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EU electionsCandidatesDublinProinsias De Rossa

Proinsias De Rossa (Labour Party)

Year born
1940

Professional qualification
Experienced public representative

Occupation
Public representative

Constituency
Dublin

Phone number
353 1 874 6109 (Dublin) / 33.322.2845681

Website
www.derossa.com

 
Questions to Proinsias De Rossa
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EU defence
19.05.2009
Question from
 

Thanks for your answer to my query about the EDA and it´s role if Lisbon is ratified.. From your answer I take it you agree with the Irish having to improve our military capabilities. Your argument that the EDA makes this a cheaper option because we buy in bulk and buy similar equipment, is missing the point I made. Your mention of conscription has nothing to do with my query, it is just putting spin on a genuine query. I will put the query to you in such a way that you cannot mix it up or spin it into a fudge..
It is a fact , in the treaty, It states that "you SHALL progressively improve your military capabilities" The ammount that each state spends WILL be decided by Europe and this will be overseen by the EDA. Europe will tell us how much % of our GDP they believe should be spent. That is very clear! We need our money for machines that save lives not machines that kill. Do you agree with Ireland being an equal partner in this EDA spending all our taxpayers money? Should we not be spending this money on educating our children, helping our people get good healthcare or creation of jobs for our young people.. Is it not a fair point to make?
27.05.2009
Reply from
Proinsias De Rossa



Dear ,

Thanks for coming back. Within the specific provisions of the Common Security and Defence Policy, Member States shall make civilian and military capabilities available to the EU and shall undertake progressively to improve their military capabilities. The need to do this is quite obvious in the light of the difficulties encountered in deploying EU missions, such as the Chad mission to defend 500,000 refugees, due to a lack of vital equipment.

The European Defence Agency has the task of "supporting the Council and the Member States in their efforts to improve the EU´s defence capabilities in the field of crisis management...." There is no provision for deciding what individual member States spend.

Certainly there is no provision for the EDA to spend all our taxpayers money.

The EDA´s tasks include ´developing´, identifying´, ´coordinating´, ´appraising´ - all under the authority of the Council of Ministers. High Representative Javier Solana has made it clear that the EDA does not have "a supranational military equipment or capability plan which aims to replace national defence plans and programmes. It should support, not replace, national decision-making."

It would seem obvious that, insofar as this country plays a part in EU/UN crisis management operations, it should seek to improve its capabilities. The decision on how to achieve improvement is for the Irish Government and the Oireachtas.

To hold the view that we should not have military forces is, of course, an honourable stance but if we maintain forces then I do not think it is a tenable position to deny them the equipment and training needed to carry out the tasks asked of them and to protect themselves.

Regards,

Proinsias
Research and technology
19.05.2009
Question from
 

Can you forsee marine research research being integrated into wider food industry research in Ireland in the near future?
20.05.2009
Reply from
Proinsias De Rossa



Dear ,

Thank you for your message. Prior to the final adoption of the EU´s 7th Research and Development Framework (2007-13) in 2006, I received correspondence from Irish interests arguing for the inclusion of marine research and in our November 2006 vote on establishing a ´Framework for Community Action in the field of Marine Environmental Policy´, MEPs did insert the following amendments:

23) Account should also be taken of biodiversity and the potential for marine research associated with deep-water environments off the outermost regions and support should be given, under specific programmes, for the drawing-up of scientific studies with a view to the improved characterisation of deep-water ecosystems.

25 ) Since the programmes of measures executed under Marine Strategies will be effective and as cost-effective as possible only if they are devised on the basis of a sound scientific knowledge of the state of the marine environment in a particular area and tailored as closely as possible to the needs of the waters concerned in the case of each Member State and within the general perspective of the Marine Region concerned, it is necessary to provide for the preparation at national level of an appropriate framework, including marine research and monitoring operations, for informed policy-making.

(29) Support for research into the marine environment should be enshrined in the Seventh Framework Programme on research and development (2007-2013).

