"Our society is defined by how we look after the most vulnerable. 1 in 7 adults in Ireland will have experienced a mental health difficulty in the last year" says Kiran Emrich, People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA) local election candidate in Galway Central.
That is why the PBPA campaign commits to the actions on mental health that the 4MentalHealth campaign has prescribed in conjunction with the Union of Students in Ireland.
Working to improve mental health and to ensure social inclusion of people with mental health difficulties is something that PBPA Galway have been participating in for a number of years. We have been involved with Amnesty International and Jigsaw Mental Health campaigns, and also supporting The Galway East Mental Health Action Group, the campaign to retain the Addiction Clinic at Merlin Park Hospital, along with demonstrating against SNA cuts, and offering solidarity to the Psychiatric Nurses Association amongst others.
The key actions of the 4MentalHealth campaign are that
*We demand improved community-based mental health services locally for children & adults, and implementation of the current mental health policy 'A Vision for Change'.
* There must be commitments to funding for local community mental health groups that support recovery from mental health difficulties.
*In order to prevent homelessness we must ensure that there is effective communication between local authorities & community mental health teams.
If elected Kiran Emrich undertakes to present a motion to Galway City Council stating that in its work, the Council will seek to promote mental health & well-being among the whole local population.
To elaborate further, PBPA National Health Policy calls for increased funding for Mental Health to at least 10% of the health budget.
We need improved access to social support, OT & psychotherapy as alternatives to medication and ECT. Vitally important is to improve access for children to prompt, good quality mental health & developmental assessments /therapies by staffing Child Mental Health and Early Intervention Teams to age 18. Liaison with & availability of school supports including small class sizes, Resource Teachers, SNAs & NEPS psychologists needs to be improved.
Adds Kiran Emrich, "There needs to be a resolution over the stop-start implementation of the 'Vision For Change' policy. We urgently need to emphasise preventive measures such as increased welfare spending on income support & jobs to reduce mental health problems and suicide. The economic crisis and the austerity policies of the current and previous government parties are taking a terrible toll on our society."
Monday 28 April 2014
Pledge on Homelessness
Homeless pledge by Kiran Emrich People Before Profit Alliance election candidate for Galway Central.
Amid reports of housing price increases and a new property bubble beginning to inflate,the national media coverage of a homeless family,mother Sabrina Ryan with her three small children, being forced to live in her car has revealed the outrageous situation for people suffering the Irish housing crisis. People Before Profit Alliance election candidate for Galway Central, Kiran Emrich, makes a commitment to the people of Galway to protect homelessness budgets if elected.
He is also urging people to ask candidates in their electoral area to pledge the same support when they canvas homes.
"It is absolutely disgusting and sickening that families and individuals are reduced to living in cars.
One of the most cruel aspects of the system is that people are conditioned to see unemployment and homelessness as the result of some sort of failure of those that find themselves in this situation. But it is the austerity policies of the Fine Gael Labour Government that are leaving such people by the way-side. With the desperate housing situation in our city and country intensifying, the truth of the matter is that we need increased funding for homeless services in the city.
Therefore I give my pledge to the people of Galway that if elected I will protect the homeless services budget for the next five years of local government and never vote for any proposed cuts to the homeless budget. Homeless services need to know now that they will have continued support at Galway Council level. I urge people to simply ask other local election candidates to make this pledge when they canvass your homes."
The People Before Profit Alliance is campaigning at national level to have the cuts to the homeless services budget restored and for more housing to be made available as a priority. This would put the homeless services under less pressure.
Amid reports of housing price increases and a new property bubble beginning to inflate,the national media coverage of a homeless family,mother Sabrina Ryan with her three small children, being forced to live in her car has revealed the outrageous situation for people suffering the Irish housing crisis. People Before Profit Alliance election candidate for Galway Central, Kiran Emrich, makes a commitment to the people of Galway to protect homelessness budgets if elected.
He is also urging people to ask candidates in their electoral area to pledge the same support when they canvas homes.
"It is absolutely disgusting and sickening that families and individuals are reduced to living in cars.
One of the most cruel aspects of the system is that people are conditioned to see unemployment and homelessness as the result of some sort of failure of those that find themselves in this situation. But it is the austerity policies of the Fine Gael Labour Government that are leaving such people by the way-side. With the desperate housing situation in our city and country intensifying, the truth of the matter is that we need increased funding for homeless services in the city.
Therefore I give my pledge to the people of Galway that if elected I will protect the homeless services budget for the next five years of local government and never vote for any proposed cuts to the homeless budget. Homeless services need to know now that they will have continued support at Galway Council level. I urge people to simply ask other local election candidates to make this pledge when they canvass your homes."
The People Before Profit Alliance is campaigning at national level to have the cuts to the homeless services budget restored and for more housing to be made available as a priority. This would put the homeless services under less pressure.
Sunday 27 April 2014
Make them Pay on 23rd May!
Make them Pay on 23rd May!
You can help to unseat Labour & austerity party politicians.
The People Before Profit Alliance is pursuing a very deliberate strategy of seeking to replace Labour councillors with real left candidates, & thus create a different brand of politics that is not about playing the establishment’s game.
We have ruled out any coalition deal with right wing parties – either at local or governmental level.
Instead of election promises which turn into cynical lies, PBPA promises to be a force that promotes ‘people power’.
Our elected councillors will act as community representatives & will pursue every grievance that is raised with them.They will also act as a watch dog on the unelected officials who control most decision making at local level.
But the key objective will be to use the elected positions to mobilise other people into a struggle against austerity. These battles will not be won inside council chambers but outside on the streets.
One of the major issues that we confront is water charges.
The people of Togher in Cork should be congratulated for opposing the presence of Irish Water in their area. This example should be spread elsewhere.
*IF YOU HEAR OF WATER METERS BEING INSTALLED IN GALWAY, PLEASE LET US KNOW. WE WILL SPREAD THE WORD & TOGETHER ORGANISE OPPOSITION.
But alongside these local battles we believe that we need a clear national strategy that provides us with a chance of winning.
First de-stabilise the government, by inflicting huge losses on them in the local & euro elections.
Then follow that up with protests that escalate into peaceful, mass civil disobedience and workers action.
You can help to unseat Labour & austerity party politicians.
The People Before Profit Alliance is pursuing a very deliberate strategy of seeking to replace Labour councillors with real left candidates, & thus create a different brand of politics that is not about playing the establishment’s game.
We have ruled out any coalition deal with right wing parties – either at local or governmental level.
Instead of election promises which turn into cynical lies, PBPA promises to be a force that promotes ‘people power’.
Our elected councillors will act as community representatives & will pursue every grievance that is raised with them.They will also act as a watch dog on the unelected officials who control most decision making at local level.
But the key objective will be to use the elected positions to mobilise other people into a struggle against austerity. These battles will not be won inside council chambers but outside on the streets.
One of the major issues that we confront is water charges.
The people of Togher in Cork should be congratulated for opposing the presence of Irish Water in their area. This example should be spread elsewhere.
*IF YOU HEAR OF WATER METERS BEING INSTALLED IN GALWAY, PLEASE LET US KNOW. WE WILL SPREAD THE WORD & TOGETHER ORGANISE OPPOSITION.
But alongside these local battles we believe that we need a clear national strategy that provides us with a chance of winning.
First de-stabilise the government, by inflicting huge losses on them in the local & euro elections.
Then follow that up with protests that escalate into peaceful, mass civil disobedience and workers action.
Tuesday 18 March 2014
Iraq - 11 Years On - - Silent Protest in Galway
11 Years to the day since the start of the war in Iraq there will be a silent protest, at the top of Shop Street, Galway on Wednesday 19th March at 12.45pm.
Members of the People Before Profit Alliance and Galway Alliance Against War will mark the 11th anniversary of the illegal Iraq War with a 45 minute silent protest. The protest will also mark 9 weeks since Margaretta D'Arcy was imprisoned for protesting at Shannon Airport.
