Eric's Diary

A new take on George Lee

2009-04-22T11:32:00.003+01:00

Following the latest round of Budget cuts to Ireland's Overseas Development Aid, this video has been doing the rounds of the Net - and it's brilliant.

Enjoy!

0.7% GNP by 2012 from 07by12 on Vimeo.

Cancelling Christmas and other Budget shockers

2009-04-09T17:03:00.002+01:00

Yesterday, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan presented Act II of his 2009 Budget, and it was a pretty sorry spectacle. It’s anyone’s guess whether there’ll be an Act III in a couple of months time.

One thing is quite clear: those who were bypassed by the boom are now being asked to pick up the tab for the government’s mismanagement of the economy.

There were plenty of shockers in the Budget – ranging from the decision to reduce Rent Supplement, on which so many low-income households depend, to the imposition of the income levy on minimum wage earners.

But the one bit that really stood out for me was the scrapping of the Christmas bonus for social welfare recipients. This decision is calculated to drive the poorest households into the arms of moneylenders.

Brian Lenihan makes Scrooge look like Santa Claus in a particularly generous mood.

Cowengate still running ....

2009-04-05T20:03:00.002+01:00

The weekend papers are still covering the Cowengate saga, with the Sunday Tribune investigating the ‘breaches of security’ at the National Gallery which allowed an unauthorised picture of the unclothed Taoiseach to be hung in the museum.

At a time when we were being pelted with bad economic news on all sides - news which affects real people losing their jobs and worrying about the hit they will take in the forthcoming Budget – our national broadcaster felt constrained to apologise for covering the affair.

This non-story has been running for nearly a fortnight now. Let’s face it, the only significance of Cowengate is that the Taoiseach has no clothes. And that's not news.

It's about the children - surely?

2009-04-05T19:51:00.002+01:00

There’s been a lot in the media during the past week about Pamela Izevbekhai, the Nigerian woman seeking asylum on the grounds that she fears her daughters could be exposed to Female Genital Mutilation if returned to Nigeria. Pamela claims that one of her daughters died in Nigeria as a result of FGM, and it seems that a doctor's letter attesting to this was in fact a forgery. Now, in today’s Sunday Tribune, we read that Pamela may be facing perjury charges.

Not a pretty story by any stretch of the imagination. But one thing seems to have been forgotten in all the coverage. A quick Internet search for ‘Nigeria’ + ‘Female Genital Mutilation’ brings up a 2007 WHO report which not only explains how awful this practice is, but also states that it is widespread throughout Nigeria.

Personally, as the father of two daughters, I am appalled at the thought that Pamela’s two little girls, Naomi and Jemima, could be exposed to such mutilation. And, regardless of whether the supporting documentation submitted by Pamela was forged, surely it’s about the children?

(Not) blogging the Labour Party Conference

2009-04-05T19:39:00.005+01:00

Well, I meant to blog the Labour Party conference, but things got rather hectic. As always, it was good to meet up with old friends and new comrades – and I was delighted that our branch’s motion (seconded by Dublin MEP Proinsias De Rossa) was passed.

Incidentally, click here to read Eamon Gilmore's speech.

Do yourself a favour: Join a trade union

2009-03-27T10:38:00.003Z

The Labour Party conference is coming up over the weekend (you can follow it here) and I’m proposing a motion calling on the party to urge all workers to join a trade union so as to protect and enhance their pay and conditions. Well, I was surfing the net today looking for concrete information on the benefits of trade union membership, and came across a couple of nuggets. It’s well known that trade union members earn more than non-members – but I didn’t know how much more. According to research in the UK, unionised workers from minority ethnic groupings (who are often clustered in low-paid sectors like retail) earn 32 per cent more than their non-unionised counterparts. On average - and again this research is from the UK - unionised workers earn 17 per cent more. Now, there are those like the University of Limerick's Ed Walsh who would have us believe (yes, seriously) that 'we all paying ourselves too much'.

Well, some people have certainly been paying themselves too much – bankers come to mind.

But as far as ordinary people are concerned, the truth is rather different. Low pay is endemic in Ireland (I’ve blogged about this before) and workers desperately need the ‘trade union premium’.

One final thought about the benefits of a strong trade union movement for society as a whole - while trawling the net, I came across an article in The Lancet pointing out that countries that had greater trade union membership and political representation by women had better child mortality profiles. Of course, a strong trade union movement is a great promoter of equality – and equality is good for our health.

Golden Circles ....

2009-02-19T10:13:00.001Z

Well, every time I sit down to write about the banking crisis there are new revelations and I have to scrap what I’ve written. But someone sent me a link to this story in the Sunday Business Post last year, which pretty much sums it all up as far as I am concerned. The interesting bit is in the third paragraph from the bottom: according to this story, Mr. Cowen – when he was Minister for Finance and Taoiseach-elect – had dinner with the board of Anglo-Irish, which the paper quaintly describes as a ‘specialist Irish lender’.

Regardless of whether or not the Taoiseach or Cabinet members were involved in the €300 million investment in Anglo shares, the fact that the then Taoiseach-elect dined with the entire board of a private financial institution reinforces the notion of a golden circle with Fianna Fail at its heart.

I can’t say I relish the idea of a General Election, but we need to get rid of this crowd. Now.

When A Deal Isn't A Deal ....

2009-01-25T14:54:00.001Z

Yesterday I had a bit of time before a meeting and took a stroll down Thomas Street – only to be twice offered ‘duty-free’ cigarettes. Now, I’ve never smoked so the sellers obviously don't read their market too well - but that's not what bothered me. The fact is these cigarettes are not duty-free: they are smuggled or stolen. It was obviously my day for low-level contact with illegality: earlier, walking down Henry Street, I passed two street stalls selling counterfeit 'designer’ bags, wallets and belts.

A few years ago, the Gardai were very successful in combating cigarette smuggling, but now it seems to be on the rise again. While the street sellers themselves are not involved in gangs, their supply chains often are.

Cigarette smuggling in particular is a lucrative sideline for many of the gangs holding parts of our city to ransom.

What is particularly worrying is that the trade in illegal cigarettes and counterfeit goods is carried out in broad daylight on some of our busiest shopping streets - often in plain sight of the Gardai. Both consumers and the Gardai need to realise that there is a chain linking such street sales and the gang activity which is causing mayhem throughout the city.

When one looks at it like that, the cheap ‘designer’ bag or €4 pack of cigarettes doesn’t seem like such a deal!

Bye, Bye Bush

2009-01-25T14:49:00.002Z

Well, what can one say? Like everyone else I was glued to the Obama inauguration ... but this was the best picture of the day!

Diary Date: Fairtrade Fortnight 2009

2008-12-14T20:51:00.002Z

It seems only yesterday that I was urging everyone to get involved in Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 - and now we have all the details for next year's event. Click here to read all about it!

Dublin was awarded Fairtrade status this year, so it’s perhaps not surprising that awareness of Fairtrade is particularly high in the capital: according to a recent survey carried out for Fairtrade Ireland, half of all Dublin respondents are currently buying Fairtrade products, and a massive two-thirds have done so at some point.

Hopefully we can continue building on this awareness in 2009.

Cutting Equality ...

2008-12-14T20:46:00.002Z

Apologies to anyone who’s been looking for news and views on this site during the past month or so; life has been pretty hectic. Not only has my phone been ringing off the hook with calls from local groups worried about the last round (and the next round) of cuts, but we're also preparing for the Local Elections in six months time.

Talking of cuts, like many people I was shocked on Friday to hear that Niall Crowley, head of the Equality Authority, had resigned. I've known Niall since he headed up Pavee Point: he has always been a voice and a champion for those on the margins of society. He clearly felt that he had no choice but to resign, given the Government's war of attrition against the Equality Authority. The 43% cut in the Authority’s budget was the last straw.

If you want to read more about this issue, take a look at the Equality & Rights Alliance website.

This Government has been conducting a sustained campaign against agencies which agencies which challenge the status quo and champion social inclusion and equality. The Equality Authority and the Human Rights Commission have had their funding slashed, and Combat Poverty is being absorbed into the Department. The Government has also, to all intents and purposes, axed the National Consultative Committee for Integration and Interculturalism, which is to be subsumed in the Department of Justice.

It all makes for a pretty bleak run-up to Christmas.

Going live! New website ...

2008-10-24T20:36:00.000+01:00

Well, we've been working on a new website for a while - and now we've gone live! Check out http://www.ericbyrne.ie/ for all your local news and views ...

Racist elements using Budget cuts to stir up hatred

2008-10-24T20:24:00.006+01:00

Well, the Budget was bad enough – the Government seems intent on cutting everything from medical cards to education for disadvantaged children, and I’ll be posting on the cuts in a few days. But, as if that wasn't enough, it seems that certain particularly nasty elements are intent on using the cuts to stir up racial hatred. Over the past few days these posters have been appearing outside post offices and post boxes around Terenure, Harold's Cross and Camden Street. Needless to say, I and others have been removing them, but they keep reappearing.

The decision to site these abominations outside post offices was clearly deliberate, since this is where many non-Irish nationals go to collect their allowances.

I have no doubt that these posters – which contravene both the litter laws and the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act – are the work of a small minority of ill-informed racists. I intend to continue removing them at every opportunity, and I would urge anyone else who sees them to do likewise.

Meanwhile, take a look at this excellent leaflet produced by the Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland couple of years ago, debunking myths about migrants.

Hard Times (II): BLINGing it all back home ...

2008-09-29T15:38:00.001+01:00

I popped into my local Superquinn the other day to get a few messages – and stood in the aisle gobsmacked. In fact, I probably caused a trolley jam. There, in its own little display case, were bottles of Bling H2O. Bottled water to you and me ... except that these bottles carry an eyewatering pricetag of €45. Per bottle. Apparently, this stuff was created by a Hollywood writer and producer (err ... why?), and is purified in a nine-step process. Of course, you’re not paying for the water – however micro-filtrated it may be – but for the frosted glass bottle with Swarowski crystals. It’s all about branding. I’d like to think that this is the dying gasp of consumerism gone mad … possibly aimed at all those property developers hoping to pocket refunds.

Just one question though. What do you do with the bottles after you’ve drained each last drop of water? Take them down to the local bottle bank? Can crystals be recycled? Or do you have to remove them first?

Incidentally, for another water-related story click here for the latest news on the water crisis facing families in Galway. Sort of puts things in perspective. Perhaps we should send them up a few bottles of Bling …

Hard Times (I)

2008-09-29T15:35:00.002+01:00

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve posted …and since then we've officially entered a recession. Not that that'll come as any surprise to thousands of households trying to juggle fuel, food and childcare bills - not to mention mortgage payments - while wondering if their jobs will be next to go.

So my mind boggled when I saw today’s Sunday Tribune. The front page headline read “Budget cuts of €2 billion as economic crisis deepens”. No surprise there. But then I read the sub-head … “But property developers seek hundreds of millions in refunds due to value losses”.

What’s that? Property developers? Refunds?

Yes. As ordinary families look forward to cuts in basic services combined with effective cuts in earnings (those in the know predict that Finance Minister Lenihan will not be linking tax credits and bands to inflation in his forthcoming Budget), it seems property developers are seeking hundreds of millions of tax refunds after writing down the value of their land banks and other assets.

You couldn’t make it up.

Commercio Justo: Dublin set to spread Fair Trade message in Spain

2008-08-23T15:22:00.002+01:00

While I was away I was delighted to get a call from Fairtrade Ireland: they’d just been contacted by their Spanish counterparts in Ideas, who are looking for a representative from Dublin City Council to speak at a Fair Trade conference and share Dublin’s experience in achieving Fair Trade City status. And before someone jumps up – no, I won’t be going on a junket to Zaragoza; we’ll be represented by a City Council official!

It's great to be spreading the Commercio Justo - or Fair Trade - message in Spain!

