A left alliance to counter the political right

Some commentators argue that left/right politics is redundant. That such terms are outdated and are a relic of the past. They are described as 'old fashioned' and as having no place in our modern political system. Of course it is absolute nonsense. Maybe a section of the electorate do not associate with such terminology or there is a need to change the language - but the ideological battle is the same. It's Labour vs Capital, small Government and light touch regulation vs public services and a managed economy, it's progressive vs regressive taxation, it's the power of the collective and community vs individualism and a race to the bottom. Or put simply it's the reverse of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

This is important as we approach important elections North and South. In recent times right wing parties in the North rolled over and were prepared to accept budget cuts and welfare cuts while Sinn Fein stood in isolation defending the most vulnerable. The party fought with others to hold the line, take a stand for increased funding and reject vicious British Tory cuts supported by a conservative Dublin Government. Considering the balance of forces tremendous credit is due to the Sinn Fein negotiating team for the outcome. Left/right politics was far from redundant in these recent talks.

In the South the policies of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are conservative, regressive, unfair and create social and economic inequality. It's about reducing the public sector, gutting public services, building an economy on low pay and tax cuts and pay increases which favour the top earners and the wealthy. The ESRI have described each and every budget from this Fine Gael/Labour Government as regressive and favouring the top 40% earners as opposed to the remaining 60%. In simple terms - low and lower middle income earners benefit least. What is needed is a reversal of this trend.

A broad, sustainable and politically mature left alternative is required. This must involve those serious about Government and making change. Now is not the time for sniping from the sidelines or hurlers in the ditch. We need real leadership and a solid, progressive, realistic and deliverable left alternative. It must involve Sinn Fein, progressive left Independents, trade unions, NGO's, progressive economists and those on the left from the world of business, enterprise, sport, arts and culture.

Any serious left alternative must avoid engaging in auction politics. It must argue for taxation but taxes that are fair, progressive and necessary to invest in and provide first class public services. It must challenge the right wing election rhetoric of unsustainable and unrealistic tax cuts and wage increases. Reforming our tax system to move away from regressive stealth taxes to more progressive and direct taxation based on income must be front and centre. It must avoid the temptation to join in the auction politics. It is not only possible but necessary. The electorate are wary of false promises and poor leadership. They require honesty, fairness and strong political leadership. And this will come from the left - with Sinn Fein in the driving seat.

Appointment as Group Leader in the Seanad

I am extremely proud and privileged to have been selected as the Sinn Féin Group leader in the Seanad. I will join Kathryn Reilly from Cavan and Trevor Ó Clochartaigh from Galway as part of a strengthened Sinn Féin team in the Seanad and the Oireachtas. We will do our best to provide robust opposition and effective leadership.

In a few short months Sinn Féin has fought a number of elections North and South. We now have 1 MEP, 5 MP’s, 29 Assembly members, 14 TD’s, 3 Senators, an Udarás member and hundreds of city, county and town councillors across the Island. We truly are an all-Ireland party.

I also welcome the announcement of the Taoiseach’s 11 nominees and I am looking forward to the opening of the 24th Seanad on Wednesday. I am glad to see that the nominees are drawn from important sectors in Irish society but disappointed to see no one from the unionist community in the North on the list. Perhaps this was an opportunity missed by the Taoiseach.

As Sinn Féin said during the visit of the British queen to Ireland, gestures must be matched by real political action. I also welcome the Taoiseach’s assurance that the 11 nominees would be independent and that their votes in the Upper House would not be under the party whip.

Sinn Féin has proposals for the reform of An Seanad, but there is no doubt that the addition of such figures as Dr Martin McAleese and senators representing the arts, sport and social activists and campaigners will enrich the Upper House. Those of us who wish to see an upper house remain need to work doubly hard to make the Seanad relevant. However this is impossible without genuine reform aimed at democratising the Seanad and making it fit for purpose. Maybe the people will act where the politicians have failed.

29 Assembly Seats, 14 Dáil Seats, 3 Seanad Seats and 400,000 first preference votes – the success of an All Ireland Party

In the course of the last few months Sinn Féin has achieved significant electoral success. The General Election in February saw the party triple its Dáil representation and win 14 seats. This was followed by a successful Seanad election last month with the party winning 3 seats. The Northern Assembly elections have brought more success with 29 seats in total. All of this is a vindication of hard work and political leadership.

