In an interview in the Sunday Independent, Fine Gael TD Noel Rock said that one high-profile party Fine Gael colleague remonstrated with him about his publicity around not taking the recent pay rise for TDs. Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis said today that Noel Rock should name that politician.

The Dublin North West TD, who shares a constituency with Deputy Rock, said:

“Deputy Rock should name that politician that took issue with refusing the pay rise as it is important that the public know the personal stance TDs are taking on this issue, especially as Sinn Féin have published a motion that will call on the government to stop pay increases due under the Lansdowne Road Agreement and will be debated in the coming weeks.

“In regards to rest of the article and Deputy Rock’s comments about Ballymun, Sinn Féin have being on the ground in Ballymun for years and, as any local knows, that the area has a strong community ethos in the old towers and in the surrounding estates. There was always great sports and cultural groups and clubs in Ballymun and they how have great facilities.

“Of course, there were social issues concerning drugs and other anti-social behaviour but maybe Noel should look to his own party for the causes to this as they abandoned that very community, and so many others like it, years ago by not investing in proper social, economic, and transport infrastructure. It is irresponsible that he should attempt to define a community by a few bad apples.”

Speaking on the Planning and Development Bill which was meant to make law the recommendations of the Mahon tribunal, Sinn Féin Deputy Dessie Ellis outlined that one of its key recommendations the establishment of an independent office of a planning regulator is not being fully address in this Bill.

The Dublin North West TD said:

“The Mahon Tribunal found out that big business and those who held high political office conspired to corrupt the planning process; that these individuals used their positions of influence within some political parties to line their own pockets with corrupt payments by corrupt developers at the expense of the very communities and citizens they were elected to represent.  The effect is that some estates are living in floodplains as a result of land rezoning decisions made by local councillors at the behest of landowners or property speculators.

“While sizeable populations in this city have to get into their cars to travel to a shopping centre because the one that was planned nearer wasn’t built or those nearer to established communities weren’t facilitated, against planning advice. There was over zoning of lands, a lot of it in the wrong place and absolutely no consideration to any long-term strategy or supported by the required services. There are people dealing with these decisions every day of their lives to this day.

“Minister Simon Coveney can overrule the regulator; what’s the point of it so? It doesn’t go far enough. If the proposed office of planning regulator does not have teeth or real powers, it will not be effective. And we are potentially back to those days where the corrupt and the financially astute decided how we lived in our country.”

Sinn Féin TD for Dublin North West Dessie Ellis has said that this Budget goes beyond money when it comes to the Health service, that each person on those waiting lists is in pain and putting their life on hold waiting for important surgery, and that the Government is indifferent to that pain and hurt.

Speaking during the Budget debate, Deputy Dessie Ellis said:

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have forged this budget between them and it represents the failed politics of a failed class and a failed system.

“This wasn’t a Budget to address our staffing crisis in our hospitals. By the end of September, there were 258 people waiting in Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital for a year or more on the Inpatient/Day case surgery on Orthopaedics. It is a scandal that four out of the six theatres in Cappagh were out of action due to lack of staff, consultants and equipment such as artificial limbs and other necessary parts over the last few months. How can waiting lists be reduced if this is the case?

“Under this Budget, when the funding required to cover pay restoration is taken into account, the real Budget increase for health is €147 million. This is simply not enough. This is in comparison to Sinn Féin’s Alternative Budget which proposed an additional €462.8 million to fund the health service. However, this goes beyond money as each person on those waiting lists is in pain and putting their life on hold waiting for this important surgery. There is nothing in this Budget that is going to increase resources and staffing levels to cut the waiting lists.”

Speaking today, Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis welcomed the start of construction of the development of 49 affordable homes in Poppintree.  Speaking after the sod turning ceremony to mark the start of construction, Deputy Ellis said:

“It is great to see this project starting especially by a housing body. Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance has committed to provide a fully integrated, mixed income, affordable, cooperative housing. I would welcome more opportunities for housing bodies to build in the city with the support of Local Authorities as it is an important contribution in solving our housing crisis.”

