GPs charging medical card patientsSeveral of my constituents have recently brought to my attention that GPs have been charging medical card holders anywhere between €20 and €45 for blood tests. This is despite the fact card holders are eligible for free services under the General Medical Service (GMS) scheme. I undertook some research and found that GPs charge this fee to cover the costs of transporting the blood samples to hospital laboratories. I raised this issue in the Dáil with the Minister of State in the Department of Health, Roisin Shorthall and she confirmed that under their GMS contracts GPs should not charge medical card holders for any services, including blood tests but GPs and the IMO (Irish Medical Organisation) state to the contrary. Clearly the terms of the GMS contracts are questionable and as a result patients are suffering. It is imperative that the matter is clarified and that the HSE and GPs are ‘singing off the same hymn sheet’. If you are a medical card holder and have been unfairly charged by a GP for a blood test, or any other GMS service, please contact my constituency office so we can right this wrong and put an end to all unfair GP fees.

Anthony Lawlor TD - Working for the people of Kildare North

Anthony Lawlor’s Newsletter

It is hard to believe that it has been over a year since I

was elected, and what a busy time it has been! Personally

it has been a steep learning curve and I will continue

to encounter new challenges every day. Over the past

eighteen months I have tried to make myself as accessible

to the public as possible. I have a constituency office in

Naas which is open daily, and I encourage you to drop

in if you wish to raise an issue with me. From September

I will also be canvassing in Kilcock on a regular basis so

please look out for letters to your home indicating when

I will be in your area. I would also be more than happy

to organise tours to Dáil Éireann for individuals, groups

or schools. After all it is your parliament! Please do not

hesitate to contact me to arrange a tour.

I look forward to meeting with you.

A message from Anthony

New centralised system for Third Level Maintenance Grant applications The Department of Education recently completed the centralisation of all third-level grant awarding bodies. This process saw a reduction from 66 grant awarding bodies to one new body, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), which operates under the City of Dublin VEC. New applicants for the 2012/13 academic year or those changing courses need to apply online for a grant through the SUSI link on www.studentfinance.ie. Current recipients do not need to take action as Kildare County Council will continue to deal with your grant. If you have any questions with regard to your application or the process in general you can contact their helpline on 0761 08 7874 (available Monday – Friday 9am to 10pm) or email support@susi.cdvec.ie.

Plans for new Primary Care Centre in Kilcock I warmly welcome the recent announcement that a new Primary Care Centre is planned for Kilcock. This forms part of a €2.25 billion stimulus package unveiled by the Government, which also includes significant investment in two new schools for Celbridge. Thirty five locations nationwide have been earmarked for Primary Care Centres. Twenty will initially be commissioned for development under the Public Private Partnership Programme whilst the remaining will be progressed during later stages of the Programme. As well as treating illness, the centre in Kilcock would help people to care for themselves, such as those with a long-term illness, and would also help to prevent serious illness from occurring in the first place by providing easily accessible health services in the community. I will urge the Minister to consider Kilcock for the first phase of the PPP Programme, to ensure that the needs of the community are addressed without delay.

Make sure your passport is valid before travelling It is the time of year that many people are booking flights and organising trips for the summer holidays. I appeal to you to make sure your passport is in date before your flights are booked. I am also e nc o u ra g i ng parents whose children are named on their passport to check with the embassy of their destination to ensure that they can enter the country using their parent’s passport. Unfortunately I know of too many people who discover a day or two before they travel that their passport has expired and it is virtually impossible that the passport office, despite their best efforts, can accommodate applicants at such late notice. Furthermore some European countries, which were still permitting a child’s entry on their parent’s passport, have recently changed the rules and now insist on travel documents for every person traveling; therefore an individual passport may be required. The passport office offers a number of options for applicants, the quickest route being the Passport Express service (available through the local post office) which assures a 10 working day turnaround. A Public Counter Urgent route is available when proof of travel arrangements are presented at the passport office however the turnaround is normally five working days for such applications.

