Uncategorized

Closure of defined benefit pension schemes by large solvent companies a major concern

Closure of defined benefit pension schemes by large solvent companies a major concern

Closure of defined benefit pension schemes by large solvent companies a major concern – Rock
INM decision to close its scheme very worrying
Fine Gael TD for Dublin North West, Noel Rock, has expressed serious concern at the closure of defined benefit pension schemes, by large solvent companies. Deputy Rock made the comments following the decision by Independent News and Media to close its scheme.

“Concerns have recently been raised with me by a number of people about the condition of defined benefit schemes and their closure by some companies, including INM, where staff now face having their pensions reduced by as much as 50% immediately.
“We need to urgently review our legislation around pension rules, to ensure that firms which are solvent cannot close an existing pension scheme, which is backed up by a Pensions Protection Fund, emulating the current approach in the UK.

“I know that the Minister for Social Protection met recently with the chairperson of the Pension’s Authority and has asked the authority to report back to him with an assessment of the current overall position in relation to Defined Benefit schemes.

“In my view a company should only be able to shut down its pension scheme in exceptional circumstances, and not at a time when it is simultaneously paying out dividends. This has got to end.

“I am determined to stand up for decent people who are scared and don’t understand why shareholders make money out of a company, while at the same time their lives have been turned upside down. The rules governing pensions for solvent firms need to change urgently, and I will work to bring about this change.

“I will continue to pursue this issue and raise it at the highest levels of Government. I am also urging management at INM to reconsider their decision to wind up the pension scheme, a move which will hurt hundreds of families all over Ireland. This is an extraordinary situation and I cannot see any material justification for this course of action, given the fact that INM is a profitable company. It’s wrong and ultimately actions such as this will affect all of us.”

| | , , , , , , |

Time For Minister Ross To Get Tough With OCI

Time For Minister Ross To Get Tough With OCI

Fine Gael TD for Dublin North West Noel Rock has this morning urged Minister Shane Ross to “get tough” with the Olympic Council of Ireland and its President Pat Hickey as they refuse to answer a number of important questions around the ticketing saga.

Speaking on the matter, Deputy Rock, a member of the Public Accounts Committee said: “The fact that Pat Hickey and the OCI are refusing to allow any independent oversight of their own investigation is cause for concern. Why are they so opposed to oversight and transparency? What have they got to hide? These are very real questions which now take on a sudden urgency, and on a broader level call into question governance issues within the OCI”.

Deputy Rock added: “I have full confidence in Minister Ross’ ability to get the answers we deserve and the transparency we need, and I hope that Pat Hickey and the OCI will reconsider their stance. This saga now has the potential to overshadow these games from an Irish perspective, which isn’t fair on anybody – be it families, fans or the athletes themselves. The OCI are trying to hide in the shadows of legal advice – but that’s not good enough: legal advice doesn’t preclude them from having an external individual take part in their own investigation: that’s stonewalling, plain and simple.”.

Deputy Rock concluded: “As I’ve said from the outset, either answers must be provided for the Minister or it’s absolutely a matter for the Public Accounts Committee to discuss. We need answers, the OCI’s stonewalling is both unhelpful and inappropriate. I believe Pat Hickey needs to sit down with Minister Ross and I believe Minister Ross needs to drive home both the urgency of the situation and the gravity of the situation. Ultimately, it’s time that Shane Ross got tough with the Olympic Council of Ireland”.

| | , , , , , , |

Pro10 Statement invites more questions than answers

Pro10 Statement invites more questions than answers

TD for Dublin North West, Noel Rock, has expressed concern and dissatisfaction following Pro 10’s statement this evening concerning their role in the Rio Olympic ticket scandal. Pro 10 have this evening released a statement giving their version of events relating to the ticketing discrepancies during the 2016 Olympic Games.
“This evening’s belated statement from the Authorised Ticketing Agency of the Olympic Council of Ireland, Pro 10, invites more questions than answers.

“For instance, why have no affected customers come forward? Why did the authorised ticket seller have no representative in Rio? Why did a company with no representative in the host city get the contract for all the tickets in the first instance? Why weren’t the Olympic Council of Ireland seemingly aware of this during any of their statements? How on earth did a company without a representative in the host city win the contract as the sole ticket supplier and how exactly did they win the rights to this? There are now many more questions to be answered.

“Minister Shane Ross will be travelling to Rio on Sunday and meeting with Pat Hickey on Monday and I sincerely hope more satisfactory answers will be found than what we have seen to date. This situation is completely unacceptable and is at risk of overshadowing our very real achievements in these Games.

