This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin following a visit to Co. Cavan during which she discussed the current problems for the poultry sector posed by the review of the Nitrates Directive.

She said:- “The unnecessary and punitive measures proposed for inclusion in the revised programme for administering the Nitrates Directive arise   from Government and not from EU requirements.  The present derogation which permits the spreading of organic poultry and pig fertiliser takes full account of environmental requirements and as such must be maintained.  The additional demands of Ministers Smith and Gormley will do nothing for the environment but they could sound the economic death knell of the poultry and pig industries in Cavan, Monaghan and Longford.

“If there was an environmental imperative to meet the requirements of the Water Framework Directive, the argument of producers would be considerably weaker.  However there is clear evidence of improvement of Ireland’s ground and surface waters and indeed the proof exists that the major problems in this regard derive from municipal discharges as evidenced in the publication of the country’s River Basin programmes.

“I call on Minister Brendan Smith to rise to the challenge of defending the poultry and pig sectors and the 14,000 jobs involved.  The Government continuously stresses the value of the ‘smart’ economy and if this is to apply to the food producing sector, ‘smart’ action is urgently needed by taking Teagasc advice and continue the present system of manure spreading.  A further four year derogation will provide the time necessary to research and conclude a long term protocol which will provide the security necessary for this€500 million business”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

This was stated by Marian Harkin MEP  when she urged individuals and representative bodies to be vigilant about extensions to designated areas under the EU Birds and Habitat directives.

She said: “Following European Court of Justice judgements there is an ongoing process with up to one hundred sites currently being evaluated in the context of these directives.

“The designation of sites under the Birds and Habitats Regulations while required under EU law, can have significant implications especially for landowners.  52% of the land west of the Corrib is designated under EU directives and further expansion of designation would have major significance for people and economic activity in the areas involved.

“It will be important for individual landowners to be aware of the restrictions involved in designation and owners and representative bodies need to be vigilant as this programme progresses.  Economic interests, such as in aquaculture and operating in what may be designated sites in future, should equip themselves now with the effective appeal information which will ensure that they can maintain what may be the only significant employment in their areas.

“Each person or organisation likely to be affected by the designation of new areas must be directly informed and an opportunity must be provided and should be taken to assess the likely affects on their property or business.  This process is currently ongoing involving many areas which up to now have not been affected by the Birds and Habitats directives”, Marian Harkin said.

Referring to the current Department of Environment public consultation inviting submissions on the draft European Communities (Birds & National Habitats) Regulations 2010, Deputy Harkin welcomed the fact that her proposal for an extension to the closing date had been accepted with the close date now set for September 10th.  “This consultation is a separate issue to the ongoing evaluation of sites for possible designation under existing EU legislation and is an opportunity which citizens should take to participate in the democratic process”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

She stated “I was shocked by the Governor’s comments to a business conference in Hong Kong because there seemed to be a tacit acceptance that the Irish public could continue to pay an exorbitant and unreasonable price for the failure of regulators, bankers, including Central Bankers, speculators and Government.  How will it be manageable for those who will have surgeries cancelled because of the health cuts, particularly in the West of Ireland.  How will it be manageable for parents who see their special needs children denied vitally necessary Special Needs Assistant hours?; how will it be manageable for persons with disabilities who see services discontinued or severely cut back; how will it be manageable for small business whose access to credit is cut off; how will it be manageable to those unable to pay their mortgages or their ESB bills?

In my opinion, Professor Honohan is wrong – it is not and will not be manageable for hundreds of thousands of Irish citizens.  Anglo may stand but they will fall.  Such an outcome is not ‘costly but manageable’, it is in my opinion simply a price that is too high to pay”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

This was stated by Marian Harkin MEP on Saturday, August 14th when she addressed a weekend retreat for carers organised by St. Angela’s College, Sligo.

She said:  “In the UK there exists the right for people to maintain their pensions by continuing contributions through the years when engaged in caring.  A similar decision can be made for carers in Ireland and indeed this is essential if they are not to be penalised at a vulnerable time in their lives having fulfilled such a hugely important role in society.

“In my role as President of the European Parliament’s Carers Interest Group and working closely with the 17 European countries involved in the Eurocarers organisation,  my aim is to ensure that the interests of carers are reflected in EU legislation and that pressure is maintained to advance the interests of carers and those needing care.

