Business News

Childcare crisis: Growing fears Kilkenny créches will be forced to close in New Year

By Kilkenny Now 19th December 2019 2

A short-term emergency fund is needed to cover the insurance crisis facing over a thousand créches to ensure their doors stay open in the New Year, a Kilkenny TD has said. Deputy Kathleen Funchion, who is Sinn Fein’s children and youth affairs spokesperson, has warned childcare services in Kilkenny and across the country faces an […]

News Property

‘Most young people in Kilkenny can only dream of owning their own home’ – TD unveils plan to combat housing crisis

By Kilkenny Now 3rd December 2019 0

Kilkenny County Council must be given back the power – and the resources – to tackle our deepening housing crisis, a local TD has claimed. Deputy Kathleen Funchion spoke out as she today unveiled a basic three-step plan to combat the chronic shortage of social and affordable housing in Kilkenny and Carlow. The Sinn Féin […]

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‘Class’ war of words erupts between rival Kilkenny-Carlow TDs

By Kilkenny Now 7th November 2019 0

KILKENNY Deputy Kathleen Funchion has launched a scathing attack on fellow constituency TD Pat Deering for making “classist” remarks during a live televised debate. Deputy Funchion also called on Leo Varadkar to “clarify” comments made by Carlow-Kilkenny TD Pat Deering (pictured below) on RTÉ’s Late Debate programme. “The remarks by

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REVEALED: Three former Kilkenny councillors to get €144k in ‘retirement’ payments

By Kilkenny Now 16th October 2019 Post a comment

By COLIN BARTLEY THREE former Kilkenny county councillors who chose not to seek re-election or who failed to regain their seat in the recent local elections will receive a total of €144,000 in ‘retirement gratuity payments’, new figures reveal. Councillors who did not return to the local authority chamber are entitled to a payment, which […]

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‘Don’t believe the spin: scandal of costs overrun at the National Children’s Hospital is hurting vital local health projects’ – TD

By Kilkenny Now 15th October 2019 0

THE scandal of the costs overrun at the National Children’s Hospital is affecting the delivery of vital health projects in Kilkenny and Carlow – despite the Government’s claims to the contrary, according to a local TD. Kilkenny TD Kathleen Funchion spoke out as she launched a scathing attack on what she described as the Government’s […]

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Nothing done to help Kilkenny parents combat crippling childcare costs, says TD

By Kilkenny Now 9th October 2019 0

BUDGET 2020 failed to tackle the crippling cost of childcare for hard-pressed parents, according to a Kilkenny TD. A recent report released by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs revealed Kilkenny parents are paying an average of €132.25 every week for childcare, or €8,750 a year. There had been hopes the Government would introduce […]

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Third time lucky? Now former Kilkenny councillor to contest Wexford by-election

By Kilkenny Now 8th October 2019 Post a comment

By COLIN BARTLEY A FORMER Kilkenny councillor who also contested the local elections in Waterford will now contest the Wexford by-election for the seat left vacant by MEP Mick Wallace. Melissa O’Neill was first elected to the Piltown Municipal District of Kilkenny County Council in 2014. In doing so she became the first Sinn Féin […]

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Kilkenny TD urges Department to ‘act’ over Junior Cert results delay

By Kilkenny Now 7th October 2019 0

KILKENNY TD Kathleen Funchion has urged the Department of Education to “act” to ensure there is not a repeat of this year’s delay in releasing the Junior Certificate results. Junior Cert students received their results a full three weeks late this year. Deputy Funchion said this is “unfair” to students and that such delays “undermine […]

News Opinion

MICHAEL WOLSEY: Too many teams and they’re all left-wingers

By Kilkenny Now 2nd October 2019 0

THE first item on an Irish political agenda is The Split, said Brendan Behan, and the Left has always done its best to prove him correct. Of late it has excelled itself and Paul Murphy’s establishment of a new party (group is the word the TD prefers) leaves Irish socialism more divided than at any […]

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Huge cost of childcare ‘financially crippling’ many Kilkenny parents, says local TD

By Kilkenny Now 1st October 2019 Post a comment

By COLIN BARTLEY CHILDCARE in Ireland is a “broken” system that is “financially crippling” many parents in Kilkenny, a local TD said today. Deputy Kathleen Funchion, who is also Sinn Fein spokesperson for children, has called for “a complete restructuring of the childcare and early years system”. Figures released by the Department for Children and […]