Brain Lenihan calls Pavee Point into question.
national |
rights, freedoms and repression |
news report 
Friday July 27, 2007 16:51
by Red Wedge
Brain Lenihan calls Pavee Point into question.
There was a clear consensus in the media surrounding the recent humanitarian crisis involving Roma Gypsies camped on the M50. There was little discussion of the supposed “free movement of people” in the European Union. Noting either on the discrimination faced by the Roma Gypsies in Romania and elsewhere.
The crisis featured twice on Tom McGuirk’s weekly news round up on RTE Radio 1. On both occasions, there was consensus amongst the panellists. The assertion that Ireland is a soft touch for “welfare tourists” was repeated and allowed to go unchallenged. McGuirk reiterated the claims-made without any evidence-that the Roma had houses, farms and jobs to return to. In fairness to him, he wasn’t alone in this-the claims were made all over the mainstream media.
McGuirk put forward what must now be the ultimate argument stopper of our times. The charge that those who dared speak up to defend the Roma were being “politically correct”. Again, he wasn’t alone in this.
There was silence in political circles. Not a peep out of any T.D.
The two organisations to come out of the episode with any shred of decency were the traveller organisation Pavee Point and Crosscare, the social care agency.
Crosscare provided some basic assistance to the families. Pave Point worked throughout the last two months to highlight the crisis and worked with other organisations in calling for the fulfilment of the basic human needs of the families involved.
However, Pavee Point is now coming under criticism for its role in working with the Roma. According to a report in today’s Irish Times, “The Minister for Justice (Brian Lenihan) has asked for a report from his officials into the role of Pavee Point in the recent Roma Controversy”. He continued “Naturally I’m reviewing this case...to see if organisations which are funded by the exchequer here are performing their correct roles”.
Lenihan’s underlying message is clear. The correct role of an organisation like Pavee Point is not to challenge or raise issues. It is to go keep their heads down.
The Times also reported the following: “He (Lenihan) would not say if Pavee Points funding as at risk”. There is noting new in this veiled threat. State funded organisations have in the past lost funding on the basis of challenging decsion makers. Lenihan has reminded those organisations’ depending on funding that dissent is dangerous.
Lenihan can be contacted at brianlenihantd@gmail.com.
Comments (4 of 4)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4His department's refusal to properly fund and co-ordinate rights and NGO organisations
is a simple step of continuing the work of his predecessor , Michael Mc Dowell.
People must recognise that right wing governments only seek to serve themselves and the
organisations they represent: The Developers. The Chamber of Commerce and the Crooks
who cream the tax system. Pavee Point has for many years represented the travelling community
in this country, against the most amazingly corrupt and inept state since its founding. When
we witness the repressions on this community and those in the ghettoes we are witnessing
the State's inhumanity. its time to call a halt to the corruption and support those who are
and will continue to lobby for basic rights.
btw- Brian the transposition of the basic rights of the child will require a properly worded
constitutional referendum and will guarantee those rights to the travelling community.
It will not be alone about 'protection'. This state's policies on human rights are as corrupt
as those in the Americas and it cannot all be swept under the carpet. Mr Lenihan gave an
undertaking in Geneva that the communities in this country would have those rights.
Strangely enough , for such a moneyed society- the neanderthal like thickness displayed
in its political representatives beggars belief.
Pavee Point deals in issues that are inherently political. It must be entitled to put it's point of view, particlarly if that point of view is one which is at odds with majority opinion.
Making the point that the grim life-chances of nomadic societies are entirely the fault of racism within the dominant community (rather than inherent to nomadism and the conservative autocratic anti-woman and education-phobic social mores and attitudes within those communities) is one which Pavee Point is entitled to make in a free and democratic society.
Advocating caution before deportation to Romania is not the same thing as advocating the breach of our immigration laws. Impartiality, accuracy, and balance are not pre-conditions for free speech. The test of our democratic tolerance is our aceptance of the Pavee Points, Youth Defence, Right to Choose, fringe-left and right and other minority groups to voice and advocate their views.
It seems to me that there is far too much readiness everywhere (including in Indymedia.ie) to advocate censorship of those we disagree with - rather than engaging in discussion of the issues.
(One final (peripheral) thought: Romania and Bulgaria should never have been allowed into the EU if the majority of existing EU countries did not accept that heir citizens could be extended the full rights normally enjoyed by EU citizens. Neither should the Baltic States have been allowed in until they had stopped discriminating against their Russian minorities)
http://www.paveepoint.ie
Press release on the m50 debacle:- http://www.paveepoint.ie/news/press_july07-12.html
Pavee Point Logo slide
"The rest of us who have been paying the taxes for these officious, ideological,
undemocratic and generally pointless quangos will like the sound of it very much.
And who can we thank- Arrivederci Roma'
This is Mr Mac Carthy 'taking on' the NGO's. He calls NGO's quangos.
This man supports Lenihan's little game of taking cash from NGO's to
enforce state policy....
State policy being so squeaky clean and not in need of buffering by human rights
organisations.
Maybe Mac Carthy should check out the Amnesty international site and answer the questions
regarding what an NGO does, why it is necessary and then skip to google and look up:-
HSE-IBEC-NRA:- these are 'unelected quangos' messing with lives.
The maybe he should get some coke and shove it up his officiious little arse.
Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.