North & South Clondalkin are in for massive Bus Cuts Despite handing Dublin Bus thousands of signatures on petitions it looks like that the cuts are going to be forced in on top of passengers. Cllr Gino Kenny orgainised six Local meeting in Rathcoole, Newcastle, Bawnogue,Neilstown,Dutch Village & Green Park Johns Wood areas. I spoke to the Locals and informed them what the cuts meant to them in the different areas the traveling public were not pleased to say the least.

By

Eugene McDonagh, Sacked NBRU National Executive, Harristown Depot

Mainstream political parties are ignoring the issues of unemployment and emigration in this election campaign. The People Before Profit Alliance believes the policies of Fine Gael and Labour would lead to a further rise in unemployment.

At a photocall held outside the Passport Office on Molesworth Street in Dublin, candidates for the alliance, inlcuding Cllr Joan Collins (Dublin South Central) & Andrew Keegan (Dublin North West) criticised mainstream political parties for their refusal to offer new jobs initiatives which would stem the flow of emigration.

"Emigration and unemployment are the key issues coming up again and again among the people we’re talking too on the ground, particularly among older people who are upset at seeing their grandchildren having to leave the country," said Cllr Joan Collins, the People Before Profit/ULA candidate for the Dublin South Central constituency. "It’s outrageous that there’s 450,000 people on the dole and a thousand a week having to emigrate to go find jobs while at the same time there’s billions going into the banks".

Cllr Collins called for the State to invest in new infrastructure programmes to help kickstart the economy.
"There’s another €29 billion to go into the banks, which is something supported by both Fine Gael and Labour and we’re saying don’t put that into the banks, invest it in jobs instead," she said.

"Following the foundation of the State the ESB was set up and 1000s of jobs were created to bring electricity into peoples homes and we believe that similar initiatives are needed now.

ON THE CANVASS: WITHIN A minute of Joan Collins beginning her canvass, she meets a man with a square, grey-speckled beard and glasses who is leaning against his car, writes HARRY McGEE (Irish Times 17/02/11)

People Before Profit, which is part of the United Left Alliance, launched its energy and natural resources policy document this morning calling for Ireland’s oil and gas resources to be returned to public ownership. Highlighting the struggle to the people of Rossport, People Before Profit called on the incoming Minister of the Environment to immediately revoke Shell’s license for the Corrib gas pipeline project.

People Before Profit candidates were joined by Pat "The Chief" O’Donnell (pictured above), the Shell to Sea fisherman who was jailed for his opposition to Shell’s refinery and experimental raw gas pipeline in Rossport. ‘The Chief’s’ struggle against Shell was documented in the recent award-winning film, The Pipe.
Speaking at this morning’s press conference Dr. Kieran Allen, UCD Sociologist and one of the document’s researchers commented: “Ireland has astounding wealth in natural resources. It is estimated that at current market rates the total value of Irish oil and gass off the West coast could be as much as €720 billion. This potential wealth provides a means to solve Ireland’s long term economic problems, but it would require a fundamental change in policy.
“Under the current licensing system, Ireland sees little benefit from its own resources. A report sponsored by the Department of Communications, Energy and Resources, pointed out that the ‘current fiscal system…yields among the lowest government take in the world’ The argument put forward by the government that they are insuring our future energy security does not stand up because we will be forced to buy back our fuel at prevailing market prices and compete with others for supply. This is economic maddness.”