Campaigns & Issues
Subcategories
Pride 09 – Full Same Sex Marriage Rights Now!
The Socialist Party supported last Saturday’s Pride parade in Dublin, standing in solidarity with the LGBT community in fighting for true equality. Here is the message distributed on the day.
For a PDF of the leaflet as it was distributed click here
Blasphemy!
By Laura Fitzgerald
“A person who publishes or utters blasphemous matter shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable upon conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding €100,000.” An archaic, perhaps medieval hangover from the past? On the contrary – in fact, this is actually being proposed by Minister Dermot Ahern as a new crime of blasphemous libel that will form an amendment to the Defamation Bill.
Joe Higgins MEP condemns sinking of Shell to Sea activist’s boat
Market system is killing our planet
A new report from the Global Humanitarian Forum warns that we are in the middle of a "silent crisis" as climate change is killing 300,000 a year. Climate change and its effects are already impacting on the world. The report states that more than 300 million people are already seriously affected by climate change and that this is set to double in the next 20 years.
Warning – Water charges coming back!
By Councillor Mick Barry
GREEN PARTY Minister for the Environment John Gormley spoke in April of the inevitability of the return of domestic water charges. With the Commission on Taxation due to report to the government in July on methods of increasing tax revenue and with another Budget due in December, this represents a real threat to workers and their families. Minister Mary Hanafin told the Irish Times last December, “If we had domestic water charges in Ireland, families would be paying €700 or €800 per annum.”
FF & Greens – Destroying our health service
By Michael Murphy
THE DESTRUCTION of our health service by the government continues apace. Having completely failed to establish a proper functioning and accessible health service during the boom years the government are pursuing their agenda of cut backs and service closures across the country.
While there was an increase in health funding during these years the reality is that the cuts of the 1980s have never been undone. The 3,000 beds that were cut then haven’t been replaced and health funding only ever reached 90% of the EU average.
Environment: Planning green growth
A socialist contribution to the debate on environmental sustainability
Joe Higgins: “Fine Gael’s new Health Policy a Charter for Privatisation”
Fine Gael recently launched its new Health policy called FairCare. The party claims its proposals ‘represent the most fundamental reform of the health system since the formation of the State.’ The new policy involves a massive surge in privatisation and ‘marketisation’ of health care. It essentially hands the running of our Health Service to private insurance companies.
Home help cuts hurt the vulnerable
By Councillor Mick Barry
CUTBACKS IN the home help service are taking a heavy toll in human misery. Just before Christmas, Eamonn Timmins of Age Action Ireland went public on the story of a 94 year old woman who had been put on a three-year waiting list for home help services.
Fighting Fees Update
Updates for UCC, UCD, Waterford and elsewhere
