High car insurance premiums are crippling the working poor – Codd

Irish car insurance premiums are still over 30% more expensive on average than they were in 2015 a local election candidate claims. Jim Codd of Aontu says shocking insurance quotes are crippling young people and the working poor and encouraging a culture of uninsured driving.

“Our car insurance industry remains deeply flawed despite government efforts to reform it,” Mr Codd said. “Car premiums are rising, particularly for young drivers and owners of older cars. Many drivers of cars that are over ten years old find it hard to even get an insurance quote, even though their car may have just passed the NCT. The argument that older cars are more likely to be involved in claims based on recorded stats does not hold up as it very obviously fails to acknowledge the great number of older cars on the road and the high number of them being driven by ‘at risk’ categories of drivers.”

“The government’s plan to deal with unsustainable car insurance is to make both premium calculation and details of past claims more transparent. This is nothing short of ineffective bureaucratic shadow boxing and will do little to help people struggling with unaffordable insurance bills.”

“Radical action is required. In Australia, all cars must be registered, which usually comes with a vehicle test similar to the NCT. They are then given state appointed compulsory insurance which covers personal injuries to the driver or third parties. We could adopt this system and, by further developing the NCT and DOE, offer all passed vehicles a basic third party insurance. This would eliminate the uninsured drivers problem and create an unbiased form of base insurance for younger drivers and owners of older cars. Obviously fire and theft, and comprehensive insurance would still be privately purchased.”

“Greater regulations on accident claims must also be introduced. In 2012 strict cut off points were introduced on accident claims in Florida resulting in a drop of 13% on average car insurance premiums over the next two years. Thinking differently is the only way to tackle this crisis. Setting up government sub committees advised by the very insurance companies who are profiteering off the current premiums will do nothing but ensured continuing escalating annual quotes.”

Commercial vacancy rates rebate is counterintuitive – Cole

Over 12% of commercial properties are unused in Wexford town. Local election candidate Elaine Cole says that this figure could be reduced by dramatically lowering the commercial rates rebate in the town, which she claims is counterproductive and a contributing factor to high rates for existing businesses.

 The Aontu rep said; “Owners of commercial sites that remain vacant for a year or more are eligible for a rebate on their rates of up to 85%. This reduces the encouragement for owners to drop high rents to attract tenants. In turn this means that SMEs and start ups struggle to rent property they need while owners can afford to leaves sites empty. This is counterintuitive.”

“Last year our local councillors once again refused to lower the generous rebate and instead are complicit in the recent rise in commercial rates for many businesses across Wexford. A massive lowering of the rebate would have helped the argument to reduce rates on small, struggling businesses.”

“One business owner I met while canvassing had her rates raised by €1400 this year – a 34% increase. To top this, the rates incentive offered to her by the Council to open her business in a vacant premises two years ago has still not been given. Add to this the increase in VAT and the cost of bins which the rates should but do not cover, and we see the burden placed upon small business owners. They are squeezed rather than fostered.”

“If elected, I will strive to work towards the lowering of the rate rebate on vacant sites and a reduction on rates payable on leased premises. This would help rejuvenate Wexford, which in turn will attract more tourism, more footfall and more jobs."

Codd: State wastage is impacting on autistic kids

Qualified teachers are being paid by the government for one on one services with children under the home tuition grant because there is a severe lack of ASD unit space in Wexford. Aontu Rosslare LEA rep Jim Codd has challenged the states wasteful approach to dealing with the 1300 plus waiting list for children to see an occupational therapist in County Wexford.

 “I’ve been a teacher for over two decades in Bridgetown College and I’ve seen first hand the huge difference that ASD unit, SNAs and additional services have made to students over the past few years. These services prevent vulnerable children from disappearing through the cracks in our education system and allow them to open up as confident individuals.”

 “There are over 1300 children stuck on waiting lists to see an occupational therapist in County Wexford at the moment. This is 33 times the national average and a damning indictment of Wexford services.”

 “Some children can’t manage in mainstream classes because of sensory overload or extreme social anxiety. We don’t have enough ASD spaces available across the county. This has led to a situation where qualified teachers are being paid by the government for one on one services with children under the home tuition grant. This is unsustainable and clearly not the most efficient way to handle the huge backlogs in the system.”

 “There is huge wastage in our public service. If this was adequately addressed, funding would become available to help those who are most at risk and end these shameful waiting lists.”

Taghmon eviction must be stopped - Aontu

Jim Codd, an Aontu rep in the Rosslare LEA, has called on the County Council to show compassion and halt the eviction of a young man from his family home in Taghmon. Thomas Fitzgerald faces eviction from his family home on the basis of an antiquated rule from a council tied up in legal jargon, Mr Codd said.

“Thomas Fitzgerald grew up and lived all but one year of his life in number 6 Monastery Avenue,” Mr Codd said. “He stayed nearby after moving out and regularly stayed over night with his parents when they both fell into bad health. Mr Fitzgerald moved back in permanently to care for his mother after the death of his father. He should be given a medal for doing so, not an eviction notice.”

“Mr Fitzgerald informed the County Council of the change of circumstances following the death of his mother. He never missed a rent payment and was the perfect tenant. Yet, because of an antiquated rule, the Council has deemed it fit to evict him from his family home. When challenged on the unfairness of this, they had the audacity to take the high moral ground and claim they couldn’t break the rules because there were 2500 people on the housing list in Wexford. Yet they only bothered building 21 council houses last year!”

“The eviction of Thomas Fitzgerald will mark a new low for our local administration. Throwing people out of their homes is something that the Irish have always opposed. It was a deciding factor in our national struggle and to have compassionate local politicians claim that this is some morally justified act to ease the housing crisis at a time when no real effort is being made to build either social or affordable homes in this county is scandalous.”     

Old Garda Station must be used for benefit of town, not property developers

The sale of the old Garda Station in Wexford town by the OPW would benefit nobody except property developers, according to a local election candidate. Elaine Cole said that statements in today’s edition of the Wexford People suggesting that the building was too far gone to be used for community projects were misleading and biased.

“It’s a thorough disgrace that this public building has been left to lay idle and fall into disrepair,” Mrs Cole said. “It’s easy for Wexford County Councillors to talk about it being utilised now when an election is looming but why didn’t our elected reps ensure that this building was used over the past few years in a time when Wexford people are sleeping rough and it’s estimated that there are 120 homeless people in the locality. Just last week the main charity helping homeless people in the town lost their shop and main source of fundraising due to a disgraceful rates bill imposed by these same council reps.”

“The idea that the old Garda Station can’t be restored and the best solution is for the OPW to sell it off to property developers is disgusting. Other abandoned Garda stations, like the one in Baldwinstown, that have been sold on by the OPW have yielded zero benefits for the people of Wexford. The money disappeared into a public sector black hole while locals were still left with lack of basic services.”

“Why has the old station been left to rot during a local homeless crisis? Why has Wexford County Council been able to increase spending on homeless emergency accommodation by 900% in the last five years? Why did our local reps think that spending over €1 million of taxpayers money on private B&Bs and hotels was a better idea than developing their own emergency hostels in publically own buildings? These questions have to be asked because, despite all the spin and the thin veneer of piety, this Council has effectively stood idly by while a shanty tent town developed around the Wexford and young people inhabited the underside of our bridge.”

Front garden swamped with sewerage for one year

A young family living in Our Lady’s Island have been forced to live with raw sewerage flooding in their garden for the past year, according to a local election candidate. Jim Codd of Aontu said he was shocked that the County Council had not fixed this issue despite promises having been made.

“The Dunne family in Loch Tochair View in the Lady’s Island are living in a house where potentially lethal raw sewerage has been flooding their front garden at irregular intervals for the last year,” Mr Codd said. “Despite several reassurances this issue has not been fixed.”

“This family has a young child with autism and ADHD. In an effort to tackle this, the family have built a sensory garden at the front of their house. This garden has been flooded with sewerage five times in the past year.”

“Mr Dunne is also legally blind, making this situation even worse. I’m appealing to Wexford County Council to deal with this issue immediately. It’s morally irreprehensible to leave a family suffering in a situation like this.”

Why are people sleeping under Wexford Bridge?

A viral video which got over 30,000 views in 48 hours has sparked outrage in Wexford. Jim Codd, the Aontu rep for the Rosslare LEA, said he made the video to highlight an issue that seems far away to most, but is happening right under our nose.