Winning seats though is not enough. We need to continue the process of change. There is still considerable unfinished business in relation to the peace process and implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. Issues in relation to education reform, the Irish language, a Bill of Rights and greater North-South co-operation need to be addressed. The transfer of policing and justice powers needs to be followed by full fiscal powers to the Northern Assembly.

Across the Island far too many people live in poverty. Hundreds of thousands of citizens across the island are out of work. The social and economic challenges are great but not insurmountable. I genuinely believe that there has never been a greater need for real republican politics of fairness, justice and equality. I also know that a better Ireland is not just possible but deliverable. I look forward to being part of the Sinn Féin all-Ireland team as we continue in our good work in the weeks, months and years ahead.

Labours way or Frankfurt’s way – I guess its Frankfurt’s then

One of the most crucial issues in the recent election campaign was the banking crisis and its effect on the economy, our public finances and the people of this state. Austerity budgets, cutbacks, higher taxes and job losses are all a direct result of a flawed banking strategy that saw hundreds of Billions of taxpayer’s money put into the black hole of Anglo and other stricken banks. This disaster is undoubtedly the primary reason for the collapse of the Fianna Fáil vote.

The contrary position adopted by Fine Gael and Labour of wanting to see ‘burden sharing’ and of ‘not one more cent’ undoubtedly won seats for both these parties. Almost six weeks on from the election and the manifestos of the Government parties are being consigned to history as little more than mere pre-election promises.

The Labour Party’s pre-election stance was clear and unambiguous – it is Labours way or Frankfurt’s way. With the announcement of €24 billion more of taxpayers’ money going into the banks to pay back in full investors and speculators it is clear that the Frankfurt way has prevailed. The Irish taxpayer has again been shafted to protect German, French and British banks. Most of the €24 billion the state will put into the banks will be borrowed money. This makes it worse as our national debt is spiralling out of control.

One simple fundamental economic truth seems to evade our politicians. They don’t seem to realise that the more blank cheques they write to shore up the European banking system, the more they are burdening us with future taxes. This burden causes the economy to contract more. Writing cheques to bail out Europe’s banks won’t help anyone, apart from the creditors of the banks – who should suffer anyway. What we are witnessing is the new Government embracing the failed policies of the past.

The choice for the Irish state is clear: we need to impose aggressive burden sharing on un-guaranteed bonds. We need to go after bondholders. While the focus of the Government and the EU has been on banking stress tests, not one person in Brussels or in the Cabinet has had recourse to a stress test for the wider economy or for hard-pressed working people in this state, the unemployed and those on social welfare. While election promises are broken and speculators and investors are refunded in full, all of those families struggling to cope will be asked to pay more. We are being let down once again.

Reform must start with the Dáil

Today I joined Sinn Fein’s team of candidates in the upcoming election in launching our national campaign. The party is standing 41 candidates in 38 constituencies. In every constituency where we are standing, Sinn Féin is going out to win. Every TD elected for Sinn Féin means a stronger voice for citizens, for working families, for the unemployed and those struggling to make ends meet.

The more Sinn Féin TDs elected the louder the voice for those they represent. A vote for Sinn Féin is a vote for real change.

As the only all-Ireland party Sinn Féin is standing on a platform that is underpinned by our republican principles. We are seeking a mandate for:

- Root and branch reform of the political system to produce a genuinely open and accountable form of government that empowers citizens and ends the notion of political elites

- The protection and creation of jobs

- An end to the two-tier health and education systems

- The proper use of Ireland’s natural resources for the common good

- Continued support for the Peace Process and the Good Friday Agreement

Sinn Féin is the only party to spell out clearly that we will put those on middle and low incomes first and that we would reverse cuts to public services and social welfare introduced in Budget 2011. In Government we would:

- Reverse budget cuts, specifically to public services and social welfare

- Reverse the cut in the minimum wage

- Abolish the Universal Social Charge

Sinn Féin would end cronyism. Reform must start with the Dáil — that means cutting the wages and expenses of Ministers and TDs. Next week we will launch our full manifesto setting out in more detail our specific proposals.

I believe there is a better way

Tonight I attended the launch of my and Sinn Féin's election campaign in Waterford. 300 people packed into the Granville Hotel to hear Mary Lou McDonald and I set our Sinn Féin's policy platform. This is one of the most important elections in the history of this state. I seek election to the Dáil so I can be part of the national debate on how we solve the big problems facing our country and county. We are putting forward economic polices that will deliver growth and jobs. We are seeking a new beginning in banking that delivers for citizens and business. We seek to reward and encourage innovation and enterprise. We want a deficit reduction strategy that is realistic and deliverable. We want a fair and just taxation system. We also want to end the madness of the tax payer being saddled with private banking debt. We want an economy that serves the people and all the people.

Sadly this Government has ruined the economy. The Government policies we warned against in the 2007 election have brought about economic chaos. Our public finances have collapsed, our banking system has caved in under its own greed and we have record high unemployment. 14,600 people in Waterford are out of work with thousands more having emigrated. We need to change course.

I and Sinn Féin are arguing for a more realistic deficit reduction strategy. We are calling for a six year plan and one that reduces the deficit by protecting middle and low income families and targets high earners and wealth. We have published comprehensive taxation alternatives which are fully costed by the Department of Finance. No individual who earns under €100,000 or family earning less than €200,000 a year is affected by our proposals, They include a third rate of tax of 48% on individual incomes in excess of €100,000 a year, standardising all tax relief’s, the introduction of a 1% income linked wealth tax on all assets in excess of €1million and modest increases in capital gains and capital acquisitions tax.”

We are also arguing for a three and a half year €7Billion stimulus plan funded from the National Pension Reserve Fund. We are opposing the IMF/ECB deal which sees the state borrow €35 billion to pay for private banking debt. We will stand up for Ireland’s interests and not those of international investors who took a gamble and lost. Working families who are getting hit hard should not be saddled with more private banking debt. It is morally, socially and economically wrong. It is time to make the decisions that our in Ireland’s interests and we in Sinn Féin stand ready for that challenge.

Who Mr Gilmore, is guilty of economic treason now?

With an election clearly on the horizon the cut and thrust of the campaign has started in earnest. However there is a rather familiar tone to the content of the establishment party arguments. Rather then attacking the policies of Fianna Fail and the Greens - Fine Gael and the Labour Party have turned their attentions to Sinn Féin. They are engaged in a game of smoke and mirrors as they attempt to misrepresent our position. They see the threat and are attempting to create fear. This is nothing new, we have had all this before.

In 2007 Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour united in attacking Sinn Féin. They dismissed us as economic illiterates. They proclaimed that Sinn Féin in Government would see the collapse of our economy and predicted economic Armageddon if we held the balance of power. The phoney war with Fianna Fáil was put to one side, Sinn Féin was the real target. They then tried to out bid each other in the worst case of auction politics this state has ever seen. When Fianna Fáil and the PD’s promised tax cuts, Fine Gael and Labour promised more. It was Sinn Féin alone who refused to engage in such shameful antics.

Three and a half years later, let’s examine the evidence. The banking system has collapsed, hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs, working people are getting hammered through cuts and tax increases and our economy is on its knees. And guess what – Sinn Féin was not in Government. Our warning of the dangers of a property bubble, unsustainable public finances and light touch regulation in the banks has come to pass. This gives us no satisfaction but I am simply setting the record straight.

It is against this backdrop that we find ourselves here again. It is the political equivalent of ground hog day. Again Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour contrive to attack Sinn Féin and undermine our credible alternatives just as they did during the Lisbon campaign. The Labour Party is now defending everything they berated the Government for. They are facilitating the passing of the Finance Bill and Decembers Budget, have done a u-turn on the bank guarantee by making the taxpayer pay for private banking debt and are supporting the IMF/ECB bailout which will see this state borrow €35 billion on a high interest rate to put into wayward banks. Who Mr Gilmore, is guilty of economic treason now?

A national Republic is still the big prize

Today I gave the main oration at the commemoration of the 90th Anniversary of the Pickardstown Ambush in Tramore, Co. Waterford where volunteers Michael McGrath and Thomas O Brien lost their lives. Over 300 gathered to remember their sacrifices. 


Full test of speech below..


I am proud to be here with family members of Michael McGrath and Thomas O Brien who died in pursuit of Irish Independence 90 years ago today. They did so to help establish a national Republic and to bring to life the proclamation of 1916. They were not prepared to accept second class citizenship and they believed in a Republic where all of the children of the nation are treated equally. We remember their sacrifices with pride.

We also rededicate ourselves to the ideals which underpinned their actions. Ireland is again at a cross roads. The current economic, social and political crisis has its roots in greed with establishment politicians turning their backs on genuine republican principles. The interests of the few were put ahead of the many. Bankers, developers and a wealthy elite were protected in the good times and the bad. Tens of billions of taxpayers money has been put into wayward banks as ordinary people see their incomes slashed. 460,000 people are without work with a 100,000 more having emigrated.

