Latest news with #YoungFineGael
Irish Independent
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Decision to increase the student registration fee a 'slap in the face' to students and their parents
Registration fees for third-level education in Ireland were reduced to €2,000 in 2023 following a decision by Tánaiste Simon Harris, who was Minister for Further and Higher Education at the time, as he aimed to alleviate financial pressure on students due to the cost-of-living crisis. Young Fine Gael has stated that they are "shocked" and "disgraced" by the decision from Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless. The Regional Organiser for North West's Young Fine Gael, Dean Kenny from Belcarra in Mayo, said in a statement, "As if spiralling rents, an increased cost of living, and already having the second highest university fees in Europe weren't enough for students to be dealing with, "Minister Lawless' decision is an absolute slap in the face to students and their families right across the country." Mr Kenny, who is the former President of the University of Galway Student Union, added, "This is an absolutely shocking decision from Minister Lawless that will almost certainly prevent people from accessing third-level education." He continued, "It is no exaggeration to say that this increase will mean the difference between some students' having the money to buy groceries in a week, and having to go without. In my own experience of working on the ground in the student movement, I know just how valuable that thousand euro reduction has been to students and their families." Speaking to the Irish Independent, Ballina councillor Jarlath Munnelly, who is a qualified teacher, said it is the wrong time to increase registration fees. "Students, and particularly their parents, face a whole raft of costs at this time preparing to go back to college. The state does not need to add to this with a steep increase in registration fees. I'd ask the Government to look again at this," said the Fine Gael representative. A 2020 report published by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) as part of the European Commission, found that Ireland is one of seven countries that charge fees between €1,001 and €3,000 for third-level education. The only country that charges more is the United Kingdom. The €1,000 reduction was a sign of the times, as Minister Lawless said he does not have a "cost-of-living package". The Minister did, however, say that he intends to "wind down" student contribution fees throughout his time in Government.
Irish Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Cavan's Ray McAdam is elected Lord Mayor of Dublin
Councillor Ray McAdam has become the 358th Lord Mayor of Dublin. He is the third Fine Gael politician in a row to hold the position in a first for the party. Mr McAdam received the backing of 34 of the 63 city councillors, with Sinn Féin's Kourtney Kenny securing 22 votes. Born in Co Cavan and raised in Co Fermanagh, Mr McAdam studied philosophy and political science at Trinity College Dublin where he joined Young Fine Gael. He was elected to Dublin City Council in 2009 at the age of 25, becoming the first Fine Gael representative in the north inner city in more than two decades. He has retained his seat in each election since, topping the poll last year. READ MORE In his year ahead as Lord Mayor he said he wanted to 'shine a light on the challenges facing the city, but I also hope to bring people together in order to come forward with solutions to those challenges'. Capitalising on the renewed focus on the north inner city through the recent Dublin City Taskforce report, Mr McAdam said he would be concentrating on the reuse of vacant and derelict buildings, using the compulsory purchase process where building owners were 'squandering' the city's resources by leaving properties to decay. He also said he wanted to see the council develop 'vacancy maps' to identify the greatest opportunities for the reuse of buildings. The implementation of the council's sports plan was also vital to the development of the city, he said. 'I think given the challenges we have in the city in terms of integration and inclusion sport can be the great unifier.' He said he wanted to create better opportunities for people with disabilities 'in politics and business and entrepreneurship' and for young people to have a greater voice in shaping the city, with the potential for youth representation on the council's strategic policy committees. To drive forward these aims he plans to establish the 'Lord Mayor's Commission on Dublin 2050', he said. 'I want to utilise the strategy that's been adopted through the city-centre taskforce to put together a long-term vision in terms of how we want the city centre to feel and to look by 2050,' he said. 'I think it's an appropriate time as we come to the end of the first quarter of the century that we look to what we want to achieve for the city centre by the middle point of the 21st century.' In a more immediate time frame, by the end of this term he wanted to see a statue in O'Connell Street to commemorate the 'women of the revolution' who were instrumental in securing Ireland's independence. 'Engineers are finalising a number of options at the moment, but I would love to see it in front of GPO,' he said. Mr McAdam succeeds Emma Blain, who took over from James Geoghegan last December following his election to the Dáil.
