Posts Tagged ‘news’
Irish General Election 2024 : Corruption and Racist CV of Head Beggar-Gombeen Michael Lowry TD; Bacik Pulls Labour Out of Coalition Talks
Michael Lowry TD is currently in the news as he is the “point of contact” for the Beggar-Gombeen (BG) Regional Independent Group of Dáil deputies negotiating a coalition deal with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael (FFFG). One of Lowry’s BG colleagues, Verona Murphy, was elected Dáil Ceann Comhairle on December 18, paving the way for the creation of a coalition government bringing together FFFG and the BG’s in January 2025.
FFFG’s coalition options are narrowing, as the Labour party has confirmed it is unwilling to be a coalition mudguard.
Source :
The Labour party will not be a FFFG Mudguard – Ivana Bacik pulls out of coalition government talks
Lowry is a former Fine Gael Minister who had to resign in 1995 over his suspicious financial connections with wealthy business men Denis O’Brien, Ben Dunne, and others. He was marooned on the backbenches, for very good reasons.
The State’s Moriarty Tribunal investigated the finances of Lowry, former Fianna Fáil leader Charles Haughey, and many other establishment politicians.
The Moriarty Tribunal, officially called the Tribunal of Inquiry into certain Payments to Politicians and Related Matters, was an Irish Tribunal of Inquiry established in 1997 into the financial affairs of politicians Charles Haughey and Michael Lowry. It has revealed significant tax evasion by these and other politicians and leading businessmen. As a consequence, the tax authorities have recovered millions of euro in settlements and penalties from many individuals
Michael Lowry’s financial connections to Denis O’Brien (a wealthy businessman) who secured a pot of gold (a licence to set up a mobile phone network in Ireland) were thoroughly investigated. Here are the 2011 Moriarty Tribunal Conclusions :
Link
Moriarty Tribunal – Conclusions, Michael Lowry TD
Lowry has a strong racist CV.
“I am Not A Racist”…..But
Lowry is a well-dressed suit-and-tie racist (STR).
The trick is to oppose the housing of vulnerable immigrants in your own constituency.
Dishonest reasons are proposed : buildings should be used for something else : locals need a nursing home, a hotel…….anything but safe accommodation for immigrants. Arson and rioting drives immigrants onto the streets or sub-standard accommodation such as Crooksling in Dublin’s Clondalkin. But that is bad publicity for a STRs such as Lowry.
So, verbal gymnastics :
Ireland’s current immigartion policy is unfit for purpose and ‘ordinary people’ in communities around the country are angry, Deputy Michael Lowry told the Dáil.
“Taoiseach, recently in the Dail I addressed you in relation to the resentment that is simmering in towns and villages across Ireland. This genuine and heartfelt anger is not coming from organised groups such as we witnessed in Dublin last week, it is coming from ordinary people”, the Tipperary TD said on Tuesday addressing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Justice Minister, Helen McEntee.
“People are filled with pent-up worry, fear and frustration at how their communities have changed due to the influx of International Protection applicants. It has reached a stage where people fear the Department will target every vacant building in their communities.
Source :
Modify and rebalance Ireland’s immigration policy – Michael Lowry
Conclusions
- Lowry “secured the winning” of the 1995 mobile licence for O’Brien.
- O’Brien made two payments to Lowry in 1996 and 1999 totalling IR£500,000 (£147,000 and £300,000) and supported a loan of £420,000 given to Lowry in 1999, a benefit equivalent to a payment.
- Lowry imparted substantive information to O’Brien which was “of significant value and assistance to him in securing the licence”.
- Lowry bypassed consideration by his Cabinet colleagues and thereby not only influenced, but delivered the result for Esat Digifone.
- A US$50,000 donation to Fine Gael was made through Telenor on behalf of Esat Digifone.
- Lowry sought to influence a hike in the lease for Marlborough House (Telecom Éireann headquarters) following a request from Mr Dunne. These rent increases would have improperly enriched Dunne, and were deemed to be “profoundly corrupt”.
- Lowry was criticised for his “cynical and venal abuse of office” and his brazen refusal to acknowledge the impropriety of his financial arrangements with O’Brien and Dunne.
Anti-racists conclude (correctly) that STR racism is racism.
So Michael Lowry offers statements that do not follow logically from his opening words : non-sequiturs.
“Irish people are not racist, I am not racist. People welcomed the victims of the war in Ukraine with open arms. They have willingly opened their hearts to those in need.
“But Taoiseach, I believe it is time to modify and rebalance our immigration policy”
People familiar with the career of the six-county racist rabble-rouser Ian Paisley know the pattern. Fire up racist mobs, stand back as the arsonists and racist mobs take direct action, deny responsibility.
