The People Before Profit Alliance, which is part of the United Left Alliance, will launch its energy and natural resources policy document tomorrow calling for Ireland's oil and gas resources to be returned to public ownership. Furthermore, we are calling on the incoming Minister of the Environment to revoke Shell's licence for the Corrib gas pipeline project.

Speakers include: Cllr. Joan Collins Dublin South Central, Cllr. Gino Kenny Dublin Mid-West, Dr Kieran Allen (UCD Sociologist) and Pat "The Chief" O'Donnell

NOTE: Pat "The Chief" O'Donnell is the Shell to Sea fisherman who was jailed for his opposotion to Shell’s inland refinery and experimental raw gas pipeline in Rossport. The Chief's struggle against Shell was documented in the recent award winning film, The Pipe.

For information / confirmation contact Sinead Kennedy 087-7712160
_______________________________________________
People Before Profit / United Left Alliance Press Officer
+353 87 771 2160

Opening today’s press conference Cllr. Brid Smith announced that People Before Profit is running nine candidates in Dublin, Cork and Wexford in the upcoming General Election: “The People Before Profit Alliance is a real alternative to the political establishment. We support a strategy of ‘people power’ to bring change. We are part of an exciting new force in Irish politics, the United Left Alliance, standing in constituencies across the country to fight for genuine change.”

Clondalkin Councillor challenges Mary Harney to Debate WHY DO YOU APPOINT CORPORATE CRONIES TO STATE BOARDS?

Press Release: 20 December 2010

Gino Kenny, the People Before Profit Councillor for Clondalkin, has challenged Mary Harney’s pattern of appointments to state boards, claiming that she displays a deliberate class bias against working people.

‘Mary Harney is responsible for the largest number of appointments to state boards but she has systematically used her position to promote corporate cronies.

‘Of the total of 291 new appointments due to be made before February 2011, Mary Harney will appoint 96. This is three times higher than any other Minister.

‘But Mary Harney has consistently displayed a class bias in who she has appointed to these boards. Her appointees are often drawn from a narrow golden circle.

‘The Health Services Executive provides a good example of Harney’s  bias against  working class people.

Harney’s two latest appointments to the HSE board are:
 

· Frank Dolphin, a director of a Rigney Dolphin, company that outsources business process from both the public and private sectors.
· Nuala Hunt, a chartered accountant and tax consultant.

‘These two figures from the corporate world will deepen the overwhelming class bias of the HSE.

‘Even before these appointments, the HSE was dominated by figures drawn from the corporate elite.

People Before Profit Alliance Press Release 27th Nov

GOVERNMENT/IMF MUST BE STOPPED BEFORE ECONOMY AND SOCIETY ARE STRANGLED

In a statement, the People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA) has predicted that between fifty and one hundred thousand people will demonstrate in Dublin against the government/IMF austerity plans today (Sat Nov 27^th).

PBPA, who originally proposed the idea and date for today’s protest in an effort to prompt the trade unions to call the demonstration - in articles written in two national newspapers a number of weeks ago (Irish Examiner Oct 23^rd / Irish Times Oct 28^th) - said that today’s march had to be the start of a sustained and escalating campaign to stop the government/IMF plan and force a general election before it was agreed and implemented.

Along with its partners in the newly established United Left Alliance, PBPA will participate in a fringe rally at today’s march and distribute tens of thousands of leaflets calling for budget day protests and a general strike.

People Before Profit Alliance

Press Release 27^th Nov

-PBPA SAYS FIFTY TO ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND WILL MARCH TODAY BUT PROTESTS MUST BE SUSTAINED AND ESCALATE

-GOVERNMENT/IMF MUST BE STOPPED BEFORE ECONOMY AND SOCIETY ARE STRANGLED

In a statement, the People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA) has predicted that between fifty and one hundred thousand people will demonstrate in Dublin against the government/IMF austerity plans today (Sat Nov 27^th).

PBPA, who originally proposed the idea and date for today’s protest in an effort to prompt the trade unions to call the demonstration - in articles written in two national newspapers a number of weeks ago (Irish Examiner Oct 23^rd / Irish Times Oct 28^th) - said that today’s march had to be the start of a sustained and escalating campaign to stop the government/IMF plan and force a general election before it was agreed and implemented.

A FAIR AND JUST SOLUTION TO IRELAND'S CRISIS STILL POSSIBLE BUT MASS PROTESTS NEEDED URGENTLY.

In a statement, the People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA) has said that the arrival today of IMF/EU officials and imminent intervention of these bodies into the running of the Irish economy, would make a bad situation worse and accelerate Ireland further down a disastrous path of neo-liberal 'shock therapy.'

