Lisbon debate at City Library

I took part in a debate on the Lisbon Treaty tonight at Waterford City Library. The speakers included Cllr Tom Cunningham (FG), Brian Jordan (FF), Cllr Davy Walsh (WP) and myself. The event was hosted by Nicola Beresford. The debate was lively and robust. However I have still not been presented with a single reason why we should vote yes by the yes speakers other then the fear of saying no. Vote no and we will be marganlised. Vote no and we will become isolated in Europe. Vote no and we will become second class citizens. Indeed if we are to believe the FF representatives and their friends in Fine Gael and Labour if we vote no we are destined for economic ruin. What nonsense. Even if we take at face value what these guys are saying - what does this say about Europe. Are you happy to be part of a Union which treats its people like this? If not, express your opinion in the most effective way you can and vote No on October 2nd.

Cross party delegation to meet Minster for Trade and Enterprise

At a meeting of Waterford City Council tonight it was agreed that a cross party delegation would go and meet the Minister for Trade and Enterprise to discuss the serious job losses in Waterford and economic activity in the city. I agreed with the proposition but not without reservation. Firstly I think it is important for local elected representatives to voice our concerns at the haemorrhaging of jobs in Waterford and the failure of Government policies. The Minister and the Government need to feel the heat and be made aware of the human cost of job losses, Government cuts and failed Government policies.

What struck me about tonight’s meeting however was how heavily dependent we are on central government and how weak our local government system is. Why is it that we have to continuously go cap in hand to a Minister to get what we deserve as of right? I am also conscious of not raising unrealistic expectations. A delegation of Waterford City Council meeting with the Minister will not create a single job. Our greatest strength is our ability to bring agencies together and force action locally.

On a separate but somewhat related note I was intrigued by a contribution by Cllr Jack Walsh of the Labour Party at the meeting. He spoke passionately about the need for us to pass Lisbon or face the prospect of being marginalised and scare potential inward investors. Does he really believe that investors will base their decision to come or go on whether or not we vote for Lisbon? I doubt it even rates as an afterthought. However the intriguing part of his contribution for me is that if we do pass Lisbon, give more power to the EU and take a step closer to complete economic, political and military union then it will not be national Ministers we will have to meet in the future but unelected EU commissioners.

Launching a local Economic Development Document – Getting Waterford Back to Work

This week I launched a local economic development document – Getting Waterford Back to Work. I believe the document is practical, deliverable and is a call to action. While the responsibility for causing the economic crisis lies squarely with the Government there is an onus on everyone to play a constructive part in helping to solve the problem. I am not prepared to sit on the sidelines and blame others without offering solutions.

Recent job losses in Waterford City have devastated the local economy. Job losses at Teva, Waterford Crystal, Bausch and Lomb and ABB have matched job losses in the construction, tourist and service area. Unemployment in Waterford City has risen by over 50% in the 12 months to the end of July with 12,744 people signing on, up from 8,383 in July 2008. The adjusted figure taking into account recent redundancy announcements will push the jobless figure to over 14,000.

There is no silver bullet solution and economy recovery will be slow at best. There are though a number of positive steps that can and must be taken to secure the long term economic viability of the region and the city. Waterford City must become the engine and the economic driver of the region. Undoubtedly Government support and investment in the city as the gateway of the region has been poor. Equally we must start performing more locally and lesson our dependence on action from central government. Therefore Waterford City Council must act as a catalyst for this by bringing agencies together and fostering local solutions to local problems.

I recently presented the City Manager with a document – Getting Waterford Back to Work outlining specific proposals that could in the short and long term help Waterford’s local economy stave off the worst effects of the economic downturn while also leaving it better placed to grow sustainably in the future. These proposals include helping local firms access National and EU funding, arranging a meeting of local bank managers to discuss in a transparent way banking practises, the front loading of key infrastructure and employment intensive programmes, moving forward with transport infrastructure plans, more regional spending in Green Technology, support for locally driven R&D as a new platform for job creation, revive crystal manufacturing in the city and the establishment of an educational taskforce to help those who have lost their jobs.