The first tranche of the EU/IMF loan will be paid out to Ireland on Wednesday 12th January. The interest rate being charged on this first part of the loan is scandalous. The EU is set to make a tidy profit of 3% on this loan, pushing up the cost of this intervention to an already beleaguered Irish economy.

We must strongly question why this Government has entered the Irish people into such a bad deal and why the European Commission, in their misguided attempt to help the Irish economy, are actually taking advantage of an opportunity. It was bare-faced profiteering that brought about this crisis and this same profiteering will only make the Irish situation worse.

“This transfer of loans next week is the final nail in the coffin of Irish economic sovereignty. The conditionality attached to this loan, as seen in the memorandum of understanding will hinder economic growth and cripple the economy, throwing the economy into a self-defeating policy spiral.

The State’s structural deficit is fixable. It is the insistence, by the commission and the IMF, that bank bondholders must be honoured that is plunging us into crisis. Remember this is the Commission that are telling us what to do while conversely penalising us through inflated interest rates on this same policy.

We need to burn bank bondholders, introduce a stimulus package, overhaul the taxation system and eliminate wasteful spending. This approach will deliver recovery, not EU/IMF loans with thick strings attached.

The people of this State need to be consulted on this monumental decision. This Government has no mandate to accept these funds, not least when many of the same figures who voted for this loan are refusing to go before the people at a general election to defend this position. We in Sinn Féin will continue to pursue a genuine national Republic where people are put first.

Budget tax hikes hitting working people hard

We all knew December’s budget was savage and harsh. We knew working families and the unemployed were hit hard. However the severity of the tax increases has taken many by surprise. Married couples on the average Industrial wage are down over €80 a week. This is aside from cuts in child benefit and increased service charges. Only yesterday VHI had announced an increase in their premiums putting a further burden on hard-pressed families.

The reality is that this budget has made it expensive to work. Those on average incomes have no medical card, no income supports, and no mortgage relief and are finding it difficult to cope. Many bought properties at the top end of the market and are saddled with huge mortgages. Those working in manufacturing plants such as GSK in Dungarvan and Genzyme in the City who depend on overtime will see most of it go on tax and levies.

The reality is that this Government had alternatives. We in Sinn Féin produced a fully costed pre-budget plan that would have taxed those on high incomes more and protected working families struggling to pay bills. We proposed a third rate of tax of 48% on incomes in excess of three times the average industrial wage (€100,000), an income linked wealth tax of 1% on all assets in excess of €1million and increases in Capital Gains and Capital Acquisitions Tax. These and other proposals were ignored in favour of tax hikes on those already struggling to survive and the unemployed. The quicker we have an election to kick out this incompetent Government the better.

Moneylenders are the real winners

With Christmas fast approaching the country is bracing itself for a savage budget. The Government has sent a very strong signal that the low-paid, those out of work and middle income earners will bear the brunt of harsh spending cuts and tax increases. The country’s top earners and the wealthy will be spared yet again. Undoubtedly we will see further hardship and more citizens living in poverty.

While canvassing recently I met a sixty-one year old woman who was shivering at the door. She ran out of heating oil and had no money to fill the tank. My heart sank as she told me she was a recovering cancer patient and I watched her tremble with cold before my eyes. Thanks to a local charity she received some assistance. I met another family of four children where both parents lost their jobs. They are unable to pay the mortgage. They cried as they showed me dozens of unpaid bills and talked about their fears for Christmas. These are the people who will get squeezed further in the budget while bondholders who invested in private banks will get billions from the Government. It is immoral and sickening.

Tens of thousands of families across the country face similar hardship. Many will be driven to unscrupulous moneylenders just to survive. The cost of Christmas will add to the pressure. The impending budget will push many over the edge. Moneylenders thrive in such circumstances. It is not the solution for these families but many are left with little choice. The answer to a debt problem is not to incur further debt.

And yet this is exactly what the Government is doing. Tonight they have concluded a very bad deal for the Irish people. They will incur further debt to pay existing debt. They will pay unrealistic and exorbitant interest rates and will ensure that a quarter of all state income will go to servicing our debt. Meanwhile they will continue to honour private banking debt that has nothing to do with the Irish people. For struggling families and Irish taxpayers generally the only winners in these times are national and international moneylenders. And how shameful is that?

