Archive for the ‘Ireland’ Category
Nonaligned members of ULA Sub-Committee on structures selected
The ULA Steering Committee has decided not to proceed with a postal ballot for the nonaligned positions, and has now selected to the Sub-Committee all the four nonaligned members who were nominated. Selected on 28th February were Ken Doyle, Swords, Stephen Lendaro, Dublin South, Alan Gibson, Cork and Conor McGuinness, Galway.
It was also agreed that the three component groups would have an entitlement to have up to three representatives on the body.
The Steering Committee has proposed that the first meeting of the Sub-Committee take place in Dublin on Saturday 10 March.
Vote No to EU Austerity Treaty – Bailout People Not Banks – Public Meeting, Liberty Hall, Monday March 5, 7.30pm
First Poster of the 2012 EU Austerity Referendum Campaign
- Bailout People Not Banks
Link to PDF of Poster is Here :
More Information on the Danish Red-Green MEP Soren Sondergaard Here :
Soren Sondergaard on Denmark and the Euro
Danish People’s Movement Welcomes Foreign Workers
Public Action was needed to force the government to hold a referendum.
We have extra time after the Lisbon Treaty 1-1 draw – let’s score in extra time and win this European battle on Irish Soil – start the fight back against the parasite banks in Ireland, spread the spirit of rebellion beyond our shores to the rest of Europe.
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United Left Alliance calls for a NO vote in ‘Austerity Referendum’
The five United Left Alliance TDs (Richard Boyd Barrett, Joan Collins, Clare Daly, Joe Higgins and Seamus Healy) today called for a NO vote in the referendum on the Fiscal Treaty – the austerity treaty. Read the rest of this entry »
Action on ‘X’ Public Meeting Gresham Hotel, Tuesday 21 February, 7.30pm; Broad Support for Dáil Legislation
Action on X
The Irish Times Reports :
A PRIVATE Members’ Bill which would provide for limited access to abortion will be introduced in the Dáil next week.
The Bill, to make abortion legal where there is a “real and substantial risk to the life” of the pregnant woman, will be introduced by Socialist Party TD Clare Daly in private members’ time and will be voted on in the House on April 19th.
Over 60 organisations and individuals, including seven TDs, two Senators, trade unions, academics and doctors have called for “immediate legislation in line with the ‘X’ case”.
More Here :
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0218/1224311978354.html
There is an impressive media round-up here :
Action on X After 20 Years
http://www.facebook.com/actiononx2012
Public Meeting on February 21 Read the rest of this entry »
Labour Members’ Forum
An egg from Maman Poulet 14th February 2012
Labour members meet to talk about policy alternatives
As they approach their first year in Government the Labour Party have held carefully choreographed meetings of party members before their equally carefully choreographed conference in Galway next month.
Last night about 200 members met in Stillorgan to question Eamon Gilmore on the party’s actions in government on subjects including the Vatican Embassy, tax breaks for investors and the like.
Independently of the head office verbal dances, a grass roots members meeting is being held in Dublin this Saturday. Entitled the Labour Members Forum, the organisers have sent out word far and wide.
A group of grassroots Labour members from a broad range of constituencies have come together to start a discussion about how we as members believe our party can deliver on the values of the Labour Party. We are organising a Labour Party Members’ Forum, “What can Labour do in government?” on Saturday 18th February in Wynn’s Hotel in Dublin. The Forum is aimed at grassroots members of the Labour party, to hear and debate alternative policy solutions to Ireland’s social and economic challenges.
Speakers confirmed include Dr. Mary Murphy (NUI, Maynooth), Michael Taft (UNITE), Mags O’Brien (SIPTU), John Douglas (ICTU), Orla O’Connor (National Women’s Council of Ireland) and Tom Healy (ICTU).
Labour Party Head Office seem to have themselves in a quandry as they try to find who has organised the meeting with a very interesting line up. A little birdie tells me it kicks off at 10.30am and runs all day in Wynnes Hotel. Maybe head office will send along someone to take notes. More information from Labourmembersforum(@)gmail.com
Belfast to Boston Via Afghanistan
Eamonn McCann has written a fascinating account of former Royal Ulster Constabulary Officers who urged a legal assault on the Boston Archive in order to settle old scores :
Norman Baxter’s Long Crusade
Well worth reading :
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/02/13/norman-baxters-long-crusade/
Mr Baxter was part of the police team that unsuccessfully investigated the 1998 Omagh Bombing.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8356020.stm
Over 100,000 rally in Lisbon against austerity – Irish Media Please Copy
Left-wing sources brought this event to our attention – no comment so far on any mainline Irish Media that we have seen.
While Reuters report that “Over 100,000” people packed into the city’s main square, another report says 350,000 were present.
http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120211/wl_nm/us_portugal_protest
Here is a photo :
Lisbon Rejects Austerity - Irish Media Please Copy
An open email to Eamon Gilmore – Film to Follow The Ghost Writer?
http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/an-open-email-to-eamon-gilmore/
A great idea – how about a few more such letters?
The author of this open letter says that the Labour Deputy Gilmore – second in line to Fine Gael Taoiseach Kenny – employs a well-paid adviser Mark Garrett who worked for an American firm – McKinsey and Company – connected to a failed coup attempting to depose Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2002.
Incidentally, do you ever ask Mark Garret about his period working as…. External Relations Manager for McKinsey and Co, the international firm of management consultants.
Does he know anything about the influential people Venezuela? Remember when the McKinsey office in Caracas, Venezuela, was used in the 2002 coup against President Chavez.
A wikileaked cable told us of a Gilmore conversation with a USA Embassy representative in which the Labour Party leader disclosed his public opposition to a second Lisbon Treaty Referendum, was a pose.
The labour leader is looking like a fabulous Yankee asset – interesting ghosts these days in Leinster House!
The intriguing story of the Irish Labour Party leader makes you wonder if Roman Polanski might be tempted to make a film, using a story akin to his recent thriller The Ghost Writer, where the Tony Blair-like character is played by Pierce Brosnan.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-bradley/the-ghosts-of-tony-blair_b_509269.html
Life is often much stranger than fiction.
John Meehan
Tomás Ó Flatharta 