Tony Blair

dared to do it. Blair : 7 300 euros a minute, without bonus.
Translated mardi 12 mai 2009, par Karen Singleton

Is pulling himself up to be Head of State, while still young, a proof of democratic renewal ? No. It’s just the guarantee of a golden retirement. The Sunday Times, April 5th, showed that Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, earned €440 000 for two 30 minute speeches, during a 36 hour visit to the Philippines. That works out to €7 300 a minute. Rather well-paid for a speech entitled “ The leader as a nation builder in the era of globalisation’. Did he, who built the apparent prosperity of his country by submitting to the City, speak to the Philippine audience about his experience of building a house of cards ?

All in all, since he left Downing Street two years ago, Tony Blair has pocketed a mere 15 million pounds (16.6 euros millions). Working the conference circuit is a popular trend for leaders to finance their retirement. Bill Clinton was earning €110 000 per speech…before he had to shut up due to his wife being part of the Obama administration. It’s even believed that George W. Bush received the same tariff for his profound thoughts.

Besides his speaking engagements, Tony Blair draws a yearly salary of €2.2 million as an advisor for JP Morgan Chase, and another €550 thousand for the same role at Zurich Financial Services. He sold his memoirs for €5 million. In it does he explain how he renewed socialism by removing inhibitions

George Lee

I watched George being intervied on TV3 the other night and I see cracks appearing in our George, he likes to have his own way.FG are very confident of his election.
Lets hope the people of South Dublin have something to say about that.

Salvador : ‘It’s the result of a whole people’s struggle’

Salvador : ‘It’s the result of a whole people’s struggle’
Translated vendredi 15 mai 2009, par Nikita Shah

Nohemy Coto is member of Salvadorian parliament for the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FLMN).

Huma : What is the impact of the FLMN’s victory ?

Nohemy Coto : The triumph gained is the result of a multitude of struggles over a period of many years. Since 1821, the Salvadorian people have not ceased in their struggle. We have lived through a war which culminated in peace treaties. But important structural changes have been left in suspense. The FLMN has joined the political struggle by transforming an armed front into a political party. Since 1994, we have not ceased from participating in political life, and today in 2009, we will realise an ambition for which we have so long hoped. A new history is beginning. It is the result of a whole people’s struggle, and not just a single party. It is the victory of a people which intends to guarantee the creation of a government of unity for the country, capable of initiating a new stage in Salvador’s life.

Huma : Emigration, economic dependence, social crisis, insecurity... How is the new government going to manage all these issues and respond to the people’s social demands ?

Nohemy Coto : The new President and Vice-President, Mauricio Funes and Salvador Sanchez Ceren, have been clear and visionary in defining the direction of government policy. It is a question of energizing political, economic and social reform. It is urgent to take the path of development and to consolidate democracy in face of a multidimensional crisis : energy, economics, environment and politics. Our development indicators are lamentable... The issue of emigration is not only an economic matter. We are not talking solely about money handouts, but of broken families, of the disintegration of social fabric... It is necessary to build national entities in order to get the country out of the crisis.

Huma : This election also has an echo across the continent. What will be Salvador’s regional policy, particularly with respect to leftist governments ?

Nohemy Coto : The foreign policy defined in our government programme rests on the respect of the autonomy and sovereignty of peoples, of their self-determination. It is also about a policy of peace, in which we give priority to the maintenance of relations with all countries. We will institute relations with Cuba. Entrepreneurs have commercial relations with Cuba, but, historically, right-wing governments have never opened dialogue with that nation.

We will have the best possible relations with the United States of America, aided by the fact of two million Salvadorian people present within its territory, but also because it is our main commercial partner. Our priority is also to unite Central America to work toward common interests. The election demonstrated that the population rejected dirty campaigns against President Hugo Chavez, or those aiming to say that we were going to break relations with the United States. Our foreign policy will be based on self-determination and respect. The cooperation with other peoples (Cuban, Venezuelan and others) has been historically beneficial. We aim at consolidating solidarity between nations. That is what humanity demands.


RSS 2.0 | Plan du site | Translators’ zone |

Marx's beating heart

Marx's beating heart

Wednesday 13 May 2009Rene Mujica Cantelar Printable Email Once again, we have gathered before Karl Marx's tomb in a demonstration of gratitude, admiration and respect towards that giant of thought and action whose life and untiring efforts were entirely devoted to furthering the cause of working people.

The significance of Marx's total dedication to science and to the struggle for a world of social justice, human freedom and peace transcends time and geography. His ideas have been decisive for the destiny of all the peoples who have since embarked on the noble tasks of attaining their political and economic emancipation, ending the exploitation of man by man, transforming for the better their own societies and shaping - haphazardly, maybe, but inexorably - that new world that Marx envisioned.

'Human society faces the greatest challenge in history'
Marx's ideas exercise the strongest of influences on humanity's future, proving their universal value and becoming a fundamental reference for the emerging processes of revolutionary change against the inequities, injustices and moral bankruptcy of the prevailing imperialist order and its ideology.

This order has plunged human civilisation and our planet into the most dangerous predicament they have ever faced - the largest economic crisis on record and a set of other global crises equally fed by capitalism's voraciousness.

There is a long and deepening social crisis that affects not only the poor nations at the periphery but also increasingly the poor and middle classes closer to the centres of power.

There is an environmental crisis caused by the wasteful consumerism on which the fortunes of the rich depend, polluting natural habitats and pumping out massive amounts of global warming gases, threatening present and future generations.

There is a related energy crisis caused by the dwindling availability of fossil fuels due to their irrational exploitation for profit and the insufficient development of renewable energy sources proportional to rational human needs.

There is an agricultural crisis causing a steadily growing number of people, particularly in the underdeveloped world, to go hungry or malnourished.

And there is an ethical crisis brought about by the ideology of capitalism that has identified the notion of human progress with all of the above and that turns humans into predators moved by greed, individualism and profit.

As a result, human society faces the greatest challenge that history has ever posed. Its very existence hangs in the balance.

This makes Marx's insights and teachings more relevant than ever. His writings are being scoured for answers and have gained renewed popularity, notably among the young, while Das Kapital, his most outstanding work, has even entered the best-seller lists.

Marx and his close friend and collaborator Friedrich Engels, a great thinker and revolutionary in his own right, lived and developed Marxism amid maturing industrial capitalism and its evolution into finance capitalism in 19th century Europe.

Although capitalism has evolved since in ways Marx could not have predicted and given rise to socialist revolutions in its periphery, a development that he could not have anticipated, the basic tenets of his theories on capitalism and revolution have been confirmed in every case.

This year we are also commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution, one of those world-shaking events that validate Marx's theories and that have incorporated his legacy into its people's specific historical experience, cultural tradition and struggles for social justice and against foreign domination.

Having taken control of their own affairs thanks to the revolution, under the leadership of revolutionaries of the stature of comrades Fidel and Raul Castro the Cuban people have built the new socialist society of justice, solidarity and freedom, becoming a beacon of hope for millions around the world.

This year we can also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela, led by President Hugo Chavez, that has brought real democracy and social progress to its people. And the fifth anniversary of President Evo Morales coming to power in Bolivia and setting in motion a true democratic revolution in that largely indigenous nation.

Socialist or progressive political processes are under way elsewhere in Latin America, supported by mass social movements. The whole region presents a new and improved political situation, with a unanimous demand from Latin America and the Caribbean to Washington to end the unfair and illegal policies against Cuba that have been in place for five decades.

New forms of economic and social co-operation are being developed. The Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America, the Commercial Treaty of the Peoples, Petrocaribe and other initiatives all aim to raise the quality of life for the largest number of people, as well as strengthening independence and letting countries turn their backs on international capitalism and its institutions.

In all of these developments the ideas of Marx are also alive today.

Cuba's national hero Jose Marti once said that "to honour someone else does honour to oneself."

On learning of Marx's death in 1883, Marti wrote from New York, where he lived in exile and prepared Cuba's independence from Spain, for the Argentinian newspaper La Nacion. He honoured the memory of a man who, wrote Marti, deserved such homage "because he stood on the side of the weak."

A few years later, in 1892, Marti founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party to lead the revolution for independence and for the establishment in Cuba of a republic "with all and for the good of all," having as its guiding principle "the cult of Cubans to the full dignity of man" that stands today in the preamble of our constitution.

He was joined among others by Carlos Balino, who was later one of the founders of the first Cuban Communist Party in 1925 together with Julio Antonio Mella.

In a further example of the often unexpected connections of history, Fidel Castro, who had just led the 1953 attack on the Moncada Barracks - the opening salvo of the Cuban revolution - proclaimed Marti the intellectual author of that revolutionary action in the year of Marti's centennial.

We pay homage to Marx each year because of the beautiful example of his life, his unsurpassed contribution to the struggles for social progress and human dignity and the luminous source of inspiration that his works offer us in taking forward those struggles.

In so honouring Marx and as Marti would have seen it, let us recommit to being truthful to the honour that we are thereby conferring on ourselves.

Long live the ideas and legacy of Karl Marx.

This is an edited version of an oration by Cuban ambassador Rene J Mujica Cantelar at Highgate cemetery to mark the 191st anniversary of Karl Marx's birth.

Why Latin America's Left Keeps Winning

Why Latin America's Left Keeps Winning

Washington's foreign policy establishment has been proven wrong. Latin America is more stable and democratic than ever

Mark Weisbrot
guardian.co.uk,
1 May 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/apr/30/ecuador-election-economy

A few months ago I ran into an economist who was formerly head of the Bolivian Central Bank in the La Paz airport. He had been reading Nouriel Roubini, the New York University economist whom the media has nicknamed "Dr Doom", and was predicting a very gloomy economic future for the hemisphere, the region and especially his own country.

I didn't agree about Bolivia, which has more international reserves relative to its economy than China. But it was striking to see the same thing in all the countries that I visited: opposition economists and political leaders everywhere reminded me of communists in the 1930s, praying for the collapse of the capitalist system - in this case, somewhat ironically, so that they could rid themselves of the left governments that the voters had chosen in Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador and elsewhere.

In all of these countries the vast majority of the mass media, to varying degrees, shares the opposition's agenda and in many cases appears willing to present an overly pessimistic or even catastrophic scenario in order to help advance the cause.