The people of Iraq to this day continue to suffer: In 7 months of 2013 some 20,000 people lost their lives as a result of civil and sectarian divisions that were fomented because of the US-UK invasion in 2003.
An estimated 1.4 million people have lost their lives in the past 11 years in Iraq. There are 4 million refugees. Mass poverty & chronic illness plague the country. Cancers & birth deformities caused by war and the weapons of war are commonplace.
One of the principal culprits being depleted uranium weaponry transported via Shannon airport. Ireland plays a significant role (via Shannon airport and Irish airspace) in the unnecessary Iraq war. Successive Irish governments have refused to stop the US from using Shannon to transport troops, weapons to Iraq and Afghanistan and prisoners to Guantanamo Bay. Under international law, the government is ignoring its obligations to investigate the transport of illegal weapons and the illegal rendition of prisoners.
The People Before Profit Alliance demands that the government stop the US military use of Shannon and Irish airspace. We also demand the immediate release of Margaretta D'Arcy from Mountjoy Prison.
Members of the People Before Profit Alliance and Galway Alliance Against War will mark the 11th anniversary of the illegal Iraq War with a 45 minute silent protest. The protest will also mark 9 weeks since Margaretta D'Arcy was imprisoned for protesting at Shannon Airport.
The people of Iraq to this day continue to suffer: In 7 months of 2013 some 20,000 people lost their lives as a result of civil and sectarian divisions that were fomented because of the US-UK invasion in 2003.
An estimated 1.4 million people have lost their lives in the past 11 years in Iraq. There are 4 million refugees. Mass poverty & chronic illness plague the country. Cancers & birth deformities caused by war and the weapons of war are commonplace.
One of the principal culprits being depleted uranium weaponry transported via Shannon airport. Ireland plays a significant role (via Shannon airport and Irish airspace) in the unnecessary Iraq war. Successive Irish governments have refused to stop the US from using Shannon to transport troops, weapons to Iraq and Afghanistan and prisoners to Guantanamo Bay. Under international law, the government is ignoring its obligations to investigate the transport of illegal weapons and the illegal rendition of prisoners.
The People Before Profit Alliance demands that the government stop the US military use of Shannon and Irish airspace. We also demand the immediate release of Margaretta D'Arcy from Mountjoy Prison.
Our Water is Not for Sale! Conference on the Politics, Selling and Privatisation of Water
The People Before Profit Alliance will be hosting a national conference on the subject of water, on Saturday 5th April, in the Gresham Hotel, O'Connell Street in Dublin from 10:00-17:00pm. All Welcome.
"Water promises to be the 21st century what oil was to the 20th century: the precious commodity that determines the wealth of nations"
- Fortune Magazine
- Fortune Magazine
Water is a basic human need and therefore ought to be a basic human right. Yet, those who profit from its overuse and abuse are determining the future of one of the earth’s most vital resources. A handful of multinational corporations, backed by the World Bank and the European Union, are aggressively taking over the management of public water services around the world. They are dramatically increasing the price of water to the local residents and profiting from the people’s search for solutions to the water crisis. The corporate agenda is clear, water should be treated like any other tradable good, with its use determined by market principles. At the same time, governments are signing away their control over domestic water supplies by participating in trade agreements and institutions that effectively give private corporations unprecedented access to the water of signatory countries.
Irish people have long resisted the introduction of water charges and following a sustained three-year campaign succeeded in abolishing water charges in 1997. Now under the guise of austerity imposed by the Troika, water charges of €300 plus per year are being imposed. Water charges are just the latest burden the Government plans to impose on the Irish people -- after bin charges, the Universal Social Charge and the Property Tax along with wage cuts and welfare cuts -- all designed to keep the banks and our European paymasters sweet.
The “Our Water is Not for Sale” Forum will bring together activists opposed to charges, environmental and anti-capitalist campaigners from Ireland and Europe as well as leading campaigners from South America to discuss the wider politics of water and privatisation; we will consider how they relate to climate change and other environmental issues; and crucially, focus on developing strategies of resistance.
