National Demonstration in solidarity with Gaza this Saturday
December 30, 2008 at 10:04 pm | Posted in Protest | Leave a commentTags: gazza, ipsc, national, Palestine, Protest
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign has called a National Demonstration in Solidarity with Gaza for this Saturday 3rd January @ 1pm.
Collapse of Croke Villas Regeneration Exposes craziness of reliance on private developers
December 11, 2008 at 8:25 pm | Posted in Development, Privatisation | Leave a commentTags: colm stephens, Croke Villas, local elections, People Before Profit, PPP, regeneration
People Before Profit Alliance local election candidate in the North Inner City area, Colm Stephens expressed his shock at the announcement on 10 December that Dublin City Council’s plans to regenerate Croke Villas using a ‘Public Private Partnership’ (PPP) scheme have collapsed. According to the City Council it has not been possible to negotiate a deal with the developer (Bennett Developments) because of the ‘economic climate and global credit crunch’.
He commented that “Because the developer cannot be guaranteed a profit from the sale of the private part of the development, the whole plan collapses and nothing gets built” and added that “We shouldn’t forget that developer has numerous state contracts including a €55 million project for new government offices in Trim, Co. Meath. The company made a profit of €4.5 million in 2007 but only paid a measly €2,642 in tax! And that was after it paid the directors over €5.8 million in ‘emoluments’!” *
The People Before Profit Alliance believes that it demonstrates the craziness of depending on millionaire private developers to provide public services. Colm Stephens commented that “There is no sign of the millionaires in Bennett Developments showing any solidarity to the taxpayer who gave them massive contracts – so much for their ‘patriotic duty’!”
Colm Stephens added that “After ten year’s wait for regeneration the people of Croke Villas need action and need it fast. It is not yet clear what the Council intends to do but the plans it has announced for the other estates where PPP schemes have also collapsed mean that the Council will build only the minimum amount of social housing. These houses and flats won’t even be completed until 2015! The Council also plans to sell off the bulk of the three other sites to private developers to build shops and private houses in the future.”
He believes strongly that the Council itself should urgently regenerate the whole of the Croke Villas site for social housing and said “It is clear that the people cannot wait around for 10 more years for another millionaire developer to come along when he believes that he can make a profit on the backs of the people.”
Related news:
Click here to watch Vincent Browne discuss PPP issue with Rita Fagan (St Michael’s Estate, Inchicore) & others
Hundreds march to defend the right to Community Creches
December 10, 2008 at 9:49 pm | Posted in Education, People Before Profit, Protest | Leave a commentTags: community, creche, Protest, SIPTU
Buses were organised from Ballyfermot, another créche marched from The Coombe, Roscommon was present as was Ringsend and many other creches from around Dublin city and nationwide.
Everyone was taking a stand- not about the low pay, not about the conditions but about their and other childrens futures. Fed up of being considered babysitters, creche workers supported by parents, politicians and the SIPTU Community Branch (who organised the protest) marched to the to the Office of Minister of Children, Hawkins House, Poolbeg St., Dublin 2, to hand in their letters
A protest was held earlier this morning in Cork to coincide with the Dublin protest.
http://www.siptu.ie/PressRoom/DiaryMarkers/Name,10518,en.html
Report written by Paula Geraghty. Image (c) by Paula Geraghty
Another PPP project collapses…
December 10, 2008 at 9:35 pm | Posted in Development | Leave a commentTags: Croke Villas, DCC, PPP, Public Private Partnership
Dublin City Council today announced that another regeneration project will not go ahead. Croke Villas, beside Croke Park in the north inner city, was to provide 30 social housing units as part of a public-private partnership (PPP).
But as was the case with O’Devaney Gardens, Dominick St and St Michael’s Estate, the private developer has pulled out of the plan. There are also fears for the future of another scheme in the south city at Bridgefoot Street.
New Plans for O’Devaney Gardens Unveiled
December 8, 2008 at 11:37 pm | Posted in Development, People Before Profit | Leave a commentTags: colm stephens, DCC, O'Devaney Gardens, People Before Profit, plans, regeneration
A Public Information Meeting in relation to the Regeneration of the O’Devaney Gardens Flats Complex was held in the Aughrim Street Community Centre on Monday 8th December.
Speaking at the meeting Colm Stephens (People Before Profit Alliance Representative Dublin Central) highlighted some conerns with the plans:
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Despite assurances by the council, there is a lack of proper control of the project by te council, as all phases after the intial phase 1 is completed, rely on a monies from commercial property developed on the site, which like the PPP proposal may fall through.
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Less than half of the build will involve social/affordable housing
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Despite the litany of promises and delays, the development won’t begin in earnest until at least 2010, with the first phase complete by 2012. This means a wait of 4 more years for residents.
The Government hopes that a strategy of cutbacks in the services we rely on – education, housing, health – will enable them to ride out the recession. But much of the wealth that was created during the boom has not disappeared – it has simply been pocketed by the super rich. Making the rich pay their fair share of tax will make it possible. The huge fight-back since the budget, from the residents, from the elderly and from teachers and students can force them to do it.
See the full plan for O’Devaney here
Budget Protest- Stop the Cuts now!
December 3, 2008 at 1:00 pm | Posted in Education, Protest | Leave a commentTags: budget protest, labour party, pbpa, swp, workers party
Budget Protest
Join the picket on clinic of Fianna Fail’s Bertie Ahern TD & Cyprian Brady TD
STOP THE EDUCATION CUTS
St Luke’s, (opposite Fagan’s Pub), Drumcondra Road
@ 5.30pm, December 4th
Supported by: People Before Profit Alliance, Workers Party, Labour Party, SWP
Please support
Childcare Protest
December 3, 2008 at 12:56 pm | Posted in Protest | Leave a commentTags: Community Childcare Campaign, december 9th, Protest, SIPTU
SIPTU Community Childcare Campaign
“Caring for the Future”
December 9th @ 2pm
1pm Meeting in SIPTU, Liberty Hall, Eden Quay, Dublin 1
(speakers include workers, providers and parents)
2pm March to the OMC, Department of Health & Children, Poolbeg St. Dublin 2
3pm End of Protest
Funeral for Lisbon Treaty
December 3, 2008 at 12:54 pm | Posted in Lisbon Treaty, People Before Profit, Protest | Leave a commentTags: funeral, Lisbon Treaty, No Campaign, PANA
Following the ‘unexpected’ death of the Lisbon Treaty, and in order to gracefully close the books for the current year, the NO Campaign, in co-operationm with PANA and a number of its affiliated organisations, has decided to organise a formal funeral procession, with a coffin and all, of the Treaty.
People will meet on Thursday Dec 11th at 18.00 hours outside the EU Offices in Molesworth Street. The procession then will go to the Government Buildings.
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