Back, Obama … and another blog

2008-08-23T15:15:00.003+01:00

Apologies to anyone who sent in a comment during the past couple of weeks - I'll be going through comments and publishing them during the next few days. The holliers were spent in the States, and for once I had time to read newspapers on the same day - rather than reading them in bunches! Of course, the main political story in the States is the race for the White House between Barack Obama and John McCain – it'll come as no surprise to readers of this blog that I've come back with plenty of Obama literature and buttons! There's only one thing certain about this race, and that is that it'll be tight - although McCain has certainly been doing Obama a few favours recently: not only did he claim that you have to earn over $5,000,000 annually (yes, five million dollars annually) to be rich (below that, presumably, you’re just an ordinary Joe Soap), but during the past few days he admitted that he did not know how many homes he owns … none of which is likely to go down well with the millions of ordinary Americans struggling to keep their heads above the economic waters.

Of course, I was also checking out the Irish Times online while I was in the States – and that’s where I came across Bryan Mukandi’s blog, Outsidein. Mukandi – who also writes a column for the Irish Times - is a Zimbabwean living in Ireland, and his blog offers a common-sense take on current issues, both in Ireland and elsewhere. Take a look!

Pearse Park, Cuts & Holliers

2008-07-29T18:14:00.002+01:00

Well, it’s been a busy few weeks. There’s been a great response to our Pearse Park leaflet – thanks to everyone who took time to stop and chat about the issue.

On a broader political note, I blogged a couple of weeks ago about Unequal Ireland: the boom left a lot of people behind, and they’ll be the first to suffer as the downturn starts to bite. So it's been particularly disturbing to read the recent speculation that the Combat Poverty Agency may be amalgamated or abolished as a result of Government cutbacks. For over two decades, the CPA has played a vital role in advising on anti-poverty measures.

Back in the 1980s, Fianna Fail billboards proclaimed that 'cuts hurt the old, the sick and the handicapped'. In 2008, that can be paraphrased as 'cuts hurt the poor'.

I’ll be taking a few weeks off from tomorrow – back online again at the end of August!

Pearse Park – The Facts

2008-07-04T13:28:00.005+01:00

I’ve blogged before about the uncertainty and concern that planning issues can arouse in local communities … and about the manner in which some politicians mislead communities about these issues for political gain.

I believe that planning should be community-led rather than developer-led … and that depends on communities being given all the facts about a particular proposal so that they can make an informed decision. It also, of course, depends on communities having the structures through which they can make a decision and influence planning issues.

That’s why we’re going to be spending the next few weekends distributing information leaflets on the plan by Dublin City Council to re-develop part of Pearse Park to provide a range of amenities to the people of Crumlin and surrounding areas. These amenities include a swimming pool and leisure centre, as well as other sports facilities (a new boxing club, changing facilities for soccer and GAA), a state-of-the-art children’s playground and a community crèche for 70 children. In order to finance this project, the Council proposes selling off a very small strip of land for housing. Click here for an aerial photograph of Pearse Park showing the approximate size of the strip in question.

Like a lot of people, I don't like the idea of selling off public land. But the City Council cannot afford to build this complex itself – it relies on government grants. And – especially as we head into an economic downturn – money is simply not going to be forthcoming from central government. Which is why the Council needs the revenue from the sale of this small strip in order to provide the people of Crumlin with the facilities they deserve.

But the decision shouldn’t simply be up to me or other politicians - and it certainly shouldn't be up to developers.

This project affects Crumlin. And I believe that Crumlin voices should be heard. The best way to progress this project, while also taking account of community concerns, is to establish a representative steering committee. This committee would include:

· All local councillors;
· Crumlin Network, representing residents;
· GAA (Crumlin Gaels);
· Soccer interests (Crumlin United);
· Crumlin Bowling Club;
· Dublin 12 Childcare Consortium
· Crumlin Boxing Club
· Representatives of swimming interests

I will be proposing the establishment of this Steering Committee to the City Council as the best way of ensuring YOUR voice is heard.

If you want to know more, you can download the 15-page plan for Pearse Park and Crumlin Leisure Centre here, and a copy of the leaflet we’re distributing is available here (please note that downloads may be slow with a dial-up connection. PDF files require Adobe Reader, which is available for download here).

Highlighting Unequal Ireland

2008-07-04T13:20:00.007+01:00

I spent a very enjoyable (although wet) couple of days in Galway last weekend at the Tom Johnson Summer School, organised by Labour Youth; you can read all about it here. As usual, there were stalls with information on various issues - and one of the hot sellers was a wall chart on ‘Unequal Ireland’, with information compiled by one of our own branch members, Brian Kenny. As somebody said during the summer school, commenting on the boom years, a rising tide does not lift all boats - it lifts all yachts.

We have at least 10 billionaires, and another 100 people worth over 100 million each. In total we have over 30,000 millionaires – property millionaires, tribunal millionaires, business millionaires.

We have more helicopters per head than the UK, and more Mercedes per head than Germany.

The top 1% of the population owns 20% of the country's worth.

Yet we still have 17% of the population at risk of poverty.

If you want to know the facts and figures about Unequal Ireland, you can download Brian’s wall chart here (please note that PDF files require Adobe Reader, which is available for download here).

Celebrating Reza

2008-06-22T20:53:00.003+01:00

You may remember that I wrote a blog last year about 'R'., an asylum seeker and member of Labour Youth who worked on our election campaign. Well, 'R' is Reza Mirfattahi, and last Thursday we gathered in the Civic Offices to watch Reza being presented with one of the 2008 World Refugee Day awards. Reza - who is currently living on direct provision in New Ross, pending determination of his application for refugee status - was honoured for his involvement in the New Ross community.

Reza gave a very impressive speech – a speech about oppression and resistance in his home country of Iran, but also about the two-way engagement between new and old communities here in Ireland. He concluded by dedicating his award to the struggling workers and trade union leaders of Iran and their families.

As you can imagine, there was a large Labour turnout at the ceremony. We all hope that Reza will not have to wait too much longer to be granted refugee status - a status that is richly deserved, and that will allow Reza to live a full life here in his adopted community.

Lisbon …

2008-06-11T20:15:00.000+01:00

Most people are probably sick and tired of ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ posters by now, and they’re certainly fed up with the mountain of leaflets coming through the door (I’m afraid I’ve contributed my fair share of leaflets – we’ve been out around Dublin South Central for the past few weeks urging a 'Yes' vote). But whichever way you decide to vote - please do come out and make your voice heard!

Liberties Festival …

2008-06-11T19:55:00.002+01:00

Nowadays, when we think of Dublin’s inner city, the Liberties is one of the first places that springs to mind. Ironically, though, the Liberties were not originally under the city’s jurisdiction: they lay outside the city’s walls, and were subject to the Archbishop of Dublin, the Earl of Meath and various other feudal overlords. Today, though, the Liberties and its environs – including the Coombe and Cornmarket – are at the very centre of Dublin, redolent of both its past and its future. The National College of Art and Design and the Digital Hub are producing cutting-edge work just a stone's throw from the Cathedral where Dean Jonathan Swift presided, and the same streets which, three hundred years ago, were home to French-speaking Huguenot weavers, are now home to Dublin’s New Communities. The Liberties Festival is intended to celebrate the gifts and talents of all our communities. It was launched by newsreader Anne Doyle, and runs until June 24th. Here's a pic of Local Councillor John Gallagher travelling in style with RTE's Anne Doyle ...

Joe Connolly: Celebrating that Community Spirit …

2008-06-11T19:43:00.007+01:00

Well, once again I’m catching up on events in bunches – the past couple of weeks have been pretty hectic. Anyway, a fortnight ago I was delighted to be present when Joe Connolly was honoured with the Lord Mayor’s award. Actually, it was quite a Labour event: Joe served the people of Dublin as a Labour city councillor for many years, and Labour’s Paddy Burke, as current Lord Mayor, made the award. But Joe was being honoured not as a politician but for his role in founding the Community Games nearly four decades ago. Thanks to Joe’s commitment, children and young people all over Ireland have the opportunity to become involved in sports. Joe was always equally committed to his own local community - to the people of Walkinstown. So it was entirely appropriate that the award was presented at a function in the Walkinstown Social and Athletic Federation Club, where Joe's neighbours and friends gathered to honour this truly remarkable man.

Joe with his citation ...

... and Lord Mayor Paddy Bourke and myself congratulating Joe on his award:

Launch of Draft Drimnagh Integrated Area Plan – Have Your Say

2008-05-28T14:29:00.005+01:00

You know, of all the issues crossing politicians' desks, development is probably the one that arouses the most passions. Understandably, residents in many local communities feel that they have no say in what happens to their built environment. Development seems to be builder-led rather than community-led and, especially during the property boom of the last few years, every day seemed to bring a new planning application. Many proposals were innovative and progressive. Many were not. But they all represented change, and change is often unsettling.

As a result, many local politicians throughout Dublin felt obliged to make promises to their constituents that they can not possibly keep. I've blogged about this before: the fact is that politicians have absolutely no control over whether a planning application is granted or refused. And that’s why developers need not fear political intervention. What developers do fear, however, is communities working together, and working with local government, to ensure that development serves the needs of people rather than the balance sheets of developers.

That is why, towards the end of 2006, I proposed that representatives of the community, together with other stakeholders and Dublin City Council, should get together and create a Drimnagh Integrated Area Plan. As a result, a Steering Group was formed comprising representatives of Dublin City Council, KWCD and Drimnagh Community Network. Last September we commissioned a firm with experience in social, physical, and environmental urban planning to help us produce the plan.

Well, it took a lot of work. But last week the Drimnagh Draft Integrated Area Plan was finally launched. A summary is available for download here, and the full document can be downloaded here. The draft is available both in hard copy and on CD, together with a questionnaire – give me a call at 087-2548429 if you’d like a copy. We would also welcome submissions. So – if you live in Drimnagh, this is your chance to get involved in the future of your neighbourhood. Submissions should be received before June 5th; both submissions and completed questionnaires can be dropped into the comment box at the John Bosco Centre.

McNamara Pull-Out Wholly Predictable

2008-05-21T14:58:00.003+01:00

Earlier this week it was confirmed that developer Bernard McNamara is to pull out of a range of Public-Private Partnership arrangements with Dublin City Council. This will affect the regeneration of St. Michael’s Estate in Inchicore, as well as other projects around Dublin. Many housing units in these estates have already been de-tenanted, and tenants are waiting to be re-housed. Mr. McNamara's decision means they must continue waiting.

Now, I must admit this decision didn’t come as much of a surprise to me. Let’s face it: developers’ main aim is to turn a tidy profit – the fact that they provide housing is really just incidental to their bottom-line focus. They’d manufacture tiddly-winks if there was enough money in it. It was therefore always likely that private developers would pull out of PPP deals as soon as the housing market started falling.

It was particularly noteworthy that, when justifying his decision, Mr. McNamara cited not only the “adversely changed circumstances” of the housing market (downturn, to you and me), but also new building and energy regulations – regulations designed to ensure that housing meets high standards in terms of both accommodation and energy conservation. For the most part, developers are not interested in building highest-standard homes for families: they’re interested in turning out housing units which they can build for as little as possible and sell for as much as possible.

Unfortunately, the casualties of such commercial decisions will be among the most vulnerable groups in our society - those who must rely on the public sector to provide for their housing needs.

I hope that Mr. McNamara's decision will give us the spur we need to adopt a radically different approach.

Dublin City Council already owns the sites in question. The Council should now proceed with the regeneration projects proposed, setting aside one-third for social housing and one-third for affordable housing, with the remaining third to be sold to owner-occupiers on the open market.

The sale of one third of the units on the open market would allow the Council to recoup much of the cost entailed. In order to finance the up-front expenditure, the National Pension Reserve Fund could make available the capital funding. This would be repaid in full, plus interest, over an extended period of time. This would mean that funding would not need to come from the Exchequer. All the Government would have to do is make the necessary legislative changes.