The Racquet Hall premises in Roscrea Co. Tipperary hit the headlines in 2024 for many bad reasons – a racist mob attacked vulnerable people trying to enter a new Direct Provision Centre. Lowry fanned the flames win this Dáil speech addressed to then government minister Heather Humphreys :
“On four different occasions in the past year, I have raised the subject of immigration policy and lack of strategy. Each time I spoke in this Chamber I illustrated Roscrea as a classic example of a system that is not working.
“A town that was overburdened, overwhelmed and in urgent need of vital services to be improved and supplemented. This Government did not listen. You ignored the legitimate and genuine concerns of the people of Roscrea’ he said.
“The people of Roscrea are compassionate by nature. After assurances of enhanced support networks they accepted without protest a Direct Provision Centre with hundreds of asylum seekers and also a Centre to house 400 Ukrainian Refugees.
“The reality is that this influx accounts for up to 20% of the population of Roscrea. Therefore under any sensible, reasonable, logical or sustainable criteria you would have to conclude that Roscrea had exceeded it’s capacity.
“Roscrea is a traditional rural town. Roscrea is a friendly welcoming place. It’s people have shown great generosity and kindness. It’s a town with an excellent community spirit. A town that has coped with a lot of setbacks and adversity.
“A town that is fighting back through it’s community and voluntary leaders and organisations. I worked closely with these groups. A lot of positive things are happening in Roscrea. Projects have been sanctioned, which will bring enterprise, jobs and stimulate the local economy.
“You, as Minister under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, have sanctioned and funded crucial revitalisation projects. It is rather ironic that while your Department is assisting with the renewal of the town, another Department of State has taken the extraordinary decision to take over the only hotel in the town.
“How can it be acceptable for a Department to be complicit in such action?”, Deputy Lowry asked.
Source :
Roscrea Protest Shows Government is on the run with immigration – Michael Lowry
Will FFFG risk bringing Lowry into their new cabinet?
John Meehan December 19 2024
Racists Attack Immigrant Accommodation Centre in the Heart of Ireland, Athlone – Gardaí fail to do their job
Disgraceful events are occurring in the heart of Ireland – Athlone.
This story comes from The Journal, an online Irish publication.
Below that, we publish a statement from the anti-racist Athlone For All organisation.
Numerous public representatives, mass organisations, community groups and individuals have been approached for comment and positive action.
Link :
“We were so scared” – Racists attack Athlone accommodation centre – Gardaí Stand Idly By
The Journal Story :
‘We were so scared’: Protesters broke through garda barrier at Athlone accommodation centre
Up to 100 men were moved into a state-run site for people seeking international protection in Athlone last week.
4.49pm, 9 Dec 2024
ANTI-MIGRANT GROUPS BROKE through garda lines at an accommodation centre in Athlone yesterday, gaining access to the site while people hid inside.
A number of people who were in the accommodation centre at the time described themselves as being terrified as a group of men got through the garda barrier, with a member of security injured amid the scenes.
The demonstrations also resulted in the centre’s generator being damaged – causing residents to have no power for most of the last 24 hours.
It was the latest in a string of incidents targeting asylum-seekers in the town in recent days.
In a statement tonight, the government department in charge of the site and the broader asylum system said that a “number of unauthorised people” entered the Midlands Accommodation Centre in Athlone.
“During the disturbance, a member of the onsite security team was injured. There were no injuries to residents of the centre,” the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said.
Read the rest of this entry »
Irish General Election November 29 2024 – Return of a Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael Coalition – Setback for the Left
It is certain the two right-wing parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael (FFFG) which controlled the outgoing right-wing coalition will form the new government – their previous mudguard, the Green party, was destroyed – coming back with one seat, and losing 11. FFFG can pick new partners. They won 86 seats out of 174 seats, only two seats short of a majority.
We start with important data on the rise of racism in Ireland. Extreme racist candidates polled badly in this general election. Despite the emergence of violent racist organisations in the last 18 months – the majority of Irish citizens remain hostile to this dangerous political cancer.
These are good summaries of the overall result :
Brittle Opposition
Sinn Féin’s governmental ambitions fizzled out. The polling attrition suffered by Sinn Féin during the middle part of the year strongly influenced the nature of the campaign. With no real sense that the government parties might be ejected from power, the election was a low-energy affair, with turnout dropping below 60% for the first time in the history of the state.
