Happy Christmas 2010

The Dell Redundant Workers Association Committee and Office Staff would like to thank you the Members for your support during this past year.


A Very Happy Christmas to You All

Meeting with The Tanaiste Mary Coughlan

The Committee had a very informative meeting with The Tanaiste Mary Coughlan last Wednesday. Among the issues discussed were:

• The Business Start Up Program and
• The 3rd Level Education Funding.

Alterations to Welfare payments arising from the budget.

The links below are the information that Welfare has published on how the recent budget will alter payments, there's nothing specific for Education supports but we do know that if you were in receipt of both a grant and the BTEA that will now stop.
(If you started last year you couldn't have both but if you had started the year before then you may have been able to keep both for last year too.)


The link below is the the Section of the welfare site on the budgetary change:
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Topics/Budget/Bud11/Pages/Bud11Index.aspx

This is the same information in pdf format if you want to download it:

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Topics/Budget/bud11/Documents/budfact11.pdf

Delegation from:The Dell Redundant Workers Association in Dail Eireann

Photograph taken on December 15th in Dail Eireann:
Prior to meeting the Tanaiste, Mary Coughlan.

From left to right: Niall Collins TD, Paul O'Connor(Chairman), Brian Jordan(Secretary),
Willie O'Dea TD, Gerry Hinchy(Treasurer, Jan O'Sullivan TD, Kevin Carty(Committee)

Bill Cullen regarding Dell's decision to leave Limerick have been branded as "offensive" and "disgraceful"

Bill Cullen regarding Dell's decision to leave Limerick

Spokesman for top businessman denies he described workers as 'lazy'.
15 December 2010
By Alan Owens(Limerick Leader)>>> Read on

SPECIAL MEETING with TANAISTE, MARY COUGHLAN

An Invitation has been issued to the Dell Redundant Workers Association to meet The Tanaiste, Mary Coughlan in Leinster House today Wednesday December 15th. The purpose of this Meeting is to lay before the Tanaiste the concerns of our members regarding the administration to date of the European Globalisation Fund. The Association is being represented by: Paul O'Connor, Chairman; Brian Jordan, Secretary and Gerry Hinchy, Treasurer.
Among the items on the very full Agenda:

• Issues with regard to omitted companies from The Original EGF submission for funding.Allocated Monies €3.4 million of which €800,000 has been Drawn Down to date.
• 
  Education:In the guidelines issued by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in May of this year, it was stated that the fund would “continue until 29 September 2011 unless otherwise advised by the Department of Education and Skills. The academic years of 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 fall within the timeframe for funding under the measure.” No further guidelines to the contrary have as yet been issued by the HEA or the DES
  

• 
  Omitted Interventions:
  
  • Potential Under spend €14,000,000 (INTERNSHIPS)

EDUCATION FUNDING

The following is an email sent by HEA to All Education Providers. If you are affected by these change of dates and signed up for a 3/4 year Course and now have no FUNDING to continue please contact us:

Dear Colleagues,

In the circular issued by the HEA of 18^th May 2010, it is stated that the academic year 2011-12 is included in the implementation timeframe. This was based on a particular interpretation of the governing EU Regulation establishing the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund.

In the interim, however, and subsequent to the circular being issued the European Commission has clarified that this interpretation is not correct. The position therefore is that the Dell EGF will terminate on 28 June 2011, thereby excluding the 2011-12 academic year from the funding timeframe of the initiative.

The current 24 months EGF implementation timeframe remains an issue of concern for the Department of Education and Skills as the managing authority of the EGF in Ireland. The Irish authorities have drawn the attention of the European Commission to this issue and have sought a longer implementation timeframe. The authorities are continuing to highlight this issue in the context of the review of the EU Regulation commencing next year and any potential greater flexibility arising from same over time. However, at this time the official position remains as stated in the preceding paragraph.

Higher Education Authority
10 December 2010