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THE MINISTER FOR Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, was today asked about what the government is doing about the housing problem, cutbacks in the public sector and the problems facing low paid workers.
Deputy Clare Daly said that state property is needed for social housing, she argued that we should have some sort of task force who assess what state owned properties would be suitable for housing.
Brendan Howlin replied that most of the vacant properties are recently closed garda stations.
However he did add that one state property in Dublin iS now being used to combat homelessness in the city.
He said that a range of issues needed to be taken into consideration such as the suitability, location and condition of the properties and the need for refurbishment.
Daly said that there’s a wide portfolio of properties, asking: “Will you take on board convening a task force to see what could be used for housing?”
Howlin replied that there’s 440 properties deemed suitable and that the Minister for housing is taking care of that.
Deputy Mick Wallace added that:
We’re seeing housing pricing and rent prices going up but no increase in wages.
Wallace continued that “Somebody has to take stock of all state owned property”.
Howlin said that “I agree with the deputy and it’s an issue we have to address”, he also that that the supply issue needs to be tackled.
Staff Shortages
TD Richard Boyd Barrett said that there is chronic staff shortages in the public sector adding that “we have to talk about lifting the public sector recruitment embargo”.
Howlin replied that there’s no embargo and that special provisions have been made for additional teachers and care workers.
He said, “The government recognises the areas of most need and responds as such”.
He said that the government are working towards a better platform for public service delivery and that shared services and better use of technology are the building blocks for better services.
The Expenditure Minister also added that “Cases must be considered on a case by case basis.”
Boyd Barrett said the cruel logic is that:
We need 1 staff member per 4 patients but instead we’ve got 1 per 8 during the day and 1 per 12 during the night.
“People are also being told that they can’t have grab rails for a year or more. They need them to just to get up the stairs to have a bath”.
He accused the government of having their priorities all wrong:
We constantly hear that these cuts are being made because we don’t have money yet the government had the money to hire three PR advisors at the start of the year.
Brendan Howlin replied that “The whole focus is to balance the books and he said Barrett wanted no cuts but also wanted no taxes, adding: “It’s a wonderful fairy land you live in”.
Howling said that “287,000 public service staff are working hard to bring services”.
He said that the government was making rational decisions but that “The whole focus is to be more efficient and provide front line services so people can have a good experience”.
Low Paid Work
Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said that “Low paid public and civil servants are telling me that they would be better off staying at home rather than working”.
She said that the increase in tax to people in low paid work is unfair.
Howlin replied that “Only people on over 65,000 were taxed extra while others were asked to work extra hours”.
Mary Lou McDonald also asked about the financing for stimulus projects.
Howlin said the investment project is to fund a range of projects and that the money will come from the exchequer through the sale of state assets.
The Sinn Féin TD asked what percentage of funding for the project will come from the sale of state assets.
Howlin said that all of that 200 million needed for the 66 large projects is from the sale state assets.
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“Only people on more than €65,000 were taxed extra”. Even the mendacious Pat Rabbitte would blush at that one. Every pensioner on more than €36,000 has been taxed extra, every single PAYE taxpayer on more than €18,000 has been taxed extra and every married PAYE taxpayer on more than €29,000 has been taxed extra. Why oh why do these people feel it neccessary to tell lie after lie after lie?
Don’t forget homeowners and people who drink water .
He’s referring to the pay cuts in Haddington road
So the people under €65000 don’t have a house or drink water … We know what he was referring to , he just wasn’t clarifying it .everybody got taxed and not just the ones who could afford to pay as mr howlin might have you believe
Of course, what the little minister meant was that only PS workers earning over 65k had their pay cut (for the 4th time) with Haddington road!
We need to cap all state pensions @ 65k.
I know PS guys working in the central bank on around €70k who sit around scratching their holes and moan when asked to do something. Working hard to provide services my ar*e!
Brendan ‘the Malevolent Pixie’ Howlin has presided over many severe cuts to public services, especially in health, which are short sighted and will end up costing much more in the medium to long term. Cutting services aimed at keeping elderly/infirm at home means people end up needing hospital and nursing home beds. Cutting nursing staff so the patient ratios are too high is dangerous and coupled with the shameful way the graduate nurses are treated and paid means nurses leave and are not replaced. I can go on with examples….
He has no choice, most of the budgets in these departments are spent on wages but the unions won’t allow wages to be cut so services are them cut. Blame the over paid public sector workers
So choosing to cut services that will save vast amounts of money if properly resourced , and provide better outcomes for people is the fault of public sector wages Tom?
Properly resourced? Wages take up almost 90% of the health budget. You propose to keep wages as they are and spend more money on services? The country is broke
Well said when over 2/3s of budget are on salaries allowances and perks not much left over to improve any other areas.When benchmarking did not improve or increase performance what will.Its time to get rid of the wasters and reward the genuine committed worker oops forgot unions there to protect the useless like themselves
And the country will stay broke if it continues to make cuts to services that will save vast amounts of money over the long term.
“Task Force”
Absolutely does my head in whenever i hear these 2 words now.
Low paid public servants my arse. They all earn to much for the work they do. Wouldn’t
last 5 mins in private sector
Feel free to tell them that next time you’re in the A&E.
Keith I have worked in public and private sectors as an employee and self employed and I can assure you there is dead weight in both and workaholics in both. Many private sector workers would not survive in the public sector and vice versa. There are quite a few hardworking accountants who could not do the hard work nurses do and not a few clerical officers who would outperform private sector temps. Stupid generalisations like yours ate typical of somebody who does not know how to wipe their own arnose.
Great intelligent comment your mum must be so proud.
Feel free to tell them that, next time you’re in the A & E.
Someone should ask Howlin how he’s getting on with cutting all those allowances or has that been quietly parked?
He is so part of the problem within labour give him a p45 oh forgot can’t get rid of him even if he is a useless numpty
Ring a ring a rosie and its all falling down around this government. Their slash and burn decisions are eating them up. Who can they blame the task force. Hee hee ha ha very soon the real task force will be gone namely this current government
Is this the same -ucking guy who was so incompetent with the pension bill allowing Shatter off with a golden handshake of €70000.
Minister Howlin says it all when he says the whole purpose is to balance the books.For those of us who remember the 80′s this government are even more heartless than the Thatcher governments of the 80′s.They don’t care about the human suffering they are putting on the people.And no matter what ordinary government TD’s and Senators say they vote all these cuts through.That should be remembered at the next general election
Sale of State assests that provide a return to the exchequer versus capital programme with no benefits realization exercise at the end or expected benefits realization. The money could be thrown on a bonfire and nobody would know.
again I can agree with you Thor! But I would add that there ARE benefits to capital programs -
to the fat cat friends of Fine Gael…..
Capital programmes are necessary however bang for buck and actual benefits from some capital projects are questionable.
I liked the 1st part of the headline’howlin grilled’…. A man can dream
Howlin what a horrible horrible little man and to think some people in the Labour party consider themselves socialists.
Sooooooooooooo right
why mouthpiece how much do they earn
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