“Last week a former student of mine got in contact and told me that he was sleeping in a nook underneath Wexford Bridge,” Mr Codd said. “That’s why I decided to make the video. It was even worse than I expected when I got out there. From a shanty town of tents over looking the town to damp caverns lined with old sleeping bags underneath the bridge, it was clear that local and national government had failed in its efforts to tackle the housing crisis.”

“Homelessness has become a buzzword in Ireland. People throw it around and politicians make grand speeches about how they’ll tackle it. In fact, several well meaning but effectively useless motions went before Wexford County Council over the past few years in relation to the housing crisis. There total lack of impact can be seen in the fact that only 21 social houses were built in Wexford last year and 120 people are homeless in this area.”

“The Oireachtas Housing Committee pledged to build 10,000 new social housing units in the state. Only 21 were built in Wexford last year, below the national average, and no affordable houses have been built in the last three years. 70% of the government’s ‘Rebuilding Ireland Policy’ is provided for by private tenancies which is counter-productive to this crisis.”

“Aontu will push for accountability and demand that the 10,000 social housing target is surpassed and that government aid for private property development and speculation ends. We will also push for the reintroduction of affordable housing construction by local authorities.”

“In the immediate term, I will campaign for the construction of another homeless refuge in Wexford town to deal with the emergency situation. Having spoken to housing campaigners, I am told that some current emergency housing accommodation in Wexford is not available everyday and leaves families having to vacate their dwellings during the daytime or for whole weekends. It’s incredible that volunteer charities have been left alone to find rooms for rough sleepers while our councillors make benign motions in a €60 million glass fortress. An emergency refuge is not a long-term solution to lack of social housing, but it is far more humane than leaving people living in tent towns and underneath bridges.”

Greenway can open up new Wexford tourism line – Codd

The opening of a greenway along the Rosslare to New Ross Rail Line could revitalise South Wexford, save struggling local businesses and open up a whole new tourism industry in the county, according to one local election candidate. Aontu's Jim Codd says the greenway could be the perfect link between Rosslare Europort and the beautiful, artisan-filled villages of South Wexford.

“Greenways have acted as economic and social stimuluses’ wherever they have been opened,” Mr Codd said. “They have revived dying rural villages, created new industry based on sustainable tourism and provided safe green areas for families. They are the perfect model for opening up rural Wexford to international tourism.”

“The proposed Rosslare to Waterford Greenway could be the catalysis for an innovative new tourism industry for rural South Wexford. It could create jobs, save businesses and bring new revenue into the local economy. The positives far outweigh the negatives.”

“I understand the concerns some people may have with the plan. Obviously reroutes will be needed on places to stop the greenway running through private property. Efforts must also be taken to preserve the now defunct Rosslare to Waterford Rail Line, either by running the track parallel to the rail line or by covering the line with temporary, removable track. This rail line will certainly be needed for industry in the future.”

Kilmannon Castle needs urgent repair

Following an extensive canvass of the Cleariestown area, a local election candidate has called for immediate action to be taken in preserving a crumbling castle at Kilmannon graveyard. Jim Codd, the Aontu rep in the Rosslare District, has said that locals have been left with no further course of action after repeated pleas for help went unanswered over the past decade.

“Kilmannon Castle is a valuable piece of Norman architecture that should be preserved for the sake if history if nothing else,” Mr Codd said. “What makes this worse is that the castle is a potential threat to the graveyard around it, the neighbouring dwelling and passing locals if it collapses. It’s not an understatement to say that the castles current condition is extremely dangerous.”

“Locals have pleaded with Wexford politicians and the County Council for the past decade and have received little if any help. Frustrated, they banded together and attempted to repair the stonework themselves. In response, Wexford County Council ordered them to stop all work immediately. Currently they are in a Catch 22 situation where the Council will not allow them to repair the Castle but are unable to repair it themselves.” “I intend to push for an arrangement to be made as soon as possible, stressing the real risk to life that the castle poses in its current condition. The idea that safety laws that prevent locals from voluntary making this site safe might result in a fatal accident is disgusting, but plausible. Action must be taken before it’s too late.”

