Hands Off Dublin Bus

Saturday 28 March Dublin Sinn Féin held a protest outside Dublin Head Quarters in O'Connell Street.

The NBRU and SIPTU have voted to reject the proposals put forward by the Dublin Bus company. Members of SIPTU and the NBRU were said to be concerned about the implications of taking 120 buses out of the fleet, changes to work practices and job security.

Union sources suggest that the company is likely to implement its original cost saving measures from 29 March, including plans to make 160 newly-recruited drivers redundant.

Pig Out at Irish Nationwide

Sinn Féin members took part in some direct action/street theatre at Irish Nationwide's head office on Grand Parade on Tuesday 24th March.

This was in light of the recent news that Nationwide cheif executive Michael Fingleton received a €1 million bonus after the bank was bailed out by the 26 co government and tax payers money. Fingleton also received a €28 million pension deal.

Sinn Féin members went straight to Fingletons head office and caused a bit of a stir in the reception area. This was caught on tape and TV3 ran with the coverage but failed to say who we were!

This action resulted in three Sinn Féin members being detained by the Gardaí who detained them for trespassing. However when the Gardaí were reminded that we the tax payers actually owned this bank and the property, they agreed and let them off!

Job Creation Campaign - Time for Action

In January and February 1,000 people lost their jobs every day. Unemployment is spiraling out of control. The government needs a three-year plan to hold on to or create the 1,000 jobs a day that are being lost. This must include stopping job losses, creating new jobs, keeping people in education and stimulating consumer spending.

Sinn Féin held a day of action in towns and cities across the country on Saturday March 14th and over the coming weeks will be demanding action on the unemployment crisis. The day marked the beginning of a series of actions and launches around Sinn Féin’s proposals to get Ireland back towork, develop the all-island economy, public sector spending and public finance savings. Sinn Fein Vice President Mary Lou McDonald Dublin MEP joined party activists and representatives outside the GPO on O’Connell Street Dublin where they delivered thousands of leaflets with the call – Time for Action. A series of actions also took place across the capital city and throughout the country.

The document 'Getting Ireland back to work' can be downloaded at www.sinnfein.ie

GPO O'Connell Street

Thomas Street

Ballyfermot
Ballyfermot
Ballyfermot

Crumlin

Blanchardstown

CPSU rally 18 Feb 2009

The Civil, and Public Services Union (CPSU) staged a demonstration outside the Dáil at lunchtime on Wednesday, 18 February over the pension levy. They were joined by Sinn Féin members.

Sinn Féin call for Irish to get top billing on street signs

On Sunday last, Sinn Féin activists changed the street sign on Dublin's main thoroughfare of O'Connell Street to its correct title of Sráid Uí Chonaill.

Tá Sinn Féin tar éis tús a chur le feachtas chun an Ghaeilge a bheith mar phríomh-theanga ar na comharthaí bóthair, mar chuid dá chlár do Sheachtain na Gaeilge.

Inné, chuir Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Teachta Dála ó Bhaile Átha Cliath, agus Ruadhán Mac Aodháin, iarrathóir sna toghcháin áitiúla i lár na cathrach thuaidh, comhartha bóthair Gaeilge in airde idir Sráid Uí Chonaill agus Siúlán Bachelor.

Tá an Comhairleoir Críona Ní Dháiligh chun rún a chur ós comhair Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Atha Cliath leis chun an Ghaeilge a bheith mar phríomh-theanga ar chomharthaí bóthair na cathrach

Ag labhairt dó tar éis na hócáide, dúirt Mac Aodháin: “Tá Sinn Féin ag céiliúradh Seachtain na Gaeilge. Deis atá innti chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn.

"D'iarr muid ar an Dáil 50% de imeachtaí na Dála an tseachtain seo chugainn a rith as Gaeilge. Ta muid ag lorg freisin go dtógfar ceisteanna an Taoisigh as Ghaeilge.

“Tá Sinn Fein ag lorg cothrom na féinne don Ghaeilge ar na chomharthaí bóthair leis agus cuirfear rún faoin cheist seo ós comhair an Comhairle Cathrach an tseachtain seo chugainn.”

Maidir le cúrsaí oideachais, dúirt Mac Aodháin “Ba chóir go gcuirfeadh an Rialtas stop láithreach leis an ionsaí atá a dhéanamh aige ar an tumoideachas Gaeilge.”


Sinn Fein has just launched a campaign to give Irish priority on street signs, as part of its programme for Seachtain na Gaeilge.

Dublin Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Ruadhán MacAodhán, the party’s local election candidate in Dublin North Central, have erected an Irish language street sign just above the main signpost on O’Connell Street, at the junction of Bachelor’s Walk and O’Connell Street.

Dublin Sinn Féin Councillor Críona Ní Dháiligh is to put forward a motion at a meeting of Dublin City Council to make Irish the leading language on all bilingual street signs in the city.

Speaking after yesterday's street-naming, Ruadhán MacAodhán said Sinn Féin was celebrating Seachtain na Gaeilge and taking the opportunity to highlight the Irish language.

"We have called for an increase in the use of Irish in the Dáil, proposing that 50% of all of next week’s proceeding should take place through the medium of Irish. We have hope that the Taoiseach’s questions will be taken in Irish.

“We are calling for Irish to be given priority on all bilingual street signs and a motion to this effect will be put to the City Council next week.

“We are also calling on the Government to honour Seachtain na Gaeilge by ending its attack on all-Irish early immersion teaching.”

Final Nail Party Collection

On Thursday 19 February, Dublin Sinn Féin members and Ógra Shinn Féin members held a mock collection for the poor bankers. Video of the collection can be seen here

Dublin Sinn Féín day of action in support of Dublin Bus Workers

Dublin Sinn Féin took part in a day of action on February 28th in support of the Dublin Bus workers who face redundancies and the reduction in public services.

Speaking at the time Sinn Féín Vice President and Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald said “The decision to withdraw 120 buses from the capital city’s public transport service in incomprehensible, particularly in the context that it is happening under the Green Party’s watch. This is a bad decision for workers, the people of Dublin, for public service delivery, for the environment and for the city’s sustainability.

“The government’s inaction on this issue has been shocking but not surprising. Let’s not forget that Dublin’s dependency on car usage has been created by decades of bad public transport policy and underinvestment by Fianna Fáil. Dublin should have a first class integrated public transport system that is the envy of Europe. We don’t and this is because successive Fianna Fáil governments have been short on vision, leadership and a real commitment to Dublin’s commuters and businesses alike. And lets not cod ourselves that Fine Gael would do it any differently. The day the cuts were announced Fine Gael were fast out of the traps calling for further privatisation of Dublin’s bus services. Privatisation of public services doesn’t work. Just look at Eircom’s failure to deliver broadband around the country and the negative impact of privatisation on our health service.

“But this can change. Make your voice heard. Demand that the cuts in Dublin Bus be reversed. Demand that government deliver sustainable integrated public transport for the people of Dublin. We deserve better.”