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS include:
Marcela Olivera from the Great Water Revolt in Cochabamba, Bolivia 2000
Professor Mike Gonzalez from Venezuela.
Plus speakers from UNITE –the Union, and from campaigns in Ireland and Europe.
For more information see Cllr. Brid Smith's website
http://www.bridsmith.net/
Irish people have long resisted the introduction of water charges and following a sustained three-year campaign succeeded in abolishing water charges in 1997. Now under the guise of austerity imposed by the Troika, water charges of €300 plus per year are being imposed. Water charges are just the latest burden the Government plans to impose on the Irish people -- after bin charges, the Universal Social Charge and the Property Tax along with wage cuts and welfare cuts -- all designed to keep the banks and our European paymasters sweet.
The “Our Water is Not for Sale” Forum will bring together activists opposed to charges, environmental and anti-capitalist campaigners from Ireland and Europe as well as leading campaigners from South America to discuss the wider politics of water and privatisation; we will consider how they relate to climate change and other environmental issues; and crucially, focus on developing strategies of resistance.
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS include:
Marcela Olivera from the Great Water Revolt in Cochabamba, Bolivia 2000
Professor Mike Gonzalez from Venezuela.
Plus speakers from UNITE –the Union, and from campaigns in Ireland and Europe.
For more information see Cllr. Brid Smith's website
http://www.bridsmith.net/
Supporting the Elverys Workers
Meeting the workers at Elverys on the Headford Road and signing their petition. Elverys is in administration with the 700 jobs around the country, under threat. The workers need peoples support to ensure that jobs are protected.
"Catastrophic failure" to address housing crisis
People before Profit TD rails against “catastrophic failure” to address housing and homelessness emergency
- Richard Boyd Barrett calls for emergency social housing programme and immediate increase in rent allowance caps
In the Dáil on the 12th March during Questions to the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government and during the Dáil debate on the housing and homelessness situation, Richard Boyd Barrett accused the government of a catastrophic failure to address what he described as an emergency in social housing and homelessness.
Deputy Boyd Barrett called for an emergency response from the government to deal with the crisis, insisting that only a major council house building programme and immediate variation on the rent allowance caps could address the deepening crisis.
Deputy Boyd Barrett also condemned what he described as the handover of the property sector to international property speculators and vulture funds such as Lone Star, Apollo and Kennedy Wilson who are now moving to buy up IBRC and NAMA property portfolios.
Recent announcements by Minister for Housing Jan O’Sullivan that the Government plan to provide extra social housing units were “pathetic” and would barely dent the numbers of people waiting on the council waiting lists or facing homelessness as a result of inability to pay rapidly rising rents in the private rental sector.
Richard Boyd Barrett said,
“How is it that we have the biggest crisis in housing and homelessness in the history of the state after the biggest property boom in the history of the state and it beggars belief that we are now giving property back to speculators instead of housing people in dire need?”
We have statement after statement from Government Ministers saying that no-one would be made homeless as a result of government policy yet the stark facts tell a different story.
The Government need to put their hands up, admit they got it wrong and start addressing the issue by raising the rent caps and building more social housing or this catastrophic failure to deal with a growing emergency will have fatal consequences”
It is extraordinary that after the experience of an economic crash caused by speculators being allowed to control the housing market the government is now going to sell potential homes for the 97,000 on council waiting lists to vulture funds such as Lonestar”
Government starting a new housing bubble?
PBPA TD says Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS) = a dangerous Tax Scam for the super-wealthy that is creating another property bubble and a social housing crisis
In a statement, Richard Boyd Barrett, TD for the People Before Profit Alliance has responded to news that Hibernia REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) have purchased New Century House in the IFSC saying that the purchase is evidence that the government are now actively promoting the sort of property-based tax reliefs that created the property bubble that in turn crashed the Irish economy in 2007/8.
Deputy Boyd Barrett said REITs were an extremely alarming indication that only 6 years after the economy was crashed by widespread gambling & speculation in property, the Fine Gael and Labour Government were now pumping up another property bubble to benefit property speculators and the banks, and in the process putting the economy, once again, on a dangerous and unsustainable path.
