Fine Gael MEP for Dublin Brian Hayes has today (Wednesday) said that the EU Commission will extend powers to allow judges to check whether an accused person has a criminal record in another Member State.

“Under the European Criminal Records information System (ECRIS) judges can currently check criminal records and fingerprints of an accused EU citizen via one single request rather than through 27 individual requests to other EU member states. It is now proposed by the Commission that this will be extended to non-EU nationals.

“This important decision will help to determine easily whether a guilty party was previously convicted in another Member State. In 2014 there were 688,354 convictions of non-EU citizens across the EU, but in only 3 percent of these cases did judges request to see if the individuals on trial had convictions in other EU countries.

“The ECRIS was originally implemented by a large majority of Member States in April 2012, to create an efficient exchange of information on criminal convictions throughout the EU. There has always been a concern that national courts in EU member states often pass sentences without any knowledge of previous convictions that a guilty party may have in other EU countries.

“However challenges still currently remain in relation to convicted non- EU nationals. At the moment it is not possible to determine whether non- EU nationals were previously convicted in other EU countries without contacting each country separately.”

“We must improve the system to include non-EU nationals as well as EU nationals to respond to the growing terrorist threats we face today and to ensure a safer European Union for all its citizens.

“The system could also serve to prevent crime through removing the possibility for offenders to escape their criminal past simply by moving from one EU country to another.”

Dublin MEP Brian Hayes has today (Friday) said that paying for the bus, Luas or DART with your bank card may become reality. Mr Hayes has been campaigning for the introduction of contactless debit card payment on public transport in Dublin. Transport operators in London have introduced a similar system over a year ago.

“The National Transport Authority (NTA) has confirmed to me that they are investigating the use of contactless bank cards for paying for public transport. A number of technical and payments experts have been hired to develop such a system.”

“London introduced their Oyster Card 8 years before Irelands’ Leap Card. The Leap Card has been a great success but to make public transport more attractive and convenient we need to change with the times.”

“There are great benefits to the contactless system. The biggest plus is that commuters would not need to worry about topping up their Leap Card. It would also encourage those that don’tuse public transport regularly and don’t have a Leap Card to use public transport as they would avoid the much higher cash fare.”

“I hope that progress can be made throughout 2016 in developing this system.”

Speaking at a Fine Gael constituency meeting in Dun Laoghaire tonight (Thursday) Fine Gael MEP and Director of Elections, Brian Hayes said the choice facing the electorate in the coming weeks is straight forward. Those choices are – a stable Fine Gael/Labour Government or risk it all for a Fianna Fail/Sinn Fein Government.

“In every election over the past 90 years voters were offered a choice of Governments. At this election that’s different.”

“Fianna Fail’s Director of Elections has said he expects the party to win 35 seats – far short of forming a Government. This means they would have to form a Government with Sinn Fein. I believe the Irish people do not want the Sinn Fein party next or near Government after the next election. Despite what the Leader of Fianna Fail might say about Sinn Fein, can Fianna Fail be trusted on this issue? Six of their front bench spokespeople have publicly said that they would consider going into Government with Sinn Fein. A desperate party can say desperate things!”

“Fine Gael has a long-term plan to keep the recovery going. Yes we are seeing economic progress with 135,000 more people at work, but we can’t take for granted that stability and recovery will continue. We know from Greece that political instability leads to economic instability. Our plan will deliver; more and better jobs; make work pay more than welfare and allow us to make sensible investments in public services due to the resources generated by a growing economy and rising employment.”

“Voting for Fianna Fail could allow the very people who wrecked our economy back into government and a vote for Fianna Fail could end up being a vote for Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein is a tax and spend party that will destroy confidence in the economy. The Irish people have worked too hard to get the country where it is now, we cannot go back.”

“In the face of immense challenges, the current Fine Gael/Labour Government provided stable, competent Government for the past five years. We haven’t got everything right, but on the big decisions Ireland is in a much stronger position now” concluded MEP Hayes.

Fine Gael MEP, Brian Hayes will today (Wednesday) give evidence to a House of Lords Committee inquiry taking place in Brussels on the upcoming Brexit referendum. The House of Lords Committee Inquiry is meeting all political groups within the European Parliament. Brian Hayes was selected on behalf of the EPP Group to give evidence to the inquiry.

Speaking in Brussels Mr Hayes said “From an Irish point of view it’s important that Britain remains in the EU. Already the Taoiseach has fully supported the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement with Britain. I expect that agreement to occur at the February European Council Meeting here in Brussels.”

“We all know the importance of this issue to Ireland from a trade, economic and Northern Ireland perspective – Britain leaving the EU would cause enormous disruption to British Irish relations. I’m looking forward to the evidence that I will give today to this special House of Lords Committee and regard their work in setting out basic information to a British audience as a crucial part of this debate” concluded MEP Hayes.

Brian Hayes MEP today said that EIB funding to Ireland in the first year following the bailout was 37% higher than the final year of the bailout programme.

“Ireland’s position on the international markets has dramatically improved since the bailout. The first year after Ireland left the bailout programme (2014), EIB funding increased by 37% compared to the previous year, from €680 million to €932 million.

“When one considers that in the first year of the bailout programme, EIB funding to Ireland was just €210 million, we are now getting vast EIB input into various infrastructure projects all over the country. Earlier this year, the EIB invested €150 million into social housing in Ireland which is expected to deliver up to 2000 homes.

“This stream of funding will only continue to get better as growth in Ireland improves. Private investment into Ireland fell by around 25% during the crisis. This has really been one of the major casualties for the country throughout the crisis.

“The challenge is ensuring that we get investment levels back to normal levels. The government’s recent Capital Investment plan is ambitious enough to deliver proper infrastructure investment over the next five years.

“Under President Jean-Claude Juncker, the new European Commission has committed to re-igniting investment in Europe. The EU’s €315 billion Investment Plan is already starting to have an impact with several projects funded all over Europe, including Ireland. The government needs to continue to work with the Commission and the EIB to maximise Ireland’s potential from this Investment Plan. It is all about proposing realistic projects which meet the EIB’s strict criteria on credit quality.”

In 41 years of EU Membership, Ireland has received a net amount of €44 billion from the EU

Brian Hayes MEP today said that Ireland is expected to go from a net recipient to the EU budget to net contributor within the next five years.

“Between 1973 and 2014 Ireland received around €73 billion in EU funding and contributed just over €29 billion to the EU budget. This means that we have received a net amount of over €44 billion from the EU.

“It’s clear that Ireland as a small country has done extremely well out of the European Union. Before we joined the Union, our per capita income was a little over half that of the average of the then nine members. Now, our GDP per capita is second highest in the Eurozone.

“The success of our economy means that we will very soon become net contributors to the EU budget. It is expected that over the period of the current 7-year EU budget cycle (2014-2020) Ireland will be a net contributor. This is not a bad thing. Ireland has reaped the rewards from EU membership and we now have an opportunity to contribute to the success of the EU going forward. A stronger EU means a stronger Ireland. The benefits of the EU are much more than monetary contributions – the EU gives citizens the freedom to live, work, study and travel anywhere in the Union and the single market allows businesses to trade freely with each other.

“Vice-President of the European Commission Kristalina Georgieva has informed me that the operating budgetary balance in % GNI for Ireland has been generally positive over the past 15 years. She also confirmed that Ireland’s bailout programme had no effect on Ireland’s contribution to the EU budget, meaning that the percentage of our contribution to the EU budget was not impacted by the Troika programme.

“Ireland was a net contributor for only one year of its membership of the EU – 2009. But due to increased funding from the EU, particularly in terms of regional funding and agriculture subsidies, we have been net recipients for the past 5 years.”

Dublin MEP, Brian Hayes has today (Wednesday) welcomed the approval by the European Parliament to provide €442,293 to former workers of PWA International which was based in Rathcoole, Co Dublin. Mr Hayes was speaking in Strasbourg where MEPs overwhelmingly supported the application.

“Under the EU Global Adjustment Fund member states can apply to the EU for funding to assist vulnerable workers who have been made redundant due to the impacts of globalisation. The aircraft maintenance industry is one industry that has suffered. This is due to the increasing trend requiring the industry to relocate to areas where aviation is expanding such as Asia.”

“PWA is one of the companies that has suffered. In 2013, 108 workers in the aircraft maintenance business lost their jobs as part of the global trend towards locating maintenance repair businesses in Asia.”

“The PWA International application that was approved today by Parliament includes measures to assist people who are not currently in education, training or employment. It will be used to provide career guidance, access to education, allowances as well as arrange work placements and work experience.”