“In this regard future pension rights is an important issue which I and the organisations I am involved with in Ireland and in the EU will continue to pursue until a fair and equitable arrangement is obtained”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

This was the view of Marian Harkin MEP when she spoke at the twinning ceremony in Monivea on Sunday, August 15th where visitors from the Brittany town of Tremeven co-signed the final twinning charter between the two areas.

Marian Harkin MEP said:- “Today is the culmination of a great deal of hard work by the twinning committees of Monivea and Tremeven and a further strengthening of the bonds of friendship between two EU communities.   As one of your representatives at European level I am delighted to be here because in the broadest possible terms the EU is about citizens and member states working together to achieve better outcomes.

“I am particularly pleased that this twinning has been achieved with the help of EU funds under the Europe for Citizens Programme and that it reflects the motto of the EU ‘United in Diversity’.  Twinning is about discovery and rediscovery; it is about discovery of green fields far away, of different cultures and traditions but it is also a rediscovery, a rediscovery of what we already have but sometimes do not fully appreciate and we can rediscover that through the eyes of our guests.

“Essentially Twinning is about people, it’s not about celebrity, it’s not about high profile events, it’s about communities coming together reclaiming their space and their place. It’s about the goodness and kindness of ordinary people sharing what is best in their communities”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

Independent MEP Marian Harkin has requested an extension on the basis that a September 3rd closing date for submissions would not provide sufficient time for individuals or organisations to adequately consider the extensive documentation involved.

She said:-  “To advertise an invitation to the public to put forward views on these important directives which, affect so many areas of the country, and expect in less than a month that the huge documentation involved can be assessed is unreasonable and raises questions as to the seriousness of the Department of the Environment in seeking the views of the public.

“Bearing in mind that this is peak holiday time when most organisations do not meet, it could not be a less appropriate time to seek the views of individuals or NGO’s .  If this is to be a genuine consultation process with the public the closing date for receipt of submissions should be extended to the end of September and I have written to Minister Gormley urging this course of action.  The Minister should also make very clear, in simple language, what is involved in his proposal so that the public will fully understand what they are being asked to comment upon”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

A broad discussion took place and the Independent MEP pledged to do whatever was possible to communicate the strength of opposition in the community to the sludge project.  “I have found in working on other environmental projects such as Eyrecourt that there can be possibilities for EU action where infringements of EU law occurs.  I will be following this course of action and hopefully some avenue will open up which will help prevent the imposition of further potential pollution of the environment of Ballinasloe”, Marian Harkin MEP said.

This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin when she described the announcement of the Government’s Infrastructure Investment Priorities 2010-2016 as a means of accelerating the economic dominance of the greater Dublin area at the expense of the rest of the country.

She said:- “The absolute commitment to Dublin Rail projects, which are unnecessary at this time, compares with the lack of commitment to essential roads improvements in the BMW region.  The core importance of agriculture in the regions is eroded by the reduction in the multi-annual capital investment programme for Agriculture and Food of at least €1.5 billion between 2010 and 2016.

“This reduction in commitment to Ireland’s real economy probably reflects the fact that the government took its influence in compiling the priorities in this investment programme from those ‘experts’ it consulted  ‘in academia and the private sector’.  Not alone does this advice mean grossly disproportionate commitment to Dublin transport but it calls for tolling of roads in the BMW region which are not motorways.  To make economic and regional development even more difficult  in the peripheral areas the elimination of the Public Service Obligation, which is vital to the retention of regional airports, is being mooted.

“The National Development Plan 2007-2013 was to be characterised by ‘a strong competitive economy delivering quality, sustainable employment in a more regionally balanced manner’.  Today’s new Plan abandons any pretence to balanced regional development.  Having regard to the major target set for the BMW region in the National Development Plan to -  ‘increase the potential of the region to act as a counter balance to the South & Eastern (S&E) region, especially Dublin’ - this objective has quite obviously been abandoned.

“As of now, the Government policy, as enshrined in the Cabinet Handbook, requires any proposed policy to ‘indicate the impact of the proposed measure if any on the physical, economic and social conditions of people living in the open countryside, in coastal areas, towns and villages and in smaller urban centres outside of the five major urban areas’.