Link :
Brittle Opposition, Dan Finn
Analysis: In a year when ruling parties around the world lost elections, Ireland’s outgoing coalition parties bucked that trend
At the end of a year that saw parties around the world punished by voters, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have managed to avoid the incumbents’ curse. The coalition partners’ combined first preference votes fell by just 0.4 points – to 42.7% – compared with the 2020 general election. This is a remarkable result, given the high cost of living and continuing housing crisis – all the more so for Fine Gael, which has been in government since 2011.
Sinn Féin’s popularity was the story of the 2020 general election. It emerged as the first choice of nearly a quarter of the electorate (24.5%) but failed to nominate enough candidates to capitalise on this and ended up with fewer seats than Fianna Fáil.
Biding its time in opposition, the party set to work presenting itself as a government in waiting. The polls seemed to confirm this status. The party’s popularity peaked at 36% in 2022 but this figure underwent a slow – and then rapid – decline. An unwillingness to adopt an anti-immigration position, when the issue was becoming politicised in Ireland, saw it lose support with some of its supporters.
This was confirmed in June at the local and European elections. The party’s 11.8% vote share was a very poor showing. Subsequent scandals around the party, on both sides of the border, further damaged its standing with the electorate.
Sinn Féin’s share of 19% of the first preference vote on Friday represents a partial recovery for the party. But it is, nonetheless, a steep decline (5.5 %) from their 2020 performance, leaving Sinn Féin with no realistic path to power.
Link :
Why Election 24 saw FF and FG avoid the incumbents’ curse
Unfortunately Sinn Féin was willing “to adopt an anti-immigration position” after some initial hesitation. Faced with rising racist agitation in deprived communities, the party pandered to reactionary sentiments. The main capitalist parties did the same – they discovered an issue that could be used to forward a right-wing agenda on a number of fronts. As a result, Sinn Féin lost support to its right – and to its left. The leaflet below, containing anti-immigrant messages, was used all over the state.
In the months leading up to these elections I was struck by messages from friends expressing alarm at this bad turn of events. A number of people said things like “I will not vote for Sinn Féin again”; “I would find it hard to give them a preference” and so on. I wondered if this trend was in any way representative – after all most people in my circle are further left than the general population! The general election proved these sentiments were not isolated.
Most political commentary on the general election notes setbacks suffered by scattered street-gang mini-Hitlers. Candidates like this – for example Malachy Steenson in the Dublin North Inner-City – emerged from the margins, and gained significant electoral support in the June 2024 local elections. They did not repeat their success in the November 2024 general election – they went backwards.
A more dangerous development occurred. A significant number of deputies from the ruling FFFG coalition, and Sinn Féin, promoted or dog-whistled at racist policies. At least 18 successful TD’s [Dáil Deputies] (gombeens) promote racist and misogynistic policies which have gone mainstream. These monsters are a throwback to a Catholic reactionary state that banned abortion, divorce and gay people – a state that threw women out of the workforce, that banished babies and single women to religious prisons run by the Catholic Church. Today’s far-right are disguised in the suits, ties, scarves and daily hairdos of Aontú, the Independent Ireland (II) Party, and a busload of independent TD’s begging for rewards from the new FFFG coalition : a mercs and perks brigade. Two additions to this gang in the new Dáil are Ken O’Flynn ( [II] Cork North-Central) and Gillian Toole [Independent gombeen racist] (Meath East). Others may come forward.
Nikita Hand Secures a Legal Victory over racist superstar kick-boxer Conor McGregor
During the election campaign a woman called Nikita Hand took a legal civil action, alleging rape, against an international celebrity, the kick-boxing superstar Conor McGregor. McGregor is closely associated with a number of mini-Hitler racists, some of whom were elected to Dublin council seats in June 2024. These included Philip Sutcliffe (Dublin South-Central) and Paddy Holohan (Dublin South-West). Most rape trials in Ireland are held behind closed doors, and the details are not widely broadcast.
This civil action was different : every day horrific evidence was headline news. Nikita Hand won her case.
This case damaged the mini-Hitler racist candidates –
An RTÉ News report contains the following information about Councillor Philip Sutcliffe :
In Dublin, Philip Sutcliffe, the head of Crumlin Boxing Club, was elected for the party. He boxed for Ireland at the Olympics in Moscow in 1980 and Los Angeles in 1984, and was elected in the Ballyfermot-Finglas LEA.
One of his most vocal supporters in the lead-up to election day was well-known publican and MMA fighter Conor McGregor. Cllr Sutcliffe has been McGregor’s boxing coach, travelling to fight camps internationally with McGregor, and featuring in social media posts.
On his Facebook page, where he posted regular updates during the campaign, Cllr Sutcliffe shared his support for Derek Blighe, a prominent right-wing nationalist anti-immigration protester and a candidate with the group ‘Ireland First’.
