Archive for the ‘Dublin Governments’ Category
ULA Conference: ‘Co-operation not competition’ – Statement from Paddy Healy and the South Tipperary Workers and Unemployed Action Group
It’s good to see the WUAG engaging like this with the ULA at large and doubly so given the content of the statement.
Huge Obligation and Opportunity for ULA as Sinn Féin reiterates its willingness to enter Coalition Government with any Party
Paddy Healy
Because of developments in the national and international economic and political crisis there is a huge obligation on ULA and on its components to make significant progress in its mission to politically reorganise the Irish working class in its own interest. The Irish Labour Party is once again in coalition government with a right-wing party. On this occasion the government is not just failing to introduce improvements for workers but is openly attacking all the gains made by workers over decades. If ULA can rise to its historic task the Labour Party could be wiped out and above all fail to recover from this period in government.
Following the recent rise of Sinn Féin in the polls, the party leader reiterated its willingness to enter coalition with any political party. This guarantees that sooner or later that party will go into oblivion sharing the same fate as Clann Na Poblachta and the Workers Party. But much damage could be done before then. The commitment of Sinn Féin to coalition confirms that it is no longer a revolutionary nationalist party. Read the rest of this entry »
X Case on the Political Agenda
“Anyway, enormous thanks are owed to the TDs who put this together. The fact that they forced a debate on the issue is a major achievement.” –
Stephanie Lord.
That is the key factor for activists. The Dáil debate was supported by Action on X, which mobilised support outside Leinster House and brought the issue to public attention. We can rely only on ourselves, the politics of mass mobilisation – and work harmoniously with the TD’s who introduced the bill – more power to them all.Plus Plus Plus to Ming Flanagan – as pointed out by EamonnCork on the Cedar Lounge discussion “By the way Ming Flanagan’s vote in favour of the bill perhaps gives the lie to people on here who persistently characterise him as some kind of rural conservative in disguise” –
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0420/1224314970161.html?via=mr
It almost seems petty to consider who voted and who didn’t on the Abortion Bill this week. But, it’s an exercise with some utility.
First up, consider that ten of the Technical Group, and four of the ULA (out of five), voted for the Bill. Nine of SF’s 14 voted (though Pearse Doherty was at the funeral of his father). Patrick Nulty, who appears to be becoming a one man tribune of a strand of Labour thinking that has now all but vanished also voted for it. I can’t divine any great rural/urban divide in SF, or pro-choice/anti-abortion divide either. TDs who might seem to fit in either camps voted for the Bill.
Of the Technical Group, Stephen Donnelly voted for the Bill, and that great social liberal, Shane Ross? And what of Thomas Pringle? Finian McGrath was missing in action too, as was Tom Fleming – perhaps less unexpectedly.
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Defend Our Schools Protest on February 23, Dáil Éireann, Kildare Street @ 3.30pm
Defend Our Schools Protest on Thursday February 23
Enda Kenny Grins For The Gintry – But Can He Stop A Referendum on the new EU Fiscal Treaty?
Enda Kenny was one of the courtly mummers in the presence of her britannic majesty in 2011 – good practice for 2012!
See Also :
Old Kenny Apologises For Ireland to the Gintry
http://www.irishleftreview.org/2012/01/27/kenny-apologises-ireland-gintry/
UPDATE :
Enda told Nicolas he would stop an Irish Referendum on the new European Union fiscal treaty – has the Taoiseach broken another promise?
The ruling class discreetly applauds the Fine Gael leader’s broken promises to the little people – such as when he went back on a pre-election pledge to stop the closure of Roscommon Hospital.
http://www.endakenny.com/?p=213
But Enda won’t get any ear-grabs for letting down the big people – a much more serious mistake!
Article 27 and the Independent TDs
A group of Independent TDs who want Europe’s new fiscal treaty put to a referendum will seek to use a little known constitutional provision to petition the President to do so, it has emerged.
Under Article 27 of the Constitution, a Bill can be referred to a referendum if requested by at least one third of the Dáil, and a majority of the Seanad.
Donegal South West TD Thomas Pringle said he was “hopeful of achieving that requirement.”
http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/article-27-and-the-independent-tds/
“Bernadette: Notes on a Political Journey” – An exploration of Mass Action Politics
Mass action in Ireland in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s comes across vividly in Lelia Doolan’s Documentary “Bernadette – Notes on a Political Journey” which is screened on the Irish Language Channel TG 4 on Monday January 30
http://www.tg4.ie/tv-listings/tv-listings.html?date=2012-01-30
Here are some reviews :
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/theticket/2011/1118/1224307739334.html
http://www.irishexaminer.com/features/dealing-with-devlin-179994.html
http://spooool.com/2011/11/bernadette-notes-on-a-political-journey/
If you have not already seen this documentary – don’t miss the TG4 Broadcast.
If you have seen it – watch it again!
Bernadette Devlin, A Fearless Socialist
John Meehan January 28 2012
“BLOODY SUNDAY…..unleashed a wave of nationalism that engulfed the Republic; biggest general strike in Europe since the second World War ” – Éamonn McCann Irish Times Article
Éamonn McCann discusses the impact of Bloody Sunday South of the Irish Border – a general strike developed rapidly and a huge Dublin Demonstration from Parnell Square to Merrion Square finished with the burning of the British Embassy.
I was on that march, and stood in the middle of the crowd outside the British Embassy as preparations unfolded rapidly for the burning of the building. I discovered later that a near-neighbour, Séamus Costello, was widely believed to be the person who gave the final order to torch the building.
Update :
Listen to a riveting RTÉ Radio 1 History Show – broadcast on Sunday January 29 2012, where Eamonn McCann discusses Bloody Sunday with panellists Brian Hanley (author of The Lost Revolution) and Queens’ University Historian Margaret O’Callaghan – the presenter is Myles Dungan.
http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2012/pc/pod-v-thehistoryshow290112-pid0-3023400.mp3
Was Liam Cosgrave’s 1973-77 Fine Gael-Labour Coalition the worst-ever Dublin Government?
On many occasions Gene Kerrigan has argued that the Bertie Ahern coalition elected in 2002 was the worst-ever Dublin Government.
Back in January 2006, this column argued in some detail that the then government, headed by Bertie Ahern, was the worst in the history of the State
Surely the Liam Cosgrave-led 1973-77 Coalition deserves this honour –
The record speaks for itself : Read the rest of this entry »
Tomás Ó Flatharta 