90th Anniversaries of Terence MacSwiney and Joe Murphy to be Commemorated
A commemoration to mark the the 90th anniversaries of the deaths on hungerstrike of Terence MacSwiney and fellow Irish Volunteer Joe Murphy will take place this Sunday 24th October. The commemoration will begin at "Joe Murphy House' on Pouladuff Rd, the birthplace of Joe Murphy, and proceed to the republican plot at St Finbarr's Cemetery where both are laid to rest.
The event is being organised by the Phoenix Historical Society. Spokesperson for the Phoenix Historical Society, Cork City Councillor Fiona Kerins, said:
"Sunday's event marks an important day in the history of both Cork and Ireland. On 25th October 1920 Lord Mayor of Cork Terence MacSwiney died on hungerstrike in Brixton Prison, an event which drew the attention of the entire world to the struggle for freedom in Ireland. His comrade Joe Murphy, also on hungerstrike, died on the same day. This year is the 90th anniversary of both men's deaths, and I would invite people to come and join us in remembering their sacrifice on Sunday.
The vision and courage shown by men like Terence MacSwiney and Joe Murphy still stands as an inspiration to us today and it is important that their sacrifice is remembered." For further information or comment contact Fiona Kerins @ 085-1091758.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Glen Launch of Housing Campaign Next Wednesday
Glen Launch of Housing Campaign Next Wednesday
Cork Sinn Féin will take its ongoing housing campaign to the Glen next Wednesday with a public meeting in the Glen Resource Centre at 7.30. The meeting will be addressed by local councillor Thomas Gould and Sinn Féin general election candidate Cllr Jonathan O'Brien.
Cllr Gould said:
"Cork City Council's housing policy has failed. On current trends, there could be 10,000 families on the housing list by the end of the year. The delays in having maintenance work carried out are only getting longer as staff cuts in the council bite. And while the commencement of the second phase of the Glen Regeneration Project this week is welcome, it is also long, long overdue."
"For the past two weeks I have been out and about speaking to people in The Glen and Ballyvolane about Sinn Féin's housing campaign and inviting them to next Wednesday's meeting. The response has been huge and I am confident that this meeting, like those which have already taken place in Togher and Mahon, will be a huge success. There is a lot of anger out there on the part of people who have been waiting for a house for years and feel fobbed off and let down by the council. Sinn Féin's message is - turn your anger into action. By coming together we can become a force for change and make City Hall pay attention to our demands. I invite everyone in the Glen and Ballyvolane areas who feels the council's housing policy has failed them to come along to the Glen Resource Centre next Wednesday, listen to Sinn Féin alternative proposals, and join the campaign for change."
For further information or comment contact Cllr Thomas Gould @ 087/3021551.
Cork Sinn Féin will take its ongoing housing campaign to the Glen next Wednesday with a public meeting in the Glen Resource Centre at 7.30. The meeting will be addressed by local councillor Thomas Gould and Sinn Féin general election candidate Cllr Jonathan O'Brien.
Cllr Gould said:
"Cork City Council's housing policy has failed. On current trends, there could be 10,000 families on the housing list by the end of the year. The delays in having maintenance work carried out are only getting longer as staff cuts in the council bite. And while the commencement of the second phase of the Glen Regeneration Project this week is welcome, it is also long, long overdue."
"For the past two weeks I have been out and about speaking to people in The Glen and Ballyvolane about Sinn Féin's housing campaign and inviting them to next Wednesday's meeting. The response has been huge and I am confident that this meeting, like those which have already taken place in Togher and Mahon, will be a huge success. There is a lot of anger out there on the part of people who have been waiting for a house for years and feel fobbed off and let down by the council. Sinn Féin's message is - turn your anger into action. By coming together we can become a force for change and make City Hall pay attention to our demands. I invite everyone in the Glen and Ballyvolane areas who feels the council's housing policy has failed them to come along to the Glen Resource Centre next Wednesday, listen to Sinn Féin alternative proposals, and join the campaign for change."
For further information or comment contact Cllr Thomas Gould @ 087/3021551.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Minister's Visit Does Nothing for 8,000 on Housing List
Minister’s Visit Does Nothing for 8,000 on Housing List
Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan O’Brien has described the visit to the city of the minister of state with responsibility for housing, Michael Finneran, as an orgy of self-congratulation which did nothing for over 8,000 families waiting on the housing list.