Deputy Boyd Barrett said that what now appeared to be a deliberate government policy to pump up the property sector was already producing one of the worst crises in homelessness & social housing in the history of the state. He said pumping up property prices and rents, while at the same time abandoning the direct provision of low cost council housing, had the inevitable effect of driving people on low incomes out of the housing market and into homelessness and dire housing situations.
Richard Boyd Barrett said: “It simply beggars belief that only 8 years after the worst economic crash in the history of the state – a crash caused by property speculation – that the government are actively promoting another tax scam to encourage speculation in property.”
“The purchase of New Century House by Hibernia REIT is a frightening symbol of the return of the property madness that has inflicted so much suffering on the people of this country. REITs are encouraging large corporate & super-wealthy speculators to gamble on property and we can already see that this is pumping up the property market with rents and property prices now rising steeply in Dublin and other urban centres.
Taken alongside the fact that this government has effectively abandoned the direct provision of low –cost council housing, & we now have a housing list in Dublin that is 13 and 14 years long, this crazy policy has already unleashed a major increase in homelessness and is fast producing one of the worst housing crises in the modern history of the state.
Yet again, the beneficiaries of this economic madness are the banks, property speculators & super-wealthy investors and the people who are suffering are the poorest and most vulnerable. So while property speculators stand to make huge tax-free fortunes out of captive property market, 6 families a day are being driven into homelessness and the council housing list has spiked to 14 -15 years, leaving many families in dire and insecure housing situations for a major part of their lives. The stupidity of this policy is beyond belief and is a quite sickening echo of the lunacy of that beggared our entire economy.
The only way to have a properly functioning housing sector is for the state to build a very significant stock of low cost council housing itself – both to provide the social housing we so desperately need, but also to regulate the property sector so it does not go totally out of control in the hands of speculators. We have to start screaming about this now before we repeat the disastrous mistakes of the recent past.”
In a statement, Richard Boyd Barrett, TD for the People Before Profit Alliance has responded to news that Hibernia REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) have purchased New Century House in the IFSC saying that the purchase is evidence that the government are now actively promoting the sort of property-based tax reliefs that created the property bubble that in turn crashed the Irish economy in 2007/8.
Deputy Boyd Barrett said REITs were an extremely alarming indication that only 6 years after the economy was crashed by widespread gambling & speculation in property, the Fine Gael and Labour Government were now pumping up another property bubble to benefit property speculators and the banks, and in the process putting the economy, once again, on a dangerous and unsustainable path.
Deputy Boyd Barrett said that what now appeared to be a deliberate government policy to pump up the property sector was already producing one of the worst crises in homelessness & social housing in the history of the state. He said pumping up property prices and rents, while at the same time abandoning the direct provision of low cost council housing, had the inevitable effect of driving people on low incomes out of the housing market and into homelessness and dire housing situations.
Richard Boyd Barrett said: “It simply beggars belief that only 8 years after the worst economic crash in the history of the state – a crash caused by property speculation – that the government are actively promoting another tax scam to encourage speculation in property.”
“The purchase of New Century House by Hibernia REIT is a frightening symbol of the return of the property madness that has inflicted so much suffering on the people of this country. REITs are encouraging large corporate & super-wealthy speculators to gamble on property and we can already see that this is pumping up the property market with rents and property prices now rising steeply in Dublin and other urban centres.
Taken alongside the fact that this government has effectively abandoned the direct provision of low –cost council housing, & we now have a housing list in Dublin that is 13 and 14 years long, this crazy policy has already unleashed a major increase in homelessness and is fast producing one of the worst housing crises in the modern history of the state.
Yet again, the beneficiaries of this economic madness are the banks, property speculators & super-wealthy investors and the people who are suffering are the poorest and most vulnerable. So while property speculators stand to make huge tax-free fortunes out of captive property market, 6 families a day are being driven into homelessness and the council housing list has spiked to 14 -15 years, leaving many families in dire and insecure housing situations for a major part of their lives. The stupidity of this policy is beyond belief and is a quite sickening echo of the lunacy of that beggared our entire economy.