Such an approach would not only enable the Council to meet the needs of those requiring social and affordable housing; it would also ensure that neither the Council nor its tenants are dependent on the goodwill of private developers, whose motivation is solely profit-driven.

Some of the best housing in this city was built by Dublin City Council in the past - I’ve blogged before about the high quality of public-sector design and construction in areas such as Mount Brown and more recently in Ballyfermot, where Father Lemass Court offers an example of cutting-edge public-sector design, and I’ve vlogged about the high quality design of the new Bridgefoot Street development. I’ll be raising this proposal when Dublin City Council meets to discuss the McNamara fiasco. Check back here for updates!

Drimnagh Ladies & Social Capital

2008-05-14T16:27:00.002+01:00

I’m late again posting this; it’s almost a month since I attended the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Drimnagh Ladies Club. Of course, these sort of events are the bread-and-butter of any politician's life - but they're also much more. A few years ago the American political scientist Robert Putnam wrote a book called Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, in which – essentially – he argued that voluntary associations form the backbone (or the social capital) of a society. Putnam found a direct correlation between active networks of social participation, thriving local government and a higher quality of life. Obviously, like any theory Putnam’s concept of social capital can be misinterpreted: in particular, the idea of volunteerism can be abused by governments seeking to shift the tasks which should be the responsibility of the state (e.g. health, education, social care) onto the voluntary sector. In this sense, it is perhaps no surprise that former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern proclaimed himself a fan of Putnam's work, and even invited him to address the Fianna Fail parliamentary party. But despite the misuses to which Putnam's ideas can be put, it is hard to argue with his central premise: Society is strengthened by people coming together in social and civic organisations – whether a political party, a GAA club or a ladies' club. Of course, not all social capital is of equal value.

Putnam highlights the distinction between bonding social capital and bridging social capita. Bonding social capital is exclusive and therefore negative: it derives from social networks between homogenous groups of people (Putnam cites criminal gangs as an example). Bridging social capital, on the other hand, is positive: it results from networks between diverse groups of people who come together for a specific purpose or activity (such as social clubs, sports clubs, family support groups etc.). By fostering a sense of social cohesion, bridging social capital can - again according to Putnam - help combat social 'disorders' such as crime.

Of course, what social capital essentially boils down to is a sense of community. Too often, in my view, the concept of community is hi-jacked by the Right. I believe that we on the Left need to reclaim the whole idea of community, and give unstinting support to the myriad voluntary organisations working in our local areas. Which is just one reason why I was delighted to help the Drimnagh Ladies Club celebrate their 40th anniversary … click here for pics of the occasion!

Burying Bad News ...

2008-05-12T17:33:00.002+01:00

Six years after the Morris Tribunal started its work investigating Garda malpractice in Donegal, the tribunal's report has finally been published. Actually, Mr. Justice Morris submitted his report – containing yet more critical findings regarding Garda conduct in Donegal – to the Government on April 24th. But it was only published on May 7th. Coincidentally, this also happened to be the day of Brian Cowen’s election as Taoiseach. So it’s no surprise that the report’s findings received scant attention in the media the following day.

This practice is known in the trade as “burying bad news”. The most famous case happened in the UK, when an advisor to then Transport Secretary Stephen Byers sent an e-mail to colleagues on September 11th, 2001 – the day of the Twin Towers attack on New York - suggesting that it would be “very good day” to “bury” bad news. Mr. Byers and his advisor lost their jobs over the incident - but it seems the practice is alive and well in Ireland in 2008!

Incidentally, you can download the Morris report here.

Fairtrade, the Sunday papers and Bertie’s ambitions

2008-05-12T17:29:00.001+01:00

I’ve been hitting the road again – or at least, the streets of Harold’s Cross. As the weather warms up, we’ve started our regular weekend leafletting sessions again – beginning with a ‘Thank You’ leaflet to everyone who's been buying Fairtrade products, thus helping Dublin achieve Fairtrade status. I must admit I was knackered after finishing Mount Argus on Saturday – but at least the weather was glorious. On Sunday I came home after leafletting, went out into the garden and opened the Sunday Tribune ... and then wished I hadn't. Right at the top of Page 3 was a full-colour spread on the dress sense of Irish women politicians. I blogged about this kind of vacuity (not to mention sexism) last year. Surely our papers can find something better to write about - politics, for example? Mind you, my blood was already boiling after reading the story on Page 1 about ex-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s possible ambitions to run for President – either President of the European Council or President of Ireland. Now, I'd better be careful what I write here, libel laws being what they are. But let's be quite clear about it: Mr. Ahern’s resignation as Taoiseach was prompted by what he himself called the “confusion and worry in people’s minds” surrounding his personal finances. We still await the Mahon Tribunal’s final conclusions. But, on current evidence, Mr. Ahern would not seem to be a suitable candidate for either Presidency!

We're Not All The Same

2008-04-23T21:34:00.000+01:00

You know, one of the things that always gets to me on the campaign trail is when people say “Sure, you’re all the same”. Well, we’re not. And here’s one reason why.

The Irish Times today published a list of donations to TDs disclosed to the Standards in Public Office Commission. It makes instructive reading.

You may remember that, before the General Election last year, I received and returned an unsolicited cheque from a developer. But it seems that others are rather less choosy about whom they accept money from.

A quick scan of today's list showed that at least 16 of the 44 Fianna Fail TDs – or 36% - who made a declaration had received donations from developers. I say ‘at least’ because I'm only including those donors who are quite clearly builders or developers. Lots of other donors are called things like 'XYZ Investments' - but since, for all I know, they could be investors in tiddly-winks, I have not included them. And, of course, this list only includes donations above the €635 limit … so, again for all we know, developers could be scattering €500 cheques around like confetti.

Fine Gael was rather better than Fianna Fail: four out of 23 TDs making a disclosure had received obvious developer donations.

Not one Labour TD had received a developer donation. Nor, incidentally, had any of the Green or Sinn Fein TDs.

And that’s just one of the reasons why we’re not “all the same”.

Now, before a shower of solicitors’ letters rains down on my head, I’d better point out that there is nothing inherently wrong in receiving donations from developers, and nor is there any inevitable connection between donations received and political favours granted. But politicians in a democracy must avoid not only impropriety, but also the appearance of impropriety. And there is no doubt that the real or perceived connection between some right-wing politicians and developers has undermined public confidence in the political system.

Incidentally, we wouldn’t know any of this if it were not for the ethics and Standards in Public Office legislation initiated by Labour.

Fairtrade Again

2008-04-17T23:37:00.002+01:00

The other day I was delighted to join a range of people involved in the Fairtrade movement at Aras an Uachtarain, where President Mary McAleese congratulated us on Dublin’s certification as a Fairtrade City:

Squabble of Gorse Hill

2008-04-17T23:25:00.005+01:00

Now, the Irish Independent does not generally feature on my reading list. In fact, regular readers of this blog will be aware of my views on the Indo and its stablemates. But yesterday morning was an exception: I was in a waiting room with a stack of Indos and picked one up. And there was the headline splashed across the front page: Battle For Gorse Hill. Followed by a further four pages covering this epic struggle. Now, when I think of a battle – especially when associated with a place name – my mind goes back to vaguely remembered history lessons at Synge Street CBS. The Battle of Clontarf springs to mind. So does the Battle of the Boyne and, further afield, the Battle of Bunker Hill. These were battles between armies, the outcomes of which influenced the course of history. And now we have the Battle for Gorse Hill, a squabble between two very rich men about a strip of highly-valued land in one of the most exclusive areas of Dublin. Don’t get me wrong. Everyone has the right to seek recourse to the courts, and certainly the parties’ decision to settle spared the state a costly trial. But just what made this case worthy of five pages in a national paper?

It's not as though it was a dead news day. On the same day that Messrs. Kenny and Charlton settled their squabble, details of an HSE report into the death of a young mother following childbirth were leaked. The report found that her care had been compromised by staffing shortages. This scandal – a scandal which, unlike the Gorse Hill story, affects all of us – merited less than half a page in the Independent.

Go figure. Incidentally, I couldn’t resist this pic, courtesy of Red Mum:

When Easter and New Year Come Together

2008-03-25T16:07:00.006Z

While many people in Ireland have spent the past few days celebrating Easter, Kurdish members of our community have been celebrating New Year, or Nawroz. I was delighted to be invited by the Kurdish community – many of whom had travelled from all over Ireland – to join them in Perrystown Estate Community Hall, a venue more commonly known for hosting annual variety shows. Nawroz – also spelt Norooz, and literally meaning ‘New Day’ - is celebrated by Kurds as the first day of spring, and also the first day of the New Year.

It was a great evening of music, dance and fun – and, refreshingly, the celebrations were unfuelled by alcohol. As well as Iraqi Kurds, I met Iranians, Palestinians and Egyptians – not to mention, of course, Irish people who have married Kurds.

So I was amazed – and saddened – to discover that some local residents had complained to the Perrystown Hall Committee about the 'noise' associated with the Nawroz event. Well, I was there. It was no noisier than any other community celebration. In fact, since there was no alcohol involved, it was probably rather less noisy!

I do not for one moment believe that those who complained represent the majority (or even many) of Perrystown residents. But I was saddened to think that, as Christians celebrate Holy Week, some people were disturbed by the spectacle of another community celebrating an important time in their calendar.

I hope the Kurdish community will invite me again next year – and I hope that more Irish people will join the celebrations.

Ireland is changing. Perhaps it's changing too fast for a few people. But the task facing us now is to educate our communities - all our communities - in order to allay the kind of fears that can be exploited by those who would prefer to divide, rather than unite our communities!

Meanwhile, here are some pics of the night.

Craic, Kurdish style ....

And one of the youngest members of the community sleeping through it all ...

Where the Mushrooms Come Free

2008-03-20T13:27:00.003Z

A few months ago I wrote a post on figures published by the Centre for Housing Research showing that substandard housing is far more common in the Rent Supplement sector than in the rest of the private rented market. A staggering 78% of Rent Supplement accommodation in Dublin does not meet minimum basic legal standards. Well, this week Prime Time and the Irish Times have been addressing this issue. The Irish Times published pictures of a flat occupied by a young family where mushrooms were growing out of the walls and floors. My scanner is banjaxed at the moment, so I can't post this pic.

Unfortunately, the slum landlords renting out so-called homes infested with fungus and vermin, or without proper heating and hot water, have little to fear at the moment. In 2006, 30 per cent of the 6,800 properties inspected fell below the legal minimum standards.

But just 11 landlords were prosecuted.

That is less than 0.05 per cent. Let's be generous, assume that many of these landlords own multiple properties, and round the figure up to 1%.

It’s still a disgrace – and it’s getting worse.

According to figures obtained by Labour’s Housing spokesperson, Ciaran Lynch, the inspection regime – what there is of it – has pretty much collapsed: although the number of registered private rented dwellings increased from 22,574 in 2004 to 132,843 in 2006, the percentage inspected by local authorities dropped from 32% to 7.4%.

Well, a couple of months ago I was appointed chair of Dublin City Council’s Housing Policy Committee. And I intend to do all in my power to ensure that private tenants – and especially those on Rent Supplement, where slum landlords are effectively being state-subsidised – get the protection they deserve, at least in Dublin.

So expect to see a lot more posts from me on this topic.

Postal Code Lottery – and the Kids who Lose Out

2008-03-20T13:23:00.001Z

A headline in yesterday’s Irish Times reads “Children from poor areas 30 times likelier to face court”. The piece reports the findings in The Children’s Court – A National Study, by the Association for Criminal Research and Development. Well, these figures won’t have come as much of a surprise to social workers, teachers (or, indeed, local politicians) working in disadvantaged areas, but I’m delighted that we now have some hard statistics with which to work. Of the children studied, a staggering 25% came from Dublin 1 or Dublin 11, over 20% came from Dublin 22 or 24, and together Dublin 8 and 12 accounted for a further 25%.

