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O’ROURKE WELCOMES JOHNSTOWNBRIDGE SCHOOL BUS ANNOUNCEMENT

Frank O’Rourke TD has welcomed the confirmation that a school bus will now be provided for children from Johnstownbridge attending Scoil Dara in Kilcock

“A School Bus Service is currently in place linking Enfield to Kilcock. I am delighted that this service will be extended to collect pupils in Johnstownbridge. Details are been finalised with Bus Éireann for the service to be operating in the coming days”

“I am delighted that I have now received confirmation from Minister Halligan that the extended bus service to Johnstownbridge will be in place in the coming days for the new school year. I first raised this matter with the Minister and his officials, when a number of parents contacted me with their concerns three years ago.”

“I have continued to press Minister Halligan over the last number of years on this issue and I must acknowledge his commitment and work to have this service provided. He was personally committed to providing this service and I appreciate his support.”

“Children attending Scoil Dara Kilcock in Kilcock from Johnstownbridge did not have access to a public school transport service. This will now be provided and it is long overdue. Great credit is due to the parents who have campaigned relentlessly to have this provided and I was delighted to have assisted.”

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O’ROURKE AND COLEMAN WELCOME NEW SCHOOL BUS SHELTER

Frank O’Rourke TD and Cllr Michael Coleman have welcomed the construction of a Bus Shelter at St. Wolstans School in Celbridge

Frank commented, “I’m delighted to see the Bus Shelter installed on the Clane road beside St. Wolstans school. This was an issue that myself and Cllr Michael Coleman has been working on for some time at the request of all those that use public and school transport. This Bus Shelter will now give an improved standard for all those people waiting to get the Bus at this location.”

“I will continue to make representations for further Bus Shelters to be installed at the appropriate locations in North Kildare. I want to thank the NTA and Kildare Co Council for their assistance in delivering this Shelter.”

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O’ROURKE CRITICISES LACK OF ACTION ON INSURANCE COSTS

Frank O’Rourke TD has again highlighted Government lack of action in relation to reducing the cost of insurance as there is no sign of the National Claims Information Database being set up

Frank commented, “Insurance continues to be a critical issue for businesses and consumers. I know from my weekly clinics the negative effect of the high cost of insurance. It is putting excessive cost pressure on small businesses and putting a unfair burden on motorists.”

“The National Claims Information Database was supposed to be set up to provide transparency about the level of claims in Ireland. This was an important policy commitment to attract new entrants into the Insurance market in Ireland, and would not just bring down premiums but would also help tackle insurance fraud.”

“This National database was to be up and running last year. The Government seems to have washed its hands of setting up this database. As stated by our Finance Spokesperson, Michael McGrath TD, this database should be managed and controlled by the State, not by the insurance industry, and avoid competition law issues.”

“I will continue to press the Government to implement the recommendations from the Cost of Insurance Working Group. We need greater focus on reducing insurance costs as the average annual cost of motor insurance now stands at €750 compared with €450 in 2014, an increase of nearly 70%.”

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O’ROURKE – FUTURE OF SEAI RETROFIT SCHEME MUST BE CLARIFIED

Frank O’Rourke TD has called on the Minister for the Environment to clarify the future of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Deep Energy Retrofit Scheme

Deputy O’Rourke was commenting following confirmation from the SEAI that the scheme has run out of funding, with the demand far exceeding the level of funding available.

He explained, “There are homeowners in Kildare who are unsure of where they stand with their applications and worried about reimbursement. The demand for this deep retrofitting scheme is a clear indication that people are willing to make the necessary changes and play their part in tackling climate change, but they need to be able to access supports to carry out what can be very expensive works and they need to be confident in the scheme.”

“This latest issue is yet another example of Fine Gael mismanagement of its own policies. Only a few months ago the government launched a Climate Action plan with higher retrofitting targets and now today we have confirmation from the SEAI that it has reached its funding limit for this year and that new applications cannot be considered.”

“Just like the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan the government seems happy to don the hard hats, pose for photos, and announce new projects but the substance is not there. How can we expect people to make these big changes when they can’t be confident they’ll get the funding to do so? Minister Bruton needs to urgently clarify the situation for families who have already committed to these works and needs to tell us when a new retrofit scheme will be put in place.”

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O’ROURKE – FF BILL CRACKS DOWN ON INSURANCE FRAUD

Frank O’Rourke TD says a new Bill being brought forward by his party should lead to reduced insurance costs, as it will clamp down on fraudulent insurance claims

Fraudulent insurance claims have been a contributory factor in the rising insurance costs, which people in Kildare and across the country have been hit with in recent years

“The average premiums today are still €300 higher now than they were in 2014. Constituents regularly raise the high cost of motor and business insurances with me at my weekly clinics”  stated Deputy O’Rourke.

“Our Bill, the Civil Liability and Courts (Amendment) Bill 2018, is the latest measure from our party aimed at tackling spiralling insurance costs. I have raised the high cost of insurance with the Government on many occasions and have offered a number of proposals which the Government should have pursued. The Government has not given focus to this issue and it is affecting the cost of living for many people.”

“The majority of insurance claimants are genuine. However, there is an underlying issue with fraudulent claims, which is driving up the cost of insurance for motorists, businesses, community groups and individuals. We need to address this issue and our Bill is designed to make would-be false claimants think twice about making a claim. If passed, the Bill will direct a court to refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions where a case is deemed to be a fraudulent action.”

“This proposal was captured in the report published by the Cost of Insurance Working Group earlier this year. Reducing insurance costs has been a key priority for me and our party, and we must make better progress in reducing the cost of insurance and bring rates more in line with EU norms rates,” concluded Deputy O’Rourke.