The only way to have a properly functioning housing sector is for the state to build a very significant stock of low cost council housing itself – both to provide the social housing we so desperately need, but also to regulate the property sector so it does not go totally out of control in the hands of speculators. We have to start screaming about this now before we repeat the disastrous mistakes of the recent past.”
Tuesday 14 January 2014
PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT ALLIANCE
launch candidate KIRAN EMRICH, Galway Central Ward.
Saturday January 25th 2014 4pm
Richardson’s upstairs meeting room, Eyre Square, Galway City.
with PBPA Cllr. HUGH LEWIS (Dun Laoghaire).
+
Open Community Meeting to address WATER CHARGES.
In 2014, for the first time PBPA will be running a candidate in Galway in the local elections. Kiran Emrich will be one of 50 candidates from around the country running on behalf of the PBPA.
Kiran Emrich has been a political activist for over 10 years. He was elected onto the first Donegal Youth Council at the age of 16. He was involved in setting up Amach! LGBT Galway Ltd. which succeeded in having the LGBT Resource Centre included in the Galway City Development Plan.
Concerned about lack of democracy & accountability, Kiran will be holding monthly open public meetings on issues affecting our communities. If elected, these meetings will afford an opportunity for a report back by Kiran Emrich on council business to the electorate in the area, a mandate on issues, and to take up public concerns.
This year as well the government will be introducing water charges. They rammed the legislation through the Dail just before Christmas with no time for debate and now the water bills will be arriving by the end of this year.
The People Before Profit Alliance is firmly against Water Charges as we believe they are a regressive taxation that affect most those who cannot afford to pay. Water is a basic human right and need and should never be charged for.
So come along to the meeting, hear about the People Before Profit Alliance, about the candidate. And why we oppose Water Charges and how we can collectively go about challenging water charges.
ALL WELCOME.
Vigil at Merlin Park Addiction Treatment Centre
Around 30 people attended a vigil, in appalling weather, on Friday 20th December, at the former addiction treatment centre at Merlin Park Hospital in Galway. The centre was burnt down earlier this year, and the HSE is proposing to move the service to the psychiatric unit in University Hospital Galway (UHG).
The psychiatric unit at UHG is already overcrowded especially since the closure of mental health services in Ballinasloe and the downgrading of Roscommon Hospital. A psychiatric unit is also not a suitable location for an addiction treatment service. Most people who use the addiction treatment service would not consider their problems a psychiatric issue and would be less inclined to attend the service if it was located in the psychiatric unit. The service in Merlin Park had been there for 27 years, providing an excellent service.
People Before Profit representative Kiran Emrich said
'The HSE move is part of widespread cutbacks to services, with services being downgraded and centralised in main hospitals without increasing capacity of the main hospital. Its just going to lead to increased waiting lists, poorer services and poorer health."
Now a combination of service users, students from NUI Galway Students for a Sensible Drug Policy society and local people have come together to demand the service is retained in Merlin Park and that the centre is rebuilt. The vigil was the first event held by the campaign with a second vigil taking place on the 20th January.
The psychiatric unit at UHG is already overcrowded especially since the closure of mental health services in Ballinasloe and the downgrading of Roscommon Hospital. A psychiatric unit is also not a suitable location for an addiction treatment service. Most people who use the addiction treatment service would not consider their problems a psychiatric issue and would be less inclined to attend the service if it was located in the psychiatric unit. The service in Merlin Park had been there for 27 years, providing an excellent service.
People Before Profit representative Kiran Emrich said
'The HSE move is part of widespread cutbacks to services, with services being downgraded and centralised in main hospitals without increasing capacity of the main hospital. Its just going to lead to increased waiting lists, poorer services and poorer health."
Now a combination of service users, students from NUI Galway Students for a Sensible Drug Policy society and local people have come together to demand the service is retained in Merlin Park and that the centre is rebuilt. The vigil was the first event held by the campaign with a second vigil taking place on the 20th January.
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