budget is frequently exhausted by September, and while supplementary allocations are often made in December, even these run out by January. This leaves significant pending dues by the end of the FY — over the last five FYs, pending dues have ranged between Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 25,000 crore. On average, 20% of the subsequent FY's budget is spent in clearing these. By implementing an expenditure cap, the Finance Ministry is likely ensuring an adequate budget will remain for the latter half of the FY, so that no supplementary allocation will have to be made. The MGNREGS budget for FY 26 stands at Rs 86,000 crore, and FY 25 ended with pending dues of Rs 21,000 crore. As on June 12, the Centre has released 28% of FY 25-26's budget. Pending dues for FY 26 stand at Rs. 3,262 crore, and for FY 25 at Rs 19,200 crore. Just clearing these dues will exhaust approximately 50% of the budget. Issue of fluctuating demand By design, MGNREGS acts as a buffer for rural citizens, especially during times of lean harvests, freak weather events, and rural distress. Work demand under the scheme fluctuates throughout the year due to a number of reasons, primarily agricultural activities and weather patterns. MGNREGS work demand is highest between April and June, and picks up again after the kharif sowing season in September. But weather abnormalities such as delayed rains can lead to high MGNREGS work demand even in July or August. In 2023, for instance, low rainfall led to 20% higher work demand than usual in July and August, with Karnataka in particular spending more than 70% of the annual MGNREGS budget within six months due to extreme drought conditions. The expenditure cap does not take into account these contingencies. There is a legal issue too. Social security and welfare in India is implemented either via schemes designed and executed by the government of the day (for instance, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi or the LPG scheme), or through schemes based on specific legislation which establish certain programmes as statutory rights, like MGNREGS (based on MGNREG Act, 2005) or the Public Distribution System (based on National Food Security Act, 2013). The former can, and often are, altered, discontinued, or repackaged when a new government comes to power. For the latter, while the government does have the power to determine the modalities of implementing legislation, this power is conferred by the legislature and is limited in its scope. The MGNREGA recognises employment as a statutory right. The Act signified a critical shift from this being a negative right under Article 21 of the Constitution (which mandated that the state must not interfere with your livelihood unreasonably), to a positive statutory obligation on the government to provide employment on demand. The 60% spending cap ordered by the Finance Ministry makes it virtually impossible to realise an entitlement that is legally guaranteed under the Act once the ceiling is reached. Constitutional courts have held that financial inability cannot be a reason to disregard statutory or constitutional duties, including in Swaraj Abhiyan v Union of India (2016), Municipal Council, Ratlam vs Shri Vardhichand (1980), and Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity v State of W.B. (1996). Lack of clarity There is currently no clarity on what will happen once the ceiling is reached. States could be forced to deny employment even when there is demand, or workers may have to work without timely payment. In both scenarios, statutory rights of the workers may be violated — the right to to receive employment within 15 days of raising the demand, as provided under section 3 of the MGNREGA, and the right to receive wages within 15 days of closure of work, as mandated under para 29 of schedule II of Act. To be sure, wage delays have been rampant in the scheme for years, and unemployment allowances and compensation for delayed payments have gone unpaid or been poorly calculated (as the Supreme Court has observed). However, the Finance Ministry's decision undermines the letter and spirit of the Act in an attempt to address the financial problems in MGNREGS. Laavanya Tamang is Senior Researcher with the Foundation for Responsive Governance, and affiliated with the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha. Purbayan Chakraborty is a Calcutta-based lawyer and works closely with the Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, a trade union representing rural workers in West Bengal. All data accessed from MGNREGS MIS on June 12
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Captain and Girlfriend Found Dead on Fishing Boat After Going Missing For Several Days: Reports
A captain and his girlfriend have reportedly been found deceased on a fishing boat The bodies of Shawn Arsenault, 64, and his girlfriend Felicia Daley, 54, were found on a missing fishing boat off Cape Cod Bay on Wednesday, June 11 The fishing boat departed Orleans, Mass., on Sunday, June 8, but never returnedA captain and his girlfriend who went missing after setting sail on Sunday, June 8 have reportedly been found. According to wcvb5, the bodies of Shawn Arsenault, 64, and his girlfriend Felicia Daley, 54, were found on Arsenault's fishing boat off Cape Cod Bay on Wednesday, June 11. CBS News reported that the white boat was found around 2:00 p.m. near Brewster beaches by a recreational boater. According to the outlet, the captain left Orleans, Massachusetts with Daley days earlier. In a Thursday, June 12 press release, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that a boat had been found with two "presumably deceased" people onboard. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The discovery came 'after an extensive multi-agency search," the release noted. Officials added, 'It was reported a recreational fisherman discovered the 30-foot white-hulled vessel while trolling near the search area on Wednesday.' 'Coast Guard Cutter William Sparling (WPC-1154) arrived on scene within 30 minutes,' the statement continued. 'Divers from the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) and Massachusetts State Police (MSP) were also on scene. It was reported that MEP and MSP identified the vessel as the Seahorse and found two people onboard, presumably deceased. The next of kin were notified.' The statement did not identify Arsenault and Daley. Speaking to 7NEWS, Arsenault's brother, Paul, remembered his brother as a proud father with decades of fishing experience. 'He ran boats all his life,' he said. "He just loved being on the water," he told wcvb5. "He loved the excitement. He loved being his own boss. He loved being a captain." The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England said in a statement on Facebook that the boat, F/V Seahorse, 'was known to be fishing in the vicinity of Target Ship Wreck near Eastham in the Cape Cod Bay.' Following the update in the case, the sector wrote, "The FV SEAHORSE and all individuals onboard have been located. Thank you for the search efforts from both the community and partner agencies within the Cape Cod Mutual Response System that assisted with the search. We are deeply moved by the efforts of recreational boaters and the Fishing Partnership." "Our hearts go out to the families of the individuals onboard," they added. Read the original article on People