Progress being made for grieving familiesAfter a two year long stalemate, I welcome the confirmation by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny that the current system of registering the deaths of Irish citizens who die abroad is to be reviewed. He recently assured me in the Dáil that the Heads of a Bill to review the Civil Registration Act 2004 has been approved at Cabinet and is being sent to the Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection. The legislation currently states that an Irish citizen who dies outside of the State is not eligible to have their death registered in Ireland, or receive an Irish death certificate. This sensitive issue is relevant considering the number of Irish people who travel overseas, especially taking into account the high numbers of our young people and students who travel abroad. A reversal of this anomaly will eliminate unnecessary burdens on grieving families by ensuring the passing of their loved one will be recognised by the State and that they do not disappear from genealogical records. This is a positive step forward for bereaved families who have had little or no success despite their arduous campaign efforts over for the past two years. I am delighted that the Bill is finally going under review and hope that, in the end, common sense will prevail.

The GATheriNG The Gathering has been announced by the Minister for Tourism, Leo Varadkar. It is proposed that a year-long programme of events will be planned for 2013 aimed at showcasing the best that Ireland has to offer. While major festivals will play a huge role, there will also be a focus on gatherings organised by local community groups and organisations. And that’s why I’m calling on people in Kildare North to get involved.

Now is the time to start coming up with ideas and for local individuals, clubs and groups to put their thinking hats on. An event could be anything from a family reunion to a sporting event or a local festival. It’s aimed at getting the Irish abroad and anyone with an interest in Ireland to come to these shores in 2013. So I am encouraging local people in Kildare North to talk to neighbours, family, colleagues and club mates and get on board for The Gathering. You can register your interest by submitting an email address to www.gatheringireland.com.

ANThoNy LAwLor TD • Tel: 045 888488 • Email: anthony.lawlor@oireachtas.ie • www.anthonylawlor.ie

I have spoken several times on

the Finance Bill with regard to

mortgage relief for those who

bought their first home between

2004 and 2008. Following my

suggestion to Minister Michael

Noonan a provision was included

which allows those who may have

bought in 2008 but whose payments

didn’t start until 2009 to be

entitled to the increased mortgage

relief of 30%.

Dáil Business

I published an Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation report on casual labour. I cited the need to change part-time jobseeker’s benefits from the number of days worked to the number of hours worked per week. This will bring the Irish system in line with modern day work patterns, benefitting both workers and employers.

I have debated in the Dáil on

a wide variety of legislation

during the past couple of

months such as the Personal

Insolvency Bill, Microenterprise

Loan Fund, Local Government

Bill and the Fiscal Compact

Treaty.

I raised with the Minister for

Transport, Tourism, and Sport

the possibility of Ireland

hosting the 2023 Rugby

World Cup in a bid to increase

tourism and showcase Ireland

to the world.

ANThoNy LAwLor TD • Tel: 045 888488 • Email: anthony.lawlor@oireachtas.ie • www.anthonylawlor.ie

Future plans for Kilcock The Integrated Services Program (ISP) is an initiative under the Kildare County Development Board that identifies development needs, and objectives for towns around Kildare County. Included among the initiatives for Kilcock from 2012-2016 are:

• HEaLTH SERvICES: Increase access to primary health care, and install a community health program

• INFRaSTRuCTuRE/TRaNSPORT: Increase access to public transportation, making commutes to Dublin easier. Build more bicycle lanes and footpaths. Monitor ghost estates.

• TOuRISM: Increase accommodations for tourists to stay. Emphasize beauty of the town, especially Royal Canal and festivals celebrations.

National Transport Authority €2.5 million funding allocation for Co. Kildare

I was delighted to learn that the National Transport Authority allocated €2.5 million to County Kildare. This funding is included in the Second Round of the National Transport Authority’s Sustainable Transport Programme and is for public transport related and sustainable travel projects. This funding will target 34 specific projects throughout the county which benefit many areas within Kildare North. These projects will increase safety on our roads for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists and includes cycle parking facilities in Kilcock.

high level of interest in Sports Capital ProgrammeIn response to a recent Dáil Question, Minister for Sport and Tourism Michael Ring outlined how his Department received over 2,150 applications for funding under the 2012 Sports Capital Programme. There were 77 applications made by clubs throughout Co. Kildare. Departmental officials have started processing all applications received. This process will take some time, due to the volume of applications and the detailed information contained in each one. The Minister does not expect to be in a position to announce the list of successful applicants before the late autumn or early winter 2012. Unfortunately it is not possible at this stage to estimate the number of applications expected to be successful. The Department website www.dttas.ie will announce the successful recipients of grant allocations and individual applicants will also be written to confirming the outcome of their application.

Kilcock’s famous residentPatch, the most famous Jack Russell terrier in Ireland made national and international headlines recently after his tumultuous train ride from Kilcock to Dublin. It wasn’t until passengers alerted the rail staff of Patch’s presence on the train that he became an international sensation, when his picture was re-tweeted on Twitter over 500 times in just 30 minutes. Luckily, Patch’s owner saw the Tweet and discovered his whereabouts. In addition to the story being picked up by the Associated Press, Washington Post, and India Times, Patch got his own Twitter page, @patchtraveldog.

Laraghbryan Monastery There has been pressure on both the national government, as well as local authorities over the past few years regarding funding for the restoration of the 600-year old monastery site, Laraghbryan. There has recently been ongoing discussions regarding the matter, and it looks as if the discussions are moving towards a positive outcome. I will continue to put pressure on the local councillors to successfully resolve this matter.

Update on Kilcock railway Station Last July, it was announced that Kilcock Railway Station was to receive a grant of €35,000 for an upgrade. The project has commenced and is due to be completed shortly. The current delay is with regard to works required by the ESB and once this is undertaken, Iarnroid Éireann will complete the project. I will push for this upgrade to be finalised without delay.

Competition Time! For the opportunity to win a tour to Dáil Éireann followed by a meal in the Dáil Restaurant for two people, email me the answer to the following question:

Q .Who is the current Government Chief Whip?

All correct answers to anthony.lawlor@oir.ie. Deadline for receipt of entries 31st August 20112

Useful NumbersKildare County Council (045 980200) – www.kildarecoco.ie

Local Health Centre: (01 628 7139) - Kilcock Medical Centre

Garda Station (non-24 hour): (01 628 7202) - Church Street

Garda Station (24 hour): (01 666 7800 - Leixlip

Fire Station (Leixlip): (01 624 4455) - Mill Lane

Social Welfare Branch Office: (01 610 6000) - Town Hall, Maynooth

Kilcock Community Library: (01 628 4403) - Main Street

Citizens Information: (1890 777 121)

Clane Hospital: (04 586 8004)

Naas General Hospital: (045 897221)

ANThoNy LAwLor TDEmail: anthony.lawlor@oireachtas.ieWebsite: www.anthonylawlor.ie to keep up to date with my workConstituency Office: 56 South Main Street, Naas, Co. KildareContact Number: 045 888488Opening Hours: 9am -12am & 3pm – 5pmCelbridge Clinic: Every Thursday 7pm – 8pm

Councillor Seamus LanganEmail: ejl8789@hotmail.comAddress: Clonkeeran, Carbury Contact Numbers: 046-9553058 (h) 087-2871347

Councillor Brendan Weld Email: bweldmcc@eircom.netAddress: Painstown, Donadea, Naas Contact Numbers: 045-869340/087-7828649

0612

yoUr LoCAL FiNe GAeL TeAM:

reGiSTer To VoTe The Government has announced its intention to hold a referendum in the autumn on Children’s Rights. Be sure to check that you are eligible to vote at this very important referendum. You can do so by accessing www.checktheregister.ie or contacting Kildare County Council on (045) 980 200.