“The Plan announced today totally breaks the government’s own rule book and abandons all pretence that there will be any fair distribution of national resources for at least the next six years”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin when she welcomed the publication of the Western Development Commission’s Report ‘Why Care about the Regions? A New Approach to Regional Policy’. 

She said:- “In response to this report the Government, if it is to retain any credibility, must see that Dublin based € multi billion urban rail investment is not justified at this time when value for money investment in the regions is much more capable of delivery for Ireland Inc in the decade ahead.

“The campaign orchestrated by a number of university, planning, and media elements with their special access to an influence on politicians such as planning Minister Ciaran Cuffe, arrogantly assert that the future is urban.   Politicians are being told that if they wish to govern the country in future they will have to produce focussed policies to respond to the distinctive requirements of urban dwellers.

“In order to do this the current government spatial strategy will have to be abandoned as will its lip service to balanced regional development.  The people, the investors, and the local authorities of the regions have in the course of the current and last National Development plans been misled by the failure of government to deliver on commitments.  If they are to be required to further concede to the ‘Ireland is urban’ lobby they at least deserve to be told.  This can best be done by a clear announcement of where and when infrastructural investment is to occur within the scarce resources now available.

“The decision on whether necessary investment in roads, water and sewage throughout the regions will be made, or the currently unnecessary € multi billion investment in Dublin rail, will indicate if the Government is to accede to the demands of the ‘expert’ planners or to stand by the rural areas and the unique balance of habitation in Ireland which has such positive social implications for the country”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

Marian Harkin MEP said:-  “Minister Cuffe loses no opportunity to attack the legitimate right of people to live in rural areas and is part of the concerted campaign to deny the right to live and raise a family in the countryside.  Not surprisingly as a Town Planner by profession he asserts that there is ‘no God given right for people to build houses in the countryside simply because they were born there.

“However he should note that there is an EU law which protects the right of establishment and on foot of this right the Irish Government had to contact each County Manager to amend their planning laws to get rid of Eneurment clauses which required homeowners to live in rural houses for a minimum period of time.  Certainly not “a God given right” but a little more progressive than Irish planning law.

“Minister Cuffe has no political mandate for his assertion and there is an urgent need for politicians of all parties to question his anti-rural bias and ensure that in his recently acquired Ministry that he does not cement, in planning, restrictions which will have irreversible negative effects on the sustainability of rural areas.

“In recent times there has been much talk and a great deal of hype about protecting rural living.  If people are further restricted from living in rural areas, there will be no rural families, no rural communities and nothing to protect.   Minister Cuffe speaks of protecting communities by good planning – he is obviously not interested in rural communities. 

“Finally the ‘ghost estates’ blighting so many small towns and villages are an example of what many town planners proposed as the best ‘solution’ for those who wanted to live outside cities and large towns.  We are left with a dreadful legacy by those who preached sustainable development and in creating this situation homes in rural areas have not been part of the problem”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

This was asserted by Marian Harkin MEP when she urged the ‘social partners’ to match the advocacy of IDA Chief Executive Barry O’Leary in favour of ‘balanced’ regulation of the banking industry.

She said:- “The only sector of Ireland’s credit providing sector which has not caused pain to Ireland’s citizens is the Credit Unions and their reward from the government has been the introduction of new measures which will significantly impair their ability to continue to service credit users with effectiveness and concern.

“Where in Ireland’s establishment, as represented by the social partners, are the voices who will advocate for the Credit Union movement and why are they not speaking out like the IDA is on behalf of the sector which nationally and internationally has destroyed economies and citizens assets in Ireland and elsewhere.

“Strong voices need to be heard in support of credit unions whose services will be even more needed in the future as the vulture moneylenders increasingly target the most vulnerable in society”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

In a statement welcoming the publication today of the Report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs and European Scrutiny, Marian Harkin MEP said: “While there are many practical recommendations proposed in this report it has been my experience as an MEP dealing with problems associated with EU law that the way in which Ireland transposes EU Directives is the most significant factor requiring the involvement of Irish parliamentarians.  We have had obvious cases of unnecessarily draconian interpretations of EU Directives, an example of which was the over designation of Special Areas of Conservation and other land related regulations.

