English advocates mutual recognition of Irish and UK citizenships post Brexit

Brexit, Business, College, Education, EU, European issues, Funding, Jobs, Meath, Navan, North Meath, Research, Research and Innovation, Skills, Trim, UK, Wesmeath

Monday, 27th March 2017

English advocates mutual recognition of Irish and UK citizenships post Brexit

Damien English, Meath West Fine Gael TD and Minister for Housing and
Urban Renewal, has advocated the mutual recognition by Ireland and the
United Kingdom of each other’s citizenships on a Bi-Lateral basis.

Minister English believes this as a solution to some of the challenges
that will face both countries post Brexit.

Minister English made his remarks in the week that British Prime
Minister Theresa May triggers Article 50 at a Fine Gael public meeting
on Brexit in the Newgrange Hotel in Navan on Monday night.  The
meeting was arranged for members of the public from the constituencies
of Meath West and Meath East.

“Irish and UK citizenships are already quite comparable.  For
instance, we afford each other similar voting rights, there are also
certain historic pre-EU rights in terms of passports and residency.
Many Irish people worked in the UK before returning home, and many
people in border counties still work in the North every day. All of
these people are worried about their current and future pension
entitlements”.

“Many Irish students study in the North or on the mainland UK, and
would face crippling international student fees post Brexit. In light
of our enormous shared history with the UK, our volume of trade,
coupled with our common interest in the North and in so many areas
like co-operation in health services, I believe there is a compelling
case for a Bi-Lateral deal between the two counties on citizenship”.

“Such a deal would be in relation to areas that have not been devolved
to EU level, and as such would be outside the remit of the direct
EU/UK talks” Minister English told the Fine Gael public meeting on
Brexit.

“Additionally, Fine Gael in Government will be working with every
sector of the economy and the public service in planning to ensure
Ireland retains its competitive edge in research and innovation as
well as FDI in a post Brexit EU” Minister English concluded.

English congratulates Meath West students on CAO 1st round offers

Action Plan for Housing, Apprenticeships, CAO, College, Education, Housing and Urban Renewal, Rebuilding Ireland, Skills

Monday, 22nd August 2016

Housing Minister highlights efforts to help students with accommodation

The Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal and Meath West Fine Gael T.D. Damien English has congratulated Meath West based students on their 1st round CAO offers today Monday 22nd August.

“I really hope that Meath West based students achieved the results that they were aiming for last June.  I urge them to draw on all the resources available to them today and over the coming days in making informed choices if they fell short in points.  Talk to your parents, to your older siblings, to those in the industries and sectors who hope to work in, to your school guidance counsellor, online resources like www.careersportal.ie, or avail of the helplines on offer” stated Minister English.

Local ETBs

“Local ETBs, formerly the VECs, run many exciting jobs focused PLC and other courses. There are also many good courses in ETBs in neighbouring Counties as well.  I urge students to examine these options, as well as paid traineeships and apprenticeships which are rapidly expanding into new non traditional areas like IT, Insurance and Finance” he said.

UCD on campus student accommodation

“On Tuesday 23rd August i will be officially opening 350 new student
residences at UCD for the coming year, bringing the on campus
accommodation on that campus up to 3,000 residences.  This will
benefit all students including students from Meath West, whether they
attend at UCD or not. With the Action Plan for Housing we will be
working to increase the overall supply of housing, which will benefit
students. But we do not want or need students to be competing with
better resourced professionals in the housing market either.  That is
why later this year we will be publishing a specific Action Plan for
Student Housing. Developments like UCD’s and other private
developments ongoing in Dublin will feed into that model and that work
too” stated Minister English.

USI Digs Capaign

“I was delighted along with Minsiter Coveney to give some financial
support to the USI #homesforstudents campaign earlier this month. It
is encouraging people to offer their homes as digs and linking
students up with appropriate accommodation.  I urge Meath West based
students to avail of this service at: http://homes.usi.ie/ as soon as
possible” concluded Minister English.

ENDS