The Ferris Wheel - Labour Party · 2012 2013 2014 JOBLESS TREND IN AVOCA FALLING Arklow jobs, p1...

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Summary of Benefits and Coverage: What this Plan Covers & What You Pay For Covered Services Coverage Period: Beginning on or after 01/01/2020 Providence Health Plan: Total Enhanced 2500 Gold Coverage for: All Coverage Tiers | Plan Type: PPO The Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) document will help you choose a health plan. The SBC shows you how you and the plan would share the cost for covered health care services. NOTE: Information about the cost of this plan (called the premium) will be provided separately. This is only a summary. For more information about your coverage, or to get a copy of the complete terms of coverage, www.ProvidenceHealthPlan.com. For general definitions of common terms, such as allowed amount, balance billing, coinsurance, copayment, deductible, provider, or other underlined terms see the Glossary. You can view the Glossary at www.healthcare.gov/sbc-glossary or call 1-800-878-4445 to request a copy. Important Questions Answers Why This Matters: What is the overall deductible? $2,500 person / $5,000 family (2 or more). Generally, you must pay all of the costs from providers up to the deductible amount before this plan begins to pay. If you have other family members on the plan, each family member must meet their own individual deductible until the total amount of deductible expenses paid by all family members meets the overall family deductible. Are there services covered before you meet your deductible? Yes. Most preventive care in- network. This plan covers some items and services even if you haven’t yet met the deductible amount. But a copayment or coinsurance may apply. For example, this plan covers certain preventive services without cost sharing and before you meet your deductible. See a list of covered preventive services at https:// www.healthcare.gov/coverage/preventive-care-benefits/. Are there other deductibles for specific services? No. You don’t have to meet deductibles for specific services. What is the out-of-pocket limit for this plan? $6,500 person / $13,000 family (2 or more). The out-of-pocket limit is the most you could pay in a year for covered services. If you have other family members in this plan, they have to meet their own out-of-pocket limits until the overall family out-of- pocket limit has been met. What is not included in the out-of-pocket limit? Premiums, penalties, copays for adult vision services, chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, services not covered, fees above UCR. Even though you pay these expenses, they don’t count toward the out-of-pocket limit. Will you pay less if you use a network provider? Yes. For a list of participating providers see http:// phppd.providence.org/ or call 1-800-878-4445. This plan uses a provider network. You will pay less if you use a provider in the plan's network. You will pay the most if you use an out-of-network provider, and you might receive a bill from a provider for the difference between the provider's charge and what your plan pays (balance billing). Be aware your network provider might use an out-of-network provider for some services (such as lab work). Check with your provider before you get services. Do you need a referral to see a specialist? No. You can see the specialist you choose without a referral. V: 19.6.0.0 1 of 6 Total Enhanced 2500 Gold 56707OR1120020-00 2216280075

Transcript of The Ferris Wheel - Labour Party · 2012 2013 2014 JOBLESS TREND IN AVOCA FALLING Arklow jobs, p1...

Page 1: The Ferris Wheel - Labour Party · 2012 2013 2014 JOBLESS TREND IN AVOCA FALLING Arklow jobs, p1 Avoca World War I, p1 Garda Authority, p2 ... works in parts of New York and I was

Ferris WheelThe

CONTACTANNEFERRIS TD

Dáil Éireann, Kildare Street, Dublin 2Phone: 01 618 3539Fax: 01 618 4671Email: [email protected]

Constituency Office:115 Main Street, Bray, Co. WicklowPhone: 01 2764699Fax: 01 2116664

facebook.com/ferrislabour

In the three year period since thecurrent government was electedthe number of people fromAvoca, Arklow, Inch, Aughrim,Redcross and Brittas Bay signingon the live register in Arklow hasstopped climbing and started tofall. It’s still far too early forcelebrating and there’s more tobe done before we are back tothe levels of unemploymentexperienced in 2008 but there’sdefinitely a strong downwardtrend. In fact the number of people signing on in Arklow has now fallen below 2009 levels.