“Considerably increased involvement by members of the Oireachtas is needed not just to ensure the most practical and effective transposing of EU laws but subsequent evaluation five years into their operation as to their efficacy and possible need for review.  An example of this is the current review of the Nitrates Directive which in its present form is a threat to rather than a protection for the environment through an impractical calendar farming requirement.

“In regard to the heavy workload implicit in the report’s recommendation there is a need for the government to provide resources to maximise the opportunity provided in the Lisbon Treaty to improve the democratic decision making process in developing EU law.  The increased participation of the Parliamentarians and of the powers conferred on the European Parliament requires much closer co-operation between the Oireachtas and MEPs.  This, in the interest of cost containment and acknowledgement of scarce time and availability considerations could be best achieved through modern communications systems such as video-conferencing.

“To aid members of the Oireachtas in effectively tackling the onerous task involved in influencing the European Commission’s Annual Strategy, and earliest intervention in EU law creation, considerably increased resources will have to be provided by the government.  Acknowledging the current straitened financial situation a case should be made to the European Commission and Council that EU funds should be provided in the interest of maximising increased democratic involvement in the conduct of EU affairs!

“The very practical acknowledgement in this report of the need to develop a ‘rapporteur’ system of operation requires consideration to be given to the use of interns on the same basis as in the European Parliament.  In addition to assisting ‘rapporteurs’ the training received by interns would considerably enhance their CVs and job prospects in an era increasingly requiring knowledge and experience of EU law and its application to a range of business institutions and organisations”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

This was stated by Marian Harkin MEP when she praised the content of the report of her group colleague George Lyon of Scotland which was overwhelmingly accepted by MEPs of all groups in the European Parliament.

Marian Harkin said:- “The adoption of this report is a clear signal from the European Parliament and it strengthens the hand of the European Commission when negotiating the size of the agriculture budget for the future.  Because of the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, the European Parliament is a co-decision maker and this report is a clear signal to farmers that the European Parliament is supporting a strong sustainable Common Agriculture Policy post 2013.  This includes support for market intervention measures and for rural development.

“This is a first positive step towards securing a fair deal for farmers and rural areas and I am confident that it will set the agenda for the deliberations of the European Commission and the European Council of Ministers as they co-decide with the European Parliament, the future agriculture and rural development policy for the European Union.

“In a debate with Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht following adoption of the CAP Report, and referring to Brazilian beef, I accused the Commissioner of undermining what the Parliament was trying to achieve.  He had previously told me that, if there was to be an ambitious deal with South American countries, there would have to be concessions in agriculture.  This raises very serious worries about making concessions before even starting negotiations and is totally unacceptable.

“Commission de Gucht said that the Commission would be conducting an impact assessment on a proposed trade deal and I asked whether important points such as de-aforrestation, loss of bio-diversity and CO2 emissions would be considered.  I pointed to a recent Teagasc study showing that C02 emissions for the production of meat and milk in Brazil were three to eight times higher than in Ireland.  I urged strongly that Ireland’s and the EU’s ability to continue to provide food security for consumers should not be undermined by any concessions made in negotiations with South American countries.

“To ensure that the policies contained in the CAP Report, favourable to Ireland, are not in any way undermined by trade negotiations the European Parliament will have to remain constantly vigilant to prevent any erosion of their clearly stated support for European farming and European food production”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

Ends

The following Parliamentary question by Marian Harkin MEP on the status of Mercosur negotiations was answered on July 7th, 2010.

What is the Belgian Presidency's position with regard to the Mercosur negotiations, given that nine Member States have already voiced their concerns with regard to the relaunching of those negotiations?
Answer:
The present answer, which has been drawn up by the Presidency and is not binding on either the Council or its members as such, was not presented orally at Question Time to the Council during the July 2010 part-session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The Honourable Member will, of course, be aware that negotiations between the European Union and MERCOSUR have been at a standstill for over six years. However, informal contacts of a technical nature resumed in 2009. Bearing in mind the results of this informal dialogue, in particular the last two meetings held in Buenos Aires on 18-19 March 2010 and in Brussels on 26-27 April 2010, the Commission decided on 4 May to relaunch negotiations with MERCOSUR. At the 6th EU-Latin American summit which was held in Madrid, the Heads of State and Government of the European Union and Latin America reiterated the significance of the negotiations which had just been relaunched.

