People Before Profit Palmerstown March 2021 Newsletter

PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT SOCIALISM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

SPRING NEWSLETTER

Palmerstown

Gino

Kenny 085 721 1574

gino.kenny @oireachtas.ie

www.facebook.com/CllrGinoKenny

@GinoSocialist

Cllr Madeleine

Johansson 087 363 0242

mjohansson@cllrs.sdublincoco.ie

www.facebook.com/cllrjohansson

@CllrJohansson

UPDATE ON VINCENT BYRNE SITE AND HOTEL PAUL MURPHY & RISE HAVE JOINED PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT This is a huge step forward for the left as we unite together to build a stronger voice for workers across Ireland. We want to pose a serious challenge to the continuous cycle of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael rule and fight to see a genuine left government for workers.

As we welcome Paul Murphy and Rise, People Before Profit is now the largest ecosocialist party in Ireland and we are growing every day.

If you want to fight for workers rights, housing and healthcare for all, and a genuine left government without Fianna Fail or Fine Gael today is the day to get involved and join People Before Profit.

Together we can build a strong eco-socialist voice for workers from Palmerstown, Clondalkin, Lucan and Tallaght - across the island.

An Board Pleanala granted planning permission in September 2020 for the development of 250 buildto-rent homes on this site. Cllr Madeleine Johansson and Gino Kenny TD made a submission against this development because of its impact on the heritage of the village and the lack of affordability, among other reasons.

Madeleine has been supporting residents in the village including helping them deliver leaflets in the area.

Construction is expected to start in May. An Board Pleanala also granted permission for a 53 bedroom hotel on the Kennelsfort Rd in December.

These two developments combined will have a serious impact on traffic in the village and the N4. On the council, PBP will continue to push for an upgrade to the N4 junction.

COVID RESPONSE COSTING LIVES & PROLONGING LOCKDOWN The governments decision to ignore public health advice and lift restrictions in December has cost us over 2,000 lives so far. This catastrophe should have triggered a decisive response. Instead, we see: • • •

A half-hearted lockdown, with lots of non-essential work going ahead Open outbreaks in over half the countries meat plants New cases and strains allowed to enter due to lack of consistent mandatory quarantine measures

Government half measures mean a prolonged lockdown.

They must break from their failed Living With Covid strategy in favour of a Zero Covid strategy that would aggressively suppress the virus, eliminate community transmission and allow us to lift restrictions.

DEBENHAMS WORKERS WILL BE ONE YEAR FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE

LUCAN TO CITY CENTRE CYCLE CORRIDOR VIA PALMERSTOWN VILLAGE

Cllr Madeleine Johansson and Gino Kenny TD supporting the striking Debenham’s Workers in Tallaght On April 9th the Debenhams workers will be one year fighting for justice. They are demanding that their entitlements to redundancy pay be paid and that the state bring in legislation to protect workers made redundant as a result of a liquidation. The government has failed completely to meet their demands despite handing millions to businesses affected by the Pandemic.

PBP has fully supported the workers. Carol Quinn, from the Tallaght store, recently spoke at a public meeting with Gino Kenny and Paul Murphy and gave an impassioned account of their fight. We are supporting their demand that the recently agreed €3m training fund be turned into cash for the workers. We are also pushing for legislation to protect workers with enhanced redundancy entitlements.

Last November Bus Connects gave a presentation on the proposed cycle route from Lucan to the city centre. This new route will enhance the existing cycle infrastructure, making roads safer for both cyclists and pedestrians.

The proposed cycle route will go through Palmerstown village and continue on as a two-way cycle track along the Old Lucan Road to the Chapelizod bypass. The route is 10KM and will run all the way into the city centre. As this is a proposal and draft submissions can be subject to change.

APPOINTMENT TO THE DÁIL HEATH COMMITTEE I am delighted to have been appointed Health Spokesperson for People Before Profit and a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health where I intend to seek answers and action on key challenges facing our health services such as Covid-19, waiting lists, mental health and staffing issues including poor treatment of essential workers such as student nurses.

At a local level, I am keen to address issues around access to health care for residents in Dublin Mid-West including primary and community care as well as GP surgeries.

Our health is our wealth as they say. Unfortunately, in Ireland, health is wealth for people like Denis O’Brien and Larry Goodman who have vast interests in the private hospital and health sector. We in People Before Profit believe this is wrong and that we should have one broad and well-resourced public health service.

In these Covid times, we have seen the importance of access to healthcare and the essential contribution of health workers. Covid has also shown us the importance of a whole island and unified response to health care. I will be using my position on the Health Committee to argue for a one-tier public health system for the whole island of Ireland that provides accessible health care for all.

MEDICAL CANNABIS ACCESS PROGRAMME The Medical Cannabis Access Programme will now commence in June of this year. This means that for the first time, medicinal cannabis will be available for those who need it through prescription in Ireland.

While this is a step in the right direction the eligibility for those accessing the program remains too narrow. We must ensure that a wider cohort of people, such as those suffering from chronic pain, are included going forward.

People before profit will continue to fight to make these services more accessible for all who need them.

BREAST CANCER MOTION In 2020 Ireland had the 5th highest mortality rate for female breast cancer in the EU. This is unacceptable and something we can change which is why Gino Kenny is bringing a motion before the Dail.

PBP is calling on the government to: • •

Introduce screening for breast cancer from the age of 40 through publicly funded & run programmes.

Guarantee immediate access to diagnostics services for young women at risk of breast cancer & ensure access to a triple assessment for young women who present with possible breast cancer.

•

•

Immediately revise the criteria for access to genetic testing so that all women at high risk of BRCA related breast cancer have access to genetic testing and counselling in the PUBLIC health system.

Initiate a publicly funded education programme in schools around breast examination.

These changes are vital and if implemented they will save lives.

DYING WITH DIGNITY BILL Last September, I introduced the Dying with Dignity Bill 2020. This legislation will give the legal and medical provision to those who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness that is progressive, incurable and likely to lead to the person’s death the choice to have a peaceful end to their life.

As of a vote on the 7th of October, the bill was progressed to the next stage of the process and has gone to the Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality for detailed scrutiny.

In November the Justice Committee invited written submissions from the public, about the bill. In this process, contributors are invited from a broad spectrum of the debate around the issue of voluntary assisted dying.

At the end of that process which could take a number of months a report is issued by the committee making recommendations to the Dáil. I look forward to a rational and respectful debate.

THE SILVER BRIDGE In the ‘300k- Have Your Say’ participatory budgeting project the people of Lucan-Palmerstown voted for a feasibility study on the Silver Bridge.

The outcome of the study has shown that the bridge is in serious disrepair and needs urgent work. Some work will be carried out by Fingal County Council, however, there are currently no plans to restore the bridge to its former glory.

Cllr Madeleine Johansson has supported calls for the restoration of the bridge to use for the community. South Dublin County Council is citing land ownership issues as a reason for not restoring the bridge.

We will continue to push for a joint effort by South Dublin and Fingal County Council to ensure the bridge is not lost forever.

Dublin Mid-West Representatives Gino

Kenny TD

Cllr Madeleine

Johansson

085 721 1574

087 363 0242

gino.kenny @oireachtas.ie

mjohansson@cllrs.sdublincoco.ie