Researchers found that the typical young offender is about 15 or 16, lives with a lone parent, has a drug or alcohol problem, and failed to complete Junior Cert. Again, no surprises there. Research in the UK and US has found that, by the age of three, children from disadvantaged families are already lagging a full year behind their middle-class counterparts.

There are projects, including some here in Dublin South-Central, designed to redress some of these imbalances - designed to ensure that all kids (and their families) get a fair chance. I’ve blogged about some of them. But the fact is there are far too few of them, they are underfunded and in too many cases projects start and end as pilot projects without ever being fully rolled out. Strategies – such as the family support strategy promised three years ago by the Department of Health – are promised but never delivered. Funding of early childhood education in Ireland is a joke, despite the fact that a nationwide system of quality, free early education would keep a lot of the children surveyed in this study out of the criminal justice system.

Meanwhile, communities do what they can to provide facilities and resources for young people – in my own area, one need only think of all the work being done by the Bosco Centre, both in house, after school and with football, not to mention the work done by Benmadigan United, the Drimnagh Boxing Club and Good Counsel G.A.A. These groups all have one thing in common: they rely on volunteer work and volunteer fundraising.

So … what is the Government doing? What investment is it making to turn around the lives of children in disadvantaged communities? Well – in a classic case of addressing symptoms rather than causes – last week the Minister for Children, Brendan Smith, announced that plans are being drawn up for a child detention centre in Lusk, set to cost over €140 million. Now, I'm delighted that this development will end the national disgrace of children being held in adult prisons.

But, unless the Government starts addressing the issues I mentioned earlier, in a few years time somebody will do a study of the children in Lusk. They’ll break the occupants down by post-code. And the results will be very similar to the Children's Court figures published today ...

It’s All About People …

2008-03-11T17:54:00.004Z

You know, planning isn’t just about bricks and mortar – what buildings go where, and how high. At the end of the day, it’s about ensuring that the city is a welcoming place for people – all people. And that’s why I was delighted to attend the ‘Open Cities’ conference in Madrid a couple of weeks ago.

The OPENCities concept is an EU strategy including Dublin, as well as Belfast, Cardiff, Bilbao and Madrid, Düsseldorf, Vienna, Gdansk and Sofia.

One of the project’s aims is to develop a robust understanding of the potential for cities to more fully embrace the opportunities presented by migration. Specifically, participating cities hope to establish:

1. A definition of “open-ness” for cities, based on economic, regulatory, cultural, amenity, accessibility or risk factors and an examination of how cities can shape how they attract and maintain new populations.
2. A set of guidelines and best practice examples on how diversity in cities can help drive success.

Ultimately, we hope to achieve an agreed World Wide “City Openness Index or Kitemark’ and a network of OPENCities. It’s a very ambitious project, and hopefully Dublin will be able to attract EU funding under the URBACT programme to help implement the strategy.

The best city planners, of course, already know that it’s all about people – and while I was writing this post I received a copy of a speech by Kieran Rose, who is not only a planner with Dublin City Council, but also chairs the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network and is a member of the Equality Authority board … so he knows a thing or two about diversity. Kieran was speaking at a conference entitled Dublin: A Creative City, and what he had to say should be pinned up on the office walls of all planners and politicians:

The liberating mind-set is characterised by embracing diversity, having high ambitions for a better quality of life for all, a confidence in our ability to deliver positive change, openness, flexibility, responsiveness to changed circumstances and prioritising real people’s lives over abstract ideological positions. This approach can deliver progress and optimise opportunities in all areas whether social, economic or city-making.

I couldn’t agree more!

Revulsion in Drimnagh

2008-03-04T13:21:00.002Z

I’ve just returned from Madrid, where I was attending a conference on ‘Open Cities’. I was going to post today about the conference and the aims of this project, which addresses migration flows and integration. But that post will have to wait for another day. While I was away I received text messages and e-mails about the despicable murder of two young Polish workers in the heart of my own constituency, Drimnagh, and since I've returned I've been catching up with press coverage of this case - and of the outpouring of grief, revulsion and anger by local residents. Last night I attended a memorial Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Drimnagh, along with well over 2,000 others from the area.

Although the Gardai are still investigating, there are some things we do know. We know that this was a completely unprovoked attack. It appears to have been pre-meditated, in that one of the young thugs actually went home to get a screwdriver to use as a weapon. And there is speculation that the reason these two men were murdered is that they had – as responsible citizens – refused to buy drink for the youths. It does not seem - as far as we know - to have been a racist attack: these were equal opportunity murderers, although that is small consolation for the relatives or, indeed, the community.

Unfortunately, this case will probably be forgotten - at least by the press - in the weeks and months ahead, as new stories compete for headline space. But it will not be forgotten by Drimnagh people or by local political representatives, regardless of their affiliation. This tragedy has focussed attention on the lack of youth resources in the area, and that is something all of us must address. But – while we desperately need resources such as a gym, swimming pool, playing fields and other gathering places and recreational facilities – we also need to address the culture of casual violence, much of it alcohol-fuelled or alcohol-related. I don’t have the answers, but I do know that we need to start asking the questions. And, together, we will hopefully find some answers.

A Great Start to Fairtrade Fortnight!

2008-02-23T14:19:00.008Z

Apologies for the delay in posting these pics! After a couple of years of hard work, Dublin was officially accredited as a Fairtrade City last Wednesday. Only two other capital cities – Edinburgh and Rome – have received accreditation, so we’re joining a pretty elite club! As I wrote before, this does not mean our work is over: we have to continue raising awareness of Fairtrade in particular, and the issues facing producers in developing countries in general. Fairtrade Fortnight starts on Monday (click here for a list of events around the country), so if you don't already add Fairtrade products to your shopping basket - now is a good time to start!

The pic above shows me presenting the certificate, on behalf of the City Council's Fairtrade Steering Committee, to Lord Mayor Paddy Bourke, and below are the gospel singers from the Discovery Choir, who entertained us with some great music:

Where were you …

2008-02-16T16:20:00.001Z

on February 15th 2003?

There’s a good chance that many readers of this blog were marching against war in Iraq. Well, five years on the Americans are still in Iraq and – according to http://www.iraqbodycount.org/ – over 80,000 civilians have died in the violence of the Iraq war and its aftermath. The Bush era is nearly over, but the Republican front-runner, Senator John McCain, is on record as saying that it would be “fine with him” if the Americans stay in Iraq for another 100 years. That may well have been a throw-away comment, but it must have sent a chill down Iraqi spines. Which is why it is vital that the Democrats win the White House come November!
P.S. Apologies for posting this a day late …

2008 Blog Awards

2008-02-12T17:48:00.000Z

Well, I was tickled pink to discover yesterday that I’ve been shortlisted for the 2008 Irish Blog Awards. Don't know who I owe this to, but thanks! I'll try to make it to the award party in the Alexander Hotel on March 1st ... but, in the meantime, click here to see all the shortlisted blogs. Some great sites out there …

Xian Nien Quai Le …

2008-02-09T17:38:00.000Z

… or Happy (Chinese) New Year!

Dublin’s New Year Festival continues until February 11th, and today saw the opening of the Smithfield Chinese Carnival: three days of events ranging from dragon and lion dances to demonstrations of Chinese cookery. The Carnival is supported by Dublin City Council, and I’d like to congratulate everyone in the Council’s Intercultural Relations Unit who have worked so hard to make the event a success! I’ve just come back from Smithfield, and there is a great buzz – so try and get out there if you can.

However, amidst all the celebration, it was sad to learn yesterday that members of our new Chinese communities are being confronted by an endemic Irish issue: low pay. I’ve blogged before - here, here and here - about low pay and my ‘Living Wage’ motion to Dublin City Council.

According to research carried out by Dr. Alice Feldman of UCD’s Citizenship Research Initiative, 60% of Irish-based Chinese people surveyed earn less than €14,000. To quote Dr. Feldman, interviewees felt unable to speak out against low pay or poor treatment “because they could lose the job or endanger others' jobs”.

The full findings of the UCD research on migrant groups will be published later this year, and I'm sure I'll be posting on this issue again. But in the meantime, here are some pics taken this afternoon in Smithfield ...

Something cooking ...

... The new face of policing

... and some local colour

Where’s the Media When You Need Them?

2008-02-04T13:26:00.000Z

Commenting on my post State Subsidising Slum Landlords, one of my regular readers – Ian – pointed out that the media largely ignore such stories. Well, here’s another story that the media seem to be ignoring: Labour TD Ciaran Lynch has pointed out that tenants are, in effect, obliged to discharge the tax liability of landlords living outside the jurisdiction. Now, I am very fond of Ciaran but when I read his statement I thought he must have got something wrong. Surely the state would not expect tenants to act as tax collectors? I mean, isn’t that taking outsourcing a bit far?

So I Googled “rent” + “landlords” + “tax allowance”. And Ciaran was absolutely right. According to the Citizens Information website, if you pay rent to a landlord living outside Ireland, you must deduct the tax at 20%, make a tax return to Revenue and pay them the tax you have deducted.

And here’s the real stunner: if you don’t deduct the tax and make the return you – the tenant – will become personally liable for the landlord's tax.

The other stunner is that the media did not pick up on this story. After all, generally the Irish media love to home in on tax issues, stamp duty being a recent favourite. I guess tenants just don't rate as highly as home owners.

The High Cost of Being a Dub … and why we need a minimum wage supplement for the capital

2008-01-31T17:25:00.000Z

We all know that, whether you’re paying rent or a mortgage, housing costs are higher in Dublin than in the rest of the country. But what about other day-to-day expenditure? Well, according to the latest CSO figures for November 2007, Dubs can expect to pay more than our country cousins for a range of goods and services – 4.4% more, to be precise. Of 79 items examined by the CSO, Dublin prices were higher for 52 items. That’s 66%, or around two-thirds. All ten fruit and vegetable items were more expensive in Dublin than elsewhere.

So what kind of items are Dubs paying over the odds for? Well, your morning rashers will cost you over 21% more in Crumlin than in Cobh. A pint of draught lager will set you back over 12% more in Drimnagh than in Dundalk. A healthy litre of orange juice is over 11% more expensive in Inchicore than in Inchidoney, and a trip to the barber is the cruellest cut of all: over 40% dearer in Kilmainham than in Killinick.

One could have fun with these figures all day, but there is a serious point to all this: workers – and particularly the low-paid, for whom food accounts for a disproportionate high percentage of their budget – pay a high price for living in Dublin. And that’s quite apart from the high housing costs.

The current minimum wage is just €8.65 per hour. A pittance, whichever way you look at it – and regardless of where you live in Ireland. In the short term, I believe the Government should introduce a Dublin minimum wage supplement, bringing the minimum wage up to a €9 per hour for those living in the capital. In the long term, of course, we need to introduce and expand the concept of a Living Wage: click here and here to find out more about my Living Wage motion to Dublin City Council – an initiative which I would like to see replicated in Local Authorities throughout the country.

Meanwhile, I’ll continue trying to puzzle out why grapes should be over 17% dearer in Dublin than elsewhere …

It's Official! Dublin is a Fair(trade) City!

2008-01-29T17:05:00.000Z

In 2005, I tabled a motion to Dublin City Council. The motion read as follows:

That Dublin City Council expresses its fullest support for the Fairtrade Movement and resolves to work with civic organisations to assist Dublin in achieving status as a Fairtrade city.

To this end it will, after consultations with representatives from Fairtrade and other civic organisations, including business, trade unions, churches and community organisations supportive of the goals of Fairtrade, help establish a Steering Committee representative of all those interests in order to promote Fairtrade in Dublin with the goal of establishing and maintaining Dublin as a Fair Trade city.

Well, the motion was passed, a steering committee was established … and now we’ve heard that Dublin is to receive accreditation as a Fair Trade City.

The official accreditation ceremony will take place on February 20th in City Hall … but I thought I’d let readers in on the secret early!