New politics not old arguments

The Irish economy has suffered the equivalent of an earthquake. The aftershocks are being felt by ordinary working people and the unemployed every day. People feel betrayed by a Government who has sold its soul. They are looking for leadership and hope. They are looking for people to bring forward ideas about the future. They want real solutions and are demanding new politics.

We need a seismic shift in Irish politics. The old civil war politics needs to be laid to rest and new ideas and new opportunities emerge. This can come from the political parties. It may however come from the people. Opinion polls carried out over the last year have shown a consistent moving away from the two big parties. For the first time in the history of the state the combined vote of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael has dropped below 50% in back to back polls. The combined Labour, Sinn Féin and Independent vote climbed to an historic high of 42%.

The recent Donegal by-election poll provides another glimpse of this ground breaking shift. Sinn Féin Senator Pearse Doherty polled 40%. Who would have thought six months ago this was possible? While a lot of this can be attributed to the excellence of Pearse as a candidate and weaknesses in others, it does not tell the full story. In my view Sinn Féin is now being seen by more and more people as a real alternative. People know the big parties have failed them and lied to them. They know the cosy consensus between the big three is wrong. They are looking for something different.

And here lies the opportunity. The Labour Party has a choice to make. They can defend the status quo and seek to hold back the tide of change or they can embrace it and lead from the front. All of the signs point to them opting for the former. The real question is whether people will move ahead of the politicians. Will the voters continue to abandon the big two and embrace new possibilities? The option of a left coalition of Labour, Sinn Féin and Independents has always been dismissed as fanciful. But we are in uncharted waters and the impossible now seems possible. The decision rests with the Labour Party and its leader Eamon Gilmore – will he continue to defend old arguments or embrace new politics? Maybe the people might make his mind up for him.

Politicians must lead by example

The issue of politicians pay and expenses has always been a contentious one. The common perception is that all politicians are on the make and sure aren’t ye all the same. People’s attitudes have been soured by endless scandals involving un-vouched expenses, exotic foreign trips, first class travel, limo’s, merc’s and five star hotels. The corrupt few have damaged the many.

Most of the corruption has come from the top. TD’s and Senators have been creaming it for years. Massive salaries and bloated expenses were the order of the day. It was wrong in the good times and it is wrong in the bad times. It is now time for politicians to lead by example. National politicians need to take sizeable pay cuts. Sinn Féin is proposing that Ministers have their salaries cut by 40% and TD’s and Senators by 20%. The expenses system needs to be overhauled and replaced with a transparent properly vouched system.

Local public representatives must also clean up their act. The vast majority of councillors act responsibly and earn modest incomes. However others abuse the system and this must stop. All expenses drawn down by any public representative or official should be fully vouched. I was elected in 2004. Over the six years I was in a position to avail of €33,266 in conference expenses. I claimed €9,970.72 leaving behind €23,295,28. Upcoming national and local budgets are being framed as I type. Politicians need to lead by example and nothing less should do.

All changed, changed utterly

We all knew it would happen as the writing was on the wall. The great bailout has arrived. The Government’s blanket bank guarantee coupled with its reckless deficit reduction strategy has left us without any credibility. The international money lenders deserted us. Our European partners closed ranks. The noose was tightened around our country’s neck. A decision was made to save the Euro and sacrifice Ireland. And all the time the Government lied to us.

As a citizen, a taxpayer and a parent I am angry. I am proud to be Irish and of its people. I am proud of the talent, ingenuity and ability of the Irish people. I am angry that such a proud nation has been sold out by its political leaders. The word sovereignty is being bandied about as if it means nothing, as if it’s of no importance. Sovereignty is about having the power to make our own decisions. A Republic is about the people being sovereign and Government acting in the best interests of its people. How hollow that sounds when you consider the sense of betrayal that Irish people will now undoubtedly feel.

The government, certain economists and sections of the media will begin the job of convincing us that a bailout is our best and only hope. They will ridicule suggestions of an alternative just as they have done throughout this crisis. They will seek to convince us that there is no other way. This needs to be tackled head on – an EU/IMF bailout will further indebt the Irish people. It is not in the best interests of this state. It is not in the best interests of working people and those out of work. We need to stand up for Ireland and start making the right decisions.