Mr Blighe regularly speaks about “plantations” and “unvettable fake refugees” at anti-immigration gatherings around the country. He has said the war in Ukraine is a “fake war publicised to encourage economic migrants to come to this country”.
“If you’re in this man’s area, vote [number] one for Derek,” Cllr Sutcliffe posted about Mr Blighe, who was running in the Ireland South European constituency and Fermoy Local Electoral Area against Independent Ireland candidates.
Cllr Sutcliffe also reposted video content from abroad about “refugee grooming gangs” while adding his own words: “Remember all this when voting, our government are letting the likes of their kind into Ireland.”
Cllr Sutcliffe was a first-time candidate and received 821 first preference votes, getting a seat on the 10th count.
Source : Independent Ireland party – a right-racist split from Fianna Fáil
During the campaign, as a result of the publicity over the McGregor case, the II party was forced to dump Sutcliffe, but his name still appeared on the ballot paper as an II candidate.
A sizeable protest march supporting Nikita Hand occurred after the verdict :
Paddy Holohan, McGregor’s sparring partner, polled very well in the June council elections, but did very badly in the General Election. He got 3.7% of No.1 votes, ranked 12th of 16 candidates, with no hope of a seat.
The Gerry Hutch Near-Miss in Dublin Central
A near-miss occurred in Dublin Central, the constituency of Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. Statewide Sinn Féin lost 5.5% of its vote-share compared with 2020.
In Dublin Central the drop was much higher : 12.36%. The party lost votes to its left and right. Many of those votes went to a wealthy businessman-gangster, Gerry Hutch, who advocated a sinister anti-immigrant policy.
Some discussion exists on whether Hutch was a racist candidate. He started his campaign making a few reasonable statements, but then came out with a definitive policy which left no room for doubt – Here is Hutch’s extreme racist campaign platform :
Link :
General Election November 29 2024 – Dublin Central Count
Hutch came fourth in the poll. On Saturday November 30 most election experts predicted Hutch would win a seat after seeing the first count – Hutch looked to be too far ahead of the chasing candidates below him. This news attracted a huge posse from the international media to the main Dublin election count centre on Sunday December 1. They were disappointed.
- A landslide “Vote Left, Transfer Left” grassroots heave appeared : against Hutch in favour of the nearest candidate below him, Marie Sherlock (Labour party).
The election guru Michael Marsh noted on RTÉ Radio 1 that a record had probably been set : never before, since all similar Irish elections from 1922, had so many voters transferred so heavily against one candidate.
As the counts were announced, Marsh was visibly astonished : the racists transferred heavily to Hutch : Steenson, Kelly, and Smyth of Aontú.
All other candidates (mainly on the left) transferred to each other – and overwhelmingly against Hutch :
| Counts | Hutch’s Share |
| No.5 (Votes of Daly) (Independents for Change) | 137 out of 1539 |
| No. 6 (Votes of Ó Ceannabháin) (People Before Profit) | 83 out of 2112 |
| No. 7 (Votes of Steenson [Racist]) | 1262 out of 2195 |
| No. 8 (Votes of Hourigan [Green party]) | 26 out of 2352 |
| No. 9 (Surplus of Gannon [Social Democrats]) | 18 out of 881 |
Left-wing voters transferred in huge numbers to the second elected candidate Gary Gannon (Social Democrats) and the eventual winner of the fourth seat, Marie Sherlock (Labour party). Transfers from the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil candidates went the same way.
Some may dispute this was a “Vote Left, Transfer Left” phenomenon on the grounds that FFFG votes went overwhelmingly to Sherlock in the last two counts. This is a false and stupid argument. People should grasp the fact that, in this constituency, FFFG voters preferred a Labour party candidate to a racist gangster. That is a sign of hope.
The transfer data in this constituency also shows that Green party voters chose other available left candidates ahead of Hutch, and ahead of the candidates from the two right-wing government coalition parties, FFFG. Comprehensive analysis of data like this in all 43 constituencies is awaited. That said, figures I have seen seem to show that “Vote Left, Transfer Left”, a call promoted by People Before Profit, operated in a large number of constituencies.
John Goodwillie RIP – “committed, honest, kind, genuine and erudite”
I can’t remember who let me know that John Goodwillie had passed away a few days ago – the first person I told was Des Derwin, who has written the tribute below, which contains informative and entertaining scenes from the class struggle in Ireland.
There will be a celebration of John Goodwillie’s life at the Garden Chapel of Mount Jerome Cemetery, which is can be viewed online at 3pm on Tuesday December 10. Condolences to his husband Val, his family, friends, and comrades.
