Hogan cravenly distances himself from actions of councils

Phil Hogan says that he did not ask local authorities to withhold student grant applications. The Minister, even though he supports the withholding of grants, is now cravenly trying to distance himself from this debacle because he knows it's a public relations nightmare. I am reminded of our campaign against services charges (double taxation) back in the 90s, when the government of the time tried to implement the same policy of blackmail against the sons and daughters of families applying for student grants. Padraig Flynn was the Minister for Environment and Local Government. Under the leadership of the late Paddy Mulcahy, a school teacher, we resisted their campaign of terror waged against families. Are they going back down the road jailing people I wonder?

Labour suggest it's 'reasonable' to deny student grants

It was announced today that Mary McAlesse was appointed Chair of a High Level EU Group for Higher Education. McAleese was quoted as saying that her goal is to 'ensure that every student, regardless of where they live or study in Europe, will benefit from quality teaching'. Nice sentiment. The former President is, presumably, as outraged as I am at the news that some local authorities are threatening to deny students access to third level education by withholding their grants if their parents have not paid the Household Charge. It is entirely appalling that a denial of education is being used to squeeze the poor, and the Minister of Education Ruari Quinn should be ashamed of himself for suggesting that such behaviour is 'reasonable'. The Labour Party clearly feel it's 'reasonable' to deny the children of poor families an education in order to bail out bondholders and banks. It's an utter lie to suggest that the money from the Household Charge is going to local services, this money is only going to fill the gap created by cuts.

Govt should not assume apathy means indifference

Cork Workers’ Party Councillor Ted Tynan has said that the government and others on the Yes side in the EU fiscal treaty would be making a huge mistake if they assumed that the poor turnout in the referendum meant people were indifferent to austerity and mass unemployment.

Cllr. Tynan said that the Northside of the city had delivered a massive rejection of the government’s policies which was only hidden because rural votes in the North Central constituency had masked the true scale of public anger.   The urban part of the constituency had delivered a NO vote of approximately 60% with a NO vote of well over 80% in many areas.

“Right across the Northside of Cork the government and other Yes parties had their policies completely rejected.  People are seething with anger.  Support for the Treaty and for austerity is practically non-existent and could only be gathered through scare tactics and the belief of many people that the treaty would be run again if there was a NO vote”, said Cllr. Tynan.

“The government would be making a huge mistake if they assume that the low turnout in the referendum means people are indifferent to the pain that is being inflicted on them to prop up banks and the German economy.  Sooner or later the government and other establishment parties will feel the wrath of the people and they will pay for the damage they have done to people’s lives.  Last Thursday they got their way through sheer intimidation.  People will feel less restrained at the next local and general elections and deliver the punishment these parties will have brought upon themselves.” 

Tynan calls for a NO vote on Fiscal Treaty

Councillor Ted Tynan has called for a NO vote on the EU Fiscal Treaty referendum which takes place on Thursday, 31st May.

Cllr. Tynan said that if the treaty is passed it will mean more of the economic misery and hardship that the Irish people and other Europeans have had to endure these last number of years.

We have had years years of Austerity budgets which have increased unemployment, led to the return of emigration, pay cuts and loss of pensions, households in mortgage distress, the education and health service budgets slashed and social welfare targeted for cutbacks.

New taxes like the Household Charge and proposed Water Charges hit those most in need not those who can afford to pay more.

The proposed Treaty will decree that this is the only possible economic policy for any future government to follow and will guarantee further austerity and pain for decades to come.

It means a loss of our political and economic sovreignty and the transfer of powers to unaccountable and unelected bureaucrats in the European Commission and the European Court of Justice.

The Workers' Party has set up a special website with information on its no campaign. You can visit the website at www.workerseurope.ie

Public Meeting in Cork

The Workers' Party will hold a public meeting on the Fiscal Treaty on Wednesday, 16th May at the Metropole Hotel, Mac Curtain Street, Cork at 8.00pm.  