I think the extent to which these provisions are acted upon in Ireland is a matter primarily for the Irish research community and policy-makers but if re-elected to the EP on 5 June, I will afterwards ask the Commission about the extent to which EU R&D; funds have been allocated for marine research in Ireland and about forthcoming calls for proposals in this area which may be of interest.

Best wishes,

Proinsias
Economy
19.05.2009
Question from
Jim

What is your opinion of open borders within the EU for the free movement of workers including those from future accession states?
Reply from
Proinsias De Rossa





2 interested people are waiting for reply
Education
17.05.2009
Question from
 

I am currently a student finishing Transition Year and my parents will face significant difficulties sending me to a good university if fees are reinstated in Ireland. What is your position on university fees and if the Fianna Fáil government does reinstate them, will you take action in Europe to ensure that whatever the Parliament can do to alleviate financial difficulties of middle-and-working class Dublin families trying to make a better life for their children.

I scored 5 As and 5 Bs in my Junior Certificate examinations, and I hope to score above 500 points in my Leaving Certificate, and I wish to go into law, but there is practically no chance of me being able to get through college and the further education required to practice if fees are instated in Irish universities. I promise that if you commit to helping students get through the tough times and come out as a new, well educated workforce ready to come out running with the end of the recession, I will try to convince my parents to vote for yourself.
Reply from
Proinsias De Rossa





no reply so far
Jobs
14.05.2009
Question from
 

I would like to know your views on the Liberalisation of the Postal Service, which is due to happen in January 2011.
Will you work to ensure quality postal services in Ireland and do you recognise the vital role played by An Post in delivering the Universal Service Obligation(USO)?
Will you work to ensure appropiate financial support in order to maintain the USO, but not at a cost to the taxpayer given that An Post is currently run without government support?

Finally, will you demonstrate that postal services should provide important, decent and stable jobs that have to be protected even in times of liberalisation and financial crisis?
20.05.2009
Reply from
Proinsias De Rossa



Dear ,

Thanks for your question. In July 2007, the EP agreed to the final stage of the controlled liberalisation of the postal service, a process which began 15 years ago. In particular, the Labour Party and our sister parties in the European Parliament insisted that the liberalisation deadline be pushed back from 2009 (as favoured by Member States´ Governments) to 2011, that the universal service, as provided by An Post, must include at least one delivery and collection five days a week for every citizen, on the need to maintain a well-functioning postal network with a sufficient number of access points in remote or sparsely populated areas, on the includion of working conditions in Member States´ authorisation procedures, and on the imposition of conditions on the supply of postal services for non-economic reasons, such as compliance with employment conditions and social security schemes laid down by law and/or by collective agreements.

With regard to funding, the directive provides that if the Government determines that the universal service obligations entail a net cost, it will draw up a financing plan and notify the Commission. The Commission must provide assistance to the Government on the implementation of this Directive, including on the calculation of any net cost of the universal service, in line with guidelines set out in the directive.

It´s important to realise that had this directive not been approved by the EP two years ago, liberalisation would have occured on 1 January 2009 and without many of the protections inserted by Labour and its allies during the negotiation of this proposal between 2006 and 2007. I was happy that we achieved the best deal we could possibly have got in the circumstances of a conservative-led European Parliament and Council. I believe the directive respects the rights and obligations of postal operators like An Post and all workers operating in the postal services.


This directive must now of course be implemented into Irish law and followed through at national level by December 2010. If returned to the European Parliament on 5 June, I will work with Labour TDs and with Labour councillors to monitor how this is done in Ireland and I will not hesitate to highlight breaches and problems at European level. The European Commission must also report back to MEPs on implementation of the directive at regular intervals and I will take a full part in this process.

I would also add that Labour´s European manifesto, available at www.derossa.com, commits Labour to include a ´social progress clause´ in every piece of European law, to take social impact assessments into account when developing new laws, and to a full assessment of the process of liberalisation.

Best wishes,

Proinsias
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