Sinn Féin Councillor Matt Carthy has this week stated that rather than abolish the rural transport scheme, as proposed by the McCarthy report, the government should in fact be enhancing the scheme as the positive impact it has had cannot be quantified in solely financial terms. Cllr. Carthy has said that he is disappointed that not a single local Fianna Fáil councillor has come out against the proposed cuts at this stage.
Cllr. Carthy said: “It is over four weeks since details of the McCarthy Report were released and as the days go on it continues to cause increasing anger and frustration among community groups, voluntary organisations as well as ordinary families throughout County Monaghan.
“It is clear that while the government is intent on bailing out the bankers and massive speculators (just as they propped them up in the first place) they expect ordinary families, particularly in rural Ireland, to pay for their mistakes. The clearest example of this is the suggestion that Rural Transport schemes, such as that provided by BaltiBus in County Monaghan, be scraped.
“I am shocked that such a proposal has even been made but I am even more shocked that not a single Fianna Fáil representative in County Monaghan has stood up and ruled the prospect out. I welcome and commend the fact that BaltiBus, like other transport schemes across the state, have launched a campaign urging local politicians to get behind them and stop what will be a devastating blow to the elderly living in rural Monaghan. They can be assured of the full support of their Sinn Féin representatives. I hope the same will be true of all other parties.
“Tens of thousands of passenger trips are made across Monaghan towns and villages each year in vehicles provided by BaltiBus. In many cases the service provides the only means of maintaining contact with the outside world for elderly people living in rural communities.
“However, despite that, the governments’ Bord Snip Nua recommends that this programme should be cut.
“The prospect is a devastating one especially for those elderly people for whom the service provides the only way of getting their weekly shopping done, or who need the service to visit their doctor or who would not be able to travel to Carrickmacross once a week to meet their friends without the BaltiBus.
“The proposal should be knocked on the head immediately. It is simply incredible to suggest that this government would take from the most vulnerable elderly within our society their one transport link to the outside world, when the same Fianna Fáil decision makers are willing to stand over payments of almost €1,400 per day to chauffeur a Minister to and from Cheltenham for five days in 2007” Cllr. Carthy concluded.
Cllr. Carthy said: “It is over four weeks since details of the McCarthy Report were released and as the days go on it continues to cause increasing anger and frustration among community groups, voluntary organisations as well as ordinary families throughout County Monaghan.
“It is clear that while the government is intent on bailing out the bankers and massive speculators (just as they propped them up in the first place) they expect ordinary families, particularly in rural Ireland, to pay for their mistakes. The clearest example of this is the suggestion that Rural Transport schemes, such as that provided by BaltiBus in County Monaghan, be scraped.
“I am shocked that such a proposal has even been made but I am even more shocked that not a single Fianna Fáil representative in County Monaghan has stood up and ruled the prospect out. I welcome and commend the fact that BaltiBus, like other transport schemes across the state, have launched a campaign urging local politicians to get behind them and stop what will be a devastating blow to the elderly living in rural Monaghan. They can be assured of the full support of their Sinn Féin representatives. I hope the same will be true of all other parties.
“Tens of thousands of passenger trips are made across Monaghan towns and villages each year in vehicles provided by BaltiBus. In many cases the service provides the only means of maintaining contact with the outside world for elderly people living in rural communities.
“However, despite that, the governments’ Bord Snip Nua recommends that this programme should be cut.
“The prospect is a devastating one especially for those elderly people for whom the service provides the only way of getting their weekly shopping done, or who need the service to visit their doctor or who would not be able to travel to Carrickmacross once a week to meet their friends without the BaltiBus.
“The proposal should be knocked on the head immediately. It is simply incredible to suggest that this government would take from the most vulnerable elderly within our society their one transport link to the outside world, when the same Fianna Fáil decision makers are willing to stand over payments of almost €1,400 per day to chauffeur a Minister to and from Cheltenham for five days in 2007” Cllr. Carthy concluded.
No comments:
Post a Comment