éirígí Tir Chonaill

Stiallann Lenihan Daoine ar Phá Íseal

27/07/09
(English version follows.)

Tá moladh Aire Airgeadais Átha Cliath Brian Lenihan gur chóir an pá íosta sna Sé Chondae Fichead a ghearradh cáinte ag cathaoirleach éirígí Brian Leeson.
Rinne Lenihan an moladh le linn díospóireachta ag Scoil Samhraidh Mhic a’ Ghoill le déanaí sna Gleannta, condae Dhún na nGall. Sárthaispeánann an Scoil Samhraidh cuid de na smaointí is coiméadaí in Éirinn agus san Eoraip ar bhonn bliantúil. I mbliana, i measc an lucht freastail bhí Dermot Gleeson, cathaoirleach Bhainc-Aontas Éireann; iarcheannaire Fhine Gael agus stiúrthóir láithreach Bhainc-Aontas Éireann, Alan Dukes; agus Colm McCarthy, ollamh urchóideach an Bhoird Snip Nua.

Mar chúis imní, ag féachaint ar mhianach iad siúd páirteach sna díospóireachtaí, an téama a bhí ag Scoil Samhraidh na bliana seo ná ‘The Irish Economoy – What Went Wrong? How Will We Fix It?’

Le linn a léachta sna Gleannta, thug TD Fhianna Fáil Lenihan le tuiscint go gcaithfí tabhairt faoin phá íosta. Is é €8.56 [£7.40] san uair an t-íosráta pá sna Sé Chondae Fichead faoi láthair. Dóibh siúd i bhfostaíocht lán-aimseartha ag saothrú an phá íosta, is ionann an ráta seo agus €337 [£291] pá comhlán sa tseachtain.

Ag ceisniú loighic shaobh Lenihan agus a chomhghuallaithe sa rialtas, d’fhriafraigh Brian Leeson: “An bhfuil an t-aire ag moladh i ndáiríre go ngearrfaí tuarastal na n-oibrithe is lú pá sa stát chun íoc as fiacha cearrbhachais na n-ilmhilliúnaithe ar nós Seán Fitzpatrick, Seán Dunne agus Bernard McNamara?

“I ndiaidh fhoilsiú Tuairisc Mhic Chárthaigh agus a mholadh an tseirbhís phoiblí a dheachú, tugann an moladh is déanaí ó Brian Lenihan a thuilleadh fianaise ar cheangal daingean Fhianna Fáil do pholaitíocht loicthe an nua-liobrálachais.

“Oibrithe ar phá íseal, páistí scoile, na heasláin agus pinsinéirí ata thíos leis agus Fianna Fáil fós ag tairiscint baoi tarrthála dá gcairde bhaincéirí agus fhorbróirí. Níor chuala muid ag aon phointe moladh ón Roinn Airgeadais faoi theorainn a chur le tuarastal na ndaoine is mó pá san eacnamaíocht, faoi cháin ar bhrabúis agus ar na saibhir a ardú, faoi scéim oibreacha poiblí nó faoi náisiúnú ár n-acmhainní nádúrtha. Ina n-áit, bhí sruth seasta ann de mholtaí a fhéachann le hionsaí a dhéanamh ar na daoine is leochailí sa sochaí.”

Lean Leeson: “Cad chuige a bhfuil ionsaí a dhéanamh ar an lucht oibre agus orthu siúd is mó san angar fad is atá baincéirí agus forbróirí ag baint sochair as na billiúin euro d’airgead na gcáiníocóirí? Luíonn an freagra san fhírinne go bhfuil nasc dofhuascailte idir Fianna Fáil agus an aicme gnó sna Sé Chondae Fichead: dhá thaobh an bhoinn chéanna ata iontu go simplí.”

“Theip go mórthaibhseach ar eacnamaíocht agus ar pholaitíocht an nua-liobrálachais agus, dá bhrí, tá stát na Sé Chondae Fichead anois ag tabhairt aghaidh ar an ghéarchéim eacnamúil is measa le glúnta. Ach tá Fianna Fáil fós ag leanúint go huiríseal an teagaics nua-liobrálaigh a scrioss na céadta pobal lucht oibre.

“Ní féidir na polasaithe is cúis leis an ghéarchéim láithreach sa chaipitleachas a thairiscint mar an fhreagra. Le seachtain anuas, tá cailliúint 700 post fógraithe i ndá chomhlacht, Intel agus Element Six. Caithfidh oibrithe moltaí a chluinstin a chosnaíonn postanna, ní cinn a bhaineann faoina bpá agus gcionníollacha. Ba chóir nach nglacfar le gearranna don phá íosta.”


Lenihan Lashes Out at the Low Paid

The suggestion by Dublin minister of finance Brian Lenihan that the minimum wage in the Twenty-Six Counties should be cut has been slammed by éirígí chairperson Brian Leeson.
Lenihan made the proposal during a debate at the recent McGill Summer School in Glenties, County Donegal. The Summer School showcases some of the most conservative thought in Ireland and Europe on an annual basis. This year, attendees at the week-long event, included Dermot Gleeson, chairperson of the Allied Irish Bank; the former head of Fine Gael and current director of Anglo Irish Banks Alan Dukes; and Colm McCarthy, the now notorious don of An Bord Snip Nua.

Worryingly, considering the calibre of those contributing to the debates, the theme of this year’s Summer School was The Irish Economy – What Went Wrong? How Will We Fix It?
In the course of his address in Glenties, Fianna Fáil TD Lenihan suggested that the “minimum wage would have to be addressed”. The minimum wage rate in the Twenty-Six Counties is currently €8.56 [£7.40] per hour. For those in full time employment earning the minimum wage, this rate equates to €337 [£291] gross pay per week.

Questioning the perverted logic of Lenihan and his colleagues in government, Brian Leeson asked: “Is the minister seriously suggesting that the wages of the lowest paid workers in the state be cut in order to pay for the gambling debts of multi-millionaires such as Seán Fitzpatrick, Seán Dunne and Bernard McNamara?

“Following the publication of the McCarthy Report and its proposals to decimate the public service, the latest suggestion from Brian Lenihan provides further evidence of Fianna Fáil’s firm attachment to the failed politics of neo-liberalism.

“Low paid workers, school children, the sick and pensioners are being made to suffer as Fianna Fáil continues to offer a buoy to their banker and developer friends. At no point have we heard suggestions emanating from the Department of Finance about capping the wages of the highest paid in the economy, increasing taxes on profits and on the rich, a public works scheme or the nationalising of our natural resources. Rather, there has been a steady stream of proposals that seek to attack the most vulnerable in society.”

Leeson continued: “Why are working class people and those most in need of public services being attacked while bankers and developers benefit from billions of euros of tax payers’ money? The answer lies in the fact that Fianna Fáil and the business class in the Twenty-Six County state are inextricably linked: they are simply two sides of the same coin.

“The economics and politics of neo-liberalism have failed spectacularly and, as a result, the Twenty-Six County state now faces its worst economic crisis in generations. Yet Fianna Fáil continues to slavishly follow the neo-liberal doctrine that has devastated hundreds of working class communities.

“The very policies that caused the current crisis in capitalism cannot now be offered up as the solution. In the last week, there have been announcements of almost 700 jobs losses in two companies, Intel and Element Six. Workers need to hear proposals that protect jobs, not ones that further undermine their pay and conditions. Cuts to the minimum wage should not be tolerated.”