What are your thoughts on how the latest proposed amendments to the Irish Firearms Acts - as contained in the Criminal Justice (Misc.Provisions) Bill 2009 - contravene the EU directive on Firearms (91/477/EEC) by requiring all Irish firearms owners to only purchase ammunition or firearms from Irish registered firearms dealers instead of the current (and in force since 1964) laws that allow them to purchase from any registered firearms dealer in the EU so long as the appropriate paperwork is in place?
05.06.2009
Reply from Patricia McKenna
Dear ,
I am sorry but this is the first time that this issue has been brought to my
attention and I am not familiar with the current state of play. I would be
extremely reluctant to give you a reply before I have had a chance to carry
out further research on it. I always feel it is unwise to comment on
something that one is not well informed on. When I have done some research
on the issue I will get back to you. Thank you for your question.
All the best,
Patricia
Environment
03.06.2009
Question from
Dear Patricia,
If, as you say, the politicians of Ireland are severly lacking in commitment to just about all and any of the "agreed" environmental initiatives - and this appears to have been acceptable to Europe so far. Can I ask, if you should be elected, what actual and effective mechanism/s of enforcement will become available to you if you should wish to improve this situation?
05.06.2009
Reply from Patricia McKenna
Dear ,
Thank you for your question. One of the most effective things an MEP can do
in regard to this issue is to push the Commission to follow up and force
member states to live up to the Directives that they themselves have agreed
to. To date Ireland has been sadly lacking in respect to compliance, plus
the Commission process is long drawn out and the Commission is always
reluctant to fine member states for failure to comply. I think however this
is starting to change. Furthermore, the Environment Commission is under
resourced and needs more support, ; which is an issue that I have been
pushing for years. But there is no doubt that having MEPs fighting for this
issue is of great benefit to NGOs working at the local as well as
international level.
All the best,
Patricia.
Europe's role in the world
31.05.2009
Question from
My question relates to Europe’s Overseas Aid policy.
Would you campaign to ensure that the European Parliament and the European Commission put pressure on Member States to meet their individual aid targets of 0.7% of Gross National Income by 2015?
Given the current economic problems there is a risk that Member States will cut back their overseas aid budget. Failure to meet aid commitments puts the most vulnerable people in the world at risk.
Would you also campaign to ensure that EU overseas aid is transparent and the Accra Agenda for Action is implemented to ensure that aid reaches those people that need it most?
Thank you
04.06.2009
Reply from Patricia McKenna
Dear ,
To briefly answer your question, as an MEP I would indeed support campaigns for Member States to meet their aid targets and for greater aid transparency.
To do this I would work with likeminded MEPs on campaigns that highlight these issues at the European level. I would also work here in Ireland to make sure that our own government is sticking to the pledges it made on aid targets. In a time of crisis it is quite typical for richer countries to renege on earlier promises of aid. We should remember that although we ourselves are going through a crisis, the crisis is affecting the globe and will hit the poorest the hardest. The World Bank has estimated that around 200-400 thousand more children will die each year if the financial crisis continues. 100 million people are expected to fall into extreme poverty this year alone. Aid is needed now more than ever to help those most vulnerable.
As for aid transparency, the governments of both donor countries and those receiving aid should be able to be held accountable for how the money is being used. I believe that citizens should be able to see where their money is going and that it is being used efficiently and effectively to fight poverty. Aid transparency helps to achieve this aim and therefore if elected as an MEP I will endeavour to campaign for greater aid transparency.
All the best,
Patricia.
Civil rights, data protection and political participation
28.05.2009
Question from
Ms McKenna,
If elected with which grouping in the European Parliament do you see yourself joining?
01.06.2009
Reply from Patricia McKenna
Dear ,
Thank you for your optimistic question and I do hope that this will be a decision I will be making in the next few weeks.
As member of the European Parliament for ten years I know only too well the ˜horse trading" etc. that goes on after the election results come in. Going by past experience, I feel that I will be able to take my pick when it comes down to joining a group. All groups bend over backwards to get new members and members from as many member states as possible in their groups as both these aspects are taken into account when it comes to the parliament giving out extra resources, chairs of committees, special positions in parliament, etc.
What group I actually decide to join will be based on the political ethos of the group itself. Although MEPs have the freedom within their group to deviate from the group position I would like to be part of a group that is closest to my own political beliefs. Within some groups there are separate factions. For example, within the GUE/NGL group - the faction is the Nordic Green Left; within the Greens/EFA group - the European Free Alliance, which is a regionalists faction including parties such as Plaid Cymru. There are also other groups such as the IND/DEM group, of which Kathy Sinnott is a member. In the past the independent Dana was a member of the EPP, the group that Fine Gael is a member of. So at the end of the day this will be a decision that will be made after the election. Furthermore no one even knows if all the current groups will survive after the election or change in some way. This happened with the Green group which was at one time a faction of a rainbow group made up of three separate factions, later they became a group on their own and currently they are a group of two factions. Some of these changes are due to the number of returning Green MEPs after the elections.
The issue of big groups verses small groups in also interesting, as there are advantages to both. I remember in the past some Fine Gael colleagues telling me I was lucky to be in a small group as got a lot more opportunities in relation to drafting reports, speaking in parliament, etc. as within in the big groups unless you have an extremely high profile you get lost in the group and the high profile MEPs get all the opportunities. On the other hand the big groups do have much more voting power and more senior positions within the parliament. Personally I like to work within a smaller group as I would have a lot more freedom.
As I have been an MEP in the past I do have the added advantage of knowing exactly what the political ethos of all the current groups is and if they still survive after the elections I will be in a position to make what I consider will be the right choice.
All the best,
Patricia.
Lisbon Treaty
22.05.2009
Question from
I agree with everything in your reply to Paddy Keogh especially what you have to say about the exploitation of workers. We all know that we have entered an era where most of the work will be done by computerised machines and we need a completely new approach to work. The employers are obviously delighted with the status quo. The government are all at sea.
Perhaps you could put the skids under our trade unions.
05.06.2009
Reply from Patricia McKenna
Dear ,
Thank you for your question.
It now seems that it is down to wage competition between different regions of the EU and the departure of Dell to Poland is just one example. So are the numerous individuals from other member states who are being pushed to work for less than the minimum rate in service stations and shops around the country. Employers are very happy with this situation and also with the fact that inevitably general wage rates will follow- assisted in some instances by the latest series of judgments from the ECJ.
The trade union leadership has been enmeshed in a corporatist structure for the past two decades. They conceived of themselves as co-legislators and partnership wage rates were struck on the basis of ESRI/NESC reports.
Now, the government and employers are not interested and the terms of the last National Agreement have been forgotten about. In effect employers will have achieved a wage cut of between 6 and 16% depending on whether they are within the public or private sector.
Therefore, the first thing to do is to fight for the implementation of the terms of "Towards 2016" otherwise what point is there in being in a union if they don´t pursue the terms of an agreement that they negotiated and recommended. Then, new ways of working can be considered and if necessary agreed in the normal manner.
But you are correct when you state that unions need to waken up and very fast and begin to provide considered leadership to their members.