A poster free election would benefit the environment

An Aontu election candidate has voiced her disappointment at the failure of a motion before Wexford Council to make Wexford town poster free this election. First time candidate Elaine Cole said that she will now be forced to purchase a limited amount of posters due to the disadvantage it would place her at, but still firmly supported the idea of banning such posters altogether. 

“It’s unfortunate that Cllr Tony Walsh couldn’t even get another Councillor to second his motion for a ban on election posters in Wexford town at today’s meeting,” Mrs Cole said. “It shows that the big political machines working for the establishment parties still value plastering their images on poles over the welfare of the environment. It takes hundreds of years for a laminated poster to deteriorate and cable ties, often left behind, are extremely dangerous to wildlife and birds.” 

“As a first time candidate who has lived and worked outside my home county for a number of years, I understand the advantage posters could make to me. Now that the ban has been defeated I will be forced to get some or risk a considerable disadvantage. I believe that it is a mistake and exposes many elected reps who claim to be environmentalists.” 

“As technology continues to advance and more people are getting their news and opinion from social media, posters should be antiquated. All it takes is collective will, and they will disappear. Unfortunately it seems that will is missing in Wexford politics. I will continue to campaign against the use of harmful election posters in coming elections.” 

Clongeen family left in over-crowded house while next door sits empty

Three generations of one family are living in a over-crowded council home while the house next door has sat empty for the past two months. Aontu candidate Jim Codd has slammed the slow turn around on re-occupying council houses following a vacancy.

“It’s becoming all too common to see several generations of one family living in cramped situations these days,” Mr Codd said. “Three generations of the Smith family are living in one house in Clongeen while the house next door has sat empty for over eight weeks. This family, like many others across this county, are living in over cramped conditions while vacant council houses are reconditioned at snail-pace.”

“The government will tell you that everything possible is being done to tackle the national housing crisis. They’ll tell you this despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Over one million Irish people are homeless, stuck on housing waiting lists or racked by mortgage and rent increases. Last year, Wexford County Council claimed to have added fifty new homes to their supply, most of them acquired. Despite promises of a major public housing building programme, Wexford managed to only produce a handful of new buildings.”

“Three generations of the Smith family live under one roof, deprived of privacy and space. Will it become four? How can it change with current government policy? The average house price in this state is 7.7 times the average salary. Average rents are €1,100 per month. Council houses are not being built at any sufficient rate and seem to be constructed sparsely to benefit the reputations of failed politicians.”

“In the 30s, the 50s, and the 80s in tough economic times social and affordable housing were built at far higher rates. Aontu believes that if the state invested €2.2 billion in capital spending a year the 10,000 housing units per year objective of the Oireachtas Housing Committee could be surpassed. Local Authority must be tasked with the development of mixed income public housing estates with Affordable Purchase homes, Affordable Cost rental and Social housing. One in every thirty three houses in the state is vacant. It’s up to the Government to introduce grants to make those in need of repair habitable and tax those who refuse to utilise their stock.”

The sacrifice of Easter 1916 should be remembered – Cole

Aontu, Ireland’s newest political party, will hold an Easter Commemoration in Crosstown Graveyard in Wexford town next Saturday. Wexford Aontu rep Elaine Cole said that her party felt strongly about keeping traditional republican values alive.

 “The sacrifices made by the men and women of 1916 were supposed to usher in a Republic based on liberty and equality of opportunity, not licence and laissez faire,” Mrs Cole said. “It was supposed to be a place where class distinction did not exist, where politicians served the people and where all the children of the land were cherished equally. The ideals laid out in the 1916 Proclamation and the 1919 Democratic Programme were incredibly progressive for the day and promised a nation that we could all take great pride in.”

 “A century later and the vision of our founders has been eroded away by gombeen politicians, corrupt big business and elitist yuppism. That is why Aontu believes it is so important to mark the anniversary of the Easter Rising, a moment sadly confined to the dustbin of history by the Irish establishment and group-think political parties.”

 “We will be holding a traditional Easter Commemoration at 6pm on Easter Saturday evening at the Republican plot in Crosstown Graveyard in Wexford. This event is open to all to attend and will be family friendly. I’ll be honoured to share speaking duties with my Rosslare LEA colleague Jim Codd and local youths will read the proclamation and other historical documents as a mark of respect. We will also have Easter lilies for sale at the event.”

