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

Selection Convention for Cork North Central to be Held Tonight

Selection Convention for Cork North Central to be Held Tonight

Sinn Féin will hold a selection convention for the Cork North Central constituency tonight at 7.30 at the party offices in Barrack Street.

Cllr Jonathan O’Brien, who is seeking a nomination from the convention, said:

“I will be putting my name forward for selection and am hoping to be endorsed by my colleagues tonight.

“Sinn Féin will be fighting to win at the next election in Cork North Central. We are the party best positioned to take a seat from Fianna Fáil and give a strong, left-wing voice to the people of Cork’s Northside.”

“The next election will give people an opportunity to give its verdict on the Government’s handling of the economy and on its plans to cut €3billion out of the economy, primarily from the pockets of those who can least afford it.

“Both Fine Gael and Labour share the Government’s view that €3billion or more needs to be cut from the economy. Sinn Féin is the only party offering an alternative that would see us stimulating the economy rather than contracting it. We are the only party that wants to overhaul the taxation system to ensure everybody pays according to their ability to pay and that we finally rid ourselves of tax loopholes that deny us millions every year.

“We want to protect the most vulnerable in society while others look to them first to pay for the economic mess.”

“We have been screaming jobs, jobs, jobs for the last two years while the Government has been focussed on bailing out zombie banks. Both Labour and Fine Gael have belatedly got the message that the economy needs employment but the Government parties have yet to catch on.

“Sinn Féin is offering a real alternative. We offer a better and fairer way our of recession.

“We will go into the next election with confidence. We are in it to win it.”

For further information contact Jonathan O’Brien @ 085-2133907.

Cork Sinn Féin Housing Campaign Brought To Mahon

Cork Sinn Féin Housing Campaign Brought to Mahon

The numbers on the housing list in Cork City could reach 10,000 by the end of the year – and City Hall will face a series of protests unless the council takes radical action to tackle the housing crisis. This is according to Sinn Féin Councillor Chris O’Leary, who spoke at a well attended meeting on the issue at Mahon Community Centre last night.

The meeting was the second in a series of public meetings organised by Cork Sinn Féin. Cllr O’Leary said:

“The waiting list for housing continues to soar. On current trends, there will be 10,000 families on the list by November. Radical action is needed to deal with this ongoing crisis. Sinn Féin is calling for some of the 300,000 vacant dwellings across the state to be purchased at cost price and either allocated to social housing tenants or sold off cheaply to home buyers. Many of these dwellings come under NAMA and these should be the first to be made available for social housing.”

“Last year the government paid out €500 million in rent supplement to private landlords. If the 100,000 people on the waiting list were housed they would be paying rent to local authorities instead. Our proposals could actually save the government money.”

“Currently there are 37 local authority houses vacant in Mahon. In addition, large numbers of private dwellings are vacant in the Mahon area at locations like Eden and Jacobs Island. Meanwhile people are waiting up to seven years or more to be housed. We want all these dwellings to be made available immediately to those who need housing.”

“This is the second public meeting on housing I have spoken at within the past two weeks. The frustration of those spending years on the housing list, and facing bureaucratic stonewalling and delay from council officials, is the same all over the city. Unless radical action is forthcoming from the council, within a fortnight we will be looking for your support to take this campaign directly to the housing office in City Hall with the first of a series of protests.”

The next meeting will take place in the Glen Resource Centre on Wednesday 20th October.

For further information contact Cllr Chris O’Leary @ 087/2794307

City Hall Threatened With Protests Over Housing List

City Hall Threatened With Protests Over Housing List
The numbers on the housing list in Cork City could reach 10,000 by the end of the year – and City Hall will face a series of protests unless the council takes radical action to tackle the housing crisis. This is according to Sinn Féin Councillor Chris O’Leary, who spoke at a well attended meeting on the issue in Mahon last night.

Speaking at the second in a series of public meetings organised by Cork Sinn Féin, Cllr O’Leary said:

“The waiting list for housing continues to soar. On current trends, there will be 10,000 families on the list by November. Radical action is needed to deal with this ongoing crisis. Sinn Féin is calling for some of the 300,000 vacant dwellings across the state to be purchased at cost price and either allocated to social housing tenants or sold off cheaply to home buyers. Many of these dwellings come under NAMA and these should be the first to be made available for social housing.”

“Meanwhile the City Council must get its own act together and implement a series of motions which the Sinn Féin council team have already secured agreement on – including the establishment of a transparent housing list, a charter for council service users, and a facility for tenants waiting for emergency maintenance to carry out the work themselves and have the cost deducted from their rent.”

“This is the second public meeting on housing I have spoken at within the past two weeks. The anger expressed here from the floor, and the determination to force City Hall to change, were mirrored at Togher Community Centre ten days ago. The frustration of those spending years on the housing list, and facing bureaucratic stonewalling and delay from council officials, is the same all over the city. Unless radical action is forthcoming from the council, within a fortnight we will be looking for your support to take this campaign directly to the housing office in City Hall with the first of a series of protests.”

The next meeting will take place in the Glen Resource Centre on Wednesday 20th October.

For further information contact Cllr Chris O’Leary @ 087/2794307

City Council to Enact Customer Service Charter

City Council to Enact Customer Service Charter

The City Manager last night agreed to a call from Cllr Chris O’Leary that the council introduce a charter guaranteeing basic standards of service for members of the public. Sinn Féin gathered several thousand signatures supporting its call for such a charter on the streets of Cork in the past few weeks.

