Happy Christmas from Pauline Tully

As the year begins to wind down Sinn Fein TD, Pauline Tully has issued the following Christmas message to constituents across Cavan-Monaghan and North Meath.

“2021 has proved to be another busy year with Covid unfortunately still affecting everyday life. I want to pay tribute to people for their resilience and their tenacity in keeping going despite difficult circumstances. I want to sympathise with everyone who has lost loved ones in the past year due to Covid or otherwise. Hopefully Christmas and the New Year will see a return to what we associate as normal.

“A number of issues continue to dominate the political landscape and adversely affect people’s lives. The issue of housing which see rents increase, the number of evictions soar and the lack of availability of rental property either in the private or public domain are causing a lot of stress and worry. Since my election my main priority area has been to highlight the raft of housing issues in Cavan, especially the need for increased funding for social and affordable housing. For this purpose, I have been conducting, along with Cavan Ógra Shinn Féin members, a pop-up housing stall throughout the county to engage with constituents at a grassroots level.

“Other issues are the very worrying rise in the cost of living, the lack of capacity in our health system and the lengthening waiting lists for procedures, the waiting lists for assessment of needs and interventions needed for children with additional needs as well as the many challenges facing rural Ireland struggling with reductions of vital services.

“I have spoken consistently on issues of importance to the constituency as well as on issues relating to my spokesperson’s portfolio of Disability and Carers. I engage weekly on both the Committee on Disability Matters and the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement where I can bring up issues of relevance to both committees and seek answers from Ministers, Departments and public agencies on policy and implementation.

“As the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Disability and Carers I have been working with our policy team to update our policies, as well as our alternative budget proposals. This work has encompassed a wide range of engagements with disabled persons organisations, disability service providers and carers organisations.

“This year, with the lifting of restriction, I was also able to meet with many of you individually as well as the community groups and organisations you play such a vital part in. In the coming year I want to meet with even more of you. As your representative it is important to me that I am hearing directly from you about the issues and challenges faced by you every day.

“My office in Cavan is open for appointments Monday to Friday while the office in Ballyjamesduff is open on a part time basis.

My priorities over the coming months will consist of:

Continuing to highlight housing issues in Cavan and work with all relevant bodies to achieve much needed results;

Increasing my engagements with constituents and community, voluntary and business sectors;

Increase my Dáil speaking time to highlight and engage on issues relevant to this constituency and my portfolio;

Ensure robust and relevant representation on the Committee on Disability Matters and the Good Friday Agreement Committee;

Publish strong equality and rights-based policy proposals for people with disabilities and carers;

“I look forward to continue to work with others to improve life in this constituency and to address the issues affecting people most. I wish all the people in Cavan-Monaghan and North Meath a very happy Christmas and health and happiness for 2022.”