What this country needs is a credible recovery plan. The first step on this journey must be to rid ourselves of this Government. We need a General Election and fast. We need to abandon failed slash and burn policies and change course. We need a plan that will save existing jobs, create new jobs, stimulate the economy and protect front line services. We need a more realistic and credible deficit reduction strategy that increases revenue and achieves savings in public spending. We in Sinn Féin have put forward an alternative. Today the party’s election candidates gathered in Dublin to discuss the crisis. Events are changing by the minute. Today all changed, changed utterly. It remains to be seen whether a terrible beauty will be born.

A leadership decision at a time of crisis

Few events shock me in politics. However I have to admit to being a bit taken aback when I heard the news that Gerry Adams was to resign his assembly seat and later his Westminster seat to contest the General Election in the South. Gerry will seek the nomination in the Louth constituency and will challenge for a Dáil seat. This is a brave and courageous move. He is resigning from one of the safest seats in Ireland and one he fought so hard to win. It is the type of decision only leaders make and it is not without its risks.

Some will question his motives while others will seek undermine his campaign. Sections of the establishment media will go into overdrive and let’s not rule out character assassination. The real issue is that Gerry Adams MP, leader of the largest nationalist party in the North and Irish republican is seeking election to the Dáil on republican politics. While some may seek to be dismissive, he and Sinn Féin will focus on the future.

We are already shaping the debate. Fianna Fáil, the Greens, Fine Gael and Labour are part of a cosy consensus for cuts and economic contraction. Sinn Féin is standing for economic growth and recovery. We have provided fully costed and practical proposals that will turn this economy around. We will not allow the Government and so called opposition parties to shape the debate. They did so in 2007 and lied. They did so on the Lisbon Treaty and lied. We are fighting back and taking a stand. Maurice Quinlivan took a stand in Limerick. Pearse Doherty took a stand in Donegal. Gerry Adams is taking a stand today. I am taking a stand in Waterford – the next election will not just be about more of the same. Sinn Féin will provide an alternative.

For what died the sons of Róisín

For the Government the game is up. Those who lend us the money are sending the Government a resounding message – your four year strategy of cuts will not work. Quite simply they are not buying what the Government is selling. And who would blame them. The Government is promising a four year programme of austerity measures and cuts that will contract the economy. Our public finances are massively skewed towards spending, our economy is collapsing under the weight of bad policies and investors see Ireland as a busted flush.

We need to change course and fast. We need to send a signal to International investors that we can grow our economy. We need to stand up to Europe and not allow Ireland become a sacrificial lamb at the alter of the Euro. We also need to cut a deal with the bondholders. We need a consensus for recovery that is based on investment and growth and not slash and burn. We need to convince the lenders that we will grow and not cut our way out of this mess.

I advocate that we take the following steps.

(1) We start telling the truth about the deficit. It cannot be cut to the stability and growth pact levels by 2014. It simply will not happen. Investors know this. So let’s start telling the truth. It can be done by 2016 but only if we have a plan to grow the economy.

(2) We abandon plans to reduce the deficit by cuts alone. This is self defeating and will fail. If cuts are the solution we would have recovered by now. We need to raise revenue by increasing taxes on those who can afford to pay more and achieving savings in public spending through eliminating waste.

(3) We stimulate the economy. We need to have a stimulus plan running concurrently with a more realistic deficit reduction strategy. An economic and financial stimulus will create jobs, provide good value for money and position the economy to recover. International investors are more likely to respond to a growth based strategy.

(4) We need to cut a deal with the bondholders. The crisis in our banks has not gone away. They will most likely come back looking for more cash. Our immediate priority should be to cut a deal with the bondholders. These are people who took a risk. They, along with the banks and developers took a gamble and lost. Investors are not stupid. They know cutting a deal is smart. Trying to pretend you can pay when you cannot will not fool them. Let’s cut a deal and emerge with some integrity and ability to borrow again.

The country is at a cross road. We need to wrestle it back from the people who have sold us down the river. I am reminded of that famous Luke Kelly ballad ‘For what died the sons of Róisín’. It is worth reciting as we ponder a better way forward..

To whom do we owe our allegiance today?
To those brave men who fought and died that Róisín live again with pride?
Her sons at home to work and sing,
Her youth to dance and make her valleys ring,
Or the faceless men who for Mark and Dollar,
Betray her to the highest bidder,
To whom do we owe our allegiance today?

