Vote Cieran Perry
Cabra/Glasnevin Ward - Dublin City Council
The crisis in our health service is the clearest example of the failure of Fianna Fail to manage our economy. More taxes are being raised, yet sick people cannot receive a bed - let alone adequate treatment.
- In the first three months of 2004 the government
collected e316m more than expected through taxation. In the same period there have been e58m in cutbacks in social welfare schemes, including an attempt to reduce widows' entitlements.
- I am campaigning for the provision of residential care facilities for elderly patients in the Mater hospital. These patients are not ill, but are awaiting beds in care homes. Almost a quarter of beds in the Mater hospital could be freed up if proper residential care was
provided to these elderly patients. The freed up beds would go a long way to easing the crisis the Mater
hospital is currently facing, especially in the A&E, where sick patients are being left in chairs for days.
- I also want to see a Health Centre built on the Navan Road for the local community. The new centre in Cabra, which local people fought to save from closure, cannot be expected to cater for everyone.
- I am also campaigning for a nursing home to be built in the grounds of the Dominican convent, which would be used by local residents.
- In the last Budget 16 major welfare cutbacks were announced, targeting the the poorest and least
organised groups. These include cuts in childcare, Back to Education allowance, grants for dietary supplements for coeliacs, rent allowance and child dependant allowance. These cuts will save a mere e55million.
- The cost of a visit to A + E departments has increased from e40 to e45. The income limit a Medical Card is now 206.50 euro per week for a couple or 142.50 euro for a single person, meaning even people living on the Minimum Wage are excluded.
- Recently we have seen Bertie Ahern engage in a
cynical election ploy by announcing a 16e million grant to the Mater Hospital and we also learnt that Charlie McCreevy gave 15e million to a friend�s horse centre at Punchestown, in his constituency. This is a clear example of where Fianna Fail�s priorities lie. A miserable grant to an ailing health service is roughly equal to a free grant to the elite horsey set.
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