The Belgian Presidency has outlined its main priorities in this area within the framework of the Council's eighteen-month programme for the Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Presidencies. This programme provides that 'Strong emphasis will be placed on the conclusion and signature of the Association Agreements with the Central American and the signature of the Multilateral Agreement with the Andean Community countries, as well as on the resumption and advancement of negotiations for the Association Agreement with Mercosur.'  The Belgian Presidency is fully aware of concerns about the Commission's decision to re-open the negotiations. As you state in your question, at the May session of the 'Agriculture' Council, nine Member States had presented a joint document, which received the backing of several other States during the session, expressing their concern about the possible impact of an EU-MERCOSUR agreement on European agriculture. We are also fully aware of the opinions expressed in the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture at its meeting on 1 June.

I also wish to recall that, in the negotiations with MERCOSUR, the Commission is bound by the negotiating mandate approved in 1999. As President Barroso stated on 4 May, the decision to relaunch the negotiations is subject to a number of conditions, particularly as regards sustainable development, intellectual property and geographical indications. Provision will also be made for specific measures in case any sectors, in particular agriculture, are adversely affected.

We are aware that Commissioner Ciolos has acknowledged that these are delicate negotiations for the EU's agricultural sector.

We have noted the Commission's commitment to respect the terms of the 1999 mandate and to remain alert to any adverse impact the agreement may have, in particular as regards the most sensitive products.

As regards the overall advantages of a possible free-trade agreement with MERCOSUR, the EU would obviously not conclude an agreement which was contrary to the EU's overall economic interests or threatened to derail progress in negotiations in the WTO's Doha Development Round.

As in other trade negotiations, the Council will closely monitor the progress of these negotiations, on the basis of Commission reports, and will ensure that the conditions set out in its negotiating directives are respected. If they are to be successful, the EU-MERCOSUR negotiations must seek to be comprehensive and address key areas in particular, such as industrial goods, services, agriculture and the protection of intellectual property rights, including geographical indications and public procurement.

"I welcome the announcement by the European Commission to launch a public debate on the future of pensions given the aging population in Ireland and across the EU.  The current situation is worrying and under the present economic climate, a serious priority of the European Union should be to ensure an adequate and sustainable retirement income.  I fully support the belief that retirement should not equal poverty."

Marian also called for pensions systems to be safeguarded and to make it easier for people who wish to take up their retirement in a different EU country. 

"We must assure that pensions are safer and not jeopardised in anyway by  the current economic crisis, in the long term but also immediately.  For most of us choosing a pension is a very complicated and difficult decision, this could be made easier by making pensions more transparent and easier to understand.  The European Commission should also look into making it easier for EU citizens to retire to another country within the EU and still enjoy their retirement income without unnecessary hindrance or administrative burden.  Finally I would like to encourage all stakeholders and citizens to get involved in the Consultation process - make your views known to the Commission and use this tool of consultation to have your voice heard. "

Note: The consultation period will run for four months (ending 15 November 2010) during which anyone with an interest in the subject can submit their views via a dedicated website: http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=pensions.The European Commission will then analyse all responses and consider the best course for future actions to address these issues at EU level.

Marian Harkin said:-  “Many of our financial institutions operated like casinos and as a result beggared the country while, in the main, Credit Unions based in the community acted with probity and concern for their members interests and still maintained assets of almost €14.6bn.  Yet the Credit Unions will now pay an unacceptably high price for the utter mismanagement of other financial institutions by the entry into force of the new draconian regulations contained in the Central Bank Bill 2010.  The Credit Union movement does not need a government bail out.  The Credit Unions are not sucking hard–earned tax payers money into a bottomless black hole.  In fact they have money to loan to their members and small businesses that are starved of cash.  Their ‘not for profit’ ethos, and their voluntary boards, have served their communities well and will continue to do so, if allowed

“This legislation will tie the hands of Credit Unions.  It will impose unacceptable levels of bureaucracy and red tape and will severely limit their ability to continue serving their members.  There is no doubt but that the numbers of Credit Unions will diminish, particularly the smaller ones, leaving small communities rural and urban without access to their services.  The measures in the Central Bank Bill will take a model that has worked well in good times and bad, that has served the interests of small and large communities alike, and that is not driven by greed or outside interests but the welfare of its members, and will change that model irrevocably.  In our haste to make up for the mistakes of the past, we are convicting the innocent and throwing out the baby with the bathwater.  We need to take a step back, do a proper impact assessment and then and only then, take action – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

This was stated by Marian Harkin MEP when she expressed her full support for the protest marches in Galway and other centres against the latest cutbacks in respite services which she said would put carers under further intolerable strain.

She said: “Ireland’s 160,000 carers who together provide three million hours of care, much of it for disabled family members, must not be targeted once more for cuts.

“The 2004 Disability Strategy has been decimated and the latest government betrayal of the disabled and their carers must be highlighted in the most public way possible in seeking to ensure that the present inadequate respite services are not further eroded", Marian Harkin concluded.

“106 jobs in County Longford, are of major economic and social importance and, as such, requires the combined focus of the Receiver and state agencies to ensure that B3 Solutions remains an active employer in the area.  The workers deserve no less than the maximum effort to keep the plant open but it is ludicrous to expect that a new buyer can be attracted within 7 days unless negotiations are already at an advanced stage.

“I would ask the Receiver to provide realistic breathing space during which he, and state agencies, can make the necessary effort to prevent the closure of B3 Solutions and the loss of the 106 jobs which will seriously affect families and the general economy of Longford and surrounding areas”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

In a statement Marian Harkin MEP, Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP and Jim Higgins MEP said: "As the initiators of the proposal to apply for globalisation fund for retraining for up-skilling construction workers, we first approached (Border Midland Regional Assembly (BMW)) seeking total redundancy figures for the construction industry in the region. Subsequently we met with officials of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation on a number of occasions proposing the application to the EGF and stressing that such an application was appropriate and if properly made, was likely to be successful.

"We welcome the response of the Tánaiste to the case we made to pursue this application and when, as we hope, it is successful it will prove hugely beneficial in equipping workers for future employment opportunities. It will also represent the value of MEPs working closely together, and with the government, in seeking to maximise resources available from the European Union. The Tánaiste, her officials, and agencies who participated in developing the €40 million applications deserve every praise for their effective and timely actions in pursuing the opportunity provided by the existence of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund" the statement concluded.

This was stated by Marian Harkin MEP when she strongly criticised the vote in favour of including owner drivers as bad law in relation to enforcement and extremely harmful to those attempting to earn a livelihood in the transport business in Ireland.

She said:- “Today the majority of MEPs voted to limit the working time of owner drivers to an average of 48 hours per week.  This will include any waiting time for loading or unloading as well as any time spent loading or unloading their vehicles, any cleaning or technical maintenance of their vehicles, any administrative work related to the job in hand, as well as all their driving time.  The plethora of regulations and red tape involved for owner drivers will seriously erode driving time and consequently the earnings of owner drivers.

“False arguments were made by those lobbying to defeat the European Commission’s objective of creating realistic legislation in the road transport sector and this can be seen in the fact that the Road Safety Authority did not object to the Commission’s proposal.  Owner drivers are already subject to the EU Driving Time Directive and requiring them to adhere to a jobs destroying Working Time measure is a ludicrous case of MEPs imposing the kind of unacceptable European bureaucracy and red tape which many of them are very fond of criticising”, Marian Harkin concluded.

Welcoming the decision Independent MEP Marian Harkin said that the question mark over the legal base of the regulation governing the funding had now been removed and was now in accord with the relevant judgement of the European Court of Justice. 

“Today’s decision will ensure that the support for the many projects supported by the IFI for 2007-2010 will now have the necessary validity”, she said.

This was the opinion of Marina Harkin MEP when she expressed the hope that the European Parliament would vote in favour of country of origin labelling for food products at its meeting in Strasbourg, tomorrow, Wednesday, June 16th.

She said:- “It has been clearly shown that Irish consumers prefer to buy food of Irish origin but currently the absence of definitive labelling means that many food products are able to masquerade as Irish to the detriment of consumers and Irish farmers.

“We have seen too many products being passed off as Irish and this is a particular problem in relation to poultry, too much of which comes from sources which do not have the same quality and traceability requirements that are imposed on Irish producers.

“Compulsory country of origin labelling will be clearly in the interest of Ireland’s producers, and the marketing of Irish produce, and I am very hopeful that he European Parliament will pass the necessary measure tomorrow in Strasbourg”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

She said that Deputy de Rossa’s determination to have owner drivers brought under the EU Working Time Directive was not supported by Ireland’s Road Safety Authority or by the findings of the European Commission in regard to safety considerations.

She continued: “It would be hugely damaging to Ireland’s truck and bus transport business in which owner drivers play such an important role if the European Parliament votes to require owner driver compliance with the working time directive.

“I have been lobbying hard for votes in favour of the proposal and I hope all MEPs from the 32 counties will join together and vote for a measure which is very much in the interests of Ireland North and South.

“It is important to note that all drivers, self employed or employed are subject to the same driving time regulations.  These regulations are strictly enforced and address road safety issues.

“The fact that the Road Safety Authority in April stated in a submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Scrutiny:  “It is reasonable to conclude that concerns about road safety are adequately addressed through existing legislative instruments”, indicated that owner truck and bus drivers should, as the EU Commission proposed, be excluded from the Working Time Directive.

“In regard to enforcing the inclusion of self employed drivers in the Working Time Directive the Road Safety Authority also stated... ‘the (EC) report argued that while there may be some health and safety benefits to including self employed, those benefits were difficult to quantify and needed to be considered.  Along with the additional stress and financial difficulty that self employed workers might experience as a consequence of their inclusion.  The impact assessment concluded that full coverage of all self employed mobile workers was unenforceable’.

“It is totally unrealistic to expect that authorities can effectively monitor the working time of owner drivers, eg. under the Working Time Directive administrative work relating to their tax returns for last year does not count as working time, but administrative work relating to the job underway does.  It is impossible to police this kind of regulation and therefore unreasonable to legislate for it.

“Entrepreneurs should be able to organise their own working time, to try to enforce European Legislation to limit it is not only unworkable but is an example of the worst kind of European bureaucracy and red tape imaginable.

“Because of the large number of self- employed drivers and their importance to the local and national economies I will be strongly advocating that all Irish MEPs vote in favour of the European Commissions proposal to exclude them from the Working Time Directive”, Marian Harkin MEP concluded.

Harkin reacted:  "I am hugely flattered to be nominated for this award especially since this nomination comes from an association whose aims are so close to my heart.  I will continue to champion the rights and interests related to informal carers. 

She continued: On average 80 % of care throughout the EU is provided by unpaid relatives, friends or neighbours.  Despite this fact, there has been little recognition of the need to address the issues faced by carers in EU policy initiatives.   I hope that my nomination will draw attention to the unsung heroes of our society- our carers".

The 6th annual MEP Awards, hosted by The Parliament Magazine, will take place this September.  Nominations are submitted online by European trade and professional associations and interest groups, a short list is then drawn up and the winning MEPs will be awarded during a ceremony on 29 September.
 

" I am happy to see the EU responding to the real needs of citizens - where people can if necessary travel abroad for medical care. The European Parliament agreed on this last year and now the Council of Ministers has agreed in principle. This decision will enable public patients to receive certain types of medical care without prior authorisation by their Health Authorities if it is a day procedure. Prior authorisation for treatments will be needed for treatments that require overnight hospital accommodation or which require specialised and cost intensive medical equipment."

Harkin points that this will benefit especially  patients living in border counties in Ireland.

She continued:  "The final agreement will take a number of months but real progress can be made from here. EU citizens will have the right to be reimbursed for healthcare received in another Member State that they would have received at home. "
 

Marian Harkin MEP hails this ruling as "justification that such legislation was indeed needed in the first place".  She continued "The facts and figures do the talking, since the adoption of the roaming regulation, the cost of making a mobile phone call while abroad has fallen by 70%  and the cost of sending a text message has fallen by 60%.   This is a perfect example of the EU working to protect our citizens.  Consumers were being ripped off by mobile phone companies and the EU stood its ground and forced mobile phone companies to back down.  The EU tried to get these companies to reduce prices voluntarily but had to intervene and regulate when they failed to act.   This ruling justifies this decision and I applaud this."