Positive Supreme Court judgement would make future challenges irrelevant

I welcome the statement from Government today that it will move the writs immediately for the by- elections in Waterford and Dublin South if it loses its Supreme Court appeal. Sinn Féin has made it clear that it will seek to defend the recent high court judgment.

This development makes any action taken by Fine Gael against the Government irrelevant, as it will be the Supreme Court challenge against the High Court judgement in favour of Pearse Doherty that will determine the holding of by-elections in Waterford and Dublin South and not any subsequent legal action taken by Fine Gael.

If the Government loses the Supreme Court appeal, the judgement will have implications for Dublin South and Waterford. The Government has stated that it will move the writs immediately for both constituencies. I welcome this development.

From the outset Sinn Féin was determined that its court case would force the Government to hold a by-election in Donegal South West before Christmas and would also force a by-election in Dublin South and Waterford. The Government’s statement today clearly shows us that the court will leave no wriggle room for more delaying tactics on the other two.

It is unfortunate the Government has chosen this path. I am pleased to hear that it has finally made a clear commitment to moving the writs if it loses its case.

It is therefore evident that any further action by opposition parties will become irrelevant. The belated actions of the Fine Gael party to mount a similar court challenge will be seen by an increasingly discerning public as no more than an opportunistic media stunt. The Sinn Féin strategy of forcing the by-elections is working. We are leading as others in Fine Gael desperately follow. Our strategy is simple – to force the holding of all outstanding by-elections and bring down this discredited Government.

Victory for democracy

Well done to Pearse Doherty and Sinn Féin on a very important high court victory. The courts decision today was clear and decisive. It supported our view that the Government was acting in breach of the constitution. Fianna Fáil was showing itself to be a slightly constitutional party. The Green Party was equally as culpable and was today involved in a desperate face saving exercise.

Sinn Féin was forced to bring the Government to court. This could have been avoided if the Government sided with democracy. Instead they chose to ignore the rights of voters in a desperate attempt to save their own necks. Thanks to Pearse and Sinn Féin their anti-democratic and unconstitutional acts have been exposed. This is a victory for democracy.

A precedent has now been set. If the Government only moves the writ for Donegal South West and ignores the rights of the people of Waterford and Dublin they will again expose themselves to a legal challenge. Sinn Féin will fully study this high court judgement. If the Government seek to frustrate the rights of the voters of Waterford and Dublin South we will seek legal advice. If we have to bring the Government before the courts again we will do so.

Sinn Féin will take a stand for the rights of voters. This Government does not have a mandate for its current policies. Today’s judgement has struck a fatal blow to the lifetime of this Government. I commend the efforts of Pearse Doherty and his legal time and I wish Pearse well in any upcoming election. He has proven himself to be a real leader and man of the people.

A roadmap to recovery

Tomorrow Sinn Féin will launch its pre-budget submission. The proposals are fully costed by the Department of Finance and leading economists. It is a roadmap to recovery. We are standing against the cosy consensus of the Government and the main opposition parties and their ‘consensus for cuts’. There is another way and a better way.

Our plan will reduce the deficit by €4.671 billion and provide for a financial stimulus of €595 million in 2011 and a three and a half year economic stimulus package of €7.595 billion. The plan exposes the Government myth that cutting social welfare, introducing water charges, bringing the low paid into the tax net, doubling college registration fees and cutting child benefit are all necessary. They are not. They are the choices of a bad government and a poor opposition.

Revenue raising

The Irish economy is like a sinking ship. We all need to work together to get the ship to port. What the Government and the other parties want to do is to throw the weak, vulnerable, low paid and those out of work overboard. Bankers, bondholders, speculators and the wealthy will be safely lowered into the lifeboats. They want to take more from those who don’t have it while protecting those who can afford to pay more.

We are proposing a third rate of tax on incomes in excess of three times the average industrial wage (€100,000), standardising all discretionary tax reliefs, introduce an income-linked wealth tax, increase capital gains tax from 25% to 40%, increase Capital Acquisitions Tax to 35%, increase DIRT tax, reduce the earnings cap for pension contributions for high earners and increase tax on multiple housing units.

Abolish exemptions

There are far too many tax exemptions available to the wealthy in this state. These are regressive in the best of times. They are immoral at a time of deep recession. We are proposing the abolition of mortgage interest relief for landlords, abolishing the PRSI ceiling, abolishing PRSI exemption for share options and abolishing a raft of property tax reliefs. The state cannot continue to subsidise the wealthy as the less well off see their income cut to the bone.