After all, most of the credit is down to all the people – including, I hope, many readers of this blog – who voted with their shopping trolleys, bought Fairtrade where it was available and, where it wasn’t available, pressured their local retailers to stock Fairtrade.

We’ve come a long way. But February 20th does not mark the end of this campaign. Not only do we have to ensure that Dublin maintains its new status as a Fairtrade City; we also have to examine new ways of further expanding the Fairtrade concept to non-food products, in particular clothing. I've blogged about this issue before.

But that’s for another day. Right now, I’m celebrating!

Fair Trade again …

2008-01-13T18:45:00.000Z

One of the jobs I enjoy most is my role as chairperson of Dublin City Council’s Fair Trade Steering Committee. The committee was established over two years ago, after the Council passed a motion I had tabled seeking to achieve fair trade status for Dublin. Groups throughout the city having been working to ensure that Dublin’s Fair City becomes a Fair Trade City – and schoolchildren have been particularly active campaigning for greater public awareness of the issue. The pic below shows me signing certificates for schools which have taken part in the campaign, watched by FF Councillor Eibhlin Byrne. This particular issue - ensuring that producers in the developing world get a fair deal for their products - transcends party lines, and the (other) Cllr. Byrne has been a tireless worker for this cause.

Moneylending

2008-01-06T19:01:00.000Z

They haven’t gone away, you know. The moneylenders. While the media talks about the credit crunch facing those with mortgages and credit cards, this is the month when many people living in Hidden Dublin (and Hidden Ireland) worry about how to pay off the money they borrowed from moneylenders to fund Christmas.

Even those using licensed moneylenders can find themselves paying extortionate interest rates: 30 registered moneylenders charge 100% or more, while 15 charge 150% and over.

So what is the government doing to address this issue? Well, not a whole lot according to Labour’s spokesperson on Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Roisin Shortall. The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) has still not been put on a statutory footing. And promised legislation to curb moneylenders’ interest rates has still not materialised.

In its 2006 study Financial Exclusion in Ireland, the Combat Poverty Agency made a number of proposals which would provide access to banking services for disadvantaged groups. Such access would, of course, sound the death knell for many moneylenders - or, at the least, force them to compete on the basis of reasonable interest rates.

Meanwhile, those without access to normal banking services (and, according to the most recent CSO figures, 68% of the poorest members of our society still have no bank account) are being fleeced.

Fighting Terrorism …

2008-01-06T18:59:00.000Z

Terrorism has dominated international news headlines over the past few years – and all too often the talk is of Islamic terrorism, and the efforts by the 'West' to combat it. But, just as we in Ireland have had our own experience of terrorism, so does Cuba: various anti-Castro groups - largely based in Miami - have launched attacks in Cuba, bombing facilities such as hotels. Not unnaturally, Cuba has attempted to infiltrate these groups in order to gain intelligence on planned attacks.

Some time ago, five Cubans were arrested in the States for infiltrating these groups, charged with conspiracy to commit espionage and sentenced to prison terms of between 15 years and life. Their convictions were then overturned on appeal – the appeal court ruling that they had not received a fair trial - and the appeal was then, in turn, overturned. So there these men now sit. Two of them have been unable to see their wives, who were refused visas to visit them in contravention of the International Convention against Torture, to which the United States is a signatory - and despite protests by respected organisations such as Amnesty International.

I must admit I had never heard of these five men until a visit to Dublin a couple of weeks ago by the lawyer, Leonard Weinglass, who represents one of the five, Antonio Guerrero. Mr. Weinglass is a long-time human rights advocate, having defended Angela Davis back in the early 1970s. I was delighted to meet Leonard Weinglass: his commitment, and that of many like him, is now needed more than ever in the United States.

A double standard seems to be at work here. Unarmed Cubans infiltrating groups planning terrorist attacks against their country are imprisoned under dubious legal circumstances. At the same time, the US claims the right to go to war against an entire people (the Iraqi people) under the pretext of protecting America from terrorist attacks.

At the start of 2008, these five Cubans are still in prison. And the Americans are still in Iraq.

You Read it First Here!

2007-12-28T18:58:00.000Z

When I came back to Dublin from Kyrgyzstan, I was delighted – and surprised – to hear that the Star had picked up my post on the Argos dispute and the issue of low pay. Yet more proof that the mainstream media is turning to the blogosphere for stories!

Elections Again … this time in Kyrgyzstan

2007-12-28T18:37:00.000Z

And now for a few pics. During the run-up to Christmas I was off in Kyrgyzstan serving as an OSCE observer for the parliamentary elections there. The OSCE does invaluable work helping to ensure that emerging democracies hold free and fair elections, and I was delighted to have this opportunity to participate in the organisation's work - and to see a fascinating country. For most of the time I was stationed in the Krgyz capital, Bishkek. You can read more about the OSCE’s mission to Kyrgyzstan here. The pic above shows me with our interpreter, Ms. Asel Turganbaeva ... and snowy mountains in the background!

Here I am with American OSCE partner Dr. Donald J. Marshell and Russian Kyrgyzstany polling station personal at polling station in Alamudun, in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

Our driver, Mr. Maksat, and our interpreter, Ms. Asel Turganbaeva - both of whom were endlessly helpful!

And here are some young musicians outside their school on polling day:

Different Shades of Green

2007-12-17T15:34:00.000Z

I attended the launch of Des Geraghty’s new book, 40 Shades of Green, a few weeks ago – but only got time to read it during the past few days. Born in the Liberties, Des – former President of SIPTU – grew up in Drimnagh in a family of committed trade unionists and socialists. In fact, his late brother Hughie was a member of our local branch of the Labour Party.

The book is a timely examination of what it means to be Irish in a new era of interculturalism, and Des also reminds us that Dublin has been home to minority communities – including Jews and Italians – for hundreds of years. He then goes on to celebrate the new communities now adding to our cultural mix – the Eastern Europeans, Chinese and Africans who have come here to work, or to escape political and economic persecution. As a trade unionist, Des knows that perceived difference can result in 'the other' being exploited, and he makes a strong case for improved labour market regulations and domestic measures to prevent such exploitation.

Des points out that, while some migrants may leave in an economic downturn to seek employment elsewhere, many will stay and, as he puts it, will "opt to become part of this society by choice [...] sharing the future with us, however it develops".

One way, of course, of sharing in our common future is to become involved in politics, both passively as voters and actively by standing for elected office. Ensuring that minority communities are involved in the political process is one of the surest ways of preventing marginalisation. That is why I am delighted to see the ‘New Irish’ joining Labour, and I look forward to working with them in Dublin South-Central and elsewhere to build a fairer society.

Meanwhile, I would urge everyone to read 'Forty Shades of Green'.

Argos Dispute Highlights Low Pay Scandal

2007-12-04T18:27:00.000Z

Pick up any weekend supplement during the next few weeks, and you’d be forgiven for thinking we’ve never had it so good. Pages are filled with ways to spend money this Christmas, and many of us are taking heed: according to the Irish League of Credit Unions, our average Christmas spend is set to rise this year, topping €1,431.

But many of those serving us as we indulge in this annual shopping spree won’t be doing too much shopping themselves. Retail workers are among the lowest paid in our society - like the Argos workers who went on a one-day strike on Saturday. They are seeking a 10% wage rise, to bring their hourly wages to €9.90 - up from the €9 per hour they currently get. Now, whether it's €9 or €9.90, these workers are low paid. Their wages are barely enough to survive on. Like over 50% of retail workers, they earn less than the European Union's low pay threshold - the 'Threshold of Decency', which in Ireland at present would amount to a little over €11. Still not a great wage, but a lot more than Argos workers are currently earning.

Last year Dublin City Council passed a motion which I had tabled condemning low pay, and establishing a Steering Group to examine ways in which the Council’s procurement policies could be used to promote a ‘Living Wage' in Dublin. The Steering Group, which is in operation, is also examining how Dublin City Council can mobilise trade unions, the business sector, community organisations and the citizens of Dublin to ensure that a ‘Living Wage’ is established for all workers in Dublin.

For many workers in Ireland today, the reality of life is not the glitzy lifestyle highlighted in the weekend supplements. They won’t be jetting off to New York for some Christmas shopping or wondering which expensive trinkets to buy their loved ones. Instead, they’ll be wondering how to give their kids a decent Christmas without going into debt. And, if they’re Argos workers, they’ll be wondering why they’re doing so badly when their employers are doing so well: Argos has recorded profit growth of a staggering 35% during the past four years.

I hope the Argos workers are successful in their dispute. And, if they are, I hope that success sends a signal to other retail chains.

State Subsidising Slum Landlords

2007-12-01T20:16:00.000Z

Thursday’s Irish Times offered some surreal reading. On the one hand, there was the property section, trumpeting luxurious dwellings and offering those with spare cash advice on buying apartments in India. On the other hand, buried in the main part of the paper, there was a report on new figures showing that much of the rent-assisted housing in Dublin is sub-standard.

I can’t say I was too surprised: there are whole areas of the South Inner City, in particular, given over to multi-occupancy houses. A quick glance at the bell panel may show up to 10 units in what was originally a three or four-bedroom house.

So who lives in these tenements? In 2006, the Centre for Housing Research – which also compiled the figures published in the Irish Times – issued a report giving a demographic breakdown of rent supplement claimants. They are disproportionately foreign nationals, lone parents or single people in receipt of social welfare payments such as Disability Allowance.

In other words, they are among the most vulnerable sections of our society.

How do they live? In its recent pre-Budget submission, Threshold provided a thumbnail sketch of the kind of accommodation we're talking about:

“Some 40% of recipients of Rent Supplement are single persons. They tend to live in the worst rented accommodation, for example in bed-sits. This accommodation is cramped and people live in their kitchens and cook in their bedrooms. The units are old and the least heat and energy efficient”.

Reading that description, it’s not surprising that 78% of rent-assisted housing in Dublin is officially classified as sub-standard. And the standards we're talking about are not very high. The 1993 standards stipulate, for example, that a rental unit must have a source of heat. One source of heat. That may include an open fireplace or a portable gas heater. Yet nearly four-fifths of rent-assisted housing in Dublin fails to meet even the pitiful 1993 standards.

At the same time, these slum landlords – that is the only term for them – are being subsidised by the state to the tune of €400 million per year.

So what’s the solution? Well, implementing Threshold’s pre-Budget recommendations would be a start: there are currently nearly 44,000 households in need of social housing, and Threshold recommends that the 2008 budget provide funding for 9,125 units in the coming year.

Threshold also recommends that the roll-out of the Rental Accommodation Scheme be accelerated, and that would certainly help.

In the long term, however, we need to re-think the entire rental sector. We need to devise models of public sector involvement in the private rented market, and we also need to move away from 'single landlord' model towards one dominated by institutional investment, such as on the Continent (more information on this is available in the Threshold report ‘Opportunity Knocks: Institutional Investment in the Private Rented Sector in Ireland’).

The alternative is for the state to continue subsidising slum landlords. And for children to continue growing up in 21st century tenements.

An Irishman’s War

2007-11-14T17:43:00.000Z

A few weeks ago I attended the launch of former Labour Senator Jack Harte’s memoirs, ‘To the Limits of Endurance: One Irishman’s War’. Like many young Irish lads, he fought with the British Army in World War II – as many of their fathers, brothers and uncles had in World War I. Some, like Jack, ran away as young teenagers to join the army; others were much older. Some joined the British Army because it provided a livelihood, others did so out of a sense of adventure, and still others, during World War II, did so out of a sense of horror at the atrocities being committed by the Nazis. Whatever their motives and backgrounds, their stories are part of our common narrative – especially in Dublin. Yet, for too long, it has been a story we did not want to hear. I was strikingly reminded of this last year. I was sitting having a pint with one of our campaign workers, whom I’ve known for years, and we were talking about the Somme commemoration. He then told me that his grandfather was one of the 3,500 Irishmen who died at the Somme – and that, for decades thereafter, his grandmother and her family could not tell their story.

