Service charges debate stirs Ard Fheis

James O'Sullivan from Waterford

Over 30 motions were taken during the wideranging Environment, Local Govern-ment, Energy and Natural Resources debate on the first evening of the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis. The debate saw the Ard Chomhairle seek approval for the proposed Towards Zero Waste policy document and a thoughtful debate on tactics and principles around the controversial issue of bin charges.

The section was introduced by Arthur Morgan TD, who commended the draft party policy on Waste Management to the delegates. "This policy document commits Sinn Féin to promoting a sustainable waste management policy," said Morgan.

"It commits our party to defending the right of all people to a safe, clean and unpolluted environment. It reiterates our full opposition to incineration and our support for the communities in Carronstown, County Meath, Ringaskiddy, County Cork, and Ringsend in Dublin fighting against the imposition of incinerators."

But it was service charges that dominated the debate with a motion supported by Cork, Dublin and Waterford cumainn attempting to tighten up the voting pattern of councillors on local authorities.

Caoilfhionn Ní Dhonnabháin, Volunteer Tom Smith Dublin, spoke in favour of an Ard Chomhairle amendment. "This amendment does not call on councillors to support estimates containing service charges but it recognises the changed circumstances that now exist as a result of Government legislation that allow the City or County Manager to set the charges without needing the approval of councillors."

She was supported by Councillor Daithí Doolan from Dublin, who said: "The government has deliberately created the crisis through depriving local authorities of funding and as a result we cannot restrict our campaign to local government level but must take our opposition into Leinster House."

Jamie O'Sullivan from Waterford, disagreed, saying: "The reasons put forward by those councillors to vote in favour are unacceptable, based as they are on threats to dissolve local authorities. We should not allow our councillors to be bribed or intimidated into going against party policy."

It was a point echoed by Paul O'Connor of the Munster Cúige, who argued that the last election had seen "people coming to us in estates who had never voted before, who came forward to vote as they saw us as a party genuinely different, radical and principled in our opposition to service charges. This has been a key thing in working to develop the party in working-class areas across Ireland."

He warned that adopting the Ard Chomhairle amendment would make Sinn Féin policy indistinguishable from Labour's and said that we should be standing with those communities opposed to the tax.

The Ard Chomhairle amendment was passed by a significant majority.

Donegal Councillor Gerry Mac Lochlainn took up the theme of opposition to incineration outlined by Arthur Morgan. "If incinerators are built they will need a constant stream of waste over 30 years to make them financially viable," said Mac Lochlainn. "The slogan, Consumers Pay really means Victims Pay; we have to pay for packaging we don't want and then pay again to dispose of it."

Councillor Matt Carthy from Monghan, a founding member of Ográ Shinn Féin, spoke in favour of a motion from the Dublin Ográ Cuige, proposed by Robbie Marron from UCD, calling for the voting age to be reduced to 16 in both jurisdictions.

Carthy argued: "Tens of thousands of young people have taken to the streets to protest against globalisation and war in Iraq. If they are politicised enough to do that and they are old enough to leave school, work and pay taxes, they are old enough to vote."

Eoin O Sé from Dublin, saw a motion from his cumann, calling on Dublin City Council to take some of the privately owned parks in Dublin into public ownership, passed by a large majority.

The Ard Fheis also supported calls for a Supreme Planning Committee to protect public amenities and the environment from big business after Peter Lawlor from Dublin, outlined the threat posed to his home in north Dublin by proposals to infill 52 acres of Dublin Bay.

The Ard Fheis also backed a motion from Donegal for the development of a policy document on the aquaculture industry in Ireland. Gweedore Udarás candidate Gráinne Mhic Géidigh said the industry had "great potential for an integrated All-Ireland approach to the benefit of the local economy in rural Ireland".