Cllr O’Brien said:
“Michael Finneran’s visit yesterday was the signal for an orgy of self-congratulation and back-slapping among councillors and officials about the regeneration projects in Knocknaheeney and the Glen. However while the opening of the new community centre in Knocknaheeney and the commencement of the second phase of the Glen Regeneration project are welcome, though overdue, neither addresses the core issue of 8,000 families waiting for housing in Cork.”
“In a time of cutbacks and austerity, the lavish reception laid on for the Minister of State by the council also shows how out of touch some people on that body are with the realities of life for ordinary people.”
“The Minister would have been better meeting councillors to discuss the growing housing crisis in Cork and what, if anything, the government is prepared to do to sort it out.”
For further information contact Cllr Jonathan O’Brien @ 085-2133907
Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan O’Brien has described the visit to the city of the minister of state with responsibility for housing, Michael Finneran, as an orgy of self-congratulation which did nothing for over 8,000 families waiting on the housing list.
Cllr O’Brien said:
“Michael Finneran’s visit yesterday was the signal for an orgy of self-congratulation and back-slapping among councillors and officials about the regeneration projects in Knocknaheeney and the Glen. However while the opening of the new community centre in Knocknaheeney and the commencement of the second phase of the Glen Regeneration project are welcome, though overdue, neither addresses the core issue of 8,000 families waiting for housing in Cork.”
“In a time of cutbacks and austerity, the lavish reception laid on for the Minister of State by the council also shows how out of touch some people on that body are with the realities of life for ordinary people.”
“The Minister would have been better meeting councillors to discuss the growing housing crisis in Cork and what, if anything, the government is prepared to do to sort it out.”
For further information contact Cllr Jonathan O’Brien @ 085-2133907
Serious Issues Surround Council Staff Cuts
Serious Issues Surround Council Staff Cuts
Figures released to Sinn Féin councillor Chris O’Leary by city management show that Cork City Council lost 138 staff in recent times, with early retirement and redundancy schemes costing the local authority €412,875. Cllr O’Leary said that while the staff reductions were hitting local services hard, there were serious questions over their value as a money-saving measure, with some former council employees being taken on to do their previous jobs as private contactors.
Cllr O’Leary said:
“In response to a question from me, the City Manager has revealed the council lost 138 staff in recent times. Among the hardest hit departments were housing, down 27 staff, and recreation and culture, down 31.”
“The impact of these cuts can be seen in the lengthening waiting lists for housing maintenance and in places like St Finbarr’s Cemetery, which the council no longer has the manpower to maintain to a proper standard.”
“However while these cutbacks are having an undeniable impact on council services, it is less certain whether they are producing the savings that management would claim. Just two schemes, affecting 31 staff – the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER) and the Incentivised Career Break Scheme (ICR) – cost the council €412,875. Meanwhile some of the work formerly done by the council’s own employees is being contracted out to the private sector. I have information of at least one case where such a company has subcontracted former council staff, at reduced pay, to carry out the work.”
“The Manager claims to be unaware of these practices, despite a previous motion of council demanding private contractors provide a list of their employees. There needs to be a full review of the ISER and ICR schemes and the system of contracting work previously carried out by council employees to private companies.”
For further information contact Cllr Chris O’Leary @ 087-2794307
Figures released to Sinn Féin councillor Chris O’Leary by city management show that Cork City Council lost 138 staff in recent times, with early retirement and redundancy schemes costing the local authority €412,875. Cllr O’Leary said that while the staff reductions were hitting local services hard, there were serious questions over their value as a money-saving measure, with some former council employees being taken on to do their previous jobs as private contactors.
Cllr O’Leary said:
“In response to a question from me, the City Manager has revealed the council lost 138 staff in recent times. Among the hardest hit departments were housing, down 27 staff, and recreation and culture, down 31.”
“The impact of these cuts can be seen in the lengthening waiting lists for housing maintenance and in places like St Finbarr’s Cemetery, which the council no longer has the manpower to maintain to a proper standard.”