Codd: Unfair EU Quotas are destroying Wexford Fishing Industry

Wexford fishermen were sold out as part of a giveaway to the EU according to the Aontu Local Election Candidate in the Rosslare LEA. Jim Codd has accused the establishment political parties of not only presiding over this sellout since 1972, but of also attempting to stifle any criticism of EU policies in Ireland.

“Once prosperous fishing communities like Kilmore Quay have withered away to nothing as a result of the EUs grossly unfair fishing quotas for Ireland,” Mr Codd said. “Trawlers sit idle while much larger factory vessels from Spain and France overfish off our coast. How can the quotas be about conservation when little effort is made to patrol their catches?”

“Kilmore Quay Fishermen have been ignored and, much worse, criminalised by successive Irish governments. Only recently, two Kilmore Quay Fishermen were once again targeted by the state and threatened with arrest for alleged overfishing. Despite this causing outrage in the locality, not one single elected rep voiced their concern for the well being of these hard working people. It seems that there is a terrible fear to be labelled sceptical of the European Union in this Brexit saturated world.”

“My priorities for fishing as part of the Aontu team in County Wexford will be to seek an all out ban on super-trawlers operating off our coast, end the criminalisation of our fishing crews, fight for the introduction of a single fisheries payment for fishermen and take on the EU on their unjust quotas without remorse. Aontu is growing rapidly across the thirty two counties of Ireland and we will not be afraid to take on the EU and challenge the cosy eurocrat consensus.”

350 annual avoidable deaths due to waiting lists – Cole

Waiting lists to see GP’s are costing lives according to a Aontú Local Election Candidate in Wexford. Elaine Cole says that forcing sick people to wait to see a doctor or get hospital procedures was detrimental to our society.

“According to the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine some 300 to 350 of our citizens die avoidably every year as a result of lack of treatment,” Mrs Cole said. “Three quarters of a million people are currently on hospital waiting lists. It’s now becoming normal practice to have to wait for up to a week for an appointment with a GP in Wexford. This a sad indictment of our health system and proof that radical change is needed.”

“Every family interacts with their local GP. It makes sense that we should prioritise them during this national health crisis. Aontú believes GP’s should be incentivised to offer a wider range of services, either directly or through an Integrated Group Practice. It is clear that with increased investment in facilities, staff and ongoing professional development, GP’s can offer a much wider set of services, including minor surgical procedures.”

“Around 1800 hospital beds were lost to austerity cuts over the past ten years. Prioritising GP services is only one way out of this mess. In the short term we must utilise all available private beds to cut down the massive public hospital waiting lists. Lives are at risk here and unprecedented measures are needed to tackle this crisis.”

Driving lessons should be taught in school – Codd

A secondary school teacher running in the local elections has said that driving lessons should be introduced into school. Jim Codd, an Aontu rep in the Rosslare LEA, said our current way of dealing with young motorists was unproductive. 

“I’d like to a see a similar process as is currently employed in the USA and Germany where drivers education classes are part of the curriculum,” Mr Codd said. “Safety and basic skills could be taught in class, preparing the student for their provisional test which could be sat as part of the state exams. Discount driving lessons could also be sourced in the short term with Department of Education training tracks developed in each county over time.” 

“Our current system is unproductive in how it deals with young motorists. A provisional driver must have a full licensed driver with them at all times. This accompanying driver cannot be a novice class, as in someone who has only passed their drivers test in the previous two years. This is obviously a method to try and cut down on road accidents but puts a huge economic burden on young people, particularly young couples who may not have anyone else to sit in the car with them and may not have any other way of getting to work.” 

“A drivers course in secondary school could not only guarantee that most students would have a provisional license when leaving, but also could see up to half earning their full licenses through the education system. The economic bonuses would be great but would not compare to the safety benefits.” 

A snapshot of a local business - Elaine Cole

I had coffee with a lovely lady today, a small business owner in Wexford town. I didn’t ask for an endorsement or to use her details publically or even for her vote, I just wanted to sit down over coffee (it was good coffee!) with someone who could give me a snapshot of their situation. Let’s dive in.

