7/24/2019 Thomasina Connell Newsletter

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/thomasina-connell-newsletter 1/2

• Free GP care scheme to children aged

under 12 (subject to negotiations)

• Free pre-school childcare will be avail  able for children from 3 years until they

start primary education or reach theage of five and a half years

• Child benefit is to increase by €5 permonth to €140 from January

• The entry point to the USC will rise from€12,012 to €13,000. The three lower USCrates are to fall - the 1.5 per cent ratewill be cut to 1 per cent; the 3.5 percent rate falls to 3 per cent; and the 7per cent rate will fall to 5.5 per cent

• The old age pension increased by €3

per week from January

• Minimum wage is to rise from €8.65 to€9.15 per hour

• mThe old age pension will increase by€3 per week from January

• The respite care grant for carers will berestored to its previous level of €1,700

• Two weeks of statutory paternity leave

• Fuel allowance will be increased by€2.50 per week to €22.50

• 600 extra Gardaí and is receiving funds

to improve Garda technology

• 2,200 New teachers

• Threshold for the Family Income  Support payment is to increase by €5

per week for families with one childand €10 for those with two or morechildren.

• Owners of commercial vehicles abovea certain size will have their motor taxsignificantly reduced. The maximumrate will be €900 compared to acurrent top level of €5,195.

• Tax credit for people who are carers inthe home will rise by €190 to €1,000.

• The Capital Acquisitions Tax tax-freethreshold, which covers the transfer ofproperties between parents and theirchildren, rises from €225,000 to€280,000.

16 WAYS BUDGET 2016WILL BENEFIT YOU ANDYOUR FAMILY

KEY PRIORITESAgriculture: Farming incomes and the welfare offarming families in our community

Crime: Rural criminality has been on the rise. It can bebeaten

Working Parents: I will push for affordable, taxdeductible childcare and after school-care

Senior Citizens: Both pensions and access to

healthcare for our seniors have been squeezed inrecent years – this cannot continue

Easing burden on families:  Given the progress that hasbeen gained in our economy, I will fight to ensurethese financial burdens are lifted – lower taxes onmiddle income families. and the elimination of the USC

INTRODUCTION

I am delighted to have been selected to contest the General Election in Laois/SouthKildare. A native of Ballybrittas, I am the daughter of Mart and late Thomas Connell.

I was educated at Schoil Mhuire, Portarlington, UCD and the Law Society of Ireland.Today, I practice as a solicitor. As a young person with a fresh perspective, I believethat I have an understanding of the core issues affecting the lives of the people inLaois and I will work tirelessly on your behalf to tackle these issues.

 As an energetic and hardworking young woman, I am committed to unlocking the potential of our community and offer a new voice for the people of our constituencyin Dail Eireann.

Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss any issue that is important to you.Together, we can make a difference.

 xxx xxx   xxx

LET’S KEEP THE RECOVERY GOING

Thomasina Connell

7/24/2019 Thomasina Connell Newsletter

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/thomasina-connell-newsletter 2/2

AGRICULTUREI am proud The Rural DevelopmentProgramme (RDP) that will see aninvestment of €4bn in the Irishagriculture sector over the years2014-2020. Such measures will make ameaningful difference to farmingfamilies, particularly in Laois whereagriculture is a core component of theeconomy.

Budget 2016 is all about encouragingand supporting young farmers. Indeed,the agri-food budget will be increasedby a further EUR 109 million includingstrong measures to protect the industryfor future generations. These include atax credit of EUR 5,000 per annum for 5years for farmers to transfer their land tosuccessors over a period of time.

The €35.8 million allocation for theTargeted Agriculture ModernisationScheme (TAMS) will also provide fundingfor the Young Farmer CapitalInvestment Scheme, which will be at thehigher grant rate of 60%.

As a member of the rural community Iwelcome these measures and will fightfor further measures to benefit the livesof our farmers, once elected.

MENTAL HEALTH We need change in the area of Mental Health services across the country, with Laois andSouth Kildare included. In rural areas, including in own constituency, anxiety, depressionand stress are prevalent especially among the farming community. In additional to thestrain on the person and their families, there is a huge economic cost across the economythrough sick leave, absenteeism and disability. It impacts businesses across the board, inparticular the small and medium enterprises that make up the majority of employers in ruralconstituencies.

We  recently saw the turning of the first sod at the new National Forensic Mental HealthService (NFMHS) hospital, which will be built on the site of St. Ita’s Hospital, Portrane, Co.Dublin.

While this will undoubtedly be a great new resource, my belief is that more local servicesare also needed more directly within our community. I will fight to ensure greater mentalhealth services are provided in an effort to reverse the decline seen in the provision ofhealth services of the past decade.

The great work done by St. Fintan’s Hospital and the Community Health Centre Portlaoiseshould be commended but still further funding is necessary to offer best in class mentalhealth care.

JOBSThe last number of years have been a time of sacrifice across Irish society. We all know thestory and we have all felt the impact: from the unemployed to working families and theelderly. The difficult and painful policy decisions taken by the Fine Gael led government, tobring the country back on course, are now starting to pay off. Already there are 130,000more people in work in the country compared to 2012. Of course many of us, are yet to feelthe benefits of this recovery.

A future Fine Gael government seeks to enable the creation of 200,000 new jobs by 2020. Iam committed to ensuring my constituency of Laois/South Kildare reaps a fair portion ofthat job creation, jobs that all too often have gone elsewhere in the country. This also

means supporting small business locally and breathe new life into our towns. A wider taxbase will then allow us to reinvest in our much needed public services and support thevulnerable in our society.

By attracting high value industry, supporting entrepreneurship and ensuring a fair price forfarmers output, we can raise living standards, stop the forced migration of our youngpeople out of our towns and rural communities and ensure the recovery is felt by everyone.

ROADSI was delighted to learn the news that€6,421,228 has been allocated toLaois for road improvement andmaintenance works. Some of thecounty’s roads are in dire state ofrepair. The funding forms part of a€298 million national investmentprogramme for 2016 for regional andlocal roads. This is a real boost for ourlocal and regional roads. Projects toreceive funding include €200,00 onbridge rehabilitation works, includingthe Poormans Bridge Abbeyleix, theSpa Bridge Portarlington, QuinnsBridge, Borris-in-Ossery and theCanon Delaney Bridge, Mountrath.

 Minister Kenny officially opening mycampaign office in Monasterevin on

Thursday 28th January 2016

THOMASINA CONNELLLET’S KEEP THE RECOVERY GOING

Coolroe, Ballybrittas, Co. Laois.Tel: 086 353 1539 | Email: thomasina2016@gmail.com 

 xxx  xxx

 St Fintan’s Mental Health Centre Portlaoise