Dublin North West Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis has described today’s budget at mean and predictable.

Speaking from Leinster House today Deputy Ellis said;

“This budget is another missed opportunity to move towards a fairer society. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have forged this budget between them and it represents the failed politics of a failed class and a failed system.

“But it is also a mean budget, especially when you consider that politicians will be paid their increase in January, which I think they shouldn’t get, and pensioners will not see their increase until March leaving them without for three of the hardest months to heat a home.

“And it’s also a mean budget given the fact that unemployed people under the age of 25 have only received an increase from €2.70 and not the €5 that over 25’s are receiving.”

“We see this budget putting money into landlord’s pockets by increasing subsidies while the capital investment in social housing is severely lacking in money and vision.

“The only result of this first time buyer’s scheme will be to increase prices even higher and prevent people owning their homes.

Deputy Ellis said that there were important groups left out;

“I am disappointed that there is no direct intervention to help renters in this budget. So we now have people tonight paying rent which in some cases are nearly twice what a mortgage would cost and wondering how they are going to manage.

“The budget does not even touch on the issue of high rents. Once again vested interests have won out and society is the poorer.”

The motion on 24/7 Mental Health Care reflected a most urgent need and immediate concern. It was a very focused and considered motion. The motion was a first step in addressing the lack of investment in our Mental Health services. The vote on Thursday allowed Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and those independents who are supporting the government  an opportunity to take that first step and vote for a motion that went beyond generalised commitments and aspirations. I was very dissapointed by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and those independents who supported the governments’s amendment by voting for or abstaining on the Sinn Féin’s Private members motion on 24/7 crisis intervention services. By doing so FF, FG failed those people who most need these services. They have failed the groups and organisations who have campaigned for these services as well. We need action now not words.

Speaking on Sinn Fein’s 24/7 care motion which calls for is the provision of a 24 hours, 7 day a week crisis intervention services mental health, Dessie Ellis TD called on the people to talk about mental health.

The Dublin North West TD said:

“The stigma of someone with mental health issues needs to be tackled and the message needs to go out that help is available to talk to someone, a friend, family members, a service provider or a helpline. People shouldn’t bottle it up. ’It’s Okay not to feel Okay’; that is the message.

“The staff are doing Trojan work, often and on their own time and money.  But understaffing puts the whole system under pressure. It is imperative that service levels are increased and more nurses and professionals are sought.

“Access and availability of services locally and in our communities need to be resourced properly but for voluntary groups and individuals I shudder to think how bad things could get. I commend all those who give time, energy and commitment. There is a huge deficit in our system whereby at weekends or after hours, services are not available. This motion will go a long way to address that deficit.”

Dessie ag crínniu le Conradh na Gailge i dteach Óstán Buswells ag ple na Ciorruithe a tharla doibh agus infheistiócht ata de dhith.

Speaking this evening on the Sinn Féin Dáil motion to abolish water charges, Dublin North West TD Dessie Ellis said:

“This is a chance for a significant number of elected representatives sitting in this house to fulfil one of their election pledges.  This motion echoes the call from the majority of our constituents for the abolition of household water charges. Water and sanitation infrastructure should be funded through progressive taxation. This is an issue that brought people in their tens of thousands out on the streets in protest.
Commenting on the failure of Fianna Fáil to support the motion Deputy Ellis said;

“Fianna Fáil is, as usual, trying to position themselves on both sides of the issue. Fianna Fail are biding time and postponing any decision until they can contrive to bring down this government. Fianna Fail says it supports the abolition of water charges but won’t support this motion to abolish water charges.

“Sinn Féin has been consistently opposed to water charges and when we had the chance in the six counties we prevented the introduction of water charges.

“Now is time for Fianna Fail do the decent thing and vote in favour of this motion.”