Issue 205, Saoirse : Irish Freedom (May, 2004)

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IRISH FREEDOM
THE VOICE OF THE REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT
UIMH 205   BEALTAINE   —   MAY   2004 http://saoirse.rr.nu €1 (70p stg, USA $30 p.a.)
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at the online
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in referendum
on citizenship
AT a media conference in Dublin on April 30 Republican
Sinn Fein called for a 'No' vote in the upcoming 26-County
referendum on citizenship. The organisation also presented
its manifesto for the 26-County local elections on June 11
and launched its updated social and economic programme,
SAOL NUA.
At the press conference,
Republican Sinn Fein leaders said
that in holding the referendum on the
same day as the local and European
elections the Dublin Administration
was playing party politics with the
basic right of citizenship. Ruairi O
Bradaigh, President, said:
"In holding such a referendum
coinciding with local and European
elections, the Dublin administration
are playing party politics with the
basic right of citizenship.
"Having already removed in
1998 'Article 2' of the '1937
Constitution' which enshrined the
territorial integrity of the island of
Ireland, the 26 County government
are now proposing to take from people born in Ireland their right to citizenship.
"Once that basic right has been
removed, citizenship becomes something arbitrary, a privilege which can
be given or taken away, rather than a
fundamental right common to all
Irish born people.
"RSF will be calling on the people of the 26 Counties to reject this
cynical tampering with the right of
citizenship."
In SAOL NUA, Republican Sinn
Fein states that the 26-County State
is second only to the United States as
being the most unequal society' in
what is known as the Developed
World. The United Nations reported
in 2003 that in the 26 Counties:
• 93% of those born today are
not expected to survive the age of 60;
• 22.6% of adults lack functional literary skills;
• 12.3% live below the poverty
line, as defined by the UN.
The policy document outlines
how the strategy of low tax to woo
foreign investment has resulted in
spending on Social Protection
Expenditure becoming the lowest in
the EU. This means spending on
health care, unemployment, disability, old age, family/children and
incentives to deal with social exclusion.
SAOL NUA outlines a real and
sane alternative of small enterprises,
worker/producer-owned co-operatives and regional development. It
further proposes a programme of
immediate action, including:
• supporting local autonomy,
including local financing;
• encouraging recycling of
waste and opposing incineration;
• campaigning against speculation in land for housing and essential
services, supporting demands that
the price of building land be based
• Councillor Sean Lynch
on the price of agricultural land plus
25%, be adopted and implemented.
• Working for and among the
unemployed, emigrants and immigrants.
Republican Sinn Fein's alternative to the existing system, SAOL
NUA, represents a vision of Ireland
based on Republican, Socialist, self-
reliance and ecological principles.
For more details the full SAOL NUA
document is available for €1 plus
postage from our offices in Dublin
and Belfast (addresses on page 16).
The 26-County local election
manifesto (see page 3) was also
launched at the press conference on
April 30 and the list of candidates
(five so far) were announced. They
are Cllr Sean Lynch (Longford
Counly Council — Drumlish area);
Tomas O Curraoin (Galway County
Des Dalton
Tomas O Curraoin
CABHAIR
Irish Republican
Prisoners Dependants
Fund
ANNUAL
TESTIMONIAL
& REPUBLICAN
REUNION
West County Hotel
Chapelizod, Dublin
Friday, May 21, 2004
Buffet Supper, €20
Music: Celtic Mist
Honorees
Brendan Magill, Ulster
Eddie Costello, Munster
Sean Mac an Io?naire,
Connacht
Maggie Kavanagh,
Leinster
Bob Loughman, USA
Hugh MacDonald,
Scotland
• Mike 'The Quill'Ryan
Council — Conamara area); Mick
'The Quill' Ryan (Limerick City
Council — Ward 1); Sean O'Neill
(Limerick City Council — Ward 4)
and Des Dalton (Athy Town
Council).
The manifesto The Political Will
to Change calls for support for
Republican Sinn Fein candidates
from the people of the 26 Counties
on June 11. They are candidates with
integrity and those elected members
are amongst the hardest-working
local government representatives in
the country, as those who voted for
them last time know. Vote No. 1 RSF
on June 11.
Republican Sinn Fein cannot
recommend any candidate in the
European elections on June 11.
Surprisingly, while the press
conference was under way in a
Dublin hotel, Gerry Adams blundered  into the  room  and quickly
• Sean O'Neill
withdrew. He returned immediately
to say hello to Ruairi 6 Bradaigh,
who muttered something unintelligible in reply!
A huge turnout of opposition to
the visit of US President George
Bush to Ireland on June 25-26 next
was also called for. By doing so Irish
people can oppose the first resource
war of the 21 st century taking place
in Iraq at present. Bush is the prime
architect of this war, in defiance of
the United Nations, and there is an
onus on all Irish people to stand up
and be counted at the Dublin demonstration, most likely on June 26.
Meanwhile. Tony Blair
announced on May 2 that the next
attempt by London and Dublin to
resurrect Stormont "must be the last
blfe Tone Commemoration, Bodenstown, Sunday,
June 13, Sallins, 2.30pm
Bus leaves Virgin Megastore, Aston Quay, Dublin 12.45, Tdille: €10
Resistance is alive and well!
Easter Commemorations
throughout Ireland;, 2004, pages 7-11
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