The premises she is in holds retail outlets, offices and flats and was once owned by NAMA, but then sold at a gentle price to an investor who polished it up to sell it on piecemeal. Because it had been previously vacant the County Council offered potential buyers an incentive to invest. They would get 75% off their rates on their first year in operation, 50% off in year two, 25% in year three.

It wasn’t so simple. Because this lady wanted to run a coffee shop she had to apply for change of use planning permission, despite it being already zoned as retail. Coffee shops aren’t retail enough apparently. That came with the planning costs.

In order to qualify for the rates incentive, she had to fit out the coffee shop according to various criteria laid out by the Council, a restrictive and more costly exercise. She had to pay for fire certs despite the fact either the original planning had them, or overlooked them; the former should have meant she didn’t need to get them, the latter would have been a planning department oversight. Either way, not her responsibility.

She has been in operation now for almost two years but has not received any of the promised rates incentive back. Her rates were EUR4062 per year, she remains out of pocket 75% of this while heading to the end of her second year. Maybe she’ll get it sometime, who knows.

This year, her rates have increased by EUR1400 to EUR5462. All while the Council owe her the promised incentive. You have to pay it to get it back of course, they like to double the handling for some extraordinary reason.

The Council have given the running of the attached car park to a management firm who provide cameras, security, litter picking, and general maintenance. That costs EUR5000 per year. Both National and local government seem to prefer private firms for anything you can think of.

Her bins need to be cleared often due to food waste and it was no more expensive to pay for a van to remove the waste daily than to pay the bin removal firms weekly. This costs her EUR2500 per year. Rates should of course include bin removal, I’m not even sure what they do include.

Her VAT has gone up from 9% to 13.5% and the wages have increased. If the minimum wage increases for her minimum wage staff, all staff deserve to have a raise relative to this. She pointed out of course that she isn’t averse to paying the minimum wage because in principle this should be a good thing, and should broadly match the regional living wage. But the stranglehold on SME’s and start-ups needs to be loosened from the top in order to allow businesses to pay out further down.

Dublin has revalued the rental values for regional towns, despite the variation from area to area within towns and despite the fact that decisions like this should be made closer to the people and businesses involved. Once Dublin raised the rental valuation on Wexford, the County Council were then free to raise rates on owners given that rates are the Councils main income due to national government underfunding. Rates are not tied to income, to ability to pay, to your business type or location. This owner made the point that setting your rate on your VAT returns would be a way of tying rates to true income, a point worth noting and considering.

Ultimately this business owner employs 27 people, she is a local business employing local people. And she will pay out c.EUR12,500 this year in rates, bin and car park management while awaiting her promised rates rebate, all while paying her increased VAT. What business wouldn’t struggle with that? And we are told the government has not forgotten regional Ireland. It is concerned about us, heck they even grace us with their presence for their national conference and swan about in local villages like tourists. If we’re lucky they plant a tree with a little brass plaque. But the truth is they don’t give a hoot about regional Ireland, and it shows, and has been showing for decades, as we are left to stagnate and pay up.

Its time that changed.

Revaluation will not fix commercial rates issue – Codd

The revaluation of all non-domestic property in Wexford which is currently taking part under the National Revaluation Programme will do nothing to help struggling local businesses according to a local election candidate. Jim Codd, the Aontu rep for the Rosslare LEA, has called for existing high rates to be reduced by placing higher duties on empty commercial units.

“It seems that both National and Local Government are dangerously unaware of the problems faced by local businesses,” Mr Codd said. “Commercial Rates are already a cause of stress to these businesses and now the revaluation of existing rates is going to add extra expense to an estimated 50% of rate holders in Wexford.”

“It is important to note the proposed valuation entered on the Proposed Valuations Certificate is not a bill for rates but is a statement of the proposed valuation on which rates will be calculated from January 1, 2020. Any rate payer who is dissatisfied with any of the particulars on their PVC can submit representations to the Valuation Office within 40 days from the date of issue of their certificate.”

“A related cost factor is Commercial Property rent inflation. This is having a serious impact in many areas of the country. Currently rates for empty commercial sites are set by local councils, but are set low enough to leave owners under little added pressure to find new commercial leaseholders. An increase in the rates for empty commercial premises, and a minimum set at government level albeit applied by local councils would see a drop in rent amounts as owners are encouraged to lease out their sites to avoid paying the increased vacancy rates. In turn these sites then become locations of viable enterprise and re-energise local areas.”