“While I’m hoping there is a reasonable explanation, there are still a great many questions to be answered in terms of good governance that will simply not be answered by any criminal inquiry which is being undertaken in Rio. If the Minister cannot get satisfactory answers, I would certainly repeat my call for the OCI to come before the Public Accounts Committee”.

| | , , , , , , , |

Olympic Council of Ireland should appear before PAC over ticket scandal

Olympic Council of Ireland should appear before PAC over ticket scandal

This week, I called on the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to answer questions regarding the ongoing Olympic ticket scandal in Rio. Deputy Rock is a member of the committee and believes the public have a right to know the full details.

This ongoing ticket scandal is an embarrassment, not just for the OCI but for the country in general. While we should be enjoying and talking about the events taking place on the track, in the pool, etc. we are discussing off the field antics and an Irishman arrested for selling OCI allocated tickets on the black market.

I am calling on the OCI and its President, Pat Hickey, to appear before PAC and answer questions from myself and my fellow committee members. We need to investigate this fully and ensure the lessons are learned from this and it never happens again. I have commented before about my absolute zero tolerance towards ticket touting, and to see tickets allocated to a taxpayer funded body being apparently touted raises questions that must be answered.

I would also like to see the breakdown of monies received from the OCI from its authorised ticket reseller and determine how much of this money was received by the various national federations and athletes from across the country. It is important that the OCI is fully transparent in its dealings with its commercial partners and I hope PAC will be given the chance to investigate this fully, as obviously any shortcoming in expected income will ultimately have to be stumped up by the taxpayer: therefore it is certainly in our interest.

| | , , , , , , , |

Renters Need a Fair Deal

Renters Need a Fair Deal

*First Private Member’s Bill of 32nd Dail Set Down
*Suggestion Of “Shadow Deposit” Mechanism To Aid First Time Buyers
Fine Gael’s youngest Deputy Noel Rock has today spoken about the urgent need to address the rental crisis, saying: “We have a serious situation here. Rents are rising to all-time record levels in Dublin. Young people who traditionally would be buying in their late 20s or early 30s are currently prevented from doing so by a dual trap of high rents and tight new mortgage rules: we need a fair deal for renters, and that’s why I have set forward the first Private Member’s Bill of the 32nd Dail last week, to get moving on this urgent crisis”. 

Deputy Rock explained: “My bill would be the first in an envisioned package of measures which would allow the Minister for Finance and the Governor of the Central Bank to work in a more coordinated way to ensure that the policies pursued by the Central Bank are working in the way that is intended. This alone will not be enough though, and we are absolutely going to need some form of assistance for first time buyers. 

Deputy Rock added: “I have written to the Central Bank Governor suggesting a mechanism to allow 70% of rent outlaid in the last three years to act as a “shadow deposit”, provided documentation can be provided showing that this has been paid on time. This, allied with a deposit, would allow renters to comply with the current mortgage rules in a fairer, more sustainable way: if you can pay €1400 rent monthly, you can pay a €1400 mortgage monthly”. 

Deputy Rock continued: “I speak from experience. As a 28 year old, I know what it’s like to be simultaneously paying rent while trying desperately to get a deposit together. In such a rising rent market, it’s practically impossible. I have spent almost €100k in rent in my lifetime already, and there’s frankly no end in sight. We need to act as legislators while not infringing on the independence of the Central Bank, and I believe this Bill is one step in striking that balance”
ENDS
Noel Rock TD

| | , |

“From ‘An Ireland For All’ to ‘A Dáil For Fianna Fáil’ in less than 48 hours” – Rock

“From ‘An Ireland For All’ to ‘A Dáil For Fianna Fáil’ in less than 48 hours” – Rock

“From ‘An Ireland For All’ to ‘A Dáil For Fianna Fáil’ in less than 48 hours” – Rock
Speaking today on Fianna Fáil’s new found commitment to political reform, Fine Gael’s youngest TD Noel Rock, a new TD for Dublin North West said: “I am astonished that the very first thing Fianna Fáil have decided to pursue following the election – ahead of having a government that can deal with homelessness, health and making sure we can provide jobs to improve the lives of all the people who voted for all the parties – is to make sure the Opposition Micheal intends to bring his party in to is more comfortable for them. What happened to their slogan of ‘An Ireland For All’? How do they intend to pursue this while simultaneously running away from the responsibilities of Government?”
“It’s clear that, rather than wanting ‘An Ireland For All’, what they actually want is a Dáil for Fianna Fáil, where they spend an entire month changing procedures to make life in opposition more comfortable for them, rather than putting any priority on the pressing needs we face in healthcare, housing and – indeed – the economy”.
“While I welcome Micheal Martin’s sudden conversion to political reform – it’s remarkable that after a career in frontline politics starting since before I was born, he has only now become a convert to the cause. Indeed, when Noel Dempsey was left flailing in the wind in 1999 as he tried to implement similar reforms, Micheal Martin was in power and his friend Bertie – who is now out doing his bidding in the media again – was in charge. Yet nothing was done”.
“Some people talk the talk on political reform, but the last administration has walked the walk: an end to Galway Tent-style corporate donations, the introduction of gender quotas, proper pre-legislative scrutiny”.
“There’s more to do and, as a new Fine Gael TD, I intend to do it. However, while I welcome this new and long overdue stance from Micheal, I can’t escape the feeling that they simply want to play pass the parcel politics: rejecting Government with anyone, rejecting responsibility, putting party first and making life more comfortable for themselves when they choose opposition”.
ENDS
Contact: Noel Rock 085 7049415

