People Before Profit Clondalkin Newsletter Summer 2022

PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT SOCIALISM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Gino

Clondalkin

NEWSLETTER

Kenny TD 085 721 1574

gino.kenny @oireachtas.ie

Gino Kenny TD

@GinoSocialist

SUMMER 2022

COST OF LIVING CRISIS The cost of living crisis deepens by the day. Inflation in May was 7.8%.

The highest increase in 38 years.

Everything is up. Heating oil by 101%, electricity by 41%, rents by 11% and basic food stuffs like bread, milk and butter by 10%.

Recent figures show that in the year to the end of March hourly wages rose by 1.9%. Inflation was 6.9%. Therefore real wages are being cut on a massive scale not seen since the financial crash.

Up to March a worker on average full time wages was down €2500 in spending power but it’s now estimated that you could be out of pocket by €3500 a year as prices keep going up.

Nearly a third of household are now in fuel poverty.

Meanwhile, Oxfam have shown five of the best-known Irish energy companies had combined yearly profits rise of €280 million. Five of the biggest Irish food companies have had a total profit rise of €174 million in just one year. Also the wealth of Ireland’s 9 billionaires has increased a massive €15.55 billion since We the want start of build a strongerbyvoice for workers across Ireland. to

PAUL MURPHY & RISE HAVE JOINED PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT

COVID DELAYS TO LUCAN SWIMMING POOL

the pandemic, a 44 percent increase bringing it to €51 billion.

This not acceptable and that why People Before Profits is calling for a cap on energy prices, a millionaires tax and a windfall tax on those who are profiteering from the current surge in prices.

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We want to build a movement like the water charges on for to decades welfare payments and a Living Wage of €15 an hour. We movement put real pressure on the government to support the call to reform and extend the fuel allowance and protect incomes and control costs.

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from Palmerstown, Clondalkin, Lucan and Tallaght - across the island.

PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT SOCIALISM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

COUNCIL VOTES TO BAN DATA CENTRES

ANTI-EVICTION BILL

BREAST CANCER MOTION In 2020 Ireland had the 5th highest mortality rate for female breast cancer in the EU and the 8th highest incident rate.

This is unacceptable and something we can change.

To combat this Gino Kenny TD is bringing a motion before the Dáil around breast cancer.

People Before Profit is calling on the government to: South Dublin County Council became the first to ban data centres after a motion put forward by People Before Profit Cllr Madeleine Johansson was passed.

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

South Dublin has been named the data centre hub of Ireland by many, with TikTok set to build one of the biggest Data Centers in Europe in Clondalkin which would use up the same amount of energy in one day then the whole of Clondalkin in three months.

● 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

In fact, it is estimated that 10% of Ireland’s electricity use is currently consumed by data centres and this is expected to increase to 25-30% by 2030. Data centres consume an average of 2% of electricity globally.

● 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

Despite what supporters of data centres say they create very few jobs and the average data centre uses massive amounts of water: up to five million litres per day. There is also a massive cost to the state trying to facilitate these centres by rejigging its electricity network. The Irish Academy of Engineering has estimated that data centre expansion will require almost €9 billion in new energy infrastructure and add 13% at least to Ireland’s carbon emissions by 2030. This is not sustainable.

People Before Profit proposed a nationwide ban on data centres in 2021 which unfortunately was voted down by the Government. However, it is great to see this motion being passed at the local council. If we are serious about reducing emissions, then we need to curb the growth of data centres.

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

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

Cancer screening services have been severely impacted over the course of the covid pandemic, it is important that we make sure the government prioritise women’s health.

MEDICAL CANNABIS ACCESS PROGRAMME Late last year the long-awaited Medical Cannabis Access Programme finally commenced thanks to the tireless efforts of campaigners and a long campaign that culminated in changing government policy.

Those who can benefit from this treatment can now obtain these medicines by prescription.

However, to date, only twelve people have been given access to Medical Cannabis via prescription.

Due to the restrictive nature of the programme many people who need and would benefit from medicinal cannabis have been excluded from the program such as those with chronic pain.

People Before Profit will continue to lobby the government for the expansion of the programme to include other conditions in the forthcoming review of the programme.

People Before Profit Occupied Territories Bill.

DYING WITH DIGNITY BILL

NEWSLETTER

32 COUNTY POLITICS People Before Profit is proud to be a committed 32 county party with members across the island, north and south of the border. As well our four TDs and six councillors in the South People Before Profit have an MLA in Stormont and five councillors in the north.

