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| MOVES TO CONSERVE SALMON STOCKS | ||
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Moves to protect salmon stocks by offering a voluntary buy-
out to traditional drift nettsmen is a positive step to protect the alarming decline in salmon stocks” So said Green Party Councillor and National Spokesperson on the Environment, Mary White. “ The time has come to put conservation measures in place which will safeguard salmon stocks while protecting the income of traditional netsmen by offering compensation and a bright economic future for those fishermen who volunteer for the proposed scheme. “ Cllr. White added. “Ireland is one of the last remaining countries still drift netting for salmon and as a result returning salmon to our rives is becoming increasingly meagre. The proposal by Mr. Ori Vigfusson head of the north Atlantic Salmon Fund is to be commended and no one sector must be allowed to bear the pain. All commercial fishermen and anglers must be prepared to support conservation measures in the best interests of the salmon’s survival. I have no doubt that once implemented the gain Kilkenny’s tourist image will be immense. Rivers will become attractive for angling tourism. Ireland’s reputation will be enhanced on account of its conservation measures. Salmon stocks can be efficiently managed on a catchment basis on the Nore Hotels, Bed and Breakfast businesses will increase their tourist numbers throughout the County Cllr. White concluded by adding; “The survival of salmon stocks is reliant on the voluntary cessation of commercial netsmen who opt for a buy-out. Coastal communities must not suffer loss of income and under the present proposals there are rich and varied options open to any fishermen opting for a buy-out. However a caveat must be added that if proper enforcement of the fishery laws are not complied with, the scheme will not work. Ireland has a long and unsatisfactory history with regard to enforcement. This could be readily aided by proper financing of fisheries protection and the increased staffing and resourcing of the Regional Fishery Boards.” |
| NURSING HOME SUBVENTION SCANDAL | ||
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“The recent Ombudsman’s report on the scandal of Nursing Home subvention payments for the elderly is a shocking indictment of a Government and a health service that has failed one of the most vulnerable sectors of our society” So said Cllr. Mary White and Green Party Spokesperson on the Environment. “As I understand it, subsidies to patients, in private nursing homes in Carlow as provided for in the 1990 Health (Nursing Homes) Act were withheld from the needy . The State deliberately withheld monies from vulnerable patients, who could not look after themselves.” Cllr. White added, “The facts are that health boards subsidise the cost of care in private nursing homes and it allows patients to a have a fifth of their Old Age pensions disregarded as pocket money, when their means are being assessed. Both of these were undermined by the health Boards in this country and by the Department of Health.” Cllr White said, “ One of the saddest aspects of all this is that the health boards consistently refused subventions to elderly people on the grounds that their adult children could afford to pay the costs. This was a clear breach of the 1990 Act, which states; - does not make adult children legally liable for parents’ hospital or nursing home costs- . Cllr. White concluded. “I would like to know if members of Health Boards were aware of this and if they were, was it raised at Board meetings and why didn’t we know about this before this damning report was published? I also think that the collusion of the Health Boards and the Department of Health in this scandal is a shocking indictment of the care we show the vulnerable in our society. It also shows the blatant disregard for legislation drawn up by the Government which the Health Board and the Department of Health conveniently chose to disregard.- their joint negligence resulted in needy vulnerable people being denied their just entitlements. ENDS MORE INFORMATION |
| WASTE PAPER RECYCLING CENTRES NEEDED | ||
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Green Party Cllr. Mary White and National Spokesperson on
the Environment has called on the Authorities in Kilkenny City and County to initiate waste paper recycling centres as a matter of priority to cut down recyclable material going to landfill. “In neighbouring Carlow there is an exciting new project to collect waste paper in the South Carlow town of Borris. This is shortly to be initiated. Local people can place their waste paper in a large letter -box type skip and when full it will be taken away and recycled,” said Cllr. White. “I am hopeful that this type of waste paper collection will be replicated in every town and village in Carlow and I am calling on Kilkenny County Council and Corporation to initiate a similar scheme. I know from my close contacts in the County that there is a huge willingness on the part of people to recycle. It is up to the Authorities to tap into that good will. It is also critical that paper going to landfill ceases. Paper comprises approximately 19.5% of household waste landfilled in Ireland. By recycling our waste paper we will be substantially reducing what we landfill and hopefully this new measure will lead to the provision for the recycling of the different types of plastic in the very near future,” Cllr. White added. |