Make the bankers pay! that was the message from the Meath Sinn Féin election convention on Friday night. Over 250 members of the party heard speeches from candidates Councillor Peadar Tóibin, Michael Gallagher and Gerry Adams in Navan’s Ardboyne Hotel.
Addressing the packed hall, Councillor Tóibin said “Our plan is simple – make those responsible for the mess pay. The Government and Fine Gael intend to slash health services, education and welfare with no clear job creation strategy. I say make the banks pay. The banks took a gamble, they lost. The debt is bank debt, not Irish debt, not your debt. Secondly, lets cut the salaries of politicians. We propose to cut Ministers salaries by 40% and TDs salaries by 20%. We will also stop this nonsense of politicians being able to retire at 55 years old.
“Political reform is essential. One of the simplest political reforms is do not vote Fianna Fáil. We need to start voting on the basis of skill, hard work and the intellect of the candidate. If we had done this, we would not be in the mess we are today, with gombeen politicians. If you want change in Meath West it has to be a vote for Sinn Féin. All recent opinion polls show that we are the only party capable of taking a seat off Fianna Fáil. In Meath West Sinn Féin is polling at over twice the rate of Labour. I appeal to Labour supporters to lend me their vote to prevent Fianna Fáil getting in the back door.
“My record is there for all to see. Save Navan Hospital, Meath Schools Campaign, Anti-Head Shops Campaign, Economic Development Strategy and Community Policing Committee – Sinn Féin has given leadership and organisation to all these campaigns. We have also ensured people power in these campaigns. The hospital campaign brought 10,000 people onto the streets of Navan. We work with community groups, residents associations and community fora. All of this helps to take power of the political elite and give it back to the people. I offer new ideas, new politics and real leadership.”
Meath East candidate Michael Gallagher highlighted Fianna Fáil and the Green's priorities saying "The vital Slane by-pass which would cost in the region of €100 million is 'not affordable' in Fianna Fáil's eyes, however the same money can be found to pay National Toll Roads for the under use of the M3. Also FF/Green carbon taxes on diesel are having a massive impact on farmers and agricultural contractors.
Meath Schools get approval for upgrades
A number of schools in Meath have been approved for upgrades by the Department of Education. Meath East Sinn Féin representative Michael Gallagher has welcomed the upgrade approvals for schools in Navan, Nobber and Slane.
Michael Gallagher said “I have been inform by the Department of Education that approval has been granted for the installation of a fire alarm system in St. Oliver Plunkett’s NS, Navan; to build a new classroom for St. Patrick’s NS in Slane; and to relocate Prefabs in O’Carloan College, Nobber. While this is welcome news and a sign of some progress, its also fair to say that the continued use of prefabricated classrooms does not lend itself to a ‘smart economy’ strategy. The Government should be building permanent, state-of-the-art classrooms to maximise learning potential and also as part of a job creation strategy, to get our construction sector back to work.”
Meath FF TD's must come clean on sovereignty.
Meath East Sinn Féin representative Michael Gallagher has called on the counties Fianna Fáil TDs to support Irish sovereignty and vote against the EU/IMF bailout in the Dáil. Legal action taken by Sinn Féin has forced the Government into announcing that the bail out will require a vote, something they denied was necessary just days ago.
Michael Gallagher said "Fianna Fáil claim the mantle of 'the Republican Party', well lets see Mary Wallace and Thomas Byrne live up to that claim. Let them vote against the EU/IMF bailout and maintain Irish sovereignty. On Wednesday, solicitors acting for Sinn Féin wrote to the Chief State Solicitor demanding that the bailout be voted on in the Dáil in accordance with Article 29(5) of the Constitution. On Thursday the Government announced that a vote was necessary - a complete u-turn on their position only days before. Once again, as in Donegal, it has taken legal initiatives by Sinn Féin to force Fianna Fáil to live up to its democratic responsibility.
"Sinn Féin will be voting against this sell-out deal with the IMF, a deal that will burden generations of Irish people with debt incurred by speculators who are getting away scot-free. I am calling on all Fianna Fáil TD's to oppose this deal and I remind them of the prophetic words of P.H. Pearse in his poem Mise Éire 'My greatest shame? My own children who sold out their mother'."
Kells Credit Union financial troubles
Sinn Féin representative Michael Gallagher has expressed concern about the financial health of Kells Credit Union. The credit union has failed to hold its AGM in November and has also removed details of its investments from public view in recent weeks.