Some of these proposals need action from central Government. The single greatest act that would assist the region is the designation of WIT as a University. However most can be delivered locally. We need urgent action. We cannot sit on the sidelines and simply blame others. I hope my proposals will be received well. Now more then ever there is a need for Waterford politicians, civic leaders and communities to work together to ensure that Waterford City is not left behind

Déjà vu - I thought we had this debate before

I took part in a debate in Limerick City last night on the upcoming Lisbon Treaty. It was with a sense of Déjà vu as we had the debate before; we had the arguments, the leaflets, the posters, the vote and the result. A majority of people voted on referendum day and of that a majority said no. Over 900,000 people to be precise. The people gave the Government a mandate to go and get a better deal. They wasted that opportunity and are now asking us to vote again on exactly the same treaty.

I believe that voting no simply on the basis that we have already said no is not reason enough. The world has changed since the last referendum. Ireland’s economy has gone into freefall. Our public finances are in a mess. The prospect of direct IMF intervention is real. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs. Savage cuts are being implemented in health, education and across the public sector. Nama is being set up to bail out greedy property speculators and incompetent bankers. So I agree, we do need a new referendum. We need a new treaty for the new changed economic circumstances we find ourselves in.

The economic philosophy which underpins Lisbon and Europe – Neo Liberalism – has failed. It is a system that has brought us boom and bust. It is a system that has increased wage differentials, brought about greater inequality, trapped more people into poverty, privatized public enterprises, weakens public services, undermines workers rights and above all supports the primacy of the free market. This failed ideology is not what we need to turn things around. You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that created it. So we have a choice. We can say no again and for the right reasons again and in doing so send a strong message to our Government and to Europe – we need a new treaty for a new times..

Parents express anger at Education cuts

Today I and other members of Sinn Féin handed out leaflets outside a number of primary schools in Waterford City. The leaflets highlighted the impact the education cuts announced last year are having on schools. These cuts are now beginning to bite. Parents were very receptive and were seething in their anger of the Government. It is a disgrace that young children are being asked to suffer because the Government made a mess of the economy. Sinn Féin activists in Dungarvan, Tramore, Dunmore East and Portlaw also spoke to parents at their local schools. The leaflets encouraged people to contact local Government representatives and the Minister for Education and send them one simple message - hands off our schools.

Workers at Morris Builders Providers forced to strike

I joined workers at Morris Builders Providers this morning on their strike picket against what they see as a selective and unfair redundancy process. Over 30 members of the UNITE Union are on strike. The strike is not about money or wages. It is about an attempt by the management of the company to force through redundancies by the use of a manufactured and unfair selection process. The workers reluctantly withdrew their labour following three meetings of the Labour Relations Committee.

Essentially the company want to select who they wish to sack. The workers have a right to object to this and to seek a fair and just selection process. To this end I have called on the management of the company to engage with the union and to agree to a voluntary redundancy process. To many employers think that they can use the current downturn as an opportunity to treat workers in whatever way they like. They must not be allowed to do so.

TIME FOR THE COMMUNITY SECTOR TO FIGHT BACK

I attended a protest organised by SIPTU today in Dublin to fight back against cuts in the Community Sector. I commend SIPTU for organising the march and for mobilising thousands of people nationally from across the community sector. It is vital that the sector unites against savage cuts which will devastate communities especially those worst hit by the recession. The Community Service Programme has seen its funding cut by €10m. €44million has been cut from the Community Development Programmes and partnerships. Many Family Resource Centres are under threat of closure. €2.6m has been cut from the National Drugs Strategy. As a voluntary member of a Community Development Project in Larchville and Lisduggan and a former board member of Waterford Area Partnership I know at first hand the impact these cuts will have. These are organisations working at the coalface in disadvantaged areas trying to bring about social inclusion.

It is right that people in the sector are angry that the Government are making the vulnerable pay for their mistakes. However it is not enough to be angry. We need to turn that anger into action. The best way for the sector to achieve this is to unite behind a campaign to have these savage cuts reversed. I am calling on everyone involved with or who benefited from community development type programmes to attend SIPTU’s national march organised for September 30th in Dublin. Only be working together and uniting behind a single campaign can we successfully force this Government to abandon their strategy of making the vulnerable pay for their mistakes.