Sunday 18 March 2012

Reclaiming our country



First of all, thanks to all who attended Sinn Féin's public meeting in Kilbarrack (above) last Thursday 15th March, and especially to our excellent speakers. The meeting heard powerful testimony of the impact of cuts and charges and the failure of the political system on our communities. But it also heard calls to action and a message of hope.

Local community activist Cathleen O'Neill of Kilbarrack Community Development Programme spoke of the anger at the imposition of the Household Charge and this was one of the main themes of the meeting. Cathleen said that she is not paying this unjust tax and cited the scandal of the continuing payment of billions to Anglo-Irish Bank bond-holders while the low paid and the unemployed are punished by the Fine Gael/Labour Government.

Edward Matthews, Industrial Relations Officer of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation in North Dublin - covering the North city and county - gave a hard-hitting account of what the health cuts mean for citizens. This includes not only over-crowded emergency departments and longer waiting lists for vital treatment in Beaumont and other hospitals, but also less care for older people with home help hours being cut and community nurses unable to provide the regular checks that they once could make to help ensure the safety of old people living alone.

Darren Kelly of the Priory Hall residents described their ordeal from the day they put their names down for the apartments until the present situation as they live in limbo and face possible bankruptcy. Scandalously, Minister Phil Hogan still refuses to meet the residents, spuriously claiming that he is prevented from doing so by continuing legal actions - even though the residents themselves are not in court.

Darren Kelly summed it all up well when he said that the residents had learned the need to campaign as they have been so badly let down by the State which allowed unscrupulous developer McFeeley to build such a disastrous complex as Priory Hall, and with the Government now refusing to intervene. "We have to reclaim our country, reclaim our Republic", said Darren.

This theme was taken up by Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Mary Lou  McDonald TD. She said she would not be paying the Household Charge. She spoke of the need for political action - this is not a time when anyone can leave politics to the politicians and people are getting active in their communities and around campaigns such as those against the Household Charge and the cuts to health and education. People power can make a difference as the Coalition's partial climb-down on cuts to disadvantaged schools has shown; that was a combination of action in the Dáil led by Sinn Féin and on the streets led by campaigning parents, pupils and teachers.

This was the first public meeting we had in the area since I was co-opted to Dublin City Council last May; I took the opportunty to thank all who have assisted me since then, especially Councillor Larry O'Toole, leader of our group on Dublin City Council. In summing up the meeting I reminded people that we will face many more years of cuts, unjust charges and mass unemployment if the EU Austerity Treaty is accepted - that's why we need a massive 'NO' vote in the referendum, whenever it is held.

Ní neart go cur le chéile - Unity is strength.

Sunday 4 March 2012

Emigration


The RDS this weekend

The emigrant ship a century ago

The great Irish language writer and republican Máirtín Ó Cadhain wrote a short story called 'An Bhliain 1912' ('The Year 1912') about how emigration so dominated the lives and the thoughts of the people of his native Conamara as it was denuded of its youth. "Typical of a race whose guardian angel was the American trunk, whose guiding star was the exile ship, whose Red Sea was the Atlantic" he wrote.

As we mark the centenaries of great events in Irish history in the coming decade it looks like we will also be repeating the history of emigration which was bleeding this nation a century ago. Words fail me as I look at the pictures of long lines of people entering the emigration exhibition in the RDS this weekend. And who needs irony or satire when we realise that the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis was on in the same venue?

We know the reasons why this is happening. The Irish economy was wrecked by the greed of developers, speculators and bankers and their puppets in Government. And the 'solutions' being imposed by the Fine Gael-Labour Government and the EU are making unemployment worse. We are back to the situation where the true figures for joblessness are disguised by the numbers of people leaving our shores.

It's easy to become despondent in the face of this catastrophe which we have seen so many times before in our history. But it should spur us on to more determined political action. This is OUR country. Our young people should not have to abandon Ireland and leave their families and friends to find work abroad. There ARE alternatives to the futile austerity policies currently being imposed and Sinn Féin, among others, have put them forward. Sinn Féin by no means has a monopoly of wisdom but we do have proposals based on fostering sustainable economic growth and jobs. And we have the proven determination to struggle against inequality and injustice and for real change and a new Ireland.

So what should people do? They should become politically active in campaigns to defend their rights, in their communities, in trade unions, students unions, lobby groups, protests large and small. Challenge the political establishment. Demand change. Join Sinn Féin.

Emigration used to be called an economic safety valve. It was always more of a safety valve for the political establishment, with potentially radical young people forced out of Ireland. That must not happen again. It's much easier now for our emigrants to keep contact with home and to exercise some political clout. So, as well as demanding economic policies to create jobs and help stop emigration, we also need to campaign for emigrants to be given the right to vote. They have a role to play in the fightback.

We look forward to the day when they return to reclaim their country.