Irish Independent
09-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Cork sexual abuse campaigner says proposed spiking bill is ‘unworkable'
Mary Crilly says a bill being sent to Government isn't fit for purpose Garda figures show that 90% of spiking victims were female. Photo: Inga Seliverstova The 'Non-Fatal Offences against the Person (Amendment) (Spiking) Bill 2023, aims to specifically target anyone who spikes someone else and 'where the perpetrator intends to overpower or sedate the person, to engage in a sexual act, cause harm, make a gain or cause a loss, or otherwise commit an offence.' The bill would make spiking a standalone criminal offence, carrying a maximum sentence of up to 10 years if passed by Dáil Éireann. It was last in debate in October 2023. However, a leading Cork sexual health campaigner says the burden of proof in trying to use the bill as part of a criminal case would be unworkable, particularly given the shortfall in testing for spiking in the country. 'There needs to be legislation on spiking, because it's a serious problem,' said Mary Crilly, founder and CEO of the Sexual Violence Centre in Cork. 'But I think what they're proposing is unworkable, it's ridiculous, if it's just looking at spiking in the case where someone might get raped, might get assaulted or might get abused, which is extremely hard to prove, and doesn't take into account those just doing it 'for a laugh'.' 'We've had so many calls in from people who have been spiked, some of them are not a precursor to sexual assault, you hear stories from people all the time. There's also no testing for victims. As far as I'm concerned, tests in the chemists, you might as well save your money, because they only test for a couple of things. Mary Crilly was awarded the Freedom of the City in 2022. Photo: Michael O'Sullivan 'We are working with UCC to try and get testing for victims in the future. The Emergency Department are interested in keeping you alive, which is their role, and they do it extremely well, but for someone who wakes up the next day and doesn't want to make a fuss that night, we are trying to develop testing. 'In fairness to the forensic unit in the Gardaí, they can only test if a criminal case is coming on because they're so up the walls, so that's why a lot of things don't get tested. 'I appreciate that Young Fine Gael are doing this, but this particular legislation in the way it's worded, isn't workable.' 'The previous national executive drafted this in 2023, and it had gone through all the levels of the Seanad before the elections. It's now being put through as private members' business to the Dáil,' explained Bebhinn Lombard, current Munster Regional Organiser for Young Fine Gael, who says they have set a clear timeline for it to be brought into law. 'We want it in before Freshers Week, which is a massive week for spiking, and it's when it picks up as well. 'Sexual assault is the worst form of it, so it's trying to tackle it that way.' In Ireland, 33% of spiking incidents reported to Gardaí between 2020 and 2023 were related to sexual assaults, making up less than 1% of all sexual assaults reported to forces in the same period. 40% of spiking incidents reported to Gardaí were listed as poisoning incidents. Starkly, almost 90% of victims were females, according to the report. Crilly believes that targeting the existing legislation should be looked at to try and prosecute those who engage in spiking, regardless of the motive. 'If we look at legislation around poisoning, and there is legislation around poisoning, and see how that can be amended instead of deciding that people are only getting spiked to be raped. We come across loads of guys who are getting spiked, and that can be done just for a laugh. 'There's a new trend in the UK where people are daring each other to spike people for a laugh. That's happening quite a lot, there's gangs of guys going around and doing this for fun.' 'You might see a young guy in a bar who's looking a bit awkward, let's have a laugh with him, or a young girl who they think is up herself, or is looking vulnerable. There's a huge amount of stuff in the UK, even about a 57-year-old that was spiked as part of that game, which they're calling 'Take them down'.' Mary Crilly, who has worked in the field for over three decades, admits the lack of action on legislation regarding spiking is a source of frustration. 'It's not new, I remember doing a course 25 years ago and we were seeing people back then. It is (a frustration) but I can see that about a lot of things; I find it frustrating when venues say, 'we're awful sorry this happens, but not here' and they take it too personally. 'It happens in big bars, small bars, men and women, even to older people.' A spokesperson for the VFI said 'Publicans across Ireland place the safety and wellbeing of their customers as their number one priority. VFI members work closely with An Garda Síochána to maintain a safe and secure environment for all patrons. 'The VFI supports ongoing collaboration and will continue to take advice from law enforcement authorities on best practices to protect customers. We believe that maintaining a strong partnership with An Garda is essential in ensuring safe and enjoyable experiences for all who visit our members' pubs. 'It is very important that any patron who feels unsafe or unwell in a licensed premises approach a member of staff for assistance,' the VFI spokesperson said.
Agriland
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
Young Fine Gael calls for urgent action on ‘ACRES failings'
The Young Fine Gael agricultural and rural affairs committee has called on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon to urgently address major flaws in the rollout of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES). The committee claims that the scheme has left many farmers unpaid, and others unfairly disadvantaged due to structural failings within the scheme's design. The organisation believes that the current tranche inequality has created a two-tier system that is undermining trust. It said: 'While farmers in Tranche 1 received payments on schedule, those in Tranche 2, despite fully complying with scheme requirements, have been left in limbo. 'This is unacceptable, particularly for young farmers who rely on timely payments to manage cashflow and plan investments in sustainable practices.' The committee has also questioned the decision to open Tranche 2 of ACRES while Tranche 1 participants are yet to receive 'any payment or meaningful communication' regarding their entitlements. It has also claimed the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) accepted far more applicants into Tranche 2 than the administrative system could support. According to Young Fine Gael, this over-subscription has deepened the payment backlog and left compliant farmers waiting months without income or clarity. Young Fine Gael The committee also highlighted the 'damage done' to former locally led, results-based agri-environmental projects, such as the Burren programme, Hen Harrier Project, and the Pearl Mussel Project. It said: 'These initiatives, once praised across Europe for their farmer-led approach and measurable outcomes, were subsumed into ACRES under the promise of scale and improved delivery. 'Instead, many of their participants have seen a loss of income and a dilution of the results-based ethos that made those schemes successful. 'There should now be serious consideration given to back payments or compensatory support for those farmers who have lost funding and flexibility as a result of being moved under the ACRES umbrella' The committee has called on Minister Heydon to release a a detailed report into the shortcomings of ACRES to date. The committee believes the report should include an explanation of the tranche payment discrepancies, the impact of absorbing successful results-based programmes into a centralised scheme, and a plan to ensure equal treatment and timely payments across all participants going forward. Young Fine Gael's director of agriculture and rural affairs, Dean Kenny said: 'While we recognise there has been a marked improvement in the area of farming payments delays since Minister Heydon has been appointed, there are still many unanswered questions. 'These delays have affected the agriculture sector in many different ways, and young farmers in particular, who rely on payments such as ACRES to cover the ongoing costs of running their farms and businesses, we believe have been disproportionately impacted by these failings.' 'We believe that these can be rectified somewhat, but only with clear messaging and commitment from the government. If this is not done, there will be many more young farmers that will consider alternative career opportunities,' Kenny added.
