Attacks on Benefit Claimants 'Disgraceful' - RSF

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Friday March 06, 2009 14:41

by Richard Walsh - Republican Sinn Féin

tiocfaidh at btinternet dot com

+44-7835 620 592 / +353-87 261 8603

Remarks made by Fianna Fáil's Mary Hanafin today and by Fine Gael's Joe McHugh in the recent past that cross-border dole claimants should be targeted amounts to an attack on the least well-off, a spokesman for Republican Sinn Féin has said.

Remarks made by Fianna Fáil's Mary Hanafin today and by Fine Gael's Joe McHugh in the recent past that cross-border dole claimants should be targeted amounts to an attack on the least well-off, a spokesman for Republican Sinn Féin has said.

Derry-based Director of Publicity, Richard Walsh, said that it was sad but unsurprising that the political establishment in Leinster House wished to criminalise those reliant on social welfare payments to survive.

“Instead of criticising the English government for the pittance paid to those signing on the brew (Stg £60.50 per week for over-25s, paid fortnightly in arrears) by the DHSS in the Six Occupied Counties, the two major parties in the 26-Counties both see fit to criminalise their fellow countrymen and countrywomen who are attempting to survive the current economic storm.

“The irony of this disgraceful stance appears to be lost on those styling themselves the 'Republican Party' and the 'United Ireland Party' respectively.

“Whilst the failed bankers continue to pocket obsene bonuses, the most vulnerable in society are those who will feel the full force of the State,” he said.

ENDS

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Comments (3 of 3)

The sympathetic face of social welfare in ireland during recession?

by PigLipstick

Sat Mar 07, 2009 15:37

People might have noticed that the comment that elicited the biggest round of applause for mary hanafin at the fianna fail ard fheis was the one about pursuing dole cheats. Shows you where these people seem to stand on poor people getting away with a few extra quid occasionally. Pity they are not proportionally as adamant about pursuing bankers who get away with taxpayers funds. If they were I guess we'd have to bring back hanging!!

I think we need somebody more sympathetic in charge of social welfare in these difficult times. The fact is the figures show that harsh policies to stamp out such cheating among poor people cost quite a bit more to police and administer than is actually lost through social welfare fraud. As the ruthless bankers have known for a long time, the fact of the matter is, poor people are mostly honest and believe in paying their debts.

AGEISM

by Michael Hogan

Sat Mar 07, 2009 18:36

One cannot but notice that the FF government ministers are practising Ageism against people who are 70 and over. First of all the Minister of Health attempted to apprpriate their Medical Cards and now we have Mary Hannafin wanting to remove their heating, cooking fuel allowances ,TV Licence and Telephone rentals.

It is a blantantly disgusting act to remove from the aged their comforts, especially after all the hardship they put up with throughout their lives. The Ministers will when they get removed from office (sooner rather than later) be provided with luxuries from a fat pension.

What is the target of 70 all about, is it perhaps this bibilcal hang up of three score and ten. What would they like to do direct all of us seventy year olds into the graveyards, to wait there until we are carried off by the cold and hunger perhaps?

Well god help those FF bastards when they get to that age