Thankfully, things are changing. Individuals such as former Fine Gael TD Paddy Harte, and organisations such as the Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association, are making sure that the stories are being nrrated. Jack Harte’s is another of those stories that has now been told.

Multicultural Dublin

2007-11-07T17:38:00.000Z

I’ve blogged before about Dublin’s multicultural history. Many of the Jews who fled to Dublin during the 19th century to escape persecution were from Lithuania. Today, many Lithuanians are again coming to Dublin in search of work. They bring with them a rich culture, as was evident when I attended the Lithuanian Festival in City Hall around three weeks ago. Like the Irish from Melbourne to Chicago, they are anxious to preserve their cultural traditions and pass them on to their children, while also integrating into their communities and workplaces.

On a similar note, I was delighted to attend the launch a couple of weeks ago of a new website geared towards Poles living in Ireland.

Incidentally, there’s one match I'll definitely be attending: St Patrick's Athletic FC will play Wisla Krakow in a friendly match at Richmond Park next Tuesday evening, Nov.13th.Before the match, I’ll be joining Labour Party members handing out a Red Card in English and Polish inviting people to join Labour, working for a better future for all communities!

Public sector housing – leading the way then and now

2007-10-30T19:04:00.000Z

I’ve blogged and vlogged before about the high quality of housing design achieved by Dublin City Council: I passionately believe that the public sector can and should lead the way when it comes to providing housing that is affordable, liveable and attractive.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I was delighted to learn a little more about the history of one of our oldest public housing projects, Ceannt Fort in Mount Brown. The open space in front of the development has just been re-landscaped, and those of us attending the event held to mark this were all presented with a short history.

The estate can trace its origins back to 1913, when it was included in a short-list of areas drawn up by Dublin Corporation “for the purpose of erecting on said areas dwellings for the working classes”: at that time the land was owned by the South Dublin Union, and much of the 10 acres was taken up by orchards. The First World War and high rates of interest made it difficult to finance the project: financing was only agreed in 1917, and it was estimated that the total cost would be £70,000 for 205 four-room houses; the plans made allowance for “an ample width between house frontages and suitable garden space”.

Work was finally completed in the early 1920s. The estate was named ‘Ceannt Fort’ in honour of 1916 leader Eamon Ceannt, and the roads within it are named after 1916 volunteers who fought with Ceannt.

Ceannt Fort displays the same high design standards as can be seen in latter-day public housing projects such as the new Bridgefoot Street flats – both of which are in marked contrast to some of the cramped, low-spec and architecturally uninteresting apartment blocks being thrown up in the area by the private sector!

Apologies …

2007-10-30T19:03:00.000Z

Apologies to readers for my long absence. A gruelling – and unsuccessful – Seanad campaign was followed by a few weeks away, and no sooner had I returned than I was plunged back into the work of Dublin City Council, so there hasn’t been much time to sit down at the computer! Anyway, now I’ve sat down with lots of notes and pics of what’s been happening during the past while …

Thanks …

2007-07-19T15:01:00.000+01:00

to Vote Tube for the ‘Best Political Vlog’ award ... and thanks for the €100 prize, which is going to the Alzheimer Centre in Drimnagh.

The 2007 General Election was probably the first time that both political parties and individual politicians deliberately made use of the web as a means of communicating with the electorate – although we still have a long way to go before Irish political websites can compete with the sophistication of those in, for example, the States. In particular, we need to work on interactive features to ensure that communication is not simply a one-way street.

My particular thanks go to Cian O’Callaghan and Dermot Looney of Labour Youth who shot and edited the vlogs. Our party-grown talent can compete with the very best bought-in talent – and this award proves it (incidentally, when it comes to party-grown talent you have to look no further than our very own Shauneen Armstrong in the Labour press office who scripted, shot and edited the brilliant ‘This is ...’ series of party videos).

Alan Johnston Free

2007-07-06T19:08:00.000+01:00

Amidst all the bad news from the Middle East, one piece of good news this week: BBC reporter Alan Johnston has been freed. Like a lot of bloggers, I’ve carried a button to show support for him (actually, it was my daughter who made sure I put up the button). Well, this is one button I’m happy to take off!

On The Road

2007-07-04T12:48:00.000+01:00

Well, the reason I haven’t been blogging for a while is that I’ve been travelling the country from Donegal to Cork looking for Seanad votes. With all the rain we've been having, the car is a lot muddier than when we set off (see pic above)! People have been incredibly kind along the way; the hospitality from Councillors across the political spectrum (and their families) has been amazing. It's an exhausting process, and I've had to pull in for a nap quite a few times. But - win or lose - it's been a great way to meet up with the people who do the hard work on the ground.

Iraq Again

2007-06-22T13:43:00.000+01:00

I’ve blogged before about the seemingly never-ending carnage in Iraq. Now the Americans promise the unfortunate Iraqis a “summer of hard fighting”. The fact is that the so-called security crackdown launched earlier this year, and Bush’s decision to dispatch 28,000 extra soldiers, has simply caused the militants to move their base further outside Baghdad. It hasn’t stopped them launching attacks on the capital – 87 people died during the latest attack on a Shia mosque in Baghdad on Tuesday. The killing goes on. And all those extra troops dispatched by President Bush? They continue passing through Shannon. The American invasion and continued occupation of Iraq is a crime - and our Government (both the old one and the new one) is complicit in it. If elected to the Seanad I intend to raise this issue at every possible opportunity.

The Penguin Vote

2007-06-22T13:40:00.000+01:00

I don’t know how many of you saw ‘March of the Penguins’. If you did, you may remember how they all huddle together for warmth and protection. Well, it strikes me that's what happened last month during the General Election. Voters huddled around Fianna Fail to preserve their real or imagined prosperity. Nothing wrong with preserving one’s prosperity, of course. It's just that a lot of people are still out there in the cold. And even for those in the huddle - all the signs (inflation, a wobbly house market etc.) are that our prosperity is built on pretty shaky foundations. The penguins may find themselves looking for something else to huddle around in a few years’ time. That’s why we have to continue building the Labour Party …

The Seanad Trail …

2007-06-16T16:09:00.000+01:00

Well, I’ve applied for leave from the VEC and it looks as though next week I’ll start criss-crossing the country in search of those elusive Seanad votes. I’m hoping to rope in a member of Labour Youth as my ‘navigator’ (my navigation skills, or rather lack of them, are well-known to my campaign team!). The Seanad campaign is different from any other I’ve ever been involved in, and I must admit it’s rather daunting to phone up people you’ve never met asking them for a vote – for some reason it’s much harder than doing it on the doorstep. Once again, I’m reading newspapers in bunches rather than day-by-day, but I did spend this morning catching up with some news. Obviously, it’s disappointing that the numbers didn’t add up for Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens to form a government. It’s also depressing that, when negotiating the Programme for Government, the Greens didn’t get any movement from Fianna Fail on Shannon – the continued use of Shannon by US troops is a national disgrace, and if I do get elected to the Seanad I intend to raise this at every opportunity! It’s particularly appalling to see Mary Harney still ensconced in Health and co-location still firmly part of Government policy. There’s certainly be no shortage of issues, from health to housing, for Labour to continue campaigning on during the lifetime of this Government, and I hope I’ll be able to add a Seanad voice to those campaigns.

Black Gold: The Real Cost of Coffee

2007-06-11T14:26:00.000+01:00

As you know, Fair Trade is one of my hobby-horses - I've blogged about this issue and my work as Chairperson of Dublin City Council’s Fair Trade Steering Committee before (here, here, here and here). The new documentary 'Black Gold' is a fascinating examination of exactly where our coffee comes from - and the human cost involved in each cup of coffee. Here's a preview - it should be showing at a cinema near you shortly!

Campaigning again …

2007-06-11T14:25:00.000+01:00

Well, the campaigning never stops! For the next couple of weeks I’ll be travelling the highways and byways of Ireland seeking support in my campaign to win a Seanad seat on the Labour Panel. We’re hoping to get two Labour senators on this panel …

R.

2007-06-07T13:23:00.000+01:00

I was reading yesterday’s Irish Times when an article on asylum seekers caught my eye. The piece focussed on those living on ‘direct provision’, where they get €19.10 per week in addition to board and food. For most of us, €19 is the price of a round in the pub, but for these asylum seekers it must pay for toiletries, transport, entertainment and all the other incidentals of life. To say that it's difficult to get by is putting it mildly, as I know from talking to a member of our campaign team. R. has been seeking asylum for over 18 months. He lives in a hostel outside Dublin while his application slowly grinds its way through the process. Having read all the documentation, I have no doubt that his application is well-founded. Meanwhile, R. - a qualified mechanical engineer - works in various community groups and, as I said, was a very active member of our team, coming up to Dublin and sleeping on various Labour Youth members' sofas during the campaign. R. is one of those people who can turn his hand to anything, from sorting out computer glitches to putting up posters and getting out mailings. He is understandably frustrated at not being able to work and place his many skills at the service of his adopted community. I hope that R will soon be awarded refugee status - but, in the meantime, like so many others, he must eke out an existence on €19.10 per week.

Posters, Hills and Mist

2007-06-05T15:54:00.001+01:00

Well, as I wrote in my last post I took a few days off blogging to spend some time with my family and generally recover from an exhausting campaign. But before we all got to relax the posters had to come down – incidentally, thanks to everyone who called or e-mailed to let us know about rogue posters! Taking down posters is always a pain (I’ve blogged before about posters), but one of our campaign team discovered the ideal poster-taking-down-tool: telescopic tree loppers!

Over the weekend I finally got time to do some hillwalking, so a bunch of us set off for the Galtee Mountains. The walk started at 10 a.m., and the weather was miserable – not only were the mountains shrouded in mist, but at some points it was difficult to even see one’s fellow walkers! I cut out at 4.p.m., but a few mates stuck it out for another few hours – they were very tired and sore when they finally arrived back …

I’ve put together some pics below of the aftermath of the campaign (the count, the re-check and – finally – taking down the posters) and, of course, of the Galtee Mountains on a very misty day!

Counting the ballot papers during the re-check ...

Our campaign team in a huddle during the re-check ...

Getting down the posters ...

Getting down the posters (again)

Relaxing ... setting off on our walk (this was the easy bit!)

Mist ...

And more mist ...

... and yet more mist

Thanks ... And A Request

2007-05-28T14:18:00.000+01:00

Well, at the end of it all we lost out by a mere 69 votes. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who did vote for me, and who took the time to read and comment on the blog.

On a practical note, we have just started taking down posters. In order to avoid fines, we need to have them all down by Thursday – so if any of you see any posters around your area during the next couple of days, please e-mail me or leave a comment here.

I’ll be taking a few days off from blogging, but will be back in a week or so.

Standing With You

2007-05-24T09:48:00.000+01:00

Herald Turns To Blogosphere For Story

2007-05-23T16:26:00.000+01:00

Some of you may remember a post I wrote on Saturday about a €500 cheque I had received from a firm of builders. The post was accompanied by photographs of the cheque and accompanying letter, and stated that I was returning the cheque. The piece was subsequently deleted following a complaint, but obviously not before the Evening Herald had picked it up – see today’s front page. I’m delighted to see that the conventional media is turning to the blogosphere for stories!

Use Your Vote

2007-05-23T09:27:00.000+01:00

Burma. South Korea. Zimbabwe. Sudan. Saudi Arabia. Libya. Pakistan. Turkmenistan. Equatorial Guinea.

These are just a few of the countries where people are denied the right to vote in a free and fair election. I’ve worked as an election monitor in Bosnia and Palestine, and have seen at first hand how determined people are to ensure that their vote is not only cast but counted.

The picture below probably sums up that determination: It shows a queue of mainly black South African voters who, for the first time in their lives, were able to cast their vote following the end of the apartheid regime.