| | , , , , |

Thank You

Thank You

I’m tremendously grateful to those who put their faith and confidence in me and gave me their Number 1 vote last week. I am also incredibly humbled by it. 

I have clear goals that I intend to pursue as promised during the election campaign. 

I look forward to working for our community on a national level. Thank you once again. 

| | , , , , |

Taoiseach and Leo Visit Finglas and Drumcondra

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister Varadkar this week visited a growing business in Dublin North West, Joe Duffy Motors, who are now one of the biggest employers in Finglas with 400 staff, and a brand new business in Drumcondra, the Lovely Food Company, which opened last year. 
These two businesses typify the kind of thing we should be striving to encourage: entrepreneurs and job creators. We have been fortunate in D9 and D11 to have great, resilient entrepreneurs who have worked through a difficult five years and are now striving towards new opportunities. We intend to continue to ensure the job creation environment is healthy. 
   
 

| | , , , , , |

General Election Update

 Why should I vote for Noel Rock?
– I was the only Councillor on Dublin City Council who did not claim any expenses. The average Councillor took home €12,000 in unreceipted, unvouched expenses. I was the only Councillor of any party to reject these, and to work to bring about reform here: I don’t believe any politician should receive expenses without receipts and proper transparency. Others talk a lot about political reform, but I embrace it, and keep my promises.

– We need a voice at the Government table to ensure we get the investment we need in the years ahead. Three opposition voices simply won’t get our area the investment we need and, according to the pundits, including RTE, I am in contention with the second Sinn Fein candidate for the final seat in this constituency, with the Social Democrat candidate and the first Sinn Fein candidate poised to take the first two seats.

The last five years were about restoring the economy, the next five years must be about restoring fairness, and restoring investment.

The hard fought gains of the last five years will allow the next Government to do more of the kind of things we want to do: a fairer deal for parents, a fairer deal for pensioners, more investment in transport, in crime prevention, in education, in healthcare and in our local amenities.
We need a voice at the table. We need to make sure we get the investment we need. For that, we need a voice in Government. I hope you will trust me with your Number 1 vote tomorrow.

| | , , , , , |

New Burglary Act Tough On Crime

New Burglary Act Tough On Crime

Fine Gael General Election candidate for Dublin North West, Noel Rock, has said that the new Burglary Act will help keep repeat burglars off the streets in the Dublin City and improve the safety of our community.
“I believe we need to be tough on crime. This week, I am glad to see the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald, announced that the Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Act 2015 has come into operation. This is an important new act and means that bail can now be denied to repeat offenders.
“The problem of repeat burglaries is an issue for many people across this great city. Statistics provided by the Garda Síochána show that 75% of burglaries are committed by 25% of burglars. This important Act allows for bail to be denied, and consecutive sentences to be given, to repeat burglars. It’s my hope that the act will reduce crime rates across Dublin and will be a key weapon in the battle against crime.
“People should not feel afraid to go out or feel like prisoners in their own homes. This is a common sense, and long overdue, piece of legislation. This legislation is targeting repeat burglars. This Act will help to keep repeat burglars off the streets and to improve the safety of our communities.
“The new Burglary Act also provides an important additional layer of support to Gardaí in implementing Operation Thor. These new provisions for tougher sentences and stricter bail for repeat offenders will now be available when persons charged as part of Operation Thor come before the courts. Operation Thor, which was launched in November 2015, is a multi-strand national anti-crime and anti-burglary operation. It involves a broad range of activities to tackle crime, particularly burglaries.
“This Government has reopened Templemore after it was closed by Fianna Fáil; €46 million has been allocated for Garda vehicles, many of which will be high-power vehicles for targeted operations; €18 million is being provided for the refurbishment of Garda stations and €205 million has been invested in new technology for An Garda Síochána. This is part of an unprecedented allocation of €875 million in capital funding for the Justice sector.
“The economic recovery, brought about by the policies of this Government and the hard work of the Irish people, means we can now invest more in key public services, Fine Gael has a long term plan to keep the recovery going. Our plan will deliver more and better new jobs and will allow us to continue targeted investment in areas like crime prevention.”

| | , , , , |

Load More