Conor Stitt
Ógra Shinn Féin
NUI Galway
We live in interesting times in Ireland today. We have a Dáil Government which seems intent on going against every moral fibre in society. They have cut in health, education and in social welfare and have robbed from every Irish household. Not only have they done this but they are looking to secure a bailout that will indebt the Irish people for many more years to come. When one person sees this you’d ask yourself ‘surely they’ve a good cause for doing so?’. Then they find out it’s for banks, banks which are effectively privately owned businesses that have made a series of bad investments through their own greed.
The most vulnerable in society are now taking the brunt of this economic incompetence and if the bailout is secured, will for many years to come. We’ve seen tens of thousands take to the streets in opposition to this measure but where’s the opposition in Dáil? Fianna Fáil up until recently did not consider bringing this to a Dáil vote. The opposition clearly were not seen to be credible enough as an opposition for the Government to consider bringing this before Leinster House.
Sinn Féin forced the Government’s hand here by the threat of legal action. We now see this vote was forced to be heard in Leinster House.
One of the most important economic decisions on this Island was going to be taken by a small number of people. If Sinn Féin were not in Leinster House, would Labour or Fine Gael have brought similar legal action? Their activity or lack thereof recently speaks volumes and they bring shame to the term ‘opposition’. To further insult Sinn Féin’s unique position and actions, Fianna Fáil being Fianna Fáil tried to pass this decision off as a party motion!
Sinn Féin despite all untrue and unfair myths by the opposition parties are now more so than in recent years being seen as the only credible alternative to banking bailouts, cronyism, fraud and attack on vulnerable. People now see their anger being portrayed to a tee by Pearse Doherty TD and others.
People know the rest of the so-called opposition for what they are and what little they can or will do when they need to be done. So know it is up to us as members to bring the message further, bring it to the people who feel they have no alternative to cronyism, who feel as though all parties are as bad as each other and, in some respects, can you blame them?
Show them a better, fairer alternative and show them how their vote can be one of the greatest weapons against this cronyism and corruption by replacing someone who doesn’t work for you, with someone who does - that’s where Sinn Féin have proven our worth, by the hard work that we, and our senior party comrades have done so far and will continue to do.
The bailout must opposed by all members of society, the bailout will undoubtedly be economically and socially disastrous for Ireland. While Ireland has seen political oppression and is the final stages of 800 years of this oppression, we are now entering into an enhanced viciousness of the capitalist greed to deny the people of further of their self-determination financially. While Fianna Fáil are all too happy to satisfy to banks at the price of our fiscal sovereignty, the sovereignty inherited by Irishmen and women, the right of self determination, that dwells on our right to define the governing of this Island. While Sinn Féin uniquely strives and campaigns for a United Ireland, the South is now very much at the centre of this battle. Sinn Féin needs to be at the forefront of that fight and promote the will of the people.
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