The European Commission will take into account the Courts ruling in its review of the Roaming Regulation that will be completed by 2011.
 

She said “Bearing in mind how small an area of the SAC is involved it is hoped that logic will prevail and that the European Court of Justice will confirm An Bord Pleanala’s decision to grant planning permission.

“A positive decision by the European Court would not just clear the way for a badly needed road development but would create the basis for flexibility in relation to other issues such as the proposed trans Connemara road and the compulsory cessation of turf cutting on designated bogs.

“If the European Court of Justice recognises the need for reasonable flexibility in the case of the Galway by-pass it would open up real prospects for other practical decisions elsewhere”, Marian Harkin MEP said.

"I am delighted at the overwhelming approval for €2.5 million to those workers who were made redundant at Waterford crystal. This fund is a real expression of European solidarity where those who have lost their jobs due to globalisation or the current economic crisis are given some assistance to help with retraining, re-skilling and the promotion of entrepreneurship with the possibility to set up ones own business"

Marian Harkin will leave tonight for  Limerick to meet the Dell workers to see how the funds attributed to them from the same fund have been invested.  She will travel as part of a delegation from the Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.

 '"I think it is crucially important to meet the former Dell workers to see if the Globalisation Fund is helping to meet their needs particularly in regard to education and training.  Their experience will be vital when making decisions on how best to use this compensation in the most effective way in order to get redundant Waterford Crystal  workers back in active employment". 

The application for compensation was submitted last August 2009 to European Commission following 538 redundancies at Waterford Crystal.

The criticism came from Independent MEP Marian Harkin at the presentation of Awards for Network Mayo, the Mayo branch of the National Organisation for women in business.  Her criticism was levelled at Fianna Fail TD Mary O’Rourke and Fine Gael Gael TD Lucinda Creighton both of whom oppose creating a gender quota to improve the representation of women in politics.

Referring to the representation of women in politics and parliaments across the world, Marian Harkin said that Ireland’s record was dismal.  “Because it is particularly difficult for women to emerge through the party political system and it does not help when high profile women politicians denigrate the proposal to develop a gender quota system”, she said.

At business level the special talents which women possessed were recognised in countries like Norway where there was a gender quota of 40% applied to Boards of Directors, she said.  “This level of inclusion also applies to Spain, the Netherlands and France”, she said.  The talents of women were also recognised in the USA as the recent statement of US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner indicated that, according to him, if women had been running Wall St, they couldn’t possibly have ‘gotten it worse’.

She concluded: “The whole question of gender quotas on business boards and women in politics needs to be opened up in Ireland because there is a severe lack of balance involved.  One or two women politicians or board members do not adequately represent the potential of women and until a critical mass of women is contributing in business and politics, Ireland will be missing out on a particularly valuable resource”.

This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin following the meeting in which she and other Co. Leitrim interests including the County Council engaged in discussion with EPA and Department of the Environment representatives. 

Marian Harkin said:  “Under the requirements of the new EPA Code of Practice governing waste water treatment and disposal systems serving single houses, substantial parts of Ireland including most of County Leitrim will have great difficulty in compliance.  However a submission made at the Committee today, indicated that a system, utilising bio-technology, currently exists which can render most house sites compliant with environment protection requirements.

“There is an urgent need to assess the efficiency of the technology already in operation in other countries such as the USA where the requirement to meet stringent standards is very high.  The urgency exists because there is a consistent and unacceptable attempt to prevent the building of houses in the countryside and to require people to live in towns and villages.  The current EPA Code will exacerbate this situation.

“An immediate assessment of the technology referred to at the Oireachtas Committee could be done quickly and if it stands up to scrutiny, should then be included in the EPA Code of Practice as a solution to effluent discharge for areas where difficulties will be encountered under the current Code requirements.

“The officials and members of Leitrim County Council are to be congratulated on their efforts to achieve a solution to the problems which have arisen in the context of the implementation of the new EPA Code requirements.  With an open minded approach and goodwill on all sides I believe that the dialogue facilitated today by the Committee on European Scrutiny, will lead to positive results and planning regulations which will continue to maintain vibrant rural areas while at the same time ensuring necessary protection for the environment”, Marian Harkin concluded.