Looking back, the year 2008 has been a year that most people will want to forget.
And as the economy plunges further into recession and more jobs are lost everyday, it doesn’t look like things are going to change for the better anytime soon.
Despite the economic uncertainties that we all face and the near certainty that many more jobs will be lost, Green Party TD for Carlow/Kilkenny Deputy Mary White maintains a positive outlook for the country and her constituency in the year ahead.
“The present economic situation has given us all a challenge and we need to focus on helping people cope with the downturn, particularly those who may have lost their jobs or face losing their jobs in the New Year,” Deputy White told the Kilkenny Advertiser/Carlow First.
Boost economy
“There are two ways of looking at things, the glass is either half empty or half full and I am looking at the glass as half full. We are not going to get out of this recession without a practical set of policies. And so we must find ways to kickstart the economy and create more jobs on a local and national level.”
The solutions, which Deputy White refers to, will feature in the government’s economic recovery plan aimed at protecting jobs and promoting new employment, details of which are presently being finalised.
“There is going to be a whole new thrust to boost the economy and a focus on green energy and creating green jobs will form part of this new Government package,” she explained.
Deputy White is confident that Kilkenny, and Carlow in particular, which she hopes will become the country’s first green energy town in Ireland, will benefit from these plans and that local jobs will be created through incentives to promote manufacturing in sectors such as renewable energy.
This is certainly good news in light of recent events such as last week’s recall of Irish pork products, which resulted in the temporary lay-off of 300 workers in Kilkenny and Carlow.
“I do think the government acted very swiftly in that instance and to order a total recall of all Irish pork products was the right thing to do.”
Ghastly bits
Although the workers are back in the factories and pork is back on our shelves and we can all look forward to a traditional turkey and ham dinner this Christmas, a number of other issues, namely the 2009 Budget, continues to haunt the current government.
Deputy White agreed, “the medical card issue for the over 70s was very badly handled and having such a low income threshold was a nonsense. However, I am glad to say now that that issue has been settled.”
She also pointed out that even though ‘Budget ‘09 certainly ‘had its ghastly bits’ there were some positives, such as a 10 per cent increase in funding for sustainable energy programmes and the allocation of further funds for small business grants.
The Green Agenda
Rather than focus on the negative effects of the budget cutbacks and the significant downturn in the economy, Deputy White was keen to emphasise how progressive a year 2008 was in terms of the ‘Green Agenda.’
“The Green Party has its own Programme for Government, we are not there to be watchdogs for any government, and our priority is to progress the Green agenda. Areas such as sustainable jobs growth, renewable energy and climate change are at the very heart of our policies.
“I believe the party has laid an important framework for the coming years in three particular areas. In the area of environmental protection, Minister Gormley has delivered an impressive amount in the last twelve months, including new guidelines for local authorities regarding areas such as building regulations and residential development in urban areas.
“Minister Gormley has also made investment in water services another priority - an investment that is clearly needed if constituencies such as my own are to avoid water supply and wastewater treatment problems in the short and medium term. For example, the recent approval of the Castlecomer Sewerage Scheme will aid development in the area and will enable housing developments to go ahead.”
She also noted the importance of combating climate change, an issue which she feels Ireland needs to improve upon.
“On a global level, Ireland needs to play its part in reducing its carbon emissions. Our figures for 2007 show a one per cent decrease, a step in the right direction, but not enough.”
Local elections
And when it was put to Deputy White that the progress of green issues won’t be the main issues on peoples’ minds when politicians hit doorsteps ahead of the local elections next June, she was confident that the Green Party would be able to retain its two existing seats, if not gain another one or two.
“I was elected in May 2007, and every weekend bar a handful since then, I have been knocking on people’s doors throughout Kilkenny and Carlow and we are not getting a kicking. People are saying that the Green Party is a fighting party and a hard-working party. And when it comes to the elections, it is what is going on at ground and local level that will matter to people.”
The Green Party Councillors hoping that their hard work and dedication will be recognised by the voters are Kilkenny Borough Councillor Malcolm Noonan and Carlow County Councillor Alan Price who will bid to retain their seats, while Duncan Russell will contest a seat in Thomastown with two more possible candidates for the party set to be ratified shortly.
The much publicised problems which occured on Dan Brennan’s farm in Castlecomer springs to mind as just one of these important local issues.
“Dan Brennan and his wife are exemplary farmers and there is nothing adrift with that farmer. The Department of Agriculture Review is now over and the case will be handed to independent scientists to be peer reviewed, to see whether they agree with the findings, which will be of interest to all local farmers in the New Year.”
Deputy White and her Green Party colleagues are well aware though that the New Year will present many more challenges and problems to resolve.
“It’s going to be a tough year and instead of the sniping which usually goes on in political quarters, we need to see what we can do together in the best interests of everyone. There are four government TDs in this consituency who are breaking their backs and doing their best. 2009 is going to be a tough year but we are going forward with a plan.”