So, whoever you decide to vote for tomorrow – please do vote!

Paying Penneys

2007-05-22T16:51:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago I blogged about the ridiculously low cost of clothing in Penneys and concerns about their ethical practices. Well, I was going through the papers on Sunday in between nodding off (this campaign has been exhausting) when a piece caught my eye in the Sunday Tribune: apparently, according to a recent War on Want report, Primark (Penneys’ parent company), through its suppliers, has been paying Bangladeshi workers just 5c an hour for an 80 hour week, despite having a made a public commitment to paying a living wage (currently estimated to be around £ 22 per month in Bangladesh) and not expecting workers to work more than a 48 hour week. The Fair Trade message is getting through with regard to food - now we need to campaign for Fair Trade clothing!

It’s The Health Service, Stupid (III)

2007-05-22T16:50:00.000+01:00

I’ve blogged before (here and here) on the abysmal state of our health service, and on the results of our Health Survey in Dublin South-Central which highlighted the growing public/private divide. But, you know, it’s only when you talk to someone and hear their experience that the whole awfulness of the situation really hits you. The other day I was canvassing around the Reuben Street area of Rialto, and got talking to a woman. Her husband had been in hospital for colon cancer treatment, and one day the ward staff called her to come in and wash him because they didn't have sufficient nurses. When he was discharged after a few days, she was worried that he wasn’t really well enough to be let go. When she asked the doctors they said they wouldn't have discharged him if he lived alone since he was still quite poorly, but since his wife was there to look after him they were letting him go as they didn't have enough beds. To say that this woman is angry is an understatement. I have no idea whether she'll be voting for me, but I do know that she wants this government out. And who can blame her?

Post Deleted

2007-05-22T16:37:00.000+01:00

Some of you may have noticed that yesterday’s post about a cheque I received from a developer has been deleted. This is because a complaint was received about the post which I do not have time to address at present. Therefore, it seemed prudent to remove the post for the time being. My apologies to readers whose comments were also deleted along with the post.

A Fair Day’s Pay For A Fair Day’s Work

2007-05-21T12:14:00.000+01:00

I’ve blogged before (here, here, here, and here) about low pay and my Living Wage motion to Dublin City Council. Here are a few of my thoughts …

Primary Colours

2007-05-21T12:07:00.000+01:00

I never cease to be amazed at the range of activities by different groups to raise money for good causes. I was delighted to be asked to open an exhibition on Saturday by the “Primary Colours” Art Group. The exhibition was held at St. Bernadette's Parish Centre in Drimnagh, and was organised by the Parents and Friends of the Marist Primary School and Scoil Iosagain, Crumlin. The proceeds from brochure sales were donated to Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross and Acquired Brain Injury Ireland. All involved - including home school community liaison Mary Galvin, art tutor Frances Wood and the St. Bernadette's Parish Committee, as well, of course, as the artists - put an enormous amount of work into the exhibition. Click here for pics ...

Clear Choice Facing Voters

2007-05-20T11:07:00.000+01:00

As we come into the final days of the campaign, the choice facing voters is becoming very clear - at least in Dublin South-Central. The race for the last seat is between Fianna Fail's Michael Mulcahy and myself. The last time out, in 2002, I only lost out to the second Fianna Fail candidate by 3%. If people want an alternative Government I am the only candidate who can take the second Fianna Fail seat. It's that simple and that important.

Government Talking Nonsense On Jobs

2007-05-20T11:06:00.000+01:00

The Government parties have been on the attack again. Now they are stating that their record proves that they are the only parties that can promote economic growth through enterprise development. Labour shouldn't let them get away with this nonsense. Now I won't pretend that I trawl through CSO and IDA and Enterprise Ireland stats during the campaign. But I'm lucky that some of the branch members work in industry and have a few stats at their fingertips. Like the fact that in the last 5 years the number of native Irish exporting firms have fallen by 30%. And this has happened while parties of the Right have been on watch. The Government is relying on construction, property and consumer spending to keep the economy going. But when it comes to making and selling things abroad, we're in freefall. So next time you hear some Government spokesperson saying they're best for business - ask some of the business people and their employees how true it is. For a growing number of them, it isn't true at all.

Gridlock Day

2007-05-19T10:38:00.000+01:00

We meet every evening for canvassing at our office on Windmill Road at 7 p.m. Except on Thursday, when Dublin’s gridlock meant that - rather than canvassing Drimnagh - some of our campaign workers were sitting motionless in cars and busses around Dublin. One member of our team had had an appointment in Glasnevin, and set off back to the southside by bus at around 5.15. At 6 p.m. he phoned the office to say he had only just reached Parnell Square. At 6.30 he phoned again to say he was ... still in Parnell Square. At which point our Director of Elections advised him to get off the bus, find a place to have a cup of coffee until the gridlock dissolved, and then go home - there was no way he was going to get to the office in time. Another campaign worker set off by car at around 6 p.m. from his office in the city centre … finally arriving at Windmill Road at 7.20, where he waited for a third campaign worker - who was slowly making her way by bus from the city centre, and had got caught in the snarl-up on the South Circular Road - to give her a lift to catch up with us in Drimnagh. Hopefully, the good response they got on the doorstep when they finally reached Drimnagh was some compensation for all the hassle getting there. This is a real snapshot of the difficulties people face travelling relatively short distances …. I’ve blogged about some of the solutions here.

Awaiting Bertie

2007-05-19T10:35:00.000+01:00

Expect Bertie Ahern to be coming to a street near you in the next few days. Why? Well, apparently, Bertie is expected to tour marginal constituencies in an effort to reverse FF's collapse in the polls. And all the indications are that the junior FF TD in Dublin South Central - Michael Mulcahy - is in serious trouble, and that I'm set to take his seat ...

New Communities …

2007-05-18T13:20:00.000+01:00

Dublin South Central has long been home to minorities, from the Huguenots who escaped religious and political persecution in France during the 17th century to the Jews escaping persecution in Eastern Europe during the 19th century. Today many new communities have made this part of Dublin their home. Here are a few of my thoughts ...

A Long Time Ago …

2007-05-18T13:17:00.000+01:00

It seems ages ago now, but I actually posted my very first piece on this blog just over a year ago. It dealt with the need to ringfence the proceeds from illegal drug dealing seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau for reinvestment in those communities which have been blighted by the activities of drug dealers.

The communities that are preyed on by drug dealers and their gangland paymasters often lack the basic facilities that most of us would expect or are used to – putting that money back into the community would work towards empowering communities to fight for better conditions. This money could be used for these communities to create childcare, Community Employment Schemes, pre-school services, youth projects, playgrounds and anti-drug initiatives.

Well, I was reminded of that long-ago post yesterday when Labour yesterday launched our policy on ‘Putting the Gangs out of Business’. Launching the policy, Ruari Quinn – who set up the Criminal Assets Bureau under the last Rainbow Government – pointed out ringfencing money seized by the CAB for disadvantaged communities could to undo the damage caused by criminal activities, and should be used to help finance projects and activities that would address the causes of crime.

Cycling

2007-05-18T13:14:00.000+01:00

One of the issues that people raise with me on the doorstep, and in letters and e-mails, is cycle lanes. Or rather, the absence of cycle lanes. To quote one correspondent: “I must take my life in my hands daily. Cycle lanes start in the middle of nowhere and generally dump me on a footpath and end abruptly. Any cycle lanes that do exist are of poor quality and are often more dangerous to use than the road. Cycling around the city centre is equally as treacherous as the allocated ‘cycle lanes’ are generally pink strips that are painted through car parking spaces (Wexford St is a prime example of this phenomenon)”.

Admittedly, it’s been many years since I cycled myself, but many of my campaign team cycle regularly, and arrive at our constituency office frazzled with a litany of hazards they’ve had to undergo to cycle from A to B. Given the risks, it’s amazing that 5% of Dublin commuters cycle to work! Dublin City Council's stated objective is to double that number within 7 years by constructing 160 km of cycleways and significantly increasing cycle parking facilities. But my cycling campaign workers, understandably, just give a hollow chuckle at this objective, given that – as the lady quoted above pointed out – so many existing cycle lanes are nothing but pink strips painted on the road, which cars feel able to enter with impunity.

Whenever I travel to mainland Europe, I am always struck by the number of dedicated cycle lanes, often physically separated from the road, and how one sees whole families enjoying a Sunday afternoon cycle together - something that certainly would not happen in Dublin. Indeed, some city administrations in Europe have dedicated departments looking after the interests of cyclists and pedestrians. Statistics show that, if we provided cyclists with similar facilities here, many people would opt to cycle rather than drive, especially for short distances.
Labour has published a 10-point plan to promote safer cycling which includes, for example, the appointment of cycling officers in Local Authorities to promote cycling and encourage greater cycling numbers by providing safer cycling routes, and ensuring that cycling is incorporated as a mainstream consideration in road design. If implemented, the plan would mean that Dublin cyclists could enjoy the same level of safety here that cyclists enjoy on the Continent …

Thanks For The Publicity (II)

2007-05-17T15:06:00.000+01:00

Following on from my last post, some creative minds in Head Office have come up with this ... I think it's brilliant!

Thanks For The Publicity …

2007-05-17T14:36:00.000+01:00

You know, all the polls suggest that the PDs will be facing melt-down come May 24th. But at least they’re giving Labour plenty of publicity in the run-up to the election. First came the PD leaflet with a cartoon of Pat Rabbitte in the driving seat of government on the back (I must say, I rather liked than one), and yesterday they launched a poster saying Left Wing Government – No Thanks! In a striking red, from a distance it looks for all the world like a Labour Party poster – which is great, since the PDs have far more money to spend on advertising than we do! Thanks, lads ...

Time To Crack Down On Crooked Employers

2007-05-17T14:33:00.000+01:00

The next time you pass a foreign national working on a construction site or at a supermarket checkout, think of this: Ireland has the EU’s highest percentage of people working on temporary agency employment contract. An awful lot of these workers are non-nationals and – because they are on temporary agency contracts – they have few employment rights or job security. And this Government has done little to enforce even the few rights such workers do have. After a lot of pressure, the Government has finally promised to bring the Labour Inspectorate up to 90 inspectors – but that’s still less than half the number of dog wardens.

So is it any wonder that unscrupulous employers believe they have a good chance of avoiding detection? And even for the few who might have the misfortune to fall foul of a labour inspector, the penalties for breaches of the legislation are so paltry as to have absolutely no deterrent effect. With fines generally ranging from around €500 to €2,000, many rogue employers believe that non-compliance is worth the risk. They simply put the fine down to operating expenses.

Labour is committed to properly resourcing the Labour Inspectorate and introducing stiff penalties – penalties that really hurt – for unscupulous employers. Because we know that, if one worker’s terms and conditions are depressed, it will eventually affect us all. Click here to download Labour’s policy document, A Fair Place to Work.

Iraq On The Doorstep

2007-05-16T11:10:00.000+01:00

We canvassed in The Tenters the other day, and afterwards gathered for our usual post-canvass get-together and pint. I was going around the group asking what issues had come up, and generally they were pretty predictable: health, housing and - more locally - planning and parking. Nothing new there. Then one member of the canvass team piped up: “Iraq”. Iraq? Apparently a young man who would be voting for the first time had asked the canvasser about the Labour Party's views on the continuing occupation of Iraq and the use of Shannon for rendition flights. Well, I've blogged before about Ireland's scandalous complicity in the occupation of Iraq, and the canvasser was able to reassure this young first-time voter that Labour is implacably opposed to the use of Shannon by US troops (see Michael D. Higgins on this issue). But it got me to thinking that politicians sometimes tend to take the issues for granted. Incidentally, the pic below shows the front cover of the peace leaflet we issued a while back …

The IT Deficit

2007-05-16T11:00:00.000+01:00

You know, if you listened to some of the hype you'd think we were the leading Information Society in Europe. And there's no doubt that the whole information technology sector is crucial to our economy. So why are we not doing more to promote IT in our schools? A recent survey showed that one-in-five of the (too few!) computers in our schools are unusable. Of course, we all remember Tesco's Computers for Schools initiative – but, let’s face it, shoppers would have had to spend an absolutely astronomical amount on groceries to have a chance of getting a computer for their local school. It was basically a PR initiative. Last year Labour's Education Spokesperson Jan O’Sullivan proposed that all secondary students be provided with a laptop so they can continue their IT education inside and outside the classroom. I think that’s a great idea …

Contractors Beware ...

