A significant start of a new resistance movement was evident in Dublin on Saturday, November 27th when 100,000 trade unionists, community and political activists marched in protest to the Government’s austerity plan and dealings with the IMF, ECB etc.

Amongst the protesters were several hundred people from Kerry including many members of People before Profit (PbP), Kerry Network of People with Disabilities (KNPWD) and Kerry Public Sector Workers Alliance (KPSWA).

Several local and national demonstrations will be taking place between now and the day of the budget on December 7th. On that day there will be a lunch time protest against the IMF Budget in Tralee organised by PbP, KNPWD and KPSWA. Further more precise details will follow shortly.

If you want to help organise this event please contact 087-6716009.

In January 2006 the Government accepted the recommendations contained in an independent report that it had commissioned, Vision for Change (VFC), as the basis for its future mental health policy. In the four years since the report’s publication almost nothing has been done to realise its full implementation.
In Kerry, Vision into Action (VIA) that would see the roll out of the policy in the county is officially on hold because no progress is being made on establishing community mental health teams. I was told this in last January during a telephone conversation with a member of HSE staff in Kerry involved in VIA.

Members of the newly formed Kerry Public Service Workers Alliance picketed Fianna Fail TD Tom McEllistrim’s clinic twice in a row. On the first occasion he didn’t turn up and his mother instead fielded questions. McEllistrim, who is well known for never voicing an opinion if he can avoid it, was confronted by over 100 angry workers at a second meeting. Martin O’Grady of the KPSWA said afterwards that the TD was very evasive, and refused to give them support in having their wage cuts reversed.

“The wage cuts will result in a direct loss of over €25 million per annum to Kerry. Local businesses will suffer heavily and more jobs will be lost in a county with an unemployment rate that is twice the national average. Slashing the wages of those who have jobs will not create a single job for those seeking employment”.
In a new development, the Alliance said that it would consider running general election candidates if they could get no support from Kerry’s TDs.

The first meeting of the Kerry Public Service Workers’ Alliance took place at the beginning of December 2009. The meeting, which was attended by 10 people, had been called by trade union activists from the Teachers’ Union of Ireland in IT Tralee, in an effort to organise public service workers in Kerry against the swingeing wage cuts and levies that are being inflicted by the FF/GP government.

The turnout at that first meeting was disappointing, coming as it did the day after the most savage budget the country has seen to date, a budget that specifically targeted public servants and the services they deliver. Moreover, notices for the meeting had been distributed in almost every public service workplace, including the hospital, county council buildings, Institute of Technology, revenue and social welfare offices etc.

The discussion at the meeting centred on the need to open up lines of communication between local workers, mount resistance to the attacks on public services and force a moribund national trade union movement to make a stand. It was clear that there is a complete absence of leadership at the top of the trade union movement and that the only way to address this was through a grassroots movement of members.

In 1980’s Britain, Margaret Thatcher famously remarked that “there is no such thing as society, only individuals”. This is the economics of rampant unchecked capitalism where any hurt inflicted on the vulnerable is seen as collateral damage in the pursuance of profits and is a philosophy the Irish Government believes in.

Pic above: Members of People Before Profit (Tralee) at recent Cuts Protest in Limerick

Another name for it is neo-liberalism. Community development projects (CDP’s) are essentially a concept, the opposite to this mind set. The first CDP’s were set up in Ireland in 1990 as a way of overcoming poverty, disadvantage, marginalisation and discrimination in both rural and inner city areas.

Listen out for a Radio Interview with People Before Profit candidate Seán Moraghan on Newstalk 106FM's "The Wide Angle with Karen Coleman",12-12.30, Sunday morning 31st May

The People Before Profit Alliance attended the demonstration held at Kerry General Hospital on Saturday 23rd of May.

Over 200 people turned out early Saturday morning to protest about the state of cancer care services for women, and the quality of services at the hospital generally.
This demonstration took place against the backdrop of possible removal of other acute services.

Remarkably, Fianna Fáil and Green councillors and candidates also attended (as if they were not fully paid-up members and supporters of the parties doing the removal of services).

But People Before Profit were also well represented and gave out a specific leaflet detailing our need to fight for the hospital.

Local press documented the event, which continued with a march into the centre of Tralee, and a moving testament to recovery from ilness and the need for services by a former cancer patient.

Asylum Seekers in Tralee are unhappy with their treatment and their facilities and the quality of their lives in the town's asylum hostels.They and their supporters are calling a demonstration which will assemble at The Square, Tralee@ 11.30am Saturday 30th May, and then travel to protest outside one of the hostels (for operational reasons this hostel will be specified later).

"Tralee Refugee Asylum and Migrant Voices" in association with "People Before Profit Alliance" invite you to join them at The Square @ 11.30am Saturday 30th May 2009.

Asylum seekers and Refugees live amongst us but are not fully accepted by our society. Their treatment by the state, and suspicion and resentment among some members of the general population marginalises them.

Those with significant education and qualifications are left to rot; they should instead be allowed to contribute their skills to their new country. Those without skills are denied adult education.

Many hostel residents suffer from health problems. Denied a fully realised existence they are subject to stress and depression.

They are given poor quality meals and of a type that is outside of their culture.

They have been subject to outright racist abuse from the very people who have a Duty of Care towards them.

Those asylum seekers who try to voice their complaints, or represent their community, are quickly moved to other hostels.

A local group of protestors is holding a Demonstration at the condition of services at Kerry General Hospital. Specifically, they are targeting the lack of a permanent Mammography and cancer service.

"Kerry General Hospital (KGH) is being systematically run down by the HSE. The hospital is now facing a deeper crisis with Outpatients Clinics closing for six weeks a year, and Annagh Ward closing at weekends.