Country pubs decimated by governments neglect of rural Ireland – Codd

A candidate for the upcoming local elections has said that the demise of local pubs is a direct result of successive governments neglect of rural Ireland. Aontu rep Jim Codd said that rural pubs will eventually go extinct unless national and local government learns to think differently.

“I have spoken to several publicans and bar staff while out canvassing in the Rosslare LEA and they are all under the impression that not enough was done by the powers that be to protect their institutions,” Mr Codd said. “The obvious after effects of major changes to the business such as the smoking ban and the deregulation of licensing laws which allowed supermarkets to sell much cheaper alcohol were not taken into account by the state. No stimulus or grants were offered to struggling rural pubs, and neither was any effort made to give grace to businesses who had fallen behind with their VAT or any reduction in commercial rates.”

“Pubs were once the central meeting place for rural communities, a place where people could meet their neighbours and older people could go for company. This has now been replaced with discount beer deals in supermarkets which is having a terrible effect on many people. Alcoholism and the diseases involved with it are on the rise in rural Ireland.”

“The rural pub is a traditional hub and tourism highlight of the Irish countryside. We need to protect them. The practice of pubs selling slabs of beer at a loss to get people into their store must be halted and incentives must be introduced to preserve our country bars. Social clubs in the UK are surviving because such incentives have been ordered to them and it has turned these venues into community centres in many cases.”

Insurance industry is out of control – Codd

A local election candidate has added his weight to calls for massive reform of the insurance sector. Jim Codd, running for Aontu in the Rosslare Local Election Area, said that outrageous insurance quotes are putting SMEs out of business and making it impossible for workers in rural Ireland to cover the premiums for their vehicles to get to work.

“The private insurance industry in Ireland has been described to me as being akin to a mafia operation,” Mr Codd said. “Quotes are apparently delivered on an ad-hoc basis, tailored only to slightly undercut a competitors price. There is no formula that a customer can follow to anticipate the price of annual car or business insurance.”

“We do have an issue with a claim culture in this country. I don’t believe that it is so severe that a businesses insurance can rise by as much as 1000% per annum in some cases. This extreme system of quoting is sending small businesses to the wall and making private car insurance unaffordable for many people.”

“Aontú supports the Alliance for Insurance Reform in seeking to prevent exaggerated and misleading claims and believes these should be pursued through a Garda Insurance Fraud Unit. Aontú also seeks consistency in the calculation of awards at realistic level and also transparency on how premiums are calculated and claims are settled. A national website fitted out with an independent premium calculator would bring a feeling of trust back into the relationship between insured and insurer.”

Shop Local Online can be the saviour of Wexford retailers – Cole

Wexford retailers could boost their annual income by up to 500% under an innovative new economic plan put forward by Ireland’s newest political party. Elaine Cole, a local election candidate for Aontu, said that her party’s localised online digital shopping hubs could revolutionise Irish trade and save our high streets.

“The Irish are the biggest international online shoppers in the world,” Mrs Cole said. “In total, Irish consumers spent over €6.5 billion in 2017, and this is set to rise to over €10 billion by 2020. Meanwhile, local spend, particularly in town centres continues to struggle. Shops are closed and jobs are shed. Small Irish retailers struggle to compete against large online entities like Amazon who can reduce their postage to virtually nil due to the volume of packages they send and are blessed with large marketing budgets.”

“Imagine if we could level the playing field for Irish businesses through a series of innovative government measures? Aontú will work to establish an online e-commerce platform, providing local businesses an opportunity to compete in the digital age. E- marketplace would put local products and services within a click of a button to consumers across the county and into the global marketplace. A countywide, united approach would ensure it is cost-effective, professional and mobile friendly service for the consumer, while also maximising online traffic for the retailer.”

“Postage could be significantly reduced because of combined volume and a guaranteed local online brand could be developed in a similar vein to the guaranteed Irish logo. Combine all of this with a high street tax on large internet traders like Amazon and we could dramatically increase revenue for small Irish businesses. We could save local businesses, jobs and boost the local economy.”