The speakers will be:-

• Michael Donnelly,  lecturer in sociology and politics in Galway
• Councillor Ted Tynan, Workers Party, Cork City Council
• James Coughlan, trade unionist, WP activist from Churchfield

All are welcome.

Vita Cortex settlement is tremendous news says Tynan

Vita Cortex offices on Cork's Kinsale Road

Cork Workers’ Party councillor Ted Tynan has described as “tremendous news” the settlement tonight (Wednesday) of the Vita Cortex dispute following a 139 day sit in by 32 workers at the Cork plant in order to get an acceptable redundancy deal.

Cllr. Tynan said that the news was what all of Cork had been waiting to hear and he praised the workers saying they had been an inspiration to the people of Cork, Ireland and the wider world.  Their dispute, he pointed out, had been just 6 days shorter than the Dublin Lockout of 1913 but unlike that dispute the Vita Cortex workers had ultimately won out.

“The Vita Cortex workers and their families”, said Cllr. Tynan, “have endured five months of hardship and uncertainty.  The strain on them and their wider families and communities must have been enormous but they saw it through with unstinting determination aided by the absolute justness of their cause”.

The Workers Party councillor concluded by saying it was now incumbent on the government and the trade union movement to ensure that no other workers in the future would have to endure such difficulties in achieving just settlement after their years of service. 

Tynan says council is trying to silence him

Workers Party councillor Ted Tynan has accused the pact parties on Cork City Council of stifling debate and trying to silence him and other left wing councillors and prevent them raising important issues such as water metering and cuts in local government funding.

A motion from Cllr. Tynan, rejecting the proposed metering of domestic water supplies and the establishment of a new company, Irish Water, to take over the water supply system, has been referred to the council’s Corporate Policy Group.   This committee will then debate the motion in private and Cllr. Tynan will not be allowed to attend or speak on his own motion.

Cllr. Tynan said that the move was an attempt to gag him and to subvert the democratic process whereby the elected city council carries on its business in public unless it is discussing sensitive issues such as individual citizen’s housing needs.

“The motion I submitted to the council is about the future of the public water supply and opposes plans to impose water charges and privatise the system.  This is a very topical issue of huge public interest and there is no reason why it should be discussed in secret with the proposer, myself, barred from being present for the debate”

The Workers’ Party councillor said he would be challenging the decision at next Monday night’s meeting of the City Council and would also be calling for the suspension of Standing Orders to have the motion debated at the public council meeting.

Water metering is Trojan Horse for privatisation and job losses

Workers Party Councillor Ted Tynan has said that the government’s decision to make the new Irish Water company a subsidiary of Bord Gáis is merely a diversionary tactic as both it and its parent company will be privatised within the next few years with thousands of job losses, poorer quality water and huge increases in prices for both water and gas.

Cllr. Tynan said it is no coincidence that today’s (Tuesday) announcement takes place on the same day as the Troika is visiting Dublin and the launch of Irish Water is designed to satisfy Ireland’s economic masters in the EU, IMF and the European Central Bank.

He said that the claim that the installation of meters would create 2,000 temporary jobs had to be viewed in the light of inevitable job losses that will take place in Bord Gáis and in the local authorities once privatisation takes place.

“We already know”, said Cllr. Tynan,  “that Bord Gáis was earmarked for full or partial privatisation in the government’s review of the sale of state assets published last February.  Therefore, if Bord Gáis is sold, Irish Water will be sold with it or more likely as a separate lot.  We will then have some of the vultures of multinational water companies take it over and prices will sky-rocket”. 

“There is plenty of evidence from other countries which have privatised their water services that it is a recipe for huge increases in cost, serious declines in water quality and safety, and job losses.  Water privatisation, and water metering which they require to make it possible, will be met with massive resistance in this country.  People have been bled dry in the name of austerity and can pay no more.  The Household Charge campaign and the brave resistance of a million householders has shown that people will no longer roll over for this government. The campaign has built a powerful base and will be a formidable force that will meet the government head on when meter installation begins”, Cllr. Tynan declared.