But despite the worsening of the world and regional economy, the left keeps winning in Latin America. The latest left victory was that of President Rafael Correa of Ecuador, an economist who was first elected at the end of 2006 and was re-elected last Sunday under a new constitution. This gives the charismatic 46 year-old four more years, and he can be re-elected once more for another term.

There are a number of reasons that most Ecuadorians might stick with their president, despite what they hear on the TV news. Some 1.3 million of Ecuador's poor households (in a country of 14 million) now get a stipend of $30 a month, which is a significant improvement. Social spending as a share of the economy has increased by more than 50% in Correa's two years in office. Last year the government also invested heavily in public works, with capital spending more than doubling.

Correa has delivered on other promises that were important to his constituents, not least of which was a referendum allowing for a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution, which voters approved by a nearly two-thirds majority. It is seen as one of the most progressive constitutions in the world, with advances in the rights of indigenous people, civil unions for gay couples and a novel provision of rights for nature. The latter would apparently allow for lawsuits on the basis of damage to an ecosystem.

Many thought Correa was joking when he said during his presidential campaign that he would be willing to keep the US military base at Manta if Washington would allow Ecuadorian troops to be stationed in Florida. But he wasn't, and the base is scheduled to close later this year.

He also resisted pressure from the US Congress and others in a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit that Ecuadorian courts will decide, in which Chevron is accused of dumping billions of gallons of toxic oil waste that polluted rivers and streams.

And in an unprecedented move last November, Correa stopped payment on $4bn of foreign debt when an independent Public Debt Audit Commission, long demanded by civil society organisations in Ecuador, determined that this debt was illegally and illegitimately contracted.

In the United States, these policies have mostly been dismissed as "populism" or worse. A New York Times editorial in November 2007 entitled "Authoritarians in the Andes" summed up the foreign policy establishment view that Correa, Bolivia's President Evo Morales and President Hugo Ch vez of Venezuela were "increasingly interested in grabbing power for themselves." For Correa and Morales, wrote the Times editorial board, "their confrontational approach is also threatening to rend Bolivia and Ecuador's fragile social and political stability."

The Times (and Washington's foreign policy
establishment) have proven to be wrong, as Ecuador and Bolivia are now more politically stable than they have been for decades. (Ecuador has had nine presidents over the last 15 years). They are also more democratic than they have ever been.

In fact, most of Latin America is going through a democratic transition that is likely to prove every bit as important as the one that brought an end to the dictatorships that plagued many countries through the first four decades of the post-second world war era.
Ironically, the region's economic performance was vastly better in the era of the dictatorships, because the governments of that era generally had more effective economic policies than the formally democratic but neoliberal governments that replaced them.

A few years ago there were fears, backed by polling data, that people would become nostalgic for the days of real (not imagined) authoritarian governments because of the much greater improvements in living standards during that era. Instead, they chose to vote for left governments who extended democracy from politics to economic and social policy.

The left governments have mostly succeeded where their neoliberal predecessors failed. Partly they have benefited from an acceleration in world economic growth during most of the last five years. But they have also changed their economic policies in ways that increased economic growth.

Argentina's economy grew more than 60% in six years and Venezuela's by 95%. These are enormous growth rates even taking into account these countries' prior recessions, and allowed for large reductions in poverty. Left governments have also taken greater control over their natural resources (Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela) and delivered on their promises to share the income from these resources with the poor.

This is the way democracy is supposed to work: people voted for change and got quite a bit of what they voted for, with reasonable expectations of more to come. We should not be surprised if most Latin American voters stick with the left through hard times. Who else is going to defend their interests?

_____________

Eleven Talking Points on 21st Century Socialism

Eleven Talking Points on 21st Century Socialism

By Carl Davidson

May 1, 2009

The current discussion around socialism in left and progressive circles in the U.S. needs to be placed in a more substantive arena. This is an effort to do so. I take note in advance of the criticism that the following eleven working hypotheses are rather dry and formal. But in light of the faux `socialisms' bandied about in the headlines and sound bytes of the mass media in the wake of the financial crisis, especially the absurd claim in the media of rightwing populism that the Obama administration is Marxist and socialist, I felt something a little more rigorous might be helpful. Obviously, criticism and commentary is invited.

1. Socialism's fundamental building blocks are
already present in US society.

The means of production, for the most part, are fully developed and in fact are stagnating under the political domination of finance capital. The US labor force, again for the most part, is highly skilled at all levels of production, management, marketing, and finance. The kernels of socialist organization are also scattered across the landscape in cooperatives, socially organized human services, and centralized and widespread mass means of many-to-many communication and supply/demand data management. Many earlier attempts at socialism did not have these advantages.

2. Socialism is first of all a democratic
political system where the interests and
organizations of the working class and its allies
have attained and hold the preponderance of
political power and thus play the critical leading
role in society.

It is still a class society, but one in a protracted transition, over hundreds of years, to a future classless society where exploiting class privileges are abolished and classes and class distinctions generally wither away, both nationally and globally. So socialism will have classes for some time, including some capitalists, because it will be a mixed economy, with both public and private ownership, even as the balance shifts over time. Family farmers and small proprietors will both exist and flourish alongside cooperatives.
Innovative 'high road' entrepreneurial privately-held firms will compete with publically-owned firms, and encouraged to create new wealth within an environmentally regulated and progressively taxed system. Past efforts to build socialism have suffered from aggravated conflict between and among popular classes and lack of emphasis on building wide unity among the people.

3. Socialism at the base is a transitional
economic system anchored in the social mode of
production brought into being by capitalist
development over several centuries.

Its economic system is necessarily mixed, and makes use of markets, especially in goods and services, which are regulated, especially regarding the environment. But capital markets and wage-labor markets can be sharply restricted and even abolished in due time. Markets are a function of scarcity, and all economies of any scale in a time of scarcity have them, even if they are disguised as 'black' or 'tiered' markets. In addition to regulated markets, socialism will also feature planning, especially on the macro level of infrastructure development, in investment of public assets and funds, and other arenas where markets have failed. Planning will especially be required to face the challenges of uneven development and harsh inequalities on a global scale, as well as the challenge of moving from a carbon and uranium based energy system to one based on renewable green energy sources. The socialisms of the last century fell or stagnated due to failure to develop the proper interplay between plans and markets.

4. Socialism will be anchored in public and worker
ownership of the main productive forces and
natural resources.

This can be achieved by various means: a) buying out major failing corporations at penny stock status, then leasing them back to the unions and having the workers in each firm-one worker, one vote-run them, b) workers directly taking ownership and control over failed and abandoned factories, c) eminent domain seizures of resources and factories, with compensation, otherwise required for the public good, and d) public funding for startups of worker-owned cooperative businesses.
Socialism will also require public ownership of most finance capital institutions, including bringing the Federal Reserve under the Treasury Department and federal ownership. Lease payments from publically owned firms will go into a public investment fund, which will in turn lend money to community and worker owned banks and credit unions. A stock market will still exist for remaining publically traded firms and investments abroad, but will be strictly controlled. A stock transfer tax will be implemented. Gambling in derivatives will be outlawed. Fair trade agreements with other countries will be on a bilateral basis for mutual benefit.

5. Socialism will require democracy in the
workplace of public firms and encourage it in all
places of work.

Workers have the right to independent unions to protect their social and daily interests, in addition to their rights as worker-owners in the governance of their firms. In addition to direct democracy at the plant level, the organizations of the working class also participate in the wider public planning process and thus democratically shape the direction of ongoing development on the macro level as well. Under socialism the government will also serve as the employer-of-last- resort. Minimum living-wage jobs will be provided for all who want to work. Socialism is committed to genuine full employment. Every citizen will have a genuine right to work.

6. Socialism will largely be gained by the working
class and it allies winning the battle for
democracy in politics and civil society at large,
especially taking down the structures and backward
laws of class, gender and racial privilege.

Women have equal rights with men, and minority nationalities have equal rights with the majority. It also defends equal rights and self-determination among all nations across the globe; no nation can itself be fully free when it oppresses another. Socialism will encourage public citizenship and mass participation at every level, with open information systems, public education and transparency in its procedures. It will need a true multiparty system, with fusion voting, proportional representation and instant runoff. Given the size and diversity of our country, it is highly unlikely that any single party could adequately represent all popular interests; working class and progressive organizations will need to form common fronts. All trends are guaranteed the right to speak, organize, petition and stand for election. With public financing as an option, socialism can restrict the role of wealth in elections, moving away from a system, in effect, of "one dollar, one vote" and toward a system more reflective of "one person, one vote." These are the structural measures that can allow the majority of the people, especially the working class and its allies, to secure the political leadership of government and instruments of the state by democratic means, unless these are sabotaged by reaction. Some socialisms of the past used only limited formal democracy or simply used administrative means to implement goals, with the failure of both the goals and the overall projects. Americans are not likely to be interested in systems with elections where only one party runs and no one can lose.

7. Socialism will be a state power, specifically a
democratic political order with a representative
government.

But the government and state components of the current order, corrupted with the thousand threads connecting it to old ruling class, will have to be broken up and replaced with new ones that are transparent, honest and serve the majority of the people. The US Constitution and Bill of Rights can still be the initial basic organizing principle for a socialist government and state. The democratic rights it has gained over the years will be protected and enhanced. Government will also be needed to organize and finance the social development benefitting the people and the environment already mentioned; but the state power behind the law will be required to compel the honest use of resources and to protect people from criminal elements, individual and organized. Forces who try to overturn and reverse the new socialist government illegally and in violation of the Constitution will not be able to do so; they will be broken up and brought to justice. Our society will need a state power for some time to come, even as its form changes. Still, government power has limits; under socialism sovereignty resides in the people themselves, and the powers of any government are necessarily restricted and subordinate to the universal and natural rights of all humankind. Attempts to ignore or reject these principles have severely harmed socialist governments and movements in the past.

8. Socialism will be a society in harmony with the
natural environment, understanding that all
economies are subsets of the eco-system and ignore
it at their peril.