Meath East representative Michael Gallagher said “For the last number of years Kells Credit Union has held its AGM in November, however this year it has not been held and is deferred into next year. I am concerned that this, coupled with threatening letters sent out to members in recent weeks, is an attempt to buy time to portrait the financial situation better than it actually is to the regulators office. It is also noticeable that information regarding the company’s investments have been removed in recent weeks. It is my understanding that all financial organisations are obliged by law to display this information.
“It has been suggested to me that a sizeable amount was invested by Kells Credit Union via Davy Stockbrokers and that most of this investment is now worthless. If there are financial problems within the Credit Union it is incumbent on the directors to be honest with their shareholders. It is also important to emphasise to shareholders that any shares they have in the credit union are guaranteed up to the value of €100,000. It is also interesting to note that the Financial Regulator gives close scrutiny to credit unions but gives a free hand to the ethically bankrupt Anglo Irish Bank.”
Read more: Kells Credit Union financial troubles
Save Navan Hospital Campaign disappointed with HSE meeting
A delegation of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign met with senior HSE management and the Minister for Health Mary Harney on Wednesday last in Leinster House. The delegation included Chairperson Cllr Peadar Tóibín, Dr Hanley, Dr Maguire, Noeleen O Donaghue and Wayne Forde representing staff and Pat Mullanny representing past patients. All the elected Fianna Fáil TDs for Meath were in attendance as were Deputy English and Deputy McEntee. According to Cllr Tóibín 'we went in with an optimistic frame of mind because we had heard information that the HSE was considering the return of services however we left in pessimistic form'.
'First of all we put it to the HSE that healthcare capacity has been ripped out of Meath and no alternative capacity has been created anywhere else to take up the over flow. That under the present government plans no regional hospital is going to be built and that patient safety is being jeopardised. We delivered figures from the INMO and the Irish Medical Times that show patients waiting on trolleys, a lack of staff and a lack of accreditation at the Drogheda. None of these facts were accepted by the HSE’.
‘We asked simple questions with regards what surgery services will return to Navan Hospital and when. We were told by one member of the HSE team that it is the policy of the HSE that Navan is a fit place for elective surgery, so far so good. We asked when will this policy be implemented, then the barriers came up. We were told that it depended on when certain studies were undertaken, no time scale given here. Then we would have to wait until certain reports could be released, no time scale given. Then it depended on if and when contracts would be signed by certain staff, no timescale given here. Then we were told it would depend on whether or not enough anaesthetists could be employed in January. Another member of the HSE team stated at this point that it could be hard enough to get enough for Drogheda never mind Navan’.
‘At this point that it was clear that all the members of the HSE were not on the same page with regards their own views. They seemed to differ over approach. Suffice to say that every time we suggested a method of overcoming a barrier to return of surgery another two or three barriers were put in our way’.
Read more: Save Navan Hospital Campaign disappointed with HSE meeting
Tóibín in poll position to take seat off Fianna Fáil
The most recent Red C poll which was published in the The Sun on Friday has indicated that the continuing surge in support for Sinn Féin throughout the state could see local councillor and Deputy Mayor of Navan, Peadar Tóibín take a seat off Fianna Fáil at the next election. The ground breaking poll put Sinn Féin ahead of Fianna Fáil in terms of first preferences for the first time since the 1920s.
The poll figures which have been extrapolated by academics in NUI Maynooth suggest that Sinn Féin is now the second largest party in Meath West ahead of Fianna Fáil and with nearly three times the vote of the Labour party. Political Analysts have stated that traditional ‘republican’ Fianna Fáil voters are moving to Sinn Féin in increasing numbers. Also traditional working class Labour voters are also switching to Sinn Féin. Indeed 25% of working class voters are selecting Sinn Féin and 25% of 18 to 34 year olds also support the party.
A number of reasons for the surge have included the robust stance Sinn Féin has taken against the IMF/EU bailout and the fact that Sinn Féin has are the only party calling for a structured default of bond holder debt. Cllr Tóibín is also benefiting from the energetic Save Navan Hospital Campaign that he is running in the county. He is also chair of the Meath Schools Campaign which is campaigning for increased Second level capacity in the county and a primary school building programme. Cllr Tóibín has also been to the fore front with the campaign for increased job investment in the county. From an enterprise development background himself he has brought the IDA and Enterprise Ireland to Meath and developed a detailed employment creation plan in an effort to increase the focus on Meath’s jobs shortage.
Read more: Tóibín in poll position to take seat off Fianna Fáil
