Month: January 2011
Sinn Fein: a genuine alternative?
Does Sinn Féin represent a genuine left alternative for working class people in the General Election? This is a question that many workers and young people are now asking.
Austerity Budget means unemployment, poverty and economic crisis
The budget cuts are hitting families all over the country this month. For the poorest and most vulnerable, social welfare and child benefit cuts have made the struggle for survival all the harder. The basic social welfare cut of €416 a year is massive, a loss of more than two week’s income for people who struggle to make ends meet is draconian.
Volunteer
Carlow Kilkenny: Health campaigner to run for Dail
Conor Mac Liam is standing in the upcoming General Election for the Socialist Party and the United Left Alliance in the Carlow/Kilkenny constituency. He is known as a defender of public health services and a campaigner for the building of a hospice for Carlow/Kilkenny. He came to prominence with the death three years ago of his wife Susie Long, a public patient, whose diagnosis of bowel cancer was delayed for seven months whilst private patients were getting life-saving diagnoses within days.
Dublin West: Joe Higgins
Joe Higgins is a longtime fighter for the rights of ordinary people. He led the successful campaign against the threatened closure of Blanchardstown Hospital in the late 1980s; served on Dublin and Fingal County Councils in the 1990s, fighting corrupt rezonings and bad planning and was Chairman of the successful Dublin Anti Water Charges Campaign.
Laois/Offaly: Ray Fitzpatrick
We’ve had 90 years of capitalist administration, under the different management teams of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour, PD’s and the Greens.
Carlow/Kilkenny: Conor Mac Liam
Conor Mac Liam is a teacher and has lived in Kilkenny with his family for over 20 years.
When his wife Susie Long, who died of cancer in October 2007, became ill, both she and Conor actively highlighted the crisis in cancer services and struggled for a decent public health service for all.
Dublin North East: Brian Greene
Brian Greene grew up in Bayside moving to Baldoyle 15 years ago. He has been active in Youth Groups, Community Radio & Local Drama in Howth Sutton Bayside & Baldoyle. Brian is married with 3 children & lives in Stapolin Lawns Baldoyle.
Dublin Mid West: Rob Connolly
Rob Connolly has been active for years on many issues affecting working people and communities in Dublin. Rob first became active in the anti water charges in the mid 1990s. That mass campaign was able to defeat the ‘Rainbow’ government of Labour, Fine Gael and Democratic Left, forcing them to abolish the hated tax nationally.
Cork North Central: Mick Barry
Cllr. Mick Barry is a proven fighter for the rights of working class people. He was the key organiser of the 3,000-strong protest in Cork city in 2008 to defend medical cards for the over 70s.