Let farmers sell excess energy to the grid – Codd

A local election candidate is calling for legislation change to allow family farms to be able to sell renewable energy back to the grid. Jim Codd, running for Aontu, said that it was both an economical and environmental necessity to give farmers the ability to produce commercial energy.

“65% of Irish family farms are not sustainable at the moment according to recent studies,” Mr Codd said. “At the same time, Ireland faces up to €600 million in fines from the EU if we can’t cut our carbon emissions. It’s time for progressive thinking to tackle these big problems.”

“Irish farms are well placed to produce small scale wind energy, small scale solar energy and bio digestion. This could add as much as €10,000 to their annual income. Yet Ireland is the last country in Europe to provide a feed in tariff to allow this to be done. This must be changed immediately.”

Mr Codd said that Aontu was also intent on pushing Minister Naughton to make plans to provide a grant-aided scheme for domestic installations of PV (photovoltaic) solar a reality.

“75,000 family farms have suitable roof space to deliver up to 250MW electricity per year from roof-top PV solar installations. It is also thought that 500,000 homes and 50,000 businesses could collect similar clean energy, which could be sold back to the grid.”

“There are 4,000 family farms in County Wexford today but it’s estimated that only 1,400 of them are independently economically sustainable. The others have incomes of less than €24,000 per year, €10,000 less than the average industrial wage. Imagine what the ability to sell excess clean energy back to the grid could do for these farms, the local economy in the county and our environment?”

Codd: Hospital Parking regime shows no empathy to vulnerable

The current car parking situation at Wexford General Hospital shows no empathy for visitors, many of them extremely vulnerable, according to a local election candidate. Jim Codd of Aontu said that he would make this an issue when elected to Wexford County Council.

“The parking situation at Wexford General Hospital is extremely restrictive,” Mr Codd commented. “A visitor must have change to get out of the carpark as debit cards are not accepted and a dedicated member of staff for car parking does not seem to exist.”

“On top of this, parking fees are excessive. A night-time visit to A&E will usually result in an €8 tariff. Daily trips to see a sick loved one can quickly ramp up high bills despite the availability of concession tickets. This can already be a stressful time for someone without having to add financial worries into the mix.”

“In 2017, €729,634 was generated from car parking fees in the hospital, roughly €14,000 per week. Incredibly, €135,552 of that was taken as VAT. While I accept that much of the remainder is earmarked for reinvestment into the hospital, it would still seem that better methods could be employed, such as a daily flat rate and the use of new tech for payment.”

Aontu select two candidates for Local Elections

Aontu, Ireland’s newest political party, will run two candidates in the upcoming Local Elections in County Wexford. Jim Codd and Elaine Cole were selected at a packed selection convention in the Farmers Kitchen this evening.

Mr Codd, a secondary school teacher at Bridgetown College, will contest the Rosslare LEA, while Mrs Cole, a mother of seven, will contest the Wexford LEA. Aontu was formed by Deputy Peadar Toibin earlier this year and seeks to be a new voice in politics.

“Our party was formed as a direct result of the 8th amendment referendum,” Mrs Cole said. “Deputy Toibin put forward several amendments to the abortion bill and was blocked by the political establishment on every single one. These weren’t radical proposals but simple, compassionate amendments, including the right to give medical attention to a child who survived an abortion seriously injured and the provision of pain relief for the unborn child after 20 weeks gestation. These amendments were heartlessly voted down by the main political parties.”

Mr Codd said that Aontu was a last stand against the corruption and lack of will in the Irish political establishment. “Aontu is a line in the sand. We’re living in a country where people are ostracised for expressing democratic opinions at odds with the mainstream. We have 750,000 people on hospital waiting lists, a total lack of adequate mental health services in the middle of a suicide epidemic, a prevalence of employment schemes and exploitative temporary contracts over real jobs, and 10,000 homeless people in the state. All this and little if no response from our political parties.”

“Elaine and myself are not politicians but we couldn’t sit idly by and watch the complete collapse of our Republic. Faith in the political system has never been lower and voter turn out continues to fall in local elections. Aontu will be the antidote to this malaise, but we'll need help. We are a new party looking for members and supporters.”