Austerity Treaty could drive Wexford people back into 1911 poverty – Kelly

Speaking at a public meeting against the Austerity Treaty in Rosslare Harbour last Wednesday night, Cllr Anthony Kelly said that in the centenary year of the 1911 Wexford lock out ordinary people were once again organising themselves against injustice and unfairness. The Wexford Sinn Féin rep warned that the austerity that would come with the ratification of the fiscal treaty on May 31st could drive the people of County Wexford back down to the poverty levels experienced by ordinary families in that period.

“Two weeks ago the people of Wexford commemorated the lock out of 1911 in the town,” Cllr Kelly said, “On that day groups such as the Labour party and SIPTU were among those who gathered to remember the struggle by working men and women against unfairness and injustice. It’s strange that those groups are now among the alliance that is attempting to scaremonger the Irish electorate into voting yes to a treaty that will institutionalise the policies of austerity; policies that impose unfairness and injustice upon families across this state.”

“One hundred years after the lock out people in this county are once again organising themselves against injustice and unfairness. The policies of austerity have failed. We have endured four years of savage cuts and new charges and we now have more people unemployed, more people immigrating and more people living in poverty in this state than when these policies were first introduced to save our economy. A yes vote will attach the austerity we have struggled under for the past few years to our constitution. Such an action would hurdle Ireland back into a period of indefinite poverty and political instability.”

“Sinn Féin are not blindly saying no to this treaty. We’re giving clear alternatives. If the EU wants to see Ireland emerge from this crisis then it is investment in the Irish people that we need not further austerity. Increasing the lending capacity of the European Investment Bank would allow member states like Ireland to roll out major projects in order to generate employment, increase competitiveness and improve the social and economic infrastructure. This would lead to both immediate and long term economic growth. Immediately the EIB could aid struggling member states to stimulate their economies and by doing so reduce their deficits without destroying their countries in the process. In the long term the EIB could act as a mechanism for recycling a portion of budget surpluses from core EU nations into the economies of periphery nations which would benefit people across the union.”