Cllr O’Leary said:

“I am delighted the Manager has agreed to include a customer service charter in the new corporate plan due in January. City Council exists to provide a service to the people of Cork, and that service should be of the highest standard. Courtesy, basic respect for people and prompt service cost nothing and are the least that members of the public are entitled to. Unfortunately, what many of them encounter instead is a labyrinthine and unresponsive bureaucracy. This is particularly the case for those with queries regarding housing.”

“Last night I placed a motion before the council calling for it to implement a rights-based Service Charter setting out minimum standards for how local authority service users are treated. This includes queries to council officials being answered promptly, the right to know who you are dealing with, and complaints being resolved quickly and efficiently.”

“In response the Manager agreed to introduce a Charter and suggested the upcoming corporate plan, due to be completed and brought forward to council by January, would be the perfect occasion to introduce it.”

“I look forward to seeing the council’s draft service charter in a couple of months. This is a progressive decision which will be welcomed by everyone who uses the council’s services on a regular basis.”

For further information contact Cllr Chris O’Leary @ 087/2794307

Cork Sinn Féin Housing Campaign Gathers Momentum

Cork Sinn Féin Housing Campaign Gathers Momentum

Cork Sinn Féin’s housing campaign continues to gather momentum, with a public meeting in Mahon Community Centre on Tuesday evening aiming to build on the successful first meeting in Togher. Local councillor Chris O’Leary today called on all those affected by the failure of the council’s housing policy in the Mahon area and beyond to turn up tomorrow night and join the campaign.

Cllr O’Leary said:

“The council’s housing policy is not working, and it is time for those people worst affected by its failure to come together and change the system. Two weeks ago I spoke at a well-attended public meeting on this issue in Togher. I expect tomorrow’s meeting at Mahon Community Centre to be equally well supported, and I encourage everyone in the Mahon area and beyond who has been affected by the failure of the council’s policies to turn up and join the campaign for change.”

“There are over 8,000 families on the waiting list for social housing in Cork City. Meanwhile there are an estimated 300,000 vacant houses across the state. This represents a shocking waste of resources in the face of dire need.”

“Everyone should have access to good quality housing at an affordable price. However this is not possible for tens of thousands of people in our city. At the core of the problem is government policy, which has been to gradually withdraw from social housing provision and let the market provide.”

“Sinn Féin wants to see the central role in housing policy given back to local authorities. Local government should be given adequate funding to tackle the waiting lists and improve maintenance. Vacant dwellings in the control of NAMA should be made available to those on the social housing list. Councils should also be empowered to provide genuinely affordable housing for sale in the open market.”

“For this to happen there needs to be a change in government policy. In the meantime there is a lot the council can do by itself. Sinn Féin wants to see a transparent, points based housing list so everyone knows where they are placed and why decisions are taken. We want tenants whose homes need maintenance to be able to carry out the work themselves and have the cost deducted from their rent. We are looking for a charter of rights for tenants to guarantee them a basic level of service from the council.”

“In the coming weeks Sinn Féin will be ratcheting up this campaign even further with a series of direct actions targeting those most responsible for the council’s failed housing policies. Details of these actions will be announced at Tuesday’s meeting, which will take place at Mahon Community Centre at 7.30pm.”

For further information contact Cllr Chris O’Leary @ 087/2794307

THE VERY FIRST An Phoblacht Autumn School is taking place this Friday and Saturday in West Cork with a range of speakers and events on the theme ‘Time to Change Ireland – Tá sé in am Eirinn a Athrú’.

The North’s Minister for Regional Development, Conor Murphy MP, MLA, will officially open the school on Friday.

Guest speakers over the weekend include All-Ireland Cork hurler Dónal Óg Cusack, musician Peadar Ó Riada, economists Michael Burke and Tom O’Connor, and Trevor Ó Clothartaigh of new Irish-language newspaper Gaelscéal.
Also addressing the event will be former hunger striker Raymond McCartney MLA who will give a personal account of the 1980 Hunger Strike, 30 years on.
Other speakers include Kerry North/West Limerick TD Martin Ferris and Sinn Féin’s newest councillor in Cork City, Chris O’Leary.

Sinn Féin Vice-President Mary Lou McDonald said:
"The An Phoblacht School aims to be a space for exchanging and debating ideas, for discussing issues of culture, language, history as well as economics and current affairs.
We want to foster a debate about advancing an alternative vision for Ireland – the theme of this year’s event is ‘Time to change Ireland’.
This year’s event will see debates on the all-Ireland economy, the future of the Gaeltacht and the type of positive changes that can and need to be brought about in this country".

Time to Change Ireland – Tá sé in am Eirinn a Athrú

1st Annual An Phoblacht Autumn School
Baile Bhúirne, 24 & 25 September 2010
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FRIDAY
6.30 pm Film Showing: ‘Mise Éire’
Introduced by Peadar Ó Riada, son of Seán Ó Riada,
composer of the original music for the film
*
8pm Official Opening by Conor Murphy MP
*


Raymond McCartney on hunger strike 1980
8.30pm Eyewitness to History
Raymond McCartney MLA gives a personal account of his involvement in the
1980 Hunger Strike in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh
***
SATURDAY

10.30am – 11.30am The Future of the Gaeltacht
Discussion
*

12- 1pm ‘The Case for an All-Ireland Economy’
Economists Michael Burke and Tom O’Connor
*

1pm- 2.30pm Lunch Break
*

2.30pm – 4.30pm What kind of Ireland do we want?’
Key autumn school debate
*


5pm Tour of Tan War sites
*

Evening: Dinner & Music
Closing Address: Martin Ferris TD

*
Exhibition – Photographs from the An Phoblacht archive