Blog Archive
Childers welcomes 'Traffic Light' food labelling survey results
Posted on November 16, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Minister Harney must now stand up for voluntary traffic lights labelling scheme at European level
Nessa Childers MEP today welcomed new research that Irish shoppers prefer the so-called traffic light food labelling scheme, which has proved so controversial as part of the recent Food Labelling regulation in the European Parliament. She now wants the European health ministers to allow Irish food manufacturers to label food with 'traffic light' colour coding on the levels of calories, sugar and fats contained in their products.
Welcome to the worst EU lobbying awards 2010!
Posted on November 16, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Thousands of corporate lobbyists roam the corridors of power in Brussels. Operating out of the spotlight, many of them do not hesitate to employ improper methods: pretending to be concerned environmentalists, scaremongering the EU into inaction, or securing privileged access to EU decision-makers. These underhand tactics have allowed corporate lobbyists to continue for-profit lobbying at the expense of more climate- and consumer-friendly regulation; putting profits before people and the planet.
You can be part of the solution. This year’s Worst EU Lobbying Awards is here: with the help of our anti-heroine Lobby-Cleaner, and your voice, we can clean up the lobbying scene in Brussels.
Government leaves just 11 months for spending of SR technics EU fund
Posted on November 11, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
The lax approach from the government over the application for EU funds to upskill and retrain SR Technics staff means that only 11 months are left to help fund education, training and support programmes under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) for redundant workers who have lost their jobs at the North Dublin facility.
“My colleagues and I have worked hard to arrive at this day where the Parliament has allocated €7. million, topped up by the State to assist in the training and education needs of those who have lost their jobs.
Waiting times for children with ADHD must be cut
Posted on November 10, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Waiting times for a public consultation with a psychologist must be dramatically cut if Ireland is serious about supporting children with ADHD and their families, Labour MEP Nessa Childers said today.
The Leinster MEP was speaking at an event she hosted in the European Parliament entitled Paying Attention:The Impact of ADHD in Europe. The event was addressed by experts including Dr. Myriam Menter, President of ADHD Europe and Professor Manfred Doepfner of the University of Cologne.
Nessa Childers said: “As is the case with other medical/neurobiological conditions, the earlier the intervention the better equipped the child and family will be to manage it and the fewer consequences will be to encounter down the line in terms of the child’s development, education and socialisation.
Cross-border Healthcare vote is welcome news for patients with rare diseases
Posted on October 27, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Significant moves have been made in the European Parliament today to bring improved access to Cross-Border healthcare for 25 million Europeans a major step closer.
Nessa Childers MEP has welcomed this morning’s vote at the Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee on amendments to a new proposed Cross-Border Health Directive which now looks likely to be adopted in a matter of months.
Nessa Childers said: “This means that the 25 million Europeans with rare illnesses and those living in border areas such as Louth will be in a position to access treatment in another Member State in a much easier, efficient and straightforward manner.
Patients with rare cancers to benefit from cross-border directive
Posted on October 26, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Patients with diseases such as rare cancers, and residents of border counties from Louth to Donegal will see considerable benefits from the proposed EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive, Labour MEP Nessa Childers has said.
Tomorrow (Wednesday, 27th October) the European Parliament committee responsible for public health will move a decisive vote on the Directive a step closer.
Nessa Childers said. “Access to cross border healthcare will be considerably easier and more patient-friendly if a proposed new EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive is adopted by the Parliament in the New Year.
Kerdiffstown fire shows urgent action needed on clean up and security
Posted on October 22, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Leinster MEP Nessa Childers who visited the controversial Kerdiffstown landfill site with Kildare TD Emmet Stagg and local residents in recent weeks said that last night’s blaze at the dump showed the urgent necessity to have the site cleaned-up and secured.
“This is Ireland’s most notorious dump and it has been the subject of a series of High Court actions. When I visited the site three weeks ago with local residents and Deputy Emmet Stagg, the smell coming from the dump was very apparent. It was also made clear to me that residents had very real concerns about the threat of more fires breaking out and about the ease with which boundaries at the dump can be breached.
European commission in the dark over McCreevy's Ryanair job
Posted on October 21, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Decision to allow Directorship appointment must be reviewed
Labour MEP Nessa Childers has called for the European Commission to review its decision earlier this year to approve the appointment of former Irish Commissioner Charlie McCreevy to the Board of Ryanair.
Speaking from Strasbourg, the Leinster MEP said: "After a meeting with Ryanair last week, I have now received confirmation from them that the Commission’s Ethics Committee has never been in contact with the company either before or after McCreevy’s appointment.
Childers welcomes victory on better maternity and paternity leave
Posted on October 20, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Labour MEP Nessa Childers has strongly welcomed today's vote on maternity and paternity leave at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, which she had encouraged other Irish MEPs to support.
MEPs, against heavy business lobbying, backed legislation for 20 weeks full pay maternity leave and 2 weeks full pay paternity leave.
Speaking from Strasbourg, Childers said "I wrote to my colleagues in the European Parliament last night urging them to support this legislation. Today MEPs have looked beyond the big business lobbyists who have bombarded our offices with emails in recent days, and thought of ordinary working people back home who can now look forward to a huge increase in the maternity and paternity benefit that they receive."
Childers has also strongly refuted the notion that this legislation will put further strain on Irish businesses, describing the claims as "both exaggerated and grossly short-sighted."
"The Irish government has claimed that it will cost more than €300m to implement this legislation. However, I questioned this statistic and discovered that it doesn't take into account that more than 50% of Irish women are already afforded full pay by their employers, which immediately slashes their figure by more than half.
"The costs become even more minimal when we consider that the legislation will provide for more women to remain in the workforce and contribute to the economy. In fact, the costs of implementing this legislation will be fully covered across Europe if only 1.4 per cent more women are able to enter the workforce and thus increase the size of our economies."
Labour's representative in Ireland East continued "This legislation will allow women to stay in the workforce, while not worrying about income or their post-natal relationship with their children.
"Today's result also goes some way to addressing the problem of gender balance in Ireland. Current Irish legislation does not provide fathers with any time off to bond with their children and presumes this to be an exclusively female consideration. Sadly, some aspects of Irish law have remained completely untouched by the modernisation which occurred over the last twenty years."
Childers added "As representatives of the European people, MEPs have also today addressed one of the most serious problems facing them- an acutely ageing population, which is beginning to put a serious strain on both our health services and our workforce.
"Instead of penalising women for having children, we should support them and provide them the opportunity to balance work and family life. Ireland's low-ranking maternity benefit was already slashed by 4.1% in the budget last year, with many more cuts no doubt ahead. This legislation ring-fences maternity benefit as one social and economic tool which will not disappear as a result of Fianna Fail's gross mismanagement of the Irish economy."
The legislation will now be referred to the European Council, where it will have to be passed by national ministers before being implemented.
Childers concluded "We must now negotiate with national ministers to make these improvements a reality."
Childers encourages Irish MEPS to support improved parental leave
Posted on October 18, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Labour MEP Nessa Childers, speaking from Strasbourg, has called on her Irish colleagues in the European Parliament to disregard the lobbying of business groups and support the proposed improved parental leave conditions for mothers and fathers across Europe.
She said: "Irish women are currently offered just €225-€270 per week for 16 weeks on maternity leave, while men currently receive no paternity leave at all. This bill would increase women's leave to 20 weeks on full pay, while men would enjoy 2 weeks on full pay. This would be huge advance.
"I hope my Irish colleagues can recognise the long-term benefits to our economy from a better work-life balance, and vote in favour of this legislation in the national interest, regardless of the wishes of their political groups in Brussels.