There’s still far too much unemployment in the Arklow live register area. It’s frightening to think thatthings could be twice as bad if the post-crash trend had continued without active policy intervention.

This welcome change in trend is, we are told, not reliant on emigration or the number of people thathave returned to education. According to the experts in the Economic and Social Research Institute (the ERSI) the downward trend inunemployment nationally is matched by an upward trend in numbers of jobs being created. The ESRI tells us that this year alone will see thecreation of 50,000 new jobs nationally, bringing national employment back to 2008 levels.

One of the encouraging aspects to the current pattern is that we know that recent employment growth is not linked to another constructionbubble. The hope is that the growth we are experiencing now represents a more sustainable type of base employment pattern. The more ofthese stable jobs that can be created in areas such as services, tourism, small industries and food production the better. Then when theconstruction sector begins to recover Ireland can enjoy the benefits of further employment growth without the fear of another devastatingbust.

Earlier this year I travelled to the town of Ypres in Belgium to honour more than 100 youngmen from County Wicklow, including several men from the Avoca area, who died therefighting in World War I.

Some were nationalists, some were unionists but the vast majority were just young menin their late teens and early twenties who left Ireland in a spirit of adventure to see theworld. All were proud of the country that they left and most died hoping for peace andprosperity for the families they left behind.

When I visited their memorials in Ypres, I brought with me a suitcase filled with littlesprigs of Wicklow heather. The idea was to bring a small token of the beauty of the GardenCounty to the place where these men from County Wicklow experienced the full horrorof a wholly unnecessary war.

On the new WWI monument unveiled on 18th September at Woodenbridge, the men’snames are carved in Wicklow granite and the memorial is set within a wild mountain landscape. I can’t think of a more fitting or morepeaceful tribute.

October 2014

A newsletter by Anne Ferris TD

Avoca Edition

Anne with Myles Smith and Bernie Ivers atthe Woodenbridge Memorial opening

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JOBLESS TREND IN AVOCA FALLING� Arklow jobs, p1

� Avoca World War I, p1

� Garda Authority, p2

� Community Courts, p2

� Mandatory Retirement, p2

� Adoption, p3

� *COMPETITION!* p3

� Wind Farms and Pylons, p4

� The Red Kite Walk, p4

� O’ Moore’s Tree Avoca, p4

AVOCA AREA WAR DEAD HONOURED

What’s Inside...

Page 2: The Ferris Wheel - Labour Party · 2012 2013 2014 JOBLESS TREND IN AVOCA FALLING Arklow jobs, p1 Avoca World War I, p1 Garda Authority, p2 ... works in parts of New York and I was

Justice Committee Updateby Anne Ferris, Vice Chair of Oireachtas Committee on Justice Defence and Equality

GARDA AUTHORITYSCOTTISH OR NI MODEL?At the height of the controversies about GSOC and Garda penalty pointsI was the first TD to call for a truly independent Garda Authority.

As a result I was asked to author Labour Party Policy on the shape anddirection of the new Garda body.

I have yet to be convinced that we should blindly follow the model of theNorthern Ireland Policing Board which has 19 politician members. Firstly,that size of a board can be just too big to be effective. Secondly I wouldprefer to have a smaller board dominated by non-elected board members.

I prefer the structure of the new Scottish Policing Authority which has 13members, none of whom are elected politicians. In my view GardaAuthority board members should be selected by public advertisementand open competition.

There is a real value to having members of thepublic involved in overseeing the work of thepolice force that protects their communities. Wehave to get back to basics. The key issues are crimeprevention, safer communities, more transparencyand trust.

The new Garda Authority should have the powerto recruit, and if necessary dismiss, senior Gardaí.In my view the Authority should also have the role of distributing budgetsto the various Garda functions. The new body should prepare strategies,set targets and measure success and failure.