In its economics, there are no such things as "externalities" to be pushed off downstream or to future generations. The nature of pending planetary disasters necessitates a high level of planning. We need to redesign communities, promote healthier foods, and rebuild sustainable agriculture-all on a global scale with high design, but on a human scale with mass participation of communities in diverse localities.
Socialism will treasure and preserve the diversity of nature's bounty and end the practice of genetic modification to control the human food supply. We need growth, but intelligent growth in quality and wider knowledge with a lighter environmental footprint. A socialism that simply reproduces the wasteful expansion of an earlier capitalism creates more problems than it solves.

9. Socialism values equality, and will be a
society of far greater equality of opportunity,
and far less economic inequality.

In addition to equal rights before the law, all citizens and residents will have equitable access to a "universal toolbox" of paid-up free public education for all who want to learn, for as far as they want and are able to go; universal public pre-school care; a minimum income, as a social wage, for all who create value, whether in a workplace or otherwise; our notions of socially useful work, activity that creates value, has to be expanded beyond market definitions. Parents raising children, students learning skills, elders educating and passing traditions to younger generations--all these create value that society can in turn reward. Universal single-payer health care with retirement benefits at the level of a living wage is critical to start. Since everyone has access to employment, the existing welfare system can be abolished; individuals will be free to choose the career path and level of income targets they desire, or not. There are no handouts for those able to work, but there are also no irrational barriers to achievement.

10. Socialism is a society where religion can be
freely practiced, or not, and no religion is given
any special advantages over any other.

Religious freedom remains a fundamental tenet of socialism, but naturally neither its practitioners nor anyone else can deny anyone the benefits and protection of civil and criminal law, especially to women and children.

11. Socialism will require an institution of armed
forces.

Their mission will be to defend the people and secure their interests against any enemies and help in times of natural disasters. It will not be their task to expand markets abroad and defend the property abroad of the exploiting classes. Soldiers will be allowed to organize and petition for the redress of grievances.
Armed forces also include local police, under community control, as well as a greatly reduced prison system, based on the principle of restorative justice, and mainly for the protection of society from individuals inflicted with violent pathologies and criminal practices. Non-violent conflict resolution and community-based rehabilitation will be encouraged, but the need for some coercive means will remain for some time.

* Carl Davidson is webmaster for SolidarityEconomy.net, a National Committee member of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, and a coordinating committee member of the US Solidarity Economy Network. Together with Jerry Harris, he is author of 'Cyber-Radicalism: A New Left for a Global Age, available at http://stores.lulu.com/changemaker.
If you like this article, go to 'Keep On Keepin' On at http://carldavidson.blogspot.com and make use of the PayPal button. Email him at carld717@gmail.com.