“Over the past seven years, Ireland has had nine successful applications for funding through the Globalisation Adjustment Fund. It has helped over 9,700 redundant workers, costing the EU in the region of €60 million. This is a good example of the practical support the European Union can offer its citizens. The financial support from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund is an acknowledgement that European solidarity is alive and well” concluded MEP Hayes.

Brian Hayes MEP today said that the European Commission’s new proposals on retail financial services have the potential to create a real internal market for everyday financial products such as mortgages. EU Commissioner for Financial Services Jonathan Hill is due to launch the Commission’s Green Paper on Retail Financial Services this Thursday 10th December.

“Commissioner Hill recently said to me that the EU institutions need to think about everyday financial services from a consumer point of view and come up with ways to improve our internal market. I believe Commissioner Hill has taken a bold step in addressing the problems that consumers face when they try to go to another country and buy a financial product.
“Only 3 percent of consumers in the EU have availed of a mortgage, credit card or insurance product in another member state. This is an embarrassing statistic for our internal market which should ultimately be working on behalf of the consumer.
“Irish consumers currently face serious problems availing of reasonably priced mortgages – in particular, Irish consumers face rip-off prices for variable rate mortgages. There’s no reason why the EU couldn’t have a well-developed internal market for mortgages. The average variable mortgage rate in Ireland is 4.18%, almost 2% higher than the Eurozone average. In Germany or France, for example, you can get long-term fixed interest mortgage for less than 3%. If we’re part of an internal EU market, why shouldn’t Irish customers be able to get a mortgage from a German or French bank?
“The reality is that the EU’s internal market does not work properly when it comes to buying financial services products. Consumers are forced to buy products such as mortgages in their own Member State because the obstacles are too great to shop around in other Member States.
“The Commission estimates that more market convergence on mortgage interest rates could bring about savings up to €63 billion per year for consumers all across the EU.”

Dublin MEP, Brian Hayes has today (Sunday) welcomed the implementation of a cross border code of conduct for online gambling. Mr Hayes made his comments after the European Commission drafted guidelines were signed by EU Member States.

“This year more than 7 million citizens across the EU gambled online. While it’s the responsibility of individual Member States to legislate for gambling, legislating for online gambling has proven most difficult.”

“The new agreement will allow regulators in individual Member States to set up a system to share information about companies that offer online gambling. It will also ensure compliance with national laws as well as prevent money laundering and fraud.”

“Online gambling has been an issue of contention between Member States for some time. Every year more and more people are turning to online gambling as compared to the traditional betting shop. It’s clear that something had to be done to protect EU citizens” concluded MEP Hayes.

New EU Directive on Terrorism to be proposed

Dublin MEP, Brian Hayes has today (Thursday) said that the list of new anti-terror measures proposed by the Commission is an important step in the fight against terrorism. Mr Hayes was speaking in Brussels where the European Commission announced plans for a new Directive on Terrorism.

“Europe’s vulnerability was highlighted again in the Paris attacks. It is important that Europe acts together in the fight against terrorism. The proposal by the European Commission for a new Directive on Terrorism is an important first step. Member States must protect themselves but it is equally important that all of the EU have a common definition of terrorism and work together to combat it.”

“The Directive will completely overhaul existing legislation dealing with terrorism. It will criminalise travelling within and outside the EU for terrorist purposes and the funding of terrorist operations. It will also increase law enforcement powers to deal with suspected training of terrorists and ensure the better sharing of data on suspected terrorists between EU Member States.

“One of the biggest problems faced by the EU is the threat of ‘terrorist foreign fighters’ – EU nationals who travel to conflict areas for terrorist purposes. In 2014 approximately 3,000 EU citizens travelled to conflict zones. It is now estimated to be as high as 5,000. The new Directive will ensure that information on such citizens is shared between Member States.

“The proposed Directive will also ensure that Member States share all available data on illegal weapons. This will enable the EU database to be matched with international databases and provide EU security agencies such as Europol with crucial information to track down suspected terrorists.”

“The European Commission proposals are a step in the right direction. While it will not eradicate the threat of terrorism it will provide powers and resources to help combat it. Europe cannot ignore the threat of terrorism. It’s important that we all work together to fight the threat” concluded MEP Hayes.