Links :
John Goodwillie Death Notice
John Goodwillie, Celebration of His Life, CLR
John Goodwillie Tribute, Des Derwin, FB
John Goodwillie Tribute, Des Derwin, CLR
Des Derwin knew John much better than me. But our paths crossed several times, and I retain good memories about comrade Goodwillie.
Read the rest of this entry »A solution staring us in the face for Europe’s housing crisis – Li Andersson MEP, Left Alliance, Finland
This is an extremely useful article, very relevant to the housing crisis in Ireland.
Links :
A solution staring us in the face for Europe’s housing crisis
I am back! And here to tell you that I did an op-ed in EUObserver on solutions to the housing crisis and why we should be focusing on non-profit rentals instead of talking about ”affordable housing”. euobserver.com/eu-political…
[image or embed]— Li Andersson (@liandersson.bsky.social) December 6, 2024 at 11:46 AM
In this legislative mandate, there are many expectations for housing. The EU Commission has appointed its first-ever commissioner for energy and housing, and Ursula von der Leyen addressed the issue in her political guidelines, outlining that the commission will need to “urgently address the housing crisis facing millions of families and young people.”
Danish commissioner Dan Jørgensen will be responsible for the first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan.
In addition to this, the commission will revise the state aid rules to enable housing support measures and plans to double cohesion fund investments in affordable housing.
Over the past 10 years, average rents within the bloc have risen by 19 percent, while house prices have surged by 47 percent.
Read the rest of this entry »Irish General Election November 29 2024 – Preliminary Analyses – Focus on Dublin Central, Dirty Money, and Racism
At the time of writing it seems certain the outgoing right-wing coalition controlled by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will form the new government – their previous partners, the Green party, are likely to be wiped out. FFFG will be able to pick new partners.
We start with important data
In this post we concentrate on the issue of racism and the general election, with a particular focus on the Dublin Central constituency.
Here is a final tally displaying most of the first count
The golden rules for winning a seat in a Proportional Representation(PR) election are
- 1. Secure a winning position in the first count (In this case 4 seats available, Be in the first 4)
- 2. Secure at least half a quota
This means that McDonald (Sinn Féin), Donohoe (Fine Gael) and Gannon (Social Democrats) are very likely to win a seat each. The last seat is Gerry Hutch (wealthy businessman with a background in organised crime, a racist) Versus one of this chasing pack : Marie Sherlock (Labour party), Neasa Hourigan (Green party), Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin (People Before Profit), Clare Daly (Independents for Change). The clear leader of this pack is Marie Sherlock. The transfers of candidates below Sherlock can be examined to see if the slogan Vote left, Transfer left operates effectively, or not.
Some discussion exists on whether Hutch is a racist candidate. He started his campaign making some reasonable statements, but then came out with a definitive policy which left no room for doubt – his campaign platform is extreme racist :
Read the rest of this entry »Hostile Architecture (Exclusionary Design) in Dublin City – Photographer Chris Reid reports on a homeless scandal
Chris Reid reports :
She thought she had a safe place for her tent. This space with its railings was once part of the entrance to St. Andrews Church on the street of the same name. St. Andrew’s Church and it’s grounds have been empty, unused and locked up for over a decade. This small space became a place for her tent – It was/is fenced off from the street; a space that can be defended. I took the photo of her and her tent. I returned to the same spot a few weeks ago to find the space entirely occupied by a structure designed to keep homeless people out of that specific space. An example of what some call Hostile Architecture or Exclusionary Design.
Hostile Architecture, Exclusionary Design, Dublin
The next time you hear an election candidate oppose safe accommodation for homeless people and refugees on the grounds that their local area is not affluent – Think : Hostile Architecture, Exclusionary Design.
One comment on Chris Reid’s facebook page sums it up :
I hope everyone who is considering voting for FFFG/Greens tomorrow sees this. We’re desperately in need of a government that cares about the homeless and poor people in the country
On arming Ukraine and the struggle against Militarism – European Network for Solidarity with Ukraine Declaration
The European Network for Solidarity with Ukraine (ENSU) has denounced the Russian invasion
of Ukraine from the very beginning and fully supports the Ukrainian right of self-defence.
The Ukrainian people’s armed resistance is just. It is not taking place as part of military aggression by NATO, the United States or any Western country, but as defence against the declared war aim of Russian president Vladimir Putin: to reconquer the fictitious “Russian world” supposedly lost with the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Since Ukraine’s armed resistance is legitimate, all states that regard themselves as democratic and upholders of law-governed international relations have the responsibility to help the Ukrainian people defeat the Russian invasion.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tomás Ó Flatharta 