Membership roll of the Irish Citizen Army

Membership roll of the Irish Citizen Army
Compiled by Dr Ann Matthews


Army number Section Name Address Served [R. M. Fox]
1 Capel Street, No. 4 (Commandant-General, Dublin Division, Irish Republican Forces) Connolly, James Liberty Hall GPO
2 Inchicore-Crumlin, No. 3 (Commandant ) Mallin, Michael Emmet Hall, Inchicore St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
3 Church St, No. 9 Kain, Thomas 11 Arran Quay
4 High St, No. 1 (Lieutenant) Jackson, P. 40 Agustine St, Lr St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
5 High St Kelly, Michael Back Lane St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
6 Aungier St, No. 2 Donnelly, Michael 113 St Stephen’s Green St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
7 North Strand, No. 6 Robbins, Frank 39 Nth William St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
8 Gloucester St, No. 5 Poole, John 50 Marlboro St GPO, City Hall
9 Church St, No. 9 Hyland, Jas. 11 Lr Bridge St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
10 Gloucester St, No. 5 Connolly, Edward 58 Lr Gloucester St GPO, Henry and James
11 Sth C. Rd Little, Jas. 31 Upper Clanbrassil St, rear St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
12 North Strand, No. 6 Byrne, John 56 Summer Hill St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
13 North Strand, No. 6 Elmes, Elliot 32 Leinster Ave, Nth Strand
14 Sth C. Rd Henry, Fred 25 Charlmont St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
15 Dorset St, No. 8 (Sergeant and Assistant QMG) McGowan, Séamus 3 Blessington St GPO
16 High St Oman, William 48 High St St Nicholas’ Graveyard
17 High St (commander) Oman, George 48 High St GPO, Imperial Hotel
18 North Strand, No. 6 Halpin, William 6 Valentine Tce City Hall
19 Gloucester St, No. 5 Nelson, Thomas 40 Gardiner St, Middle City Hall
20 Gloucester St, No. 5 Dwyer, James 20 Rutland Sq. City Hall
21 High St Clarke, Philip 65 Cork St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
22 High St Keogh, James 11 Brabazon St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
23 High St Walsh, James 11 Brabazon St
24 Inchicore-Crumlin, No. 3 Bradley, Patrick 1 St Mary’s Tce, Inchicore St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
25 High St O’Shea, Jas. 28 The Coombe St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
26 De Coeur, R. [crossed out] 77 Aungier St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
27 Inchicore-Crumlin, No. 3 (commander) Kinsella, Peter 2 St James Place, Inchicore
28 Inchicore-Crumlin, No. 3 Keogh, Edward 24 Park Street Inchicore St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
29 North Strand, No. 6 (commander) Norgrove, George 15 Strandville Ave GPO, City Hall
30 Gloucester St, No. 5 (commander) Reilly, John 12 Lr Gardiner St
31 Sth C. Rd Cooper, John [crossed out] 30 Lennox St
32 Capel St, No. 4 ( (Sergeant.) Doyle, Joseph 117 Capel St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
33 Aungier St [crossed out]
34 Capel St, No. 4 O’Keeffe, John 8 Mary’s Abbey Synod Hall
35 [crossed out]
36 Dorset St, No. 8 Lawlor, Patrick 17 Russell Place, N. C. Rd St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
37 Capel St, No. 4 (commander) Kelly, John 5 Swift’s Row St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
38 Gloucester St, No. 5 Findley, John 39 Nth Parade
39 [crossed out]
40 Aungier St Tuohy, Patrick 43 Bride St GPO, Imperial Hotel
41 Tuohy, Michael 43 Bride St
42 Gloucester St, No. 5 Connolly, Michael 58 Lr Gloucester St
43 Capel St, No. 4 Halpin, William 53 Dominick Street GPO, Henry and James
44 McDonnell, Patrick 19 Lr Gardiner St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
45 Capel St, No. 4 Williams, Patrick 25 Stafford St
46 [crossed out]
47 Townsend St, No. 12 (commander) McGuire, Terence 10 Tara St
48 North Strand, No. 6 Egan, Andy 15 Summer Hill
49 Gloucester St, No. 5 Darcy, Charlie 4 Murphy’s Cottages, off Gloucester St GPO, Henry Street and James’s Street
50 Gloucester St, No. 5 Connolly, Matthew 61 Ballybough St City Hall
51 Gloucester St, No. 5 Dwyer, Michael 20 Rutland Cottages St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
52 O’Neill, John 61 Ballybough Rd GPO
53 Gloucester St, No. 5 (O/C Boys’ Corps.) Carpenter, Walter 110 Lr Abbey St GPO
54 Connolly, Seán 108 Phillipsburg Ave City Hall
55 Dorset St, No. 8 de Markievicz Leinster Rd
56 (Captain) O’Neill, John 14 Grenville Street, Mountjoy Square St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
57 Inchicore-Crumlin, No. 3 Bradley, Luke 1 St Mary’s Tce, Sarsfield Rd, Inchicore Guardroom, Upper Castle Yard
58 Conroy, John 40 Railway St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
59 Dorset St, No. 8 Charleton, Michael 27 Portland Place St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
60 Aungier St Fitzpatrick, Frank 35 Aungier St City Hall, Evening Mail office
61 Dorset St, No. 8 Coyle, Thomas 5 Eglinton Ave, Phibsborough City Hall
62 Aungier St Fox, Patrick 8 Peter Street St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
63 Sth C. Rd Frank, Henry 5 Fennell’s Cottages
64 Aungier St Scully, Thomas 7 Pitt Street
65 Gloucester St, No. 5 Brady, Christy 32 Foley St Guardroom, Upper Castle Yard
66 Church St, No. 9 O’Reilly, Felix 18 Benburb St
67 North Wall, No. 10 O’Reilly, Joseph 38 Commons St GPO
68 Gloucester St, No. 5 Daly, Thomas 13 Lr Gloucester St Guardroom, Upper Castle Yard
69 Gloucester St, No. 5 Farrell, Denis 6 Millett Place GPO, City Hall
70 Capel St, No. 4 Blair, Thomas 3 Little Strand St
71 High St Na—? Patrick 40 East Essex St
72 Gloucester St, No. 5 Poole, John 93 Foley Street
73 Church St, No. 9 Burton, James 37 Ashford St
74 Sth C. Rd (commander) Kelly, Jas. 4 Clanbrassil St, Upper St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
75 Sth C. Rd Joyce, James 4 Union Place, Grove Rd St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
76 Dorset St, No. 8 Kelly, Jas. [?] 93 Dorset St, Lr St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
77 Dorset St, No. 8 Joseph, Kelly 93 Lr Dorset St
78 Dorset St, No. 8 (commander) Carton, Owen 21 Temple St, Nth St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
79 Tuke, James 83 Green Street St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
80 High St Ryan, Fred 3 High St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
81 Gloucester St, No. 5 McManus [?], William 50 Marlboro St
82 Capel St, No. 4 Joyce, Edward 29 Charles Street, West, Ormond Quay St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
83 Church St, No. 9 Lawerence, Richard 39 King St [?] GPO
84 Dorset St, No. 8 Dwyer, James 7 Inns Quay [TF?], formerly 49 Rutland Sq. St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
85 Capel St, No. 4 Doyle, Thomas 45 Dominick St, Lr
86 Capel St, No. 4 Turner, Michael 18 Nth Anne Street
87 Church St, No. 9 [crossed out]
88 Baldoyle, No. 7 McDonagh, Joseph 18 Sutton Rd Cottages, Baldoyle GPO
89 Baldoyle, No. 7 McCormack, James 13 Sutton Cottages GPO
90 Baldoyle, No. 7 Nolan, Michael Borough Field Cottages, Baldoyle GPO
91 Baldoyle, No. 7 Roche, Joseph Moynetown, Baldoyle
92 Baldoyle, No. 7 Roche, Patrick Moynetown, Baldoyle
93 Baldoyle, No. 7 Kennedy, William 13 Sutton Cottages
94 Baldoyle, No. 7 Roche, Philip New Road, Baldoyle
95 (commander) O’Donoghue, Thomas 1 Mountjoy St, Mid. St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
96 High St (commander) Burke, Edward 63 Meath St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
97 Adams, John 109 Cork St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
98 Inchicore-Crumlin, No. 3 Conroy, Andrew 131 Inchicore Rd GPO (also served at Hopkins and Hopkins, Eden Quay; wounded)
99 Inchicore-Crumlin, No. 3 King, William 4 [address faded]
100 Inchicore-Crumlin, No. 3 Daly, James 3 Labourers’ Cottages, Crumlin
101 Gloucester St, No. 5 King, Daniel 18 Nth Cumberland ST
102 Inchicore-Crumlin, No. 3 Quinn, John 7 Windmill Lane, Crumlin
103 Townsend St, No. 12 White, Jack 21 Luke Street
104 Baldoyle, No. 7 Doherty, Patrick 5 Sutton Tce, Sutton
105 Gloucester St, No. 5 O’Leary, Phillip 4 Gardiner St, Mid.
106 High St Maguire, James 32 St Michael’s Tce, Blackpitts Buildings St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
107 Gough, James 1 Nth Richmond St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
108 High St Craven, Barney 21 Poole St, Pimlico St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
109 Dorset St, No. 8 [crossed out]
110 Sth C. Rd [crossed out]
111 Baldoyle, No. 7 Fox, Patrick 9 Sutton Rd New Cottages, Baldoyle
112 Baldoyle, No. 7 Gough, Joseph Kilbarrack, Sutton
113 Baldoyle, No. 7 Rooney, —? Borough, Sutton
114 Baldoyle, No. 7 Blake, Charles Moynetown, Baldoyle
115 Baldoyle, No. 7 Rooney, James Borough, Sutton
116 Baldoyle, No. 7 Blake, John Moynetown, Baldoyle
117 King, Arthur 25 St Ignatius’ Rd
118 King, Martin [na]
119 Duffy [?], Hugh 48 Elizabeth St, Clonliffe Rd
120 [crossed out]
121 Wade, Michael 24 Nth Great Charles St
122 Dorset St, No. 8 Hanratty, John 23 Upr Blessington St
123 Capel St, No. 4 Byrne, Patrick 28 Bolton St Synod Hall
124 Doyle, Joseph [crossed out] 19 Emerald Street
125 North Strand, No. 6 Hughes, John 23 St Mary’s Rd, off Church Rd, East Wall
126 North Wall, No. 10 Murphy, Fred 9 North Wall St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
127 Townsend St, No. 12 Johnson, William 12 Denzille St
128 Scott, W. 7 New Row, Inchicore St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
129 High St Lacey, Phil. 8 Brabazon St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
130 High St Redmond, Andrew 79 The Coombe GPO, Imperial Hotel
131 North Wall, No. 10 McHugh, Patrick 16 Commons St
132 Sth C. Rd Redmond, Timothy J. 9 Curzon St / 2 Verdon Cottages, Terenure
133 Sth C. Rd Lambert, Thomas Rear Old Bridge House, Milltown
134 North Wall, No. 10 Nolan, Henry 37 Newfoundland Street
135 King,George 25 St Ignatius’ Rd GPO
136 Dorset St, No. 8 [blank]
137 High St Cassidy, Henry. 36 The Coombe St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
138 High St Burke, Matthew Brabazon St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
139 High St Byrne, Joseph J. 10 Braithwaite Street St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
140 Fullerton, George 22 Bow Lane, Jan House [?] St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
141 Gloucester St, No. 5 Donnelly, James 66 Railway Street GPO, Henry Street and James’s Street
142 Dorset St, No. 8 McCullough, James 3 Clonturk Ave
143 North Wall, No. 10 Duff, Thomas 29 Seville Place Cottages
144 High St O’Connor, John 18 Francis Street St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
145 North Wall, No. 10 (commander) Mahon, John 4 Nixon Street St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
146 North Wall, No. 10 Bryan, Thomas 31 Guild St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
147 Church St, No. 9 Finnigan, Michael 4 Usher’s Lane, Usher’s Quay GPO, Imperial Hotel
148 Aungier St Delaney, Michael 31 Peter Street St Nicholas’ Graveyard
149 Dorset St, No. 8 O’Shea, Robert 37 Upr Gardiner St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
150 Bannon, John 68 Foley Street St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
151 Dorset St, No. 8 Campbell, George 18 Hardwick Street St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
152 North Wall, No. 10 Conway, Peter 11,Leland Place / Commons St
153 North Wall, No. 10 Corbally, Richard 7 Moore Row GPO
154 High St Smith, Thomas 7 Rainsford Ave, Thomas Court
155 North Wall, No. 10 [blank]
156 Aungier St Murphy, Joseph 3 Pile’s Buildings, off Wood Street St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
157 High St (commander) Kelly, Martin 3 Back Lane City Hall, Evening Mail office
158 North Wall, No. 10 Quigley, James 33 Newfoundland Street St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
159 North Strand, No. 6 Byrne, James 115 Townsend St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
160 Gloucester St, No. 5 McCarthy, Mick 10 Gloucester St Upr
161 Nelson, Jas. 40 Gardiner St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
162 North Strand, No. 6 Dillon, Patrick 129 Summer Hill
163 Aungier St Kelly, William 9 Bishop St
164 Capel St, No. 4 Foy, M. 21 Little Denmark St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
165 Murphy, William 40 Waterford St
166 Church St, No. 9 Walsh, Joseph 29 Arran Quay
167 Sth C. Rd McNamara, Patrick 18 Richmond St, Sth St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
168 Capel St, No. 4 Pettigrue, H. 15 Dominick St, Lr
169 O’Leary, William 4 Gardiner St, Mid.
170 Aungier St Fitzpatrick, Matthew 8 Digges Lane
171 Hannon, John [crossed out] 63b Corporation Buildings, Foley St
172 North Strand, No. 6 Byrne, James 30 Summer Hill
173 North Wall, No. 10 Moore, John 9 Newfoundland Street GPO, Imperial Hotel
174 North Wall, No. 10 [blank]
175 [blank]
176 North Strand, No. 6 Murray, Henry 2 Sherriff Place
176 North Strand, No. 6 Murray, Con [check no.] 21a Summer Place
177 Whelan, Thomas 43 Church St, East Wall
178 North Wall, No. 10 Grogan, Patrick 2 Emily Place, Sherriff Place
179 North Strand, No. 6 Sheehan, Thomas 2/36 Loyalty Rd, West Road
180 North Wall, No. 10 Hughes, Peter 13 Church Rd, Nth Wall
181 Kelly, Charles 38 Lr Gloucester St
182 North Wall, No. 10 Hosey, Murtagh 10 Nixon Street
183 High St Bermingham, P. 1 Raleigh Place, Dolphin’s Barn St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
184 North Wall, No. 10 Brown, Robert 10/12 Nixon Street
185 High St Connell, Christy 21 Allingham St or 20 Maxwell St
186 North Strand, No. 6 Barker, Denis 4 Empress Place, Portland Row
187 Gloucester St, No. 5 Carpenter, Peter 110 Foley Street GPO, Metrople hotel
188 North Wall, No. 10 Seery, James 10 Beresford Place Guardroom, Upper Castle Yard
189 Dorset St, No. 8 Sexton, Michael [see also 276] 28 Broadstone Ave GPO, City Hall
190 Dorset St, No. 8 Murtagh, Patrick 11 St Ignatius’ Rd
191 North Wall, No. 10 Nolan, John 13 Mayor St, Upr GPO, City Hall
192 Church St, No. 9 [crossed out]
193 Capel St, No. 4 Fitzgerald, Edward [check no.] 20 Little Denmark St
193 Inchicore-Crumlin, No. 3 Kelly, James [check no.] 13 Barns Place, Old Kilmainham St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
194 Capel St, No. 4 [blank]
195 (Captain) Poole, Christy 5 Rutland St, Lr St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
196 Gloucester St, No. 5 Mills, David 43 Gloucester St
197 Brogan, Christy 7 Frankfort Cottages, Killarney St
198 Kelly, William 23 Waterford St
199 North Strand, No. 6 Courtney, Daniel 43 Bessboro Ave, Nth Strand GPO [also served at Annesley Bridge]
200 Gloucester St, No. 5 Lacey, Michael 43 Gloucester St, Lr
201 Gloucester St, No. 5 Smith, Charlie 43 Foley Street GPO, Imperial Hotel
202 North Wall, No. 10 Coates, Peter 12 Oriel St, Upr St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
203 Aungier St Donnelly, James 8 Digges Lane
204 Aungier St Ryan, John 2 Little Digges Lane
205 Capel St, No. 4 Carroll, John 78 Dominick St, Upr
206 Capel St, No. 4 Darling, Jack 22 Dominick St, Lr
207 North Wall, No. 10 Boyd, Larry 45 Mayor St, Lr
208 Capel St, No. 4 Kearns, Joe 5 Aston Quay
209 O’Rourke, Shaun 30 Lr Gardiner St or 24 Gloucester St
210 Dorset St, No. 8 Coyle, Thomas 7 Henry St, Grocers, 2 Myrtle St, Mountjoy Sq.
211 Capel St, No. 4 Gleeson, Thomas 50 Dominick St, Lr St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
212 Aungier St Hand, Matt 12 Lr Longford St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
213 Capel St, No. 4 Quirke, Thomas 4 Dominick St
214 Dorset St, No. 8 Hawthorne, Percy 2 Fitzgibbon St
215 High St Boylan, John 23 St Michael’s Tce
216 Aungier St Byrne, James 28 Stephen’s St, Lr
217 Gloucester St, No. 5 John, Louis 67b Corporation Buildings
218 Capel St, No. 4 Doyle, Ed. J. 7–8 Bachelor’s Walk
219 Leddy [?], Peter 14 Buckingham St, Upr
220 Capel St, No. 4 Ellis, James 47 East Arran St
221 Chaney, William 5 Northcote Ave, Church Rd St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
222 Laird [crossed out] 3 Foley Street
223 Townsend St, No. 12 Murphy, Robert 6 Repeal Place, Powerscourt Lr
224 Townsend St, No. 12 Martin, Chris 62 Shelbourne Rd
225 North Wall, No. 10 Cullen, James 14 Jane Place, Upr
226 Townsend St, No. 12 Henry, Robert 92 Mount St, Lr
227 High St Kelly, Thomas 3 Watkin’s Cottages, Ardee St
228 North Wall, No. 10 Kearney, Christopher (Pickford’s) 2 Sherriff St, Upr
229 Townsend St, No. 12 Johnson, Jack 67 Sir John’s Quay
230 North Wall, No. 10 Cullen, Francis 14 Mayor St. Upr
231 Inchicore-Crumlin, No. 3 Woods, Patrick 15 Inchicore Rd
232 Church St, No. 9 Walsh, William 27 Arran Quay
233 Church St, No. 9 Keegan, John 76 Benburb St
234 Church St, No. 9 Keegan, Laurence 72 Benburb St
235 Aungier St Hinch, William 53 Aungier St
236 High St Hinch, Patrick 23 Blackpitts Buildings
237 Gloucester St, No. 5 Maher, Edward 8 Gloucester St. Upr
238 Dorset St, No. 8 Brennan, John 5 Grenville Place
239 Dorset St, No. 8 O’Reilly, Patrick 43 Geraldine St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
240 Dorset St, No. 8 O’Reilly, Thomas 43 Geraldine St
241 McDonnell, James n/s City Hall, Evening Mail office
242 High St (4) Shannon, Martin 12 The Coombe St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
243 Dorset St, No. 8 O’Reilly, John 43 Geraldine St City Hall
244 Townsend St, No. 12 Smith, Jas. 8 Queens St St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
245 Gloucester St, No. 5 McNamara, Mick 22 Gloucester St, Upr
246 Capel St, No. 4 Gahan, John 33 Lr Dominick St
247 Daniel, Henry 6 Gardiner St Lr
248 Donnelly, Mick 66 Railway St
249 North Strand, No. 6 Hitchcock, William 16 Northbrook Ave Lr, Nth Strand
250 North Strand, No. 6 Clarke, John 22 Queens Cottages N Strand
251 North Strand, No. 6 Tierney, John 1 Synott Place, Nth Strand
252 Aungier St (6) Mahony, Joe 2 Little Digges St
253 North Wall, No. 10 Murphy, Patrick 5 Julian Place, Nth Wall
254 Capel St, No. 4 Curley, John 12 Coleraine St
255 Curly, James 41 Marlboro St
256 North Wall, No. 10 Seery, John 10 Beresford Place
257 Townsend St, No. 12 O’Sullivan, James John’s Quay [?] St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
258 Gloucester St, No. 5 Mooney, Patrick 10 Gardiner St, Middle
259 Jordan, John 9 Gardiner St, Middle
261 Conroy [crossed out] 40 Railway St
262 Townsend St, No. 12 Carroll, Mick 24 George’s Quay St Stephen’s Green, College of Surgeons
263 Townsend St, No. 12 Freeman, John 2 Mark’s Court, Townsend St
264 North Strand, No. 6 Dunne, Mick 25 Upr Noctor Ave
265 North Wall, No. 10 Boyle, Peter 32 Sherriff St, Upr
266 North Strand, No. 6 Farrelly, John 4 Empress Villas
267 North Wall, No. 10 Conroy, Mick 15 Nixon St, Nth Wall
268 Townsend St, No. 12 McDonnell, Patrick 9 Shaw’s Cottages
269 North Strand, No. 6 Cleary, Christy 29 Summer Hill
270 Dorset St, No. 8 Fleming, William 44 Upr Wellington St
271 Capel St, No. 4 Osborne, J. 87 Capel St
272 Townsend St, No. 12 Ryan, Denis 2 Erne Cottages, Lr Erne St
273 Townsend St, No. 12 Carroll, Simon 186 Townsend St
274 Church St, No. 9 Roche, Christy 21 Merchants’ Quay
275 Townsend St, No. 12 Le Strange, Patrick 5 Eden Gardens, Townsend St
276 Sexton, Mick 28 Broadstone Ave
277 Aungier St McLoughlin, M. 77 Bride St
278 Whelan, A. 2 Moore’s Cottages
279 Dorset St, No. 8 Holden, J. 4 Mountjoy Place
280 Church St, No. 9 Hicks, C. 27 Winetavern St
281 Capel St, No. 4 Cullen, P. 12 Parnell St
282 Capel St, No. 4 Kelly, F. 152 Parnell St
283 Darcy, James 4 Murphy’s Cottages
284 Townsend St, No. 12 Lawlor, D. 51 Queen’s St
285 Gloucester St, No. 5 Tully, W. 15 Gloucester St, Upr
286 North Wall, No. 10 Masterson, J. 16 Guild St
287 Gloucester St, No. 5 Flynn, J. 6 Lr Gloucester St
288 North Wall, No. 10 Kirwan, P. 10 Beresford Place
289 Capel St, No. 4 Connolly, Michael 20 Swift’s Row
290 Capel St, No. 4 White, M. 1 Swift’s Row
291 O’Flynn, J. 24 Gardiner St, Lr
292 North Strand, No. 6 Feeney, J. 2 Shamrock Cottages
293 Clements, W. 157 Parnell St
294 Gloucester St, No. 5 O’Leary, J. 33 Railway St
295 Aungier St Walsh, Tom 52 Cuffe St GPO, City Hall
296 North Wall, No. 10 Clarke, William 3 Church St, Nth Wall
297 Nathan, George 19 Waterford St
298 High St Hudson, Patrick 130 Cork St
299 Byrne, James 3 Emerald Place
300 North Strand, No. 6 Madderly, Tom 21 Summer Hill
301 Cox, Tom 4 Rutland Cottages, Rutland Square
302 Breen, John 53 Marlboro St
303 High St Craven, John 3 Ardee St
304 North Strand, No. 6 Keogh, Will. 7 Nth Clarence St
305 Venerables 7 Chamber St
306 Aungier St Walsh, 17 Great Ship St
307 Gloucester St, No. 5 Carroll, Patrick 15 Gloucester St
308 Gloucester St, No. 5 Hughes, Peter 41 Upr Gloucester St
309 North Strand, No. 6 Nolan, Henry 41 Upr Rutland St
310 Aungier St Kavanagh, Will 53 York Street
311 Beresford, Will 8 Gloucester St
312 Sth C. Rd Cantwelll, George 1 Upr Leeson St, Upr
313 Coleman, James 2 Waterford St
314 Purfield, John 19 Townsend St
315 Comerford, Joe I84 Iveagh Trust Buildings, Block P
316 Capel St, No. 4 Cahill, Henry 71 Abbey St, Middle
317 Sth C. Rd Murphy, Chris. 19 Westmorland Park
318 Malone, Will. 29 Parnell St / 1 High St
319 Capel St, No. 4 Byrne, Mick 29 Parnell St
320 Capel St, No. 4 Cumberton, W. M. 15 Temple Bar
321 McBride, Bernard 8 Killarney St
322 Devanny, Ben n/s
323 Capel St, No. 4 Goeghegan 7 Baldoyle
324 Lynch, Matt 8 Dorset St
325 Giltrap, William Finglas
326 Townsend St, No. 12 Colgan, John 20 City Quay
327 Sth C. Rd Maire, Louis 17 Grantham St
328 Sth C. Rd Connolly, Roderick Surrey House, Rathmines
329 Capel St, No. 4 Egan, William 98 Capel Street
330 Aungier St Bryan, Denis 8 Vance’s Buildings, Bishop St
331 Dorset St, No. 8 Killeen, Robert 14 Vance’s Buildings, Bishop St
332 High St Murray, Edward 14 Ormond Quay
333 Healy, Tom 23 Oriel St, Lr
334 O’Neill, James St Cathrine’s, Lucan
335 Poole, Patrick 50 Marlboro St
336 Maher, John 1a Montague St
337 Gloucester St, No. 5 Walsh, Thomas 23 Upr Gloucester St
338 Purcell, John 3 Bella St
339 Dunne, Andy 179 Brunswick St, Sth