“However while these cutbacks are having an undeniable impact on council services, it is less certain whether they are producing the savings that management would claim. Just two schemes, affecting 31 staff – the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER) and the Incentivised Career Break Scheme (ICR) – cost the council €412,875. Meanwhile some of the work formerly done by the council’s own employees is being contracted out to the private sector. I have information of at least one case where such a company has subcontracted former council staff, at reduced pay, to carry out the work.”
“The Manager claims to be unaware of these practices, despite a previous motion of council demanding private contractors provide a list of their employees. There needs to be a full review of the ISER and ICR schemes and the system of contracting work previously carried out by council employees to private companies.”
For further information contact Cllr Chris O’Leary @ 087-2794307
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Sinn Féin Councillors Challenge Minister on Budget Cuts
Sinn Féin Councillors Challenge Minister on Budget Cuts
Sinn Féin councillors Chris O’Leary and Thomas Gould challenged Minister for Social Protection Eamon O Cuiv on the government’s handling of the economy at a public meeting in the Commons Inn Hotel last night. Sinn Féin activists held a peaceful protest outside the venue before and during the event to highlight the government’s failure to produce a coherent jobs strategy and its targeting of the unemployed.
Cllr Thomas Gould challenged the Minister to defend the government’s budgetary policy, saying there was an alternative to cutbacks targeting frontline services and those on social welfare. “Sinn Féin produced a pre-budget submission last year proposing, among other measures, a wealth tax on those with assets over €1 million which would have raised €1.6 billion; standardisation of all tax reliefs, to bring in €1.1 billion; and the phasing out of subsidies to private schools and to private practice in public hospitals. These examples show that there is an alternative; we can tax the wealth which remains in this country and target savings from government subsidies to the private sector and high-paid civil servants rather than penalising the less well off.”
Cllr Chris O’Leary criticised the government’s lack of a clear job creation strategy and said the unemployed and social welfare recipients must be protected in December’s budget. “The government’s response to the jobs crisis seems to be to blame the unemployed. In the last budget jobseeker’s allowance was cut – in the case of some young jobseekers by 50%. Only a few weeks ago the Minister announced that thousands of unemployed people would be forced to do unpaid work or lose the dole. Now the social welfare budget is set to be targeted again as the government looks for over €4 billion in additional cutbacks to pay off international speculators who gambled on Anglo-Irish Bank. Can I suggest to the Minister one very effective way to reduce the social welfare bill? – Create jobs and get people back to work.”
For more information contact Cllr Thomas Gould @ 087/3021551 or Cllr Chris O'Leary @ 087/2794307.
Sinn Féin councillors Chris O’Leary and Thomas Gould challenged Minister for Social Protection Eamon O Cuiv on the government’s handling of the economy at a public meeting in the Commons Inn Hotel last night. Sinn Féin activists held a peaceful protest outside the venue before and during the event to highlight the government’s failure to produce a coherent jobs strategy and its targeting of the unemployed.
Cllr Thomas Gould challenged the Minister to defend the government’s budgetary policy, saying there was an alternative to cutbacks targeting frontline services and those on social welfare. “Sinn Féin produced a pre-budget submission last year proposing, among other measures, a wealth tax on those with assets over €1 million which would have raised €1.6 billion; standardisation of all tax reliefs, to bring in €1.1 billion; and the phasing out of subsidies to private schools and to private practice in public hospitals. These examples show that there is an alternative; we can tax the wealth which remains in this country and target savings from government subsidies to the private sector and high-paid civil servants rather than penalising the less well off.”
Cllr Chris O’Leary criticised the government’s lack of a clear job creation strategy and said the unemployed and social welfare recipients must be protected in December’s budget. “The government’s response to the jobs crisis seems to be to blame the unemployed. In the last budget jobseeker’s allowance was cut – in the case of some young jobseekers by 50%. Only a few weeks ago the Minister announced that thousands of unemployed people would be forced to do unpaid work or lose the dole. Now the social welfare budget is set to be targeted again as the government looks for over €4 billion in additional cutbacks to pay off international speculators who gambled on Anglo-Irish Bank. Can I suggest to the Minister one very effective way to reduce the social welfare bill? – Create jobs and get people back to work.”
