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Thomasina Connell
16 WAYS BUDGET 2016
WILL BENEFIT YOU AND
YOUR FAMILY
INTRODUCTION
I am delighted to have been selected to contest the General Election in Laois/South
Kildare. 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 believe
that I have an understanding of the core issues affecting the lives of the people in
Laois 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 constituency
in Dail Eireann.
Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss any issue that is important to you.
Together, we can make a difference.
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KEY PRIORITES
Agriculture: Farming incomes and the welfare of
farming families in our community
Crime: Rural criminality has been on the rise. It can be
beaten
Working Parents:
I will push for affordable, tax
deductible childcare and after school-care
Senior Citizens:
Both pensions and access to
healthcare for our seniors have been squeezed in
recent years this cannot continue
Easing burden on families: Given the progress that has
been gained in our economy, I will fight to ensure
these financial burdens are lifted lower taxes on
middle income families. and the elimination of the USC
JOBS
The last number of years have been a time of sacrifice across Irish society. We all know the
story and we have all felt the impact: from the unemployed to working families and the
elderly. The difficult and painful policy decisions taken by the Fine Gael led government, to
bring the country back on course, are now starting to pay off. Already there are 130,000
more people in work in the country compared to 2012. Of course many of us, are yet to feel
the benefits of this recovery.
A future Fine Gael government seeks to enable the creation of 200,000 new jobs by 2020. I
am committed to ensuring my constituency of Laois/South Kildare reaps a fair portion of
that 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 tax
base will then allow us to reinvest in our much needed public services and support the
vulnerable in our society.
By attracting high value industry, supporting entrepreneurship and ensuring a fair price for
farmers output, we can raise living standards, stop the forced migration of our young
people out of our towns and rural communities and ensure the recovery is felt by everyone.
ROADS
I was delighted to learn the news that
6,421,228 has been allocated to
Laois for road improvement and
maintenance works. Some of the
countys roads are in dire state of
repair. The funding forms part of a
298 million national investment
programme for 2016 for regional and
local roads. This is a real boost for our
local and regional roads. Projects to
receive funding include 200,00 on
bridge rehabilitation works, including
the Poormans Bridge Abbeyleix, the
Spa Bridge Portarlington, Quinns
Bridge, Borris-in-Ossery and the
Canon Delaney Bridge, Mountrath.
AGRICULTURE
I am proud The Rural Development
Programme (RDP) that will see an
investment of 4bn in the Irish
agriculture sector over the years
2014-2020. Such measures will make a
meaningful difference to farming
families, particularly in Laois where
agriculture is a core component of the
economy.
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MENTAL HEALTH
We need change in the area of Mental Health services across the country, with Laois and
South Kildare included. In rural areas, including in own constituency, anxiety, depression
and stress are prevalent especially among the farming community. In additional to the
strain on the person and their families, there is a huge economic cost across the economy
through sick leave, absenteeism and disability. It impacts businesses across the board, in
particular the small and medium enterprises that make up the majority of employers in rural
constituencies.
We recently saw the turning of the first sod at the new National Forensic Mental Health
Service (NFMHS) hospital, which will be built on the site of St. Itas Hospital, Portrane, Co.
Dublin.
While this will undoubtedly be a great new resource, my belief is that more local services
are also needed more directly within our community. I will fight to ensure greater mental
health services are provided in an effort to reverse the decline seen in the provision of
health services of the past decade.
The great work done by St. Fintans Hospital and the Community Health Centre Portlaoise
should be commended but still further funding is necessary to offer best in class mental
health care.
THOMASINA CONNELL
LETS KEEP THE RECOVERY GOING