Bolivia

“I want to declare myself a Marxist and a communist. Let’s see if the OAS expels me.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


During his speech at the seventh summit meeting of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, recalled the documents of the Organisation of American States that resulted in Cuba being expelled from the organisation in 1962 and described the importance of reflecting on the motives for that expulsion.
The resolution asserts that the adherence of any member-country of the organisation to Marxism-Leninism, or the association of any member-government with the communist bloc, broke the unity and solidarity of the hemisphere. Therefore, given that the government of Cuba identified itself as Marxist-Leninist, it was incompatible with the purpose of the OAS and was excluded from participating.“I want to declare myself a Marxist and a communist. Let’s see if the OAS expels me.
“Cuba was expelled for being Leninist, Marxist, communist,” Morales declared. “I want to say to the members of the OAS here, I want to declare myself Marxist, Leninist, communist, socialist. And now let them expel me. I want them to expel me from the OAS. It is unbelievable that for being Marxist-Leninist one can be expelled from the OAS.”
He referred to the recent declarations by the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, that there is no democracy in Cuba. He recalled that once when he was in the United States he found out that candidates who do not win more than 50 per cent of the votes cannot be sworn in, and the vote has to occur again. “The United States has no right or authority to speak of democracy, because they are the ones that foster coups, military coups, just as they are now arming a civic coup in Bolivia.”
He drew attention to the fact that in Cuba, on the other hand, they exercise full democracy, where bribes or million-dollar campaigns do not exist.
Morales proposed the creation of an ALBA Council for Human Rights. This proposal is a departure from the situation where there exist many institutions that issue reports on human rights but the only thing they do is report on anti-imperialist governments. “No matter what good things we do, they never recognise them. They do not take into consideration that we are in a process of liberation, of deep transformation,” he declared.
He stated that those international human-rights institutions only condemn governments of liberation. Therefore, in this framework he proposed the creation of an ALBA Council for Human Rights, to be able to state the truth on human rights.
He pointed out that the general objective should be to investigate and denounce political, military and cultural interference, carry out investigations of policies that go against our countries, establish a permanent system of monitoring media attacks, exchange information among countries that make up the council to evaluate systematic violations of human rights, and promote the exercise of human rights, especially in regard to the sovereignty and self-determination of the member-countries.
According to his proposal, the council would be made up of representatives of all the member-countries, representatives of social movements, human rights experts, and representatives of any non-member country that wanted to be part of the council.
President Morales expressed his thanks for all the international solidarity he received during his recent struggle for the approval of an electoral law in Bolivia and expressed his enormous satisfaction at being present as part of the anti-imperialist struggle, which he declared is the struggle of our peoples.