For more information contact Cllr Thomas Gould @ 087/3021551 or Cllr Chris O'Leary @ 087/2794307.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Sinn Féin to Protest During Minister's Visit to Cork
Sinn Féin to Protest During Minister’s Visit to Cork
Cork Sinn Féin is to hold a protest tonight at the Commons Inn Hotel, where Minister for Social Protection Eamon O Cuiv will be addressing a meeting on the government’s social welfare policy.
Local councillor Thomas Gould said:
“Sinn Féin has been calling on this government to produce a comprehensive jobs strategy for the last two years. Instead, the government’s only response to the unemployment crisis has been to target the unemployed.
“First we had cutbacks in jobseekers allowance at the last budget. Then we had the Minister’s proposal to establish what is basically a workfare programme for the unemployed. Now we have further cuts in the social welfare budget being flagged for December.”
“All this is against a backdrop where the government can afford to put €50 billion into the country’s zombie banks.”
“The government’s strategy of bank bailouts and budget cutbacks has failed. All it has done is create more misery and push the country deeper into recession. It is time Fianna Fail were out of office and a new government, with a real strategy to create jobs and grow the economy, was put in place.”
The protest will take place from 7.30pm tonight outside the Commons Inn Hotel. For further information contact Cllr Thomas Gould @ 087-3021551
Cork Sinn Féin is to hold a protest tonight at the Commons Inn Hotel, where Minister for Social Protection Eamon O Cuiv will be addressing a meeting on the government’s social welfare policy.
Local councillor Thomas Gould said:
“Sinn Féin has been calling on this government to produce a comprehensive jobs strategy for the last two years. Instead, the government’s only response to the unemployment crisis has been to target the unemployed.
“First we had cutbacks in jobseekers allowance at the last budget. Then we had the Minister’s proposal to establish what is basically a workfare programme for the unemployed. Now we have further cuts in the social welfare budget being flagged for December.”
“All this is against a backdrop where the government can afford to put €50 billion into the country’s zombie banks.”
“The government’s strategy of bank bailouts and budget cutbacks has failed. All it has done is create more misery and push the country deeper into recession. It is time Fianna Fail were out of office and a new government, with a real strategy to create jobs and grow the economy, was put in place.”
The protest will take place from 7.30pm tonight outside the Commons Inn Hotel. For further information contact Cllr Thomas Gould @ 087-3021551
Friday, October 1, 2010
Cllr Jonathan O'Brien to Contest Cork North Central
Cllr Jonathan O’Brien to Contest Cork North Central
At a Sinn Féin constituency convention last night, Cllr Jonathan O’Brien was unanimously selected to contest the constituency of Cork North Central at the next election. He was nominated by Cllr Thomas Gould and seconded by Cllr Chris O’Leary.
Accepting the nomination, Cllr O’Brien said:
“Never before has politics as usual in this country been so obviously bankrupt. Never before has there been such a crying need for change.
“Today the government has announced it will be pouring further billions into the country’s zombie banks. The people who will pay for this, through pay cuts, reduced services and higher taxes, are ordinary Irish citizens. Tonight many of them are asking “When is this going to stop?”
“The bill to rescue the banking system has now topped €50 billion – with no guarantee it will not rise further. This banking crisis is not some act of God that is beyond the government’s control. It is the result of bad decisions and bad policy. The decision to continue inflating a property bubble when many warned it was unsustainable. The decision not to impose proper regulation on the banks. And most recently, the decision to give priority to the interests of international bondholders over those of Irish citizens.
“What the government is doing – imposing a possible €4 billion in cuts in services so it can hand over the money to international speculators who invested in Anglo-Irish Bank – is criminal.
“Rather than throwing good money after bad, the government should close the doors of Anglo-Irish and force the financial gamblers who invested in it to take their losses.
“Sinn Féin will never be party to an act of economic treason such as this government is committing. The next election will be a referendum on the government’s handling of the economy. Sinn Féin has increased our vote at every election in the constituency, and I am confident that this time we will take a seat. A vote for Sinn Féin is a vote to get Fianna Fail out. It is also a vote for a party that will put the interests of Irish citizens first and will not be bullied by EU commissioners or international bondholders.”
For further information contact Jonathan O’Brien @085/2133907
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