Last summer the Dáil’s Justice Committee recommended that a special Oireachtas committee should examine the topic of assisted dying following the scrutiny of the Dying with Dignity Bill which People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny put forward in 2020.

The special committee will convene this year and run for a period of nine months. It will then make recommendations on how to progress the issue. I plan to introduce a new bill in 2023.

Recent opinion polls have indicated that a clear majority would support a change in legislation to give those with a life-limiting terminal illness a choice to avail of voluntary assisted dying.

The Stormont election in May saw a huge shift in the north as the DUP haemorrhaged votes and parties like Alliance and Sinn Fein made significant gains. Voters are clearly fed up with the sectarian drum beating from the likes of the DUP. Due to the polarizing nature of the recent election, many smaller voices were squeezed out with the Green Party losing their entire assembly representation. In this context, we in People Before Profit are delighted to have re-elected a socialist MLA in West Belfast. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our party activists on the ground.

Like James Connolly, we see the Irish border as the source of sectarian divisions which has led to a carnival of reaction. It has divided working people on this island, holding back their economic development and helping to bolster a conservative unionism in the north and a conservative Catholicism in the south.

For these reasons, we operate as a 32-county party and continuously campaign for a united Ireland.

Launching the Dying with Dignity Bill with Vicky Phelan, Tom Curran and Gail O’Rorke outside Leinster House.

DEFEND IRISH NEUTRALITY In the wake of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, we have seen an outpouring of solidarity from the Irish people to the people of Ukraine, with many opening up their homes, volunteering, donating and sending messages of support.

Ireland has a strong and proud tradition of anti-imperialism and fighting for the right to self-determination. However, those in the political establishment are cynically using this goodwill to try and erode Irish neutrality.

Irish neutrality is part of an anti-colonial legacy that has deep roots in Irish society. It was originally invoked against the hypocrisy of Britain who claimed to be fighting for ‘freedom’ – yet was keeping countries like India in bondage.

Far from being obsolete, it is even more relevant today. The Western powers claim the mantle of ‘democracy’ against the ‘authoritarian’ regimes, yet their hypocrisy is abundantly evident.

At the end of March, People Before Profit launched a bill that sought to enshrine neutrality into the Irish constitution through a referendum. However, this bill was defeated by government parties, including the Greens who have previously been in favour of neutrality.

People Before Profit will continue to fight for Irish neutrality and work toward building an Irish Neutrality League to say no to war and militarism in all its forms.

People Before Profit

NEWSLETTER BUSCONNECTS D SPINE COMING IN 2023 BusConnects is being rolled out across Dublin with the D spine changes coming in 2023.

ST.CUTHBERTS PARK Major improvements have been earmarked for St. Cuthbert’s Park in the next year.

In recent years the park has seen improvements in its accessibility and usability by residents of the south west part of Clondalkin.

It's very welcome that significant improvements will be made to the park and on the site of St. Cuthbert’s Church.

This means some changes to the Clondalkin area.

The 13 will be replaced by the D1 and D3 which both will go down the New Nangor Rd (similar to 151 route).

There will be a new bus G1 which will start at Red Cow, go through Woodford then to the city centre via Cherry Orchard/ParkWest.

The new local bus L54 from the Red Cow to Leixlip via Clondalkin Village and Lucan Village has already started and is currently running every 60 minutes. This new local bus is very welcome as it connects the local villages and the Luas line.

The new HSE Primary Care Centre on Boot Rd is currently under construction. It is expected to be completed in 2023 and will house a range of health services such as primary health care, physical therapy, occupational therapy and counselling services. The move to primary care centres where patients can access a range of public health services is an important step. We need to continue this by moving to a single tier national public health service free at the point of access.

People Before Profit Constituency Office Unit 3 Monastery Rd, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.

01-4030007 Open to the Public.

Constituency offices times are now 11am to 1pm on Monday and Friday.

All Other Times by Appointment.

PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT SOCIALISM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Your Local

0612

NEW PRIMARY CARE CENTRE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Dublin Mid West Representatives

Cllr. Madeleine Johansson  087 3630242  mjohansson@cllrs.sdublincoco.ie  Cllr Madeleine Johansson

People Before Profit Gino Kenny T.D. Rep  085 7211574 Darragh Adelaide  www.ginokenny.com  085-1754334  gino.kenny@oireachtas.ie

For More Information on People Before Profit Contact 087 2839964 or visit www.pbp.ie