The bottom line is that a democracy needs an effective trusted policeforce. Our Garda Síochána still ranks amongst the best police forces inthe world. The challenge is to retain what is good and to build a strongerpolicing service for the future.

COMMUNITY COURTS COMINGI have to say that I’m a big fan of Community Court systems. I studied how itworks in parts of New York and I was impressed.

Every day of the week we are hearing stories of street crimes that cause greatupset in our communities.

These types of crimes range from graffiti to structural vandalism, from handbag snatching to the spate of car-jacking that has been witnessed in Dublinand Wicklow in recent months.

Crimes like this are expensive to police and prosecute and more often thannot the perpetrators reoffend on release.

Started in New York in 1993, the Community Court system seeks to applyrestorative justice within localities. In a nutshell, if through an obligatory pre-trial process an offence is deemed to be suitable to go through the Community

Court system, and if the accused pleads guilty, there will be no criminal sanction and a communitybased restorative justice programme will apply.

So the graffiti vandal could find herself paying back the local community through a supervisedarts or landscaping scheme and the handbag snatcher could be placed supervised in a communitycharity role.

In July our committee issued a report recommending a major pilot scheme. The trial scheme wouldbe carried out in one of the policing districts in central Dublin, under the supervision of a dedicatedJudge, supported by a cross body Implementation Group and importantly, with the support of thelocal community.

Launch of Report on Hearings in relation to Community Courts

We have to get back tobasics. The key issues arecrime prevention, safercommunities, moretransparency and trust.

“The graffiti vandal could findherself paying back the localcommunity through a supervisedarts or landscaping scheme andthe handbag snatcher could beplaced supervised in acommunity charity role.

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There was astrong welcomeamongst thegeneral publicfor my recentlypublished Bill toabolishmandatoryretirement ages. The employers’ representative bodyIBEC made some disapproving noises but I’d imaginethat even their members realise that they must movewith the times.

It is wrong for people to be forced to retire justbecause they hit a ‘magic age number’ like 55 or 65. Ifa person is fit and able to do a job and willing to workthen that person should be able to make their ownmind up about retirement.

This autumn I will continue to lobby for change andwill be strongly promoting my Employment Equality(Abolition of Mandatory Retirement Age) Bill 2014with colleagues in the relevent Governmentdepartments.

ADOPTION - a subject close to my heartMany readers will already be familiar with my personal experiences of our archaic adoption laws. I was adopted and, when I was a teenager,my first born daughter was placed into adoption.

I was reunited with my daughter after 23 years. This summer I met a long lost sister for the first time, some 55 years after her birth.

Gaps like this are just too long. So much that should have been shared within a family unit has been lost forever. That is why I am verykeen to do what I can to help update our laws.

In April of this year my Open Adoption Bill was debated in Dail Eireann for the first time. The idea is to allow today’s adopted children tohave the possibility of maintaining contact with natural family members, a mother, a grandmother, an uncle.

Our current laws work like a closed door. There’s no room to slide a birthday card or a Christmas greeting or a communion photographunder that door. I want to see the term ‘Open Adoption’ on our statute books.

And that’s just a start. I have also drafted a Labour Party Position Paper on Adoption called ‘Opening the Door’.

This new approach would allow adult adoptees access to all the information needed topiece together their identity. For far too long adopted people have been denied access totheir adoption files and birth certificate information.

COMPETITION FOR AVOCARESIDENTS ONLY!To mark the success of the Red Kite project in Avoca, I’d like to offer a prize to the firstAvoca address out of the hat on December 1st 2014 with the correct answer to thefollowing question:

In what year did the Red Kite reintroduction programme

begin in Wicklow? (hint – see overleaf!!)

Anne Ferris pictured with journalist Martin Sixsmith andadoption activists Philomena Lee and Susan Lohan

Anne Ferris delivering the opening addressto the International Adoption Conference2014 at UCC

Cheese board and knife byHill Picket Studio

It is wrong for people to beforced to retire justbecause they hit a ‘magicage number’ like 55 or 65.