2007-05-15T10:53:00.000+01:00

Some of you may have already seen the ad placed by Labour in the papers, warning contractors and consortia tendering for Super-Private hospitals co-located with existing public hospital that, in Government, Labour will immediately terminate all progress on such projects. Well, I don't know how many contractors read this blog - but you cannot say you haven't been warned ...

Where The Celtic Tiger Passes By

2007-05-15T10:46:00.000+01:00

You know, the Celtic Tiger has been great for a lot of us. But whole communities in Dublin have been relegated to the position of economic onlookers. The Celtic Tiger has passed them by. Last week I attended the launch of a study - 'Growing Our Future Together' - prepared by the St. Theresa's Gardens Regeneration Board. And some of the figures make frightening reading. The study found that, in St. Theresa’s Gardens, 80% of the working age population is without work. The national unemployment figure is just 4 per cent. 43% of residents are in receipt of social welfare payments. And less than 1 per cent of children go on to third-level education (the figure is over 50% in some of the more prosperous areas of Dublin).

I have no doubt that the regeneration project will transform St. Theresa’s Garden physically. But we have to invest in people as well as in bricks and mortar. As well as early childhood education and a package of measures to tackle educational disadvantage, we need to invest in training and re-training so that people in communities like this can access employment. And we need to put in place a wide range of customised support services to address issues such as substance misuse.

Of course, such measures are resource-intensive. But they are necessary. To paraphrase Pat Rabbitte, in his preface to the Labour manifesto, we cannot be content with economic success alone. We must measure ourselves too by the quality of our civilisation. And that means that the residents of St. Theresa's Gardens, and similar communities throughout Dublin South-Central and elsewhere, must be enabled and empowered to share in the fruits of the Celtic Tiger. That's where Labour's Fair Deal for Communities initiative comes in ...

It’s The Health Service, Stupid (II)

2007-05-14T11:59:00.000+01:00

I’ve blogged before on the the Health Survey carried out by the Labour Party around the country, including in Dublin South-Central, and on the manner in which the survey highlighted the growing public/private divide in our health service. Here are a few of my thoughts ...

Supporting People With Disabilities

2007-05-14T11:44:00.000+01:00

In 1967, the Walkinstown Association was founded by a group of parents and friends in response to a need for community based services for people with learning disabilities. Since then, it has grown from strength to strength, and now operates day services, home support services and residential services. Very much focussed on the individual, the Association aims to help service users lead self-determined lives. They have done pioneering work in ‘Personal Outcomes Planning’, highlighting an individual’s goals, identifying and directing the resources needed to achieve those goals, as well as reviewing goal achievement.

I was delighted to have the opportunity last Friday to attend the launch of the Walkinstown Association’s Annual Report and Strategic Plan.

The Association currently operates five residential homes, and a sixth is scheduled to open in 2008. Incidentally, I hope that by then the new charges for people with learning disabilities living in residential homes will have been abolished!

Click here for pics of the Walkinstown Association at work ...

Proinsias in Ballyfermot

2007-05-13T14:04:00.000+01:00

On Friday and Saturday, Proinsias De Rossa came out to canvass with us in Ballyfermot. He got a great reception, particularly from women who still remember the Social Welfare Equality Payments: As Minister for Social Welfare during the last Rainbow Government, Proinsias ensured that women who had illegally been paid a lower social welfare rate than men received their back-payments. Loads of people interrupted their shopping to have a natter with Proinsias! He also enjoyed the chance to have a chat with Labour Youth members who’ve been working on our campaign. Click here for more pics …

Tenterhooks …

2007-05-13T14:03:00.000+01:00

… well, like most candidates I’m on tenterhooks to know the election result – but this story is about something else entirely. The other day we were canvassing in the Tenters and came across a marker stone erected by Dublin City Council. It explains how the ‘Tenters’ area got its name: apparently this part of Dublin used to be a centre of the cloth industry, and was known for the sight of linen being stretched on ‘tenterhooks’ to bleach in the fields between what is now O’Curry Avenue and Clarence Mangan Road. It’s a great reminder of Dublin’s industrial heritage, and of past generations of workers who lived and toiled throughout this city.

Monkeys in Crumlin

2007-05-12T11:33:00.000+01:00

I must admit I was rather bemused yesterday when one of our campaign workers announced that he was going to put a monkey on me. Given that we were in our office on Windmill Road in Crumlin – not known for its tropical wildlife – this seemed a bit odd. Or at least, it did until he explained that a ‘monkey’ is betting slang for 500 – he was going to put €500 on me to win a second seat for Labour! I checked out the origins of the term when I got back home last night: one theory is that it goes back to the fact that, in the days of the British Empire, the Indian 500 Rupee note featured a monkey. Well, that’s the theory … I’m certainly going to do my best to ensure that this particular monkey pays off!

Childcare

2007-05-12T11:31:00.000+01:00

As you know, I’ve been canvassing outside schools in the mornings, and one of the issues that many mothers raise is childcare – the quality of childcare and the cost of childcare. Childcare costs are now running up to €140 per week - even more in some areas - per child, yet parents are concerned that, despite paying extortionate sums for childcare, their children are often not getting the early education they need and deserve. Childcare must be viewed as integral to the education system: the first building blocks of a child's education. Childcare and childcare and early pre-school education are central to breaking the cycle of poverty and inequality. That is why the Labour Party is not only proposing a year’s free pre-school education for every child, but why we are also arguing for greater state involvement in childcare: as well as providing childcare facilities run directly by the state, or other non-profit bodies, we believe that childcare and early education facilities should be integrated into primary schools. We are also committed to developing standards for childcare which go beyond ‘bricks and mortar’ regulations to include developmental and educational goals. Our aim must be that children – all children - enter primary school with a solid background of early education behind them. After all, that’s what most parents and children in the rest of Europe can expect. And it’s what our children deserve.

Fairtrade

2007-05-11T14:01:00.000+01:00

I guess all politicians have a few particular hobby-horses, and Fairtrade is one of mine. I’ve posted before on Fairtrade (here, here, here and here). Here's why this issue is so close to my heart:

Growing Your Own

2007-05-11T13:47:00.000+01:00

People often ask me what I do to switch off. Well, apart from hillwalking and listening to music (my campaign team regularly teases me about my two musical preferences: Leonard Cohen and opera), I enjoy working in the garden. Not that I've been doing much of that recently - in fact, cracks are appearing in the soil from lack of rain (well, except for the past few days) or watering, not that that stops the weeds growing. When canvassing I often find myself stopping by a particularly lush garden and wondering whether I could adapt a particular idea for our own (very small) back garden. We didn't have a garden when I was growing up, and I still remember how delighted I was when we moved into our first house in the South Inner City – and it had a garden. I was determined to cram as much as I could into a very small space, and my wife still jokes that we had ‘one of everything’ available in the garden centre. Growing vegetables was a particular pleasure: nothing beats picking your own tomatoes or lettuce. That’s why I support the allotment movement: time was when there were allottments scattered throughout Dublin, enabling people not only to grow their own vegetables, but also to simply enjoy contact with the earth. But times have changed, and there are no public allottments left in the City Council area. As more and more people live in apartments, the demand for allottments - your own bit of earth - is going to grow. Which is why I’m glad the City Council is now starting to take this issue on board …

Changing (Online) Times

2007-05-10T14:13:00.000+01:00

Although online campaigning caught on a while ago in the States, this is the first Irish election which has been extensively reported and debated online - not only by blogging politicians like myself, but also by websites such as Irish Election and discussion forums like politics.ie. So have websites, blogs and v-logs made a difference? I’ve certainly found people on the doorstep commenting on posts, especially in areas with high Internet and broadband penetration (incidentally, it's scandalous that we are near the bottom of the EU league when it comes to broadband). People also like the idea that events such as last weekend’s intercultural Children’s Sportsfest in Crumlin can be reported online the next day complete with pictures. Obviously, our hits have been helped by our decision to put up posters advertising the blog, but people are also coming to the site through online searches (e.g. entering 'Eric Byrne' and 'education'), through our leaflets which feature the blog address prominently and, of course, through the main Labour Party website. I find the blog a great way to communicate with increasing numbers of constituents, especially on issues like education and poverty which – let’s face it – the mainstream media are not interested in. It’ll be interesting to see how online campaigning develops here in the next few years – not just in terms of election campaigns, but also in terms of campaigns by specific interest groups who also find it difficult to get their concerns reported in the mainstream media.

Taking On Pester Power

2007-05-10T14:10:00.000+01:00

I’ve been spending the early mornings talking to mothers outside schools. They have a lot of issues – childcare, back-to-school costs, run-down school infrastructure, lack of resource teachers etc. But one concern that keeps resurfacing is the pressures experienced by parents in a world dominated by advertising. Advertisers aim their products directly at children, relying on 'pester power' to make the parents buy. The Labour Party has taken this concern on board, and wants RTE to designate a number of periods in the day for children's programming, where there is no advertising. I think this is an excellent idea - and I know that the mothers I meet will agree.

15 days to go …

2007-05-09T12:05:00.000+01:00

… and it’s been a very strange election campaign so far! In fact, if the phrase GUBU hadn’t been coined 25 years ago, someone would have to invent it now! The week before the election was called saw rumours flying around the Dail and country - 'It'll be called today' - 'No, Tuesday' - 'No, no, I have it on the best authority it'll be called Thursday'. Thursday came and went, no election called, and then came Bertie’s dawn raid on the Aras. Almost immediately afterwards, while we were still catching our breath and dispatching the postering teams, came Bertiegate II – I can’t say I’ve been following the ins and outs of who allegedly gave money to whom, who held it in safekeeping, and for what purpose, but there does seem to be an awful lot of money involved involved and an awful lot of questions unanswered. Then we all held our breath to see whether the Tribunal would adjourn. Then came Michael McDowell’s crisis of conscience, episode II: will he or won’t he pull out of Government? Once again, McDowell’s conscience retreated to lick its wounds, but at least he gave Pat Rabbitte an opportunity to make the best quip of the campaign so far, when Pat stated that Michael McDowell had his head so far up Bertie’s anorak that he could no longer disentangle himself. And so it proved: McDowell remains firmly entangled. Then came a flurry of accusations about who leaked the Mahon documentation to whom and when. And through it all, PJ Mara has returned to stage-manage the FF campaign, bringing back memories of the Haughey era at its height – it’s just unfortunate we don’t have Dermot Morgan and Scrap Saturday to record it all. Honestly, you couldn’t make it up!

So how has it all been playing in Dublin South-Central? Well, there’s one message coming back from the doorsteps from Walkinstown to Inchicore and Crumlin to Ballyfermot: ‘it’s time for a change’. Or, put more bluntly, ‘Get them out’. Not just because of Bertiegate (after all, people expect shenanigans from FF), but because of the health crisis, house prices, low-pay, the continuing (although unreported) drugs scourge. All the issues that people have been facing for years. Mind you, one elderly lady in Drimnagh did raise Bertie’s troubles with me. Referring to a report that some of the money had been spent on soft furnishings, she suggested that Bertie would have gotten a better deal in Frawley's on Thomas Street! What has surprised me is the number of older FF voters who are considering switching this time around. In the past, they would have simply stayed home - now they're actively looking for an alternative, which is one reason why I believe we're on course for two Labour seats, probably at the expense of the second FF seat.