Public Spending Savings

This state is facing bankruptcy and we need radical proposals. Taxing the wealthy is a radical proposal and is right. Cutting child benefit is not radical and it is wrong. Senior civil servants and Government Ministers, TD’s and Senators are overpaid. The Government is considering taking €5 a week from someone on social welfare who survives on €196 a week, while paying the Director of the HSE over €300,000 a year. This is not fair or sustainable.

We are proposing that Ministerial salaries be capped at €100,000, TD’s at €75,000 and Senators at €60,000. We seek to cap the maximum salary of public servants and employees in semi-state bodies at four times the entry level rate (€100,000 per annum). We also propose the introduction of a proper vouched expenses system for all public representatives and senior civil servants and reducing the states professional fees by 25%.

Stimulus

Attempts to address the deficit without providing an economic stimulus is economically illiterate. Government policy to date has been to cut and it has failed. Every time they cut they deflate the economy and the tax take drops. Doing more of the same is not going to work. They are joined in this thinking by Fine Gael and Labour. These are the parties who said a vote for Lisbon was a vote for jobs, investment and prosperity. They all believe that to grow a little, you must cut a lot. We believe that to grow at all, you must invest. Without a stimulus the economy will sink faster and deeper.

We are proposing both a financial and economic stimulus plan. We will use €595 million saved in 2011 to provide a financial stimulus to the less well off. This will include making tax credits refundable to the low paid, return the additional social welfare payment to those out of work, remove all those under the tax bracket from the Government levy and also remove the 50 cent levy on medical card prescriptions.

We would also transfer €7 billion from the National Pension Reserve Fund for a state-wide investment programme. Last year the NPRF invested in a champagne house in France. Why not invest in new schools the new geriatric unit at St Patrick’s Hospital and Waterford Regional Airport instead? Let’s invest in the Irish economy.

An economic stimulus is good as it will create jobs, provide good value for money and position the economy to recover. At the moment the Government is putting our money in the black hole that is Anglo. They are investing in banks. We will invest in the state and people. Let nobody say there is no alternative to the consensus for cuts. We in Sinn Féin are providing it

Government sinks to a new low in subverting democracy

On Monday I was joined by party activists in a protest coinciding with the party’s high court challenge to force the outstanding by-elections. Sadly this government is continuing to waste taxpayers’ money defending its refusal to hold the by-elections.

This case is about upholding the democratic rights of the people of Waterford, Dublin and Donegal. Our intention is to force the Government to do the right thing and hold all three by-elections at an earliest possible date. Waterford has been under represented for too long as the Government has been running scared of the electorate.

The announcement from the Government that the by-elections will take place next year is an insult to the electorate in Waterford. The people are demanding an election at the earliest opportunity, not at some vague time next year that suits the Government best.

The Government’s attitude to this case has been arrogant and dismissive and they are now intent on wasting even more taxpayers’ money defending this case when they could easily have avoided it by moving the writs for the elections to take place. Many people on the streets of Waterford expressed their anger at not being able to vote. They feel cheated by a Government clinging onto power.

The truth is that Waterford, Donegal South West and Dublin South are being left under-represented at a time of severe economic crisis, with far-reaching decisions being made and a savage budget being prepared by this Government. As we speak Government departments are busy taking the axe to as many capital projects as they can.

In defending this case the Government in my view has sunk to a new low. To use taxpayers’ money in a desperate attempt to subvert democracy is an affront to the people of Waterford.

Launch of JobFit in Waterford

This week I attended the launch of JobFit in Waterford. JobFit is a new programme funded by the Labour Market Activation Fund of the Department of Education and Skills which provides free support, employability training and recognised qualifications to help unemployed people find a job. JobFit will be delivered by TBG Learning, part of the Rehab Group. The programme provides soft-skills training, work placements, and support into and during the early stages.

The launch was very professional and I was pleased to attend. I spoke to many course participants and they all spoke glowingly of the training provided and of how it lifted their confidence. One of the participants addressed the gathering and spoke about his positive experience and his success in getting a job. It was very satisfying to hear him proudly tell his story.

JobFit is available to people who have been receiving benefits for a minimum of three months who are qualified to Junior Certificate level or below. It may in the future be extended to leaving certificate level. The programme currently operates out of Wallace House in Maritana Gate. I would encourage people who satisfy the qualifying criteria and are interested in improving their job seeking skills to drop in and sign up.