“I was reunited with my daughterafter 23 years. This summer I met along lost sister for the first time,some 55 years after her birth.

Remember – on this occasion the raffle is for thosewith Avoca addresses only!

Answers by email to [email protected] or by post toAnne Ferris, 115 Main St, Bray.

The prize is a beautiful beech and sycamore cheeseboard and cheese knife, hand made by thewoodworkers in the Hill Picket Studio in Avoca. Thestudio is run by master craftsman Chaim Factor whomakes handcrafted furniture and gifts fromsustainable Irish timbers. The studio also offersclasses in woodworking. www.hillpicketstudio.com

RETIREMENT CHOICES

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THE AVOCA POSTCARD

Anne Ferris TD

0612

Dáil ÉireannKildare Street, Dublin 2Phone: 01 618 3539 Fax: 01 618 4671 Email: [email protected]

facebook.com/ferrislabour

Constituency Office115 Main Street, Bray, Co. WicklowPhone: 01-2764699 Fax: 01-2116664

Shortly before the Oireachtas retired for summer recess, a fresh south easterlywind blew through the Department of Communications, Energy and NaturalResources. We have a new Minister, and as quick as a tornado I was engagingwith his advisers on the important issue of Ireland’s renewable energy strategy.

I’m pleased to report that it looks like my message is being heard. I have beencampaigning for a long time for a fresh approach to Ireland’s renewable energystrategy. What worked for the Green Party in government back in 2008 does notwork today. There is little evidence of an export market for Irish renewable energyyet developers and EirGrid continue to submit large scale windfarm and pylon proposals into a confused planning systemwith the objective of exporting wind power.

I’m a firm supporter of renewable energy and I believe thatIreland should install sufficient capacity to meet our owntargets. But no politician has the mandate to promise ourrural landscape to meet the environmental targets of othercountries.

The ground is certainly shifting on this issue. The Ireland-UK governmental exportagreement idea has been scrapped. I am calling for a full economic review of theneed for off-shore and on-shore wind proposals including those in Wicklow andthe Grid Link pylon route from Cork to Kildare, one corridor of which proposesto pass through west Wicklow.

The latest word to me from Department sources is that close attention will bepaid to the 1200 submissions to the Government’s Green Paper on Energy. Giventhat most of those submissions expressed sentiments similar to mine, my feelingis that change is in the wind!

Anne with Clifford Dagg of D2 Alliance andHelen Gilletlie of Coastal Concern Alliance

AVOCA LEADS THE WAY WITH REDKITE WALKIf like me you prefer an easypaced hike to a full-onmountain climb then perhapsthe Red Kite Walk in Avoca isthe trail for you.

The woodland walk startsfrom opposite the church inAvoca Village and climbsupwards to an elevation of80m along an easy distanceof about two and a half kilometres. The trail, which is marked with arrows, takes aboutan hour to complete and there’s every chance that if you look up in the sky there willbe a beautiful Red Kite flying overhead.

These large birds of prey had become extinct in Ireland before being reintroduced toCounty Wicklow since 2007.

To mark the success of the trail since its official launch this spring, the Anne FerrisConstituency Office is having a raffle! The prize is a beautiful hand crafted cheese boardand knife, made by the wonderful craftspeople in The Hill Picket Studio, based in Avoca.See overleaf for competition details.

Anne attending the Official Opening ofthe Red Kite Walk in Avoca

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My constituency office has produced a limitededition postcard reproducing an 1845 image ofthe famous O’ Moore’s Tree at the Vale of Avoca.

There’s one for every household in the Avoca area,with my details on the back should a constituentneed to contact me for any issue big or small.There are a few postcards left over so if you knowsomebody would like a copy, let me know [email protected] or Anne Ferris, 115 Main St,Bray, Co. Wicklow.

SaveTrees

Please sharethis newsletter

and thenremember to

recycle.

“There is littleevidence of anexport market forIrish renewableenergy.

WIND FARMS AND PYLONS UPDATE