Turkey May Day Protest

Unions were allowed to march to Taksim Square in Istanbul. And we're very pleased to report that for the first time in more than 30 years, trade unions were in Taksim Square, able to commemorate the massacre that took place there in 1977.

Palestine the Truth

From The Morning Star Monday 4th May

Myths, spin and misery
Monday 04 May 2009Ramzy Baroud Printable Email The struggle between Hamas and Fatah appears from a distance like a typical Third World political scuffle.

It has been depicted as a battle over the interpretation of democracy that's got out of control or simply a "power struggle" between two political rivals vying for international aid and recognition.

It's common to read deceptive news reports that promote this line.

"Hundreds of Palestinian patients have been trapped in the Gaza Strip, unable to travel abroad for crucial treatment for cancer and other diseases, because of political infighting between Gaza's militant Hamas rulers and their Palestinian rivals," was how one Associated Press report put it.

Such sinister terminology as "Gaza's Hamas rulers" - which happens to refer to a democratically elected government - is now commonly used by Western news agencies and those who readily recycle their reports.

The AP report above makes no mention of Israel's role in Palestinian rivalry. The only mention of the US referred to "US-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas," (main pic) who "controls the West Bank."

Is this journalist serious? Even if they willingly overlooked the fact that Palestinian rivalry has little to do with Israel's blockade of Gaza, even if the US-led international campaign to isolate Gaza and its government was purposely disregarded, since when did Abbas "control" the West Bank?

That's the same West Bank that remains in the grip of a decades-long Israeli military occupation, where illegal Jewish settlements run into the hundreds and where countless checkpoints, "bypass roads," military zones and the giant Israeli wall - an entire matrix of control - has been described by many leading international observers as apartheid.

True, the situation in Gaza has reached such harrowing levels that the injustices committed in the West Bank have been shunted down the agenda as if they are inconsequential. But the Israeli assault on Palestinian freedom, human rights and international law in the West Bank has not ceased for a moment, even when thousands of Palestinians in Gaza were being brutally murdered.

But neither the inhumane siege and murder of Gazans nor the suffocating occupation of the West Bank seem to awaken the curiosity of those who, foolishly or cunningly, blame the victims for their own misery.

That shouldn't mean that Hamas and Fatah or any other Palestinian party is absolved from their own failings when it comes to human rights, freedom of speech or any other area over which they possess an iota of control.

If individuals from Hamas have violated human rights in Gaza, then such actions should be recognised, condemned and corrected. The same is true when Abbas's government violates the edicts of democracy in whatever limited jurisdiction it has.

But the media's outrageous claims, whether indirectly blaming Hamas for the deadly Gaza siege and its consequences or haphazardly granted Abbas a position of "control" over the occupied West Bank, are plain contemptible.

The manipulation of the term "democracy" is also worthy of note.

An unsuspecting follower of the media would never guess that Hamas was elected democratically and that a democratic government with a majority in the parliament could not possibly have staged a "coup" against itself.

That same individual would no doubt also be unaware that the legal term in office of celebrated Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has already expired and that its renewal would require fresh elections or the consent of the Hamas-dominated parliament.

Now President Abbas is reportedly assembling a new government which is expected, once again, to exclude the majority party in the parliament.

The government, if formed, will likely be headed by Salam Fayyad, whose international prestige stems solely from the fact that top US officials including former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice have praised him as trustworthy. Fayyad has never been elected and has little popularity among Palestinians.

And even if Hamas agreed to Abbas's appointed government, it would be impossible for the parliament to convene and vote. A large number of elected Palestinian legislators are currently being held as political prisoners in Israel.

When a news story is dominated by selective terminology, numbers, names and dates without proper and balanced context, the reader is sold nothing but misinformation.

Consider an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report published in late 2008 which ranked and classified 167 countries into four categories - full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes and authoritarian regimes.

The Palestinian Authority was ranked number 85, crossing from a flawed democracy into the hybrid regime category. The explanation? According to the EIU, "the Islamist Hamas movement that won the parliamentary election in early 2006 and Fatah, who hold on to the presidency, have failed to bridge their differences.

"Instead, factional infighting has worsened in recent years, culminating in the takeover of power in the Gaza Strip by Hamas while the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, of Fatah has tried to maintain his grip on the West Bank. Political violence has worsened."

The word "Israel" is not mentioned. Not once.

Despite the fact that "factional fighting" and failure to "bridge their differences" are largely down to external pressures - including Israeli and US ultimatums to Abbas, violence against Hamas and conditional international aid to both - Palestine is ranked as if it were an independent nation in complete control of its own affairs.

Israel, meanwhile, was listed by the EIU at number 38, merely a "flawed" democracy, perhaps for the simple fact that it recognises itself as a "Jewish state" and discriminates against anyone who doesn't fit the criteria.

"If you control the language, you control the debate," it's been said.

But, when the perception of an entire nation depends on how terms are coined and sentences are constructed, then language takes on other meanings - deceptive, demonising and immoral ones.

Ramzy Baroud is an author and editor of PalestineChronicle.com.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5th May.Is George Lee standing for the Blueshirts

The Nation holds it breadth tonight wonderring will former RTE man George Lee be standing for the Blueshirts in Dublin, We will keep you posted

5th May Local Elections Start today

The locals start tonight all Activists across the 26 county State will be out sticking up their repsective posters.trying to out do the others.

Multiple state pensions for Ministers yet low income family Child Benefit slashed – its time to get this government outMay 5, 2009 by sinnfein
Filed under Latest News
Leave a comment
Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonald MEP has this afternoon described Finance Minister Brian Lenihan’s decision to cut Child Benefit payments across the board as ‘ another shameful attack on families’. Ms. McDonald added, “It is time to stop the madness. Fianna Fáil and the Green’s cannot be allowed to make struggling families pay the heaviest price for government mistakes. Mary Hanafin, the Minister who will oversee the cuts in Child Benefit, will on retirement benefit from three state pensions. Surely the irony of this will not be lost on her and her cabinet colleagues?”

Speaking from Strasbourg the Sinn Fein Deputy Leader said:

“Child Benefit is not simply some sort of bonus payment from the state. It is a critical source of income that many hundreds of thousands of families rely on for the most basic of childcare needs.

“Low income families are already shouldering the heaviest burden of the governments emergency budget. Workers on an annual salary of just €15,028 have been slapped with a 2% income levy. Struggling families have seen their mortgage interest relief withdrawn and the early childcare supplement abolished by the year-end. Now it is reducing all child benefit payments to the tune of €55 for a family of three. It is worth reminding ourselves that 32% of workers in this state earn €18,300 a year or less. How much more punishment does this government intend to inflict on families for its mistakes?

“It is galling that the Minister who will oversee the Child Benefit cuts, Mary Hanafin, is one of the government cabinet who will benefit for from three state pensions when she retires. How is this ‘fairly’ sharing the burden of Fianna Fáil’s recession? Sinn Féin in our emergency budget submission called for a cap on all TDs salaries at €80,000 per year. We have also called for an end to Oireachtas and European parliamentary members collecting multiple pensions from Ireland’s public purse. State childcare provision is in disarray. The government has withdrawn financial supports and there is confusion from all quarters on how it intends to deliver on its promise to provide on 15 hrs care per week for young children.

“As the economy collapses around our ears Fianna Fáil and the Green’s level the charge at opposition parties that we have no solutions. Well, Sinn Féin have plenty of solutions. The government just refuses to listen. They choose instead to protect and serve their developer and banker cronies.
“My message to the Irish people today is a straightforward one. Stand up for yourself; stand up for each other. It’s time to get this rotten government out. June 5th is an opportunity for the people to signal the beginning of the end for Fianna Fáil and the Green’s. We deserve better.” ENDS

May Day Celebration

Al Jazeera and agencies
Clashes mar May Day celebrations
Protesters in Moscow called for a return to communism [AFP]
Tens of thousands of May Day protesters have taken to the streets across the world, clashing with police in several European cities amid mounting social unrest over the global economic crisis.
Traditional Labour Day demonstrations were reported to have turned violent in Germany, Greece and Turkey, while thousands of protesters rallied in Russia, France and Spain.
Hundreds of thousands of Cubans filed through Havana's Revolution Square where they were exhorted to work harder to help their country's battered economy.
Earlier, marches were held in the Philippines, Japan and Hong Kong, where demonstrators called on officials to work harder to protect jobs.
Cuba march

In Cuba, Raul Castro, the country's president, waved from a podium overlooking Revolution Square in the capital as the flag-waving crowd moved past.
In pictures

Labour Day around the worldCastro did not speak, leaving that task to Salvador Valdes Mesa Cuban, a labour leader and high-ranking Communist Party official .
Valdes spoke about Cuba's economic woes, saying three hurricanes last year and an ongoing global financial crisis had inflicted much damage.
Workers, he said, needed to work to raise "production and productivity, for the reduction of costs and expenditures, to grow exports and [reduce] imports".
Fidel Castro, who led Cuba for 49 years before ceding power last year to his younger brother, was not present, missing his third straight May 1 parade.
Bottles hurled
Twenty people were injured and five arrested after police clashed with demonstrators at a rally in the city of Linz, in north Austria.


In Berlin, demonstrators hurled bottles and rocks at police on Friday, injuring a number of officers, while clashes were also reported in Hamburg.
The protests were fuelled by the worsening financial crisis, especially in Germany, where the economy is expected to shrink by six per cent this year.
"No one could have imagined that this crisis could have been so profound," Michael Sommer, head of the DGB trade union federation, told a crowd in Berlin.
"There is no light at the end of the tunnel."
About 5,000 officers were on standby in the German capital, where counter-demonstrations were also expected to cause havoc.
Turkish clashes

Clashes between police and demonstrators were taking place in the Turkish city of Istanbul, with hundreds of protesters battling riot police in the streets.
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in cities across France [AFP]Security forces fired water cannons and arrested several protesters, largely made up of union and left-wing activists.
The violence has overshadowed the landmark return of annual labour rallies to the city's central Taksim Square, where on May 1, 1977, suspected rightwing snipers killed 34 people.
Anita McNaught, Al Jazeera's correspondent reporting from Istanbul, said the square had "become a lightning conductor for protests because of previous crackdowns and because of the events of 1977".
"Today, the decision has been made to allow a limited number of protesters to come right to Taksim Square to commemorate workers' day but also to commemorate the people who died in 1977.
"This is a test of crowd control on the part of the Turkish authorities but also a test of restraint on the part of the demonstrators."


In Greece, police fired tear gas at demonstrators who burned a car in Athens, while other activists attacked banks and traffic cameras.

Thousands of protesters in Moscow called for a return of communism, waving banners and red Soviet flags.
Far-right protests also took place in Russia, with police arresting members of anti-immigration groups in St Petersburg.
Tens of thousands of activists took to the streets across France in protest against their government's handling of the economic crisis.

France's eight main trade unions had agreed to hold united rallies across the country for the first time since the end of World War II.Leaders of Italy's main unions held a rally in the earthquake-hit town of L'Aquila, in a show of solidarity.

5th May2009 Questions raised in the Dáil

Minister must ensure that primary care system can deal with flu threat

Sinn Féin Health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has called on the Minister for Health & Children Mary Harney to act urgently to ensure that the primary care system can cope with the threat of a swine flu pandemic. Following a briefing given by the Department of Health & Children to Dáil health spokespersons this afternoon, Deputy Ó Caoláin said:

“It is clear from this afternoon’s briefing that the Department of Health & Children and the HSE are advancing their precautions and preparations for a possible swine flu pandemic. They are acting on the assumption that cases will occur here. As there is yet no vaccine for this new strain of flu and as it will take some months for one to become available the identification and isolation of cases will be vital.

“The front line in this situation is our primary care system, especially general practitioners. I would be concerned that the inadequate nature of our primary care system will be a weakness in addressing the threat. We have a relatively low GP to population ratio and primary care services are unevenly spread. High GP fees deter many people on low incomes who do not qualify for the medical card from visiting the doctor.

“Therefore I am calling on the Minister to act urgently to ensure that the primary care system can cope with this threat. This may require measures such as temporary or mobile clinics and free examinations for those with flu-like symptoms who have recently visited an affected area or have been in contact with a known case of swine flu.” ENDS
To ask the Minister for Health and Children the action she will take to provide accommodation for the 319 people with an intellectual disability currently living in psychiatric hospitals, despite stated policy that this is not appropriate; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

The discharge of clients with Intellectual Disability who are inappropriately placed in psychiatric hospitals is an important policy objective. As the Deputy's question relates to service matters I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I thank the Department of Health and Children officials for their briefing earlier today on the swine flu threat. A briefing such as this is always useful. However, there are grave and justifiable concerns, particularly given that primary care services will be the front line of address and we currently have a very low GP to population ratio and a poor and uneven roll-out of primary care services. Would the Taoiseach consider, given the importance of the issue and the alarm that exists-----

An Ceann Comhairle: We cannot discuss that now.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: -----requesting the Minister to come to the House to deal with this?

An Ceann Comhairle: We cannot have questions on that. I allowed statements during Leaders' Questions earlier.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I ask the Government to provide time to address this issue here-----

An Ceann Comhairle: We are not going on with that. Leaders made short statements on this issue earlier and I will not go into it again.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: -----in open forum in the Dáil so that we can properly inform not only ourselves but the wider public of the dangers of-----

An Ceann Comhairle: Does the Deputy understand that we cannot go into this now?

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I am asking about the ordering of business.

An Ceann Comhairle: The Deputy cannot ask a question about that now because it is not in order. Standing Orders are quite specific about it.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: My understanding is that it has been addressed in myriad ways.

An Ceann Comhairle: A brief statement was made by the party leaders and the Taoiseach responded-----

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I was not aware that I was named under Standing Orders so that I cannot raise it but other people can.

An Ceann Comhairle: -----but the Deputy is not allowed to ask questions about this. I was going to allow the Deputy to make a brief statement like everybody else, but that was it. I cannot allow questions on it. It is just not on.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Well, there it is.

An Ceann Comhairle: The Deputy must understand my position.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I will conclude on that point and go on to my second point.

An Ceann Comhairle: Do, please.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I ask the Taoiseach to give attention to my request on this serious issue.

On the list of legislation promised by the Department of Health and Children is the nurses and midwives Bill. There is currently concern with regard to the embargo on recruitment and the potential for the further loss of some 700 nurses-----

An Ceann Comhairle: I cannot allow a speech on this now. I must move on to the next business.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: -----currently within the service who may not be replaced.

An Ceann Comhairle: The Taoiseach on the legislation.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Will the Taoiseach note that the nurses and midwives Bill has been on the list of promised legislation, as best I can establish, from as far back as 2002? That is a full seven years.

An Ceann Comhairle: That is it. The Taoiseach on the nurses and midwives Bill.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Does the Taoiseach not accept that there is something seriously amiss within the Department when legislation of this importance can be-----

An Ceann Comhairle: The Deputy has made his point.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: -----set aside year after year?

The Taoiseach: I understand it is due next year. I agree it has had a gestation period longer than that with which midwives would normally be acquainted.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: What about the issue of swine flu?


To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, regarding representations made to her on 9 April 2009 by An Bord Altranais which outlined the reason she should grant approval to the Board to manage staff numbers within an overall employment ceiling of 47, causing no added financial burden on public finances, she will approve the request; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

An Bord Altranais (The Nursing Board), which was established under the Nurses Act, 1985, is the statutory regulatory body for nurses and midwives. The Board consists of 29 members, 17 of whom are elected by nurses and 12 appointed by the Minister, 2 of whom are representatives of the Department of Health and Children.

Under the Act the Minister has a range of functions in relation to the Board one of which, Section 17 (1), relates to the officers and servants of the Board "In addition to the Chief Executive Officer, there shall be appointed such and so many persons to be officers and servants of the Board, as the Board, with the consent of the Minister, from time to time determines."

The Act also provides that the Local Government (Superannuation) Act, 1956 applies to the Board and its officers and servants as if it were a local authority.

In addition to its statutory functions, the Board also administers the Nursing Careers Centre on behalf of the Health Services. For this purpose ongoing funding is provided by the HSE and the amount of this funding in 2007 was €600,000.

While the bulk of the Board's income is generated by fees paid by nurses and midwives, it is a statutory body whose staff have access to a public service pension scheme. It is thus covered by the recent Government decision that, with effect from the 27 March 2009 to end 2010, no post in the public sector, however arising, may be filled by recruitment, promotion, or payment of an allowance for the performance of duties at a higher grade. The decision also applies to temporary appointments on a fixed-term basis and to the renewal of such contracts. Therefore, when vacancies arise each agency must reallocate or reorganise work or staff accordingly.

In the case of the health sector, any exceptions to this principle, which will arise in very limited circumstances only, require the prior sanction of the Minister for Health and Children and the Minister for Finance.

I am advised that An Bord Altranais has an overall complement of 47 staff, 11 of whom are employed on fixed term/purpose contracts. The CEO of An Bord recently wrote to the Secretary General of my Department in this regard. My Department is currently examining the submission from An Bord Altranais and a response will be issued in the near future.

To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if and the amount by which funding to the National Drugs Strategy will be increased on foot of the Government decision to incorporate alcohol into the strategy.

On 31st March last, the Government gave approval for the development of a combined National Substance Misuse Strategy to cover both alcohol and drugs.

As I’m sure the Deputies will agree, this decision is very welcome and recognises the widespread public concern in Ireland in relation to the problem use of alcohol – both as a stand-alone public health issue and in association with illicit drug use. Developing a substance misuse policy, which encompasses both drugs and alcohol, presents many challenges, therefore, given the nature and complexities of the public health and other issues involved.

Notwithstanding this, I am also very conscious that work on developing a National Drugs Strategy is well advanced at this stage and that the Steering Group, which is developing proposals in this regard, will be presenting me with their findings in the coming weeks.

Accordingly, having considered the matter, it has been decided to proceed on the following basis:

- Work on completing the National Drugs Strategy will be finalised in the coming weeks and I expect to be presenting it to Government for approval in late May/early June. The Strategy will be published as an “interim” Strategy pending the drafting and finalisation of a National Substance Misuse Strategy; and
- A new Steering Group will be established in autumn 2009 to develop proposals for an overall Substance Misuse Strategy that will incorporate the already agreed drugs policy element. The Group will be asked to report by the end of 2010.

As part of the restructuring proposed in the new Drugs Strategy, the National Drugs Strategy Team (NDST) will be discontinued from 30th April. It is intended that proposals for the establishment of a new dedicated Ministerial Drugs Office will be submitted to Government for consideration in the context of the new Drugs Strategy. In the interim, the general functions of the NDST will be absorbed appropriately within my Department.

There has been no change in the number of staff working on the new Drugs Strategy within my Department. As outlined above, this work is being overseen by a Steering Group comprising representatives of the relevant Departments, statutory agencies and the community & voluntary sectors. The Steering Group is chaired by my Department, at Assistant Secretary level, and four other officials are also engaged in the development of the Strategy, as part of their on-going Departmental work.

