‘Labour leader supports Fianna Fáil economic strategy’

Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin says Eamon Gilmore is ‘contradicting himself’

LABOUR PARTY leader Eamon Gilmore is “contradicting himself” by calling for the removal of the Fianna Fáil-led Government at the next general election but then supporting the Government’s economic strategy, Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has said.
“We all want to see the removal of the Fianna Fáil-led Government at the next general election,” the Sinn Féin figure said, declaring that Fianna Fáil-led Governments have been in office continuously since 1997 “with disastrous results”.
“But Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore is contradicting himself when he calls for the removal of Fianna Fáil from office and then supports their economic strategy.
“He is backing €3billion in cuts in the next Budget and supports the target date of 2014 for reduction of state debt to 3%. This is a recipe for savage cuts in the next three years. Instead, we need a longer time-frame and targeted investment to grow the economy and jobs.”
The Sinn Féin Dáil leader said that we have had a small foretaste of Fine Gael/Labour governance on Dublin City Council where Labour and Fine Gael abolished the refuse charges waiver system for low-income families.
“The real challenge for Labour, Sinn Féin and all on the Left of Irish politics,” Caomhghín Ó Caoláin said, “is to achieve a government that is led by neither of the two conservative parties – neither Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael.
“Supporting the economic policies of either of these two conservative parties only delays that day further.”

GUE/NGL MEPs marching in Istanbul for another Europe

PARTICIPATING in the closing demonstration of the European Social Forum (ESF), European United Left/ Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) MEPs joined thousands of activists and organisations calling for a more sustainable, democratic and equitable Europe in a march through the centre of Istanbul at the start of July.
The sixth European Social Forum’s main theme was challenging the austerity responses to the crisis under the slogan “Make them pay for their crisis! Another Europe is necessary.”
The GUE/NGL organised two workshops at the forum on poverty, global solidarity and biodiversity, and MEPs from the group contributed to seminars and debates on a broad range of topics including gender equality, ecology, public services and the financial crisis.
The GUE/NGL group delegation to the ESF 2010 included eight MEPs: Eva Britt Svensson (Sweden), Gabi Zimmer (Germany), Søren Søndergaard (Denmark), Ilda Figueiredo (Portugal), Jürgen Klute (Germany), Marisa Matias (Portugal), Rui Tavares (Portugal) and Cornelia Ernst (Germany).

• For further details and images from the 2010 Istanbul ESF see: www.guengl.eu

Bairbre de Brún MEP welcomes EU funding for Gaza Summer Games

BAIRBRE DE BRÚN MEP has welcomed the EU funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Summer Games in Gaza and said she hopes this will be a prelude to full and adequate funding for all the UNRWA operations in the area.
Bairbre, a member of the GUE/NGL Group in the European Parliament, was in Gaza earlier this year on a fact-finding visit. She said of the EU funding:
“UNRWA activities are facing huge funding problems at present and recent discussions in the European Parliament have shown the urgent need to ensure that the basic services that UNRWA provides can be maintained at a level that inspires confidence in the local population rather than diminishes it. This is not solely the responsibility of the EU but we must play our part.
“In recent times, UNRWA have had to cut back on their basic services, programmes and projects although the level of need is extremely high.
“I hope that this very welcome EU funding for the UNRWA Summer Games in Gaza will be a prelude to full and adequate funding of all UNRWA operations in the area.”

This is funded by the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL)