Environment

Fine Gael TD for Wicklow/Carlow East, Andrew Doyle has, today (Wednesday) welcomed the allocation of € 31,035,770, for local authority housing in Wicklow as part of a national allocation of funding by Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Paudie Coffey TD, as an integral component of the Government’s €3.8 billion social housing strategy announced last November out to 2020.

“In Wicklow over €31m has been allocated to the County Council for local authority housing. It is estimated that this funding will meet 22% of the housing need in Wicklow which will go a long way towards reducing the waiting list and providing additional employment. This allocation does not include the Housing Assistance Payment which will help to further reduce demand on our local housing waiting list.

“As part of the process and along with all local authorities, Wicklow County Council was asked to bring forward the housing unit targets and specific building projects it has planned for now to 2017. As part of the strategy, targets had to be agreed with each local authority in 2015.

“In total across the country, over €1.5 billion will be invested in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes by local authorities designed to accommodate 25% of those currently on the housing waiting lists in social housing. Approximately 300 separate building proposals by local authorities are currently being assessed by the Department of Environment and will be announced in a number of phases starting this month. Construction is already underway for social housing in approximately 33 sites throughout the country.

“For Wicklow this funding is vital and will help to create and sustain approximately 240 jobs in the construction sector which was so badly affected by the economic crash of recent years.” added Doyle

ENDS

Andrew Doyle, Fine Gael TD for Wicklow/Carlow East has urged all parties involved in the Post Office Network Business Development Group set up by Government to identify how more business can be delivered through Post Offices.

“I am very pleased that work on exploring the future role of Post Offices in Wicklow and across the country will commence today (Wednesday) with representatives from An Post, the Irish Post Union, and the Government. The group will be independently chaired by Bobby Kerr and I wish him all the very best in his role. I would also like to acknowledge the work carried out by former Minister Pat Rabbitte on this matter.

“The Post Office Network Business Development Group was announced by Government last month to explore how additional business can be delivered through Post Offices, to ensure a sustainable future for the service. The IPU represents 1,100 Postmasters across the country; particularly in rural areas where they represent the heart beat of the community. It goes without saying that the post office is an essential and much appreciated part of every Irish rural and urban community that has one, both for the post supplies and the welfare and financial services that they provide.

“It is also clear that the world has changed since the post office system was set up in the mid-1800s to provide a post and savings bank service to the public. People rely more on email now than letter writing for example.

“All parties must work in a clear and decisive way to address how Post Offices can continue to be critical to the delivery of a range of viable services ranging from the establishing a methodology for the delivery of Post Office Social Welfare payments. Additional services which Postmasters are keen to validate include: a basic banking / payments account, motor tax renewals, driver licence renewals, Local Authority payments, lodgements and withdrawals for Credit Unions, hospital charges, electronic form generation, insurance quotations and pension savings.

“I look forward to supporting The Business Development Group in any way possible and a preliminary report, due by the end of March will be the first major milestone. It is very important to be cognisant of the fact that Post Offices are the largest retail network in the country with 1,150 Offices, employing 3,700 people with high end IT facilities already in place in all Offices.”

ENDS