No decisions have yet been made on the funding of the National Substance Misuse Strategy. Considerable resources are already targeted at problem substance use in Ireland and the challenge over the coming years, given the current financial constraints facing the country, will be to maximise the overall effectiveness of that funding.
Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I welcome the fact that a Government backbencher brought forward a request under Standing Order 32 asking the Minister for Health and Children to come into the House and address the issue of a threatened swine vesicular disease pandemic. I have asked the Taoiseach to have this matter addressed in the House. It is very important, and now that the alert has gone to level 5, one short of a declared pandemic, there is an onus and responsibility on this House properly to address this issue. The Minister should come into the House. She is at a meeting of health Ministers today in Europe. Will she come into the House and report to us next week, and allow for an opportunity-----

An Ceann Comhairle: That is the end of that. We cannot discuss that.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: With respect, I would like to finish. This is on the Order of Business. I am explaining my objection to the fact that we will not assemble here again until 2.30 p.m. next Wednesday. I would like the opportunity to explain that. We can come up with any number of issues but this is one that requires urgent address in this House. Will the Minister return to the House to deal with it? The Opposition is of one mind on this and we have evidence of it in Government benches this morning. Will the Minister for Finance agree to bring the House back early next week and have the Minister for Health and Children accountable to this House as we face a swine vesicular disease pandemic? This is a very important issue.

Deputy Brian Lenihan: Deputies Bruton and Ó Caoláin raised the long standing practice that the House does not sit until the Wednesday after a bank holiday Monday. It has always been the tradition and custom of this House. If it is wished to review that arrangement it can be discussed between the Whips.

Ó Caoláin in call for determined campaign against health cuts

Sinn Féin Dáil Leader and Health Spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD, speaking at a public meeting on Health in Clondalkin, Dublin, has called for a determined campaign involving communities and trade unions across the economy against the cuts to the public health services being imposed by the Fianna Fáil/Green Party Government.

Deputy Ó Caoláin said:

“On this eve of May Day, International Workers Day, I make a call to the trade union movement, not only within the health services but across the economy, to join with communities in mounting a determined campaign against the health cuts, to save our public health services and to demand health justice.

“As we speak the Fianna Fáil/Green Party Government, through the Health Service Executive, is mounting the most serious assault on our public health services since the 1980s.

“These latest health cuts began in the autumn of 2007 but they are now being escalated. The recruitment ban, recently reinforced, means that most posts which become vacant in our public health services are not being filled.

“A memo leaked to the media last week showed that the HSE is looking to cut the number of nurses by 700.

“In addition the HSE has ordered that contracts for so-called temporary workers should not be renewed. This will mean that up to 14,000 workers will be lost to our public health services – that’s 14,000 fewer people to look after those who need care and 14,000 more people on the dole queues.

“Cuts are being made to achieve so-called savings. But they are not savings either in money terms or, more importantly, in terms of people’s health.

“An example is the disgraceful decision by Mary Harney to cancel the planned cervical cancer vaccine programme for 12-year-old girls.

“This week the first review of vaccination policy in 40 European countries was published and it found that this State is one of the few in Europe that does not have some form of cervical cancer vaccination programme. This State and Iceland were the only countries to postpone the vaccine programme for economic reasons.

“The lives of women are being put at risk to make a so-called saving of €10 million per year. But in 2006 alone – the last year for which figures are available – the Government gave tax breaks of €10.6 million to developers of private for-profit hospitals.

“This is the second most common cancer in women aged 15 to 44 and about 73 women die from it every year in this State. Shame on the Minister and the Government for their decision.” ENDS
Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: This is not the Health Bill we should have before us in the Dáil today. On 1 April the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney announced the establishment of an expert group on resource allocation and financing the health sector. It is not due to report until April 2010. I have no doubt the deliberations of the new group will be used to further delay the publication of the Eligibility for Health and Personal Social Services Bill, which has been promised for years. Why the delay? The answer is obvious. The last thing the and the Government want to discuss is the question of rights and entitlements to health services. They have presided over and reinforced a system where wealth can buy better health care and the private for-profit health business is allowed to act as a parasite on the public health system.

As the public health system reels under the cuts imposed since 2007 and braces itself for even worse to come, the Minister, Deputy Harney ploughs on with the building of private for-profit hospitals on public hospitals sites, subsidised by the hard-pressed taxpayer. The Minister, Deputy Harney and the Government imposed a so-called public service pension levy on nurses and have sanctioned the non-renewal of contracts for up to 14,000 workers in the public health service. At the same time the Minister, Deputy Harney gave a gold-plated guarantee to the hospital consultants that their €250,000 per annum contract will not be touched. This is for a 33-hour week in the public system, and they can still work up to 25% of the time in private practice. Even at that, the hours are not properly monitored, providing another lucrative let-off for whatever number - it is not everyone - is happy to abuse their privileged position.

This is what the Minister, Deputy Harney and the Department of Health and Children preside over in crumbling Hawkins House which, a view not unique to me, is the ugliest building in this city. At times it has struck me as a very appropriate symbol of this Government's health policy.

What is the role of the Legislature in all of this? We are excluded from any role, except for the rubber-stamp type of legislation we have before us today, the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009. The Minister, Deputy Harney has made herself unaccountable through the establishment of the HSE, while major policy decisions with major implications for the health service are not put before the Oireachtas. For example, the Government never put one sentence of substantive legislation before us regarding its co-location proposals.

This Bill gives more functions to the HSE and the Department, something I would be reluctant to do. Earlier this month in my constituency, two prominent general practitioners resigned from the HSE GP unit, citing in an open letter to Professor Brendan Drumm the arrogance of HSE management and its complete disregard for the views of general practitioners. In February this year, 41 GPs in Cavan and Monaghan signed another open letter opposing, on patient safety grounds, the removal of acute medical services from Monaghan General Hospital.

We have no choice but to address this Bill within its limited scope and to accept in good faith the assurances we have been given that the functions of the various bodies now to be subsumed into the Department and the HSE will be properly fulfilled. However, we must also be assured, and this is the assurance I am seeking today, that the work will be properly monitored and that the Minister, Deputy Harney, and the HSE will be fully accountable for these functions.

The Bill dissolves the National Council on Ageing and Older People and transfers its employees, assets and liabilities to the Department of Health and Children. It establishes the office for older people to support the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for older people, Deputy Barry Andrews The programme for Government has a commitment to frame and publish a national positive ageing strategy and the Department has informed me that this will now be its function.

A cross-departmental group has been set up to prepare the strategy and the former Minister of State, Deputy Hoctor, has said it is intended to facilitate the participation of older people in the process of preparing the it. These include an invitation to make written submissions and the conduct of consultation meetings around the country. I urge that this work proceed without delay. I also urge that the Government reverse its recent decision and proceed with the publication of the national carers' strategy, a matter of vital concern to older people. The production and implementation of these strategies will be the real test as to whether the office of older people will work.

With regard to the dissolution of the National Council on Ageing and Older People, the Women’s Health Council, the National Cancer Screening Service Board, the Drug Treatment Centre Board and the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, concern has been expressed about whether their functions will be safeguarded within the Department and the HSE. I wish to refer here to the relevant questions posed by the National Women’s Council of Ireland and I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Andrews to respond in detail. As the Bill does not provide for any review mechanism to monitor or measure this change of policy direction against outcomes how will Government and the Oireachtas know if the functions of the agencies are being carried out by the Department of Health and Children? I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Andrews, to note the specific question, as well as a number of others I wish to pose, and to ensure they will be responded to fully in his closing contribution to this Second Stage debate. What is the estimated cost of dissolving these bodies and what are the projected savings, which we are told there will be? What is being done to safeguard the knowledge or institutional memory built up by these agencies since their inception? The staff in question have much knowledge and experience which should not be lost to the public service. What commitments have been made to ensure that the Department and the HSE will continue to work in partnership with civil society and other relevant sectors?

These questions are especially relevant to the Crisis Pregnancy Agency. Its establishment in 2001 was a recognition of the need to address crisis pregnancy in a comprehensive and effective way. It has made progress and helped to improve support for women facing crisis pregnancy. Since the inception of the agency, counselling services for women in this area have expanded significantly. The agency has also played a role in helping to prevent vulnerable women from ending up in the hands of rogue pregnancy agencies. However, the need for the work of the agency is as great as ever. Crisis pregnancy is still, and will always be, a major problem. What has changed to warrant dissolving the agency? This question goes to the kernel of the Bill. Is it really about enhancing efficiency and co-ordination or is it simply a money-saving exercise? We need clarity; we need the bare facts laid before us. Whatever answers we are given, time will tell, but we also need to know what mechanisms are in place to monitor the effectiveness of the work formerly carried out by these agencies and now to be carried out by the Department and the HSE. I have made this point already and I re-emphasise it.

I welcome the amendment of the Hepatitis C compensation scheme to remove age limits for travel insurance. The National Cancer Screening Service Board is also to be dissolved and its functions subsumed within the HSE, becoming part of the HSE's cancer control programme. The Bill provides for the National Cancer Registry Board to be appointed by the Minister, yet it is also to be subsumed into the cancer control programme in 2010. Will this be an interim board pending the change in 2010? If so, what will its functions be over that period? I hope the Minister of State will address the questions I have raised during the course of this contribution.
Irish Government cut to Autism Centre disgraceful – Ó Caoláin
Sinn Féin Dáil leader and spokesperson on Health & Children Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD has learned that the Irish Government is cutting promised funding for the All-Ireland Centre of Excellence for Autism at Middletown, Co. Armagh. Deputy Ó Caoláin said:

“The Minister for Education and Science Batt O’Keeffe has written to the Minister for Education in the Six Counties, Caitríona Ruane, to state that the Irish government is cutting promised funding for the All-Ireland Centre of Excellence for Autism at Middletown, Co. Armagh. This is a disgraceful decision.

“Minister O’Keeffe’s Department and the Department of Health & Children will not now be providing the promised funding required to expand the Middletown Centre as had been intended this year.

“In January of this year I was a member of a cross-party Oireachtas delegation which visited Middletown and saw the excellent work being done by the Centre. I proposed that visit. The Centre itself was initiated by Martin McGuinness during his term as Education Minister in the Executive and from the beginning I have pressed for its development which finally came to fruition.

“The Centre, as acknowledged by Minister O’Keeffe, is working for the development and harmonisation of education and associated services for children and young people throughout Ireland with autistic spectrum disorder. It delivers training programmes and commissions research. The Centre is dedicated to improving and enriching the educational opportunities of children and young people with autism.

“While Minister O’Keeffe states that the Irish Government is not withdrawing all funding from Middletown, this is effectively a cut as the funding necessary for expansion is not now to be allocated. I will be urging Minister O’Keeffe not to proceed with this cut.” Críoch