PBPA said that the 'free' market economic doctrines championed by the IMF/EU were precisely those that had been pursued by the Irish government over the last ten years and were the same as those that had wrecked the international economy.

PBPA said that more intense doses of the same doctrine would cause intense suffering for ordinary Irish people and further undermine the possibility of genuine economic recovery.

PBPA said the Irish government had sacrificed Irish democracy and economic well-being on an altar of 'free' market profit and greed.

PBPA said there was now an urgent need to mobilise Irish civil society onto the streets to drive the government out of office and stand up to the 'vultures and bullies' of the IMF and EU.

Richard Boyd Barrett of the People Before Profit Alliance said:

"Brian Cowen and Brian Lenihan are now on the brink of sacrificing the last semblance of Irish democracy and economic well-being to the vultures and bullies of the EU/IMF and the international markets.

Their pathetic pretence that they are resisting an IMF/EU takeover is a sick joke. Everything Fianna Fail has done over the 15 years and particularly over the last two years has propelled us towards this moment.

People Before Profit Alliance

Press statement 28^th September 2010

Dublin city councillors call on citizens to turn out in large numbers for Dail protest against cuts

Despite the decision of the Seanad Committee on Members' Interests that Senator Rónán Mullen "has no case to answer", there is still a moral obligation on him to reveal the name of the person who advised him to claim expenses from his house in Galway.

Speaking today Martin O’Sullivan of the People Before Profit Alliance said, "Rónán Mullen has a lot to say about what he sees as issues of morality such as Civil Partnership, however on other moral issues such as the abuse of public money by elected representatives he does not feel strongly enough to name those who advocate it.

The wall of secrecy, which protects wrongdoing, must be dismantled if Ireland is to learn from its past. Senator Rónán Mullen has a moral obligation to name anyone who advocates the abuse of public money."

He went on to say, "In a time of cutbacks when the poor are asked to pay for the mistakes of the wealthy, elected representatives who give advice like this should not be protected by anyone."

Martin O'Sullivan
Tel: +353878289243
web: http://www.peoplebeforeprofit.ie/taxonomy/term/2
E-mail martin_osullivan@eircom.net

Martin O’Sullivan, a member of the People Before Profit Alliance who ran for election in the Artane Whitehall ward in the 2009 local elections, rejects that the complaint against Senator Rónán Mullen is vexatious.

Speaking today Martin O’Sullivan said "People before profit is not in the habit of making vexatious complaints. The complaint against Senator Rónán Mullen goes to the hart of a very important issue in Irish political culture, that of covering up for people who both commit corrupt acts, and act as the corruptors of others.”

Senator Rónán Mullen has been critical of the Seanad Committee on Members Interests for not clarifying the nature of the complaint against him. I find this incredible, as Senator Mullen could clarify the whole issue by giving the name of the person who advised him to claim his expenses from Galway instead of Dublin.

He went on to say, “Rónán Mullen has a lot to say about what he sees as issues of morality such as Civil Partnership, however on other moral issues such as the abuse of public money by elected representatives he does not feel strongly enough to name those who advocate it. The wall of secrecy, which protects wrongdoing, must be dismantled if Ireland is to learn from its past. Senator Rónán Mullen must give the name of the elected representative to the Seanad Committee on Members Interests

In a time of cutbacks when the poor are asked to pay for the mistakes of the wealthy, elected representatives who give advice like this should not be protected by anyone.

Senator Mullen's comments about "gulags" are simply rhetoric. People Before Profit has no sympathy for Stalinist Russia and as a long-term member of Amnesty International I find the comment offensive."

Martin O'Sullivan

On Monday 19th July Martin O’Sullivan a member of the People Before Profit Alliance who ran for election in the Artane Whitehall ward in the 2009 local elections issued an Ultimatum to Senator Rónán Mullen regarding advice that the Senator received about claiming expenses from Galway (where he is originally from ) instead of Dublin where he is based.  If  Rónán Mullen does not give the name of the elected representative who offered him this advice to the Seanad Committee on Members Interests by Friday 30th July a complaint against Rónán Mullen will b lodged with the Seanad Committee on Members Interests.

Speaking today Martin O’Sullivan a member of the People Before Profit Alliance who ran for election in the Artane Whitehall ward in the 2009 local elections, said

“There can be no Freedom of Conscience when it comes to the abuse of the expense system.  It is not enough that TD’s and Senators do not abuse the system they must actively expose those who do.  Senator Rónán Mullen has said that he will “Take to the Grave” the name of the elected representative who advised him to claim his expenses from Galway rather than Dublin.  In a time of cutbacks when the poor are asked to pay for the mistakes of the wealthy, elected representatives who give advice like this should not be protected by anyone.”