Richard Boyd Barrett and Hugh Lewis of the People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA) recently held a public meeting in Dun Laoghaire to set up a Community and Unemployment Action Group in the area.

Hugh Lewis (Ballybrack PBPA)     

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dun Laoghaire PBPA)

PBPA have been leafleting estates and the lengthening doles queues in Dun Laoghaire are calling on all those affected by or angry about spiralling unemployment to attend the meeting and get involved in establishing a group to campaign for action on the jobs crisis.

PBPA also believe that the savage cutbacks in social welfare in the recent budget, such as the scrapping of the Christmas bonus and cuts in rent allowance, make the setting up of organisations to protect the unemployed a priority.

PBPA believe that the Council should establish direct labour units to give jobs to the unemployed doing important work in the community, such as, repairing boarded up council houses, upgrading schools and hospitals and providing local amenities and community services.

The accusation made by Aodhan O Riordain that the Anti-Budget protest by People Before Profit Alliance and others from the community in the North Inner City outside Cyprian Brady’s clinic intimidated constituents from consulting their local representative is ridiculous.

Speaking after the protest People Before Profit candidate in the North Inner City Colm Stephens said "If Cllr. O Riordain had bothered to turn up he would have seen that we actively encouraged people to go into the clinic and make their views known."

DUN Laoghaire Rathdown County Council is ignoring public opinion following the recent adoption of its original proposals for a coastal enhancement scheme as an objective of the county development plan.
In February 2008, the council announced two different concepts for the development of the East Pier to Sandycove Enhancement Scheme, which includes the Dún Laoghaire Baths site.
The proposals drawn up on behalf of the council by consultants estimated the cost of Concept A at €129m and Concept B at €92m. The local authority has since revealed that it spent over €200,000 paying the consultants to design the plans.

Residents right across the North Side of Dublin who will have noticed a massive deterioration in the service for collection of recycling, both green bins and bags have been hit again as green bins collection was missed again this morning.

These problems have developed since the lucrative contract was awarded to Greyhound Recycling which took over from Oxigen at the beginning of the year. Numerous collections have been missed, green bags have not been delivered, incorrect collection dates have been posted on the website and collection calendars have not been distributed.

In the past 2 days, Bus Workers at two depots at Clontarf and Harristown took unofficial action which led to the cancellation of 29 routes, in a row dispute over bus cuts.

This morning 27th April 2009, the 206 bus was cut completly as a service in Ballyfermot. This route services an area with an aging population which also houses a population of at least 60 elderly people in Rossaveal Court. People Before Profit in Ballyfermot started at the beginning of February to campaign to save the service.

This morning 27th April 2009, the 206 bus was cut completly as a service in Ballyfermot. This route services an area with an aging population which also houses a population of at least 60 elderly people in Rossaveal Court. People Before Profit in Ballyfermot started at the beginning of February to campaign to save the service. We secured the support of thousands of local people who signed petitions. We held a very significant public meeting, supported by all the local councillors. We lobbied the local Fianna Fail TD and organised roadside protests in Ballyfermot. We also had the support of pensioners committees and the local bus committtee.

CANDIDATE PROFILE: SEÁN MORAGHAN (Tralee) People Before Profit Alliance

Seán Moraghan (People Before Profit Alliance) is a shop-worker and bookseller in Tralee. He is 45 years old.

He is standing for election to Tralee Town Council.

Seán has been a council worker, tour guide, mussel-boat farmer, writer and political activist.
Seán has been involved in the local anti-parking charges campaign, protests for a better health service, opposition to education cuts, Tralee Anti-War Group, Shell to Sea, and campaigns against the G8 in support of fairer trade, and human rights activism.
He is a member of the Mandate trade union.

The People Before Profit Alliance learnt yesterday of plans to close St. Brigid’s Ward in Loughlinstown Hospital. This move by the HSE is a direct result of cuts in the department of health stemming from last October’s Budget.

St Brigid’s Ward is a general ward in the hospital and its closure will mean the loss of at least 18 beds.

Hugh Lewis, People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA) Representative in the Ballybrack ward, says: “This closure is completely unacceptable. It is an utter disgrace that our health service, which is already in a shambles, is being forced to make further cuts. In an economic crisis a decent public health service is needed more than ever. The money that is being used to bail out the banks should instead be used to fund vital services, in particular, the health service. Once again it is the most vulnerable in society that have to shoulder the burden of our economic crisis. PBPA will immediately be organising meetings to discuss how we can stop this closure.”

The recent budget included an increase in the health levy that all PAYE workers already pay. This increase is grossly unfair because it once again forces ordinary people to make up the shortfall in public finances. It also now seems that an extra health levy is going to make no difference to cuts in the health service.