Archive for February 2010
Childers slams EU double standards on question of human rights in Israel
Posted on March 01, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Labour MEP Nessa Childers today accused the European Union of applying “a policy of double-standards” on the question of human rights in its relationship with Israel.
She said that the EU’s economic treatment of Israel compared to other countries involved in human rights abuses left Europe wide open to the fully warranted charge of hypocrisy in the conduct of its external relations.
Nessa Childers explained: "Recently, the EU rightly withdrew preferential trade benefits from Sri Lanka due to well documented human rights abuses. Yet the EU consistently refuses to use the same logic with Israel, despite years of well documented, high-profile cases of ongoing human rights abuses.
Minister Martins Gaza visit can kick start push for peace in the region
Posted on February 25, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Labour MEP Nessa Childers, who was the most recent senior Irish politician to be allowed access to Gaza has said that Minister Micheál Martin’s visit to Gaza can help to “kick-start talks on a peace settlement in the region.”
The MEP who visited Gaza last month with a group of politicians from 13 separate countries said: “Having been to Gaza in January where I met with elected members of Hamas including disputed Prime Minister of the Palestinian government Ismail Haniva, I remain convinced that the EU and Ireland in particular can play an enormously positive role acting as a persuader and facilitator in assisting moves towards a peaceful and just settlement of the Palestinian question.
Childers highlights SRT workers plight in European Parliament
Posted on February 25, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Nessa Childers MEP highlighted the plight of former SR Technics workers in the European Parliament today.
Speaking in the Parliament, she expressed her concerns that former workers have been denied places at third-level colleges because of ongoing delays by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in processing an application for support for the workers to up-skill under the European Globalisation Fund.
The Leinster MEP said: he patience of redundant SR Technics workers living in the counties of Meath, Louth, Wicklow, Kildare and Dublin is being sorely tested at the moment by the Irish government.
Childers welcomes ambitious EU cancer screeing targets
Posted on February 23, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Nessa Childers MEP has welcomed ambitious plans being developed by the European Union to achieve 100% screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer by 2013.
The target is contained in a draft report by the Environment, Public Health & Food Safety Committee of the European Parliament. The Labour MEP for Leinster contributed to the development of the report which is entitled the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer.
Childers criticises government over second rate approach to sexual health services
Posted on February 22, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Labour MEP Nessa Childers called on new EU Health Commissioner John Dalli to apply pressure on the Irish government over its “second-rate approach to sexual health,” claiming that poor access and geographic restrictions on sexual health services are contributing to “a burgeoning health catastrophe in Ireland.”
In one of the first questions directed at the recently installed Maltese Commissioner, Childers outlined the sub-standard services currently available in Ireland.
"In many parts of my Leinster constituency, particular in its northern counties, people are forced to travel up to 90 kilometres and in some instances pay up to €160 in order to have their sexual health monitored.
"1 in 100 people will contract an STI in their lifetime. This is a relatively large statistic, particularly when it is applied to young people. Nationally, notifications for STIs have increased steadily each year since 1994, increasing by 6.5% between 2002 and 2003 for example. Services should exist to provide STI checks free of charge and within easy access of our main towns and cities.
"Currently only Carlow and Portlaoise provide a free STI check up in the area I represent. This leaves a large proportion of the constituency, particularly Louth, Meath, Offaly and Kildare, critically under-served by sexual health clinics. These financial and geographical restrictions have no doubt contributed to the sharp rise of infections in Ireland over the past decade or so.
"For example, STI clinics at hospitals in Naas, Navan, Drogheda and Dundalk one day a week would serve the needs of these areas and require relatively little investment in infrastructure or staff.
"The government already charges almost three times the amount of VAT (13.5%) on condoms as other areas of the EU such as our nearest neighbours in the UK. The government cannot lecture Irish men and women on sexual health when it is not prepared to take the necessary measures to tackle this problem itself. It must pull its head from the sand and act on a burgeoning health catastrophe in Ireland
The Government needs a new initiative to tackle sexual health problems in Ireland
Posted on February 19, 2010
It was recently brought to my attention that constituents in many parts of my Ireland East constituency, particular in its northern counties, have to travel up to ninety kilometres and pay up to 160 euro in order to monitor their sexual health.
Childers criticises Tullow oils plans to flare natural gas in Uganda
Posted on February 18, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Tullow Oil’s oil production-sharing agreement with the Ugandan government could have severe environmental consequences for Sub-Saharan Africa, Labour MEP Nessa Childers has asserted.
The Ireland East MEP said, “I am concerned at reports revealed today in a report published by a UK-based NGO which indicates that Tullow’s oil production contract with the Uganadan government will permit practically open-ended consent for the company to engage in the ‘flaring’ of natural gas which is not used in petroleum operations.
“According to the World Bank, some 150 billion cubic metres of natural gas is being flared and vented globally on an annual basis. That is equivalent to 30% of the European Union’s gas consumption. And the annual 35 billion cubic metres of gas flared in Sub-Saharan Africa alone could generate half of that continent’s power consumption. Flaring gas has a massive global impact on climate change, adding about 400 million tons of CO2 in annual emissions.
“Uganda is moving towards oil production this year or next and Tullow, a company with its roots in Ireland has played a major role in the development of the embryonic Ugandan oil industry. The contract allows for an extremely worrying degree of flaring which will have environmental consequences for the region.
“It is recognised internationally that flaring becomes a major issue where regulatory frameworks are weak. The very fact that there is a weak or practically absent oil production regulatory regime in much of this part of Africa should not give big oil companies carte blanche to take measures that will impact on the African and indeed the global climate situation.
“Tullow is a respected international company. I accept too that the company has made a clear commitment to good international and industry practice in the region. However, these are easy commitments to make when one sees that there are few if any national standards governing this area of activity, as is the case in Uganda. I would urge Tullow and Uganda to sign up to the World Banks Global Gas Flaring Reduction partnership and work responsibly together and with the international community to reduce gas flaring in Africa.”
Parliament exerts its democratic power on US data deal
Posted on February 11, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Speaking today in Strasbourg after helping vote down a bad EU-US deal which would have transferred in-bulk European citizens' bank data to Washington, Nessa Childers MEP has said: "If the US took the European Parliament for granted in the past, they will not do so again. Given new powers under the Lisbon Treaty, the Parliament is now one of the most powerful democratic institutions in the world, directly representing nearly half a billion citizens and must be respected.
"At the end of last year, European Governments made a mistake believing it would be possible to force the Parliament to give its consent on a bad agreement based more on the US approach to security than on the EU's defence of citizens' fundamental rights.
"My opposition has always been driven towards improving the current agreement. I now expect the US and EU Governments to come to terms with the determination of the Parliament and I call on the EU Commission to immediately start negotiations on a better long term data deal.
"On data retention periods, bulk transfers of data, and EU citizens' rights to legal redress, the Parliament had made clear its red lines.
.
"We are all fully committed to the fight against terrorism, but our response has to be more targeted and proportionate than this. I hope a better agreement for essential financial data sharing can be concluded as soon as possible."
Barroso's fine words on climate change must be backed up by firm action from new commission
Posted on February 10, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
The fine words of the European Commission President on his plans for the EU incoming Commission to take the global lead on fighting climate change must be backed up by firm action, Nessa Childers MEP said at the European Parliament in Strasbourg today.
Ms Childers said: “I welcome the formal appointment today of a dedicated EU Commissioner. In supporting the candidacy of Connie Hedegaard today, the Parliament has acknowledged the need to put climate change at the top of the EU’s agenda.
“Appointing a Commissioner with a clear mandate on climate is a positive first step ahead of the UN Mexico negotiations.
Childers urges government to get the finger out to support local former SR technics workers
Posted on February 10, 2010 by Bronwen Maher
Labour MEP Nessa Childers has urged the government to ‘get the finger out’ to ensure that local former SR Technics staff can benefit from the European Union’s fund to support workers in major enterprises who have lost their jobs due to the relocation of a business operation to a country outside of the EU.
Nessa Childers said, “Hundreds of people in Meath, Louth, Kildare and Wicklow were employed in SRT and I am now pressing the Irish government to get the finger out to ensure that much-needed funding under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund is released to support former SRT workers to up-skill, retrain or start new businesses.
“This Fund will be utilised by former Dell workers in Limerick and the Mid-West and it will prove to be an enormous benefit to them, their families and communities.
“The Irish government made a provisional application to be considered for the Fund only last October, many, many months after the SRT crisis first emerged. I was disappointed to learn recently that the Irish authorities had yet to furnish the European Commission with sufficient information to allow for a decision to be made on allocating funds to the former SRT workers. This delay is completely unacceptable and I have this week asked the European Commission for a further update on the status of the application.
“The counties of Meath, Louth, Wicklow and Kildare have been hit hard by the economic crisis and the SRT closure has had a major impact on the areas I represent. I am urging the government not to waste any more time in advancing this application to ensure that those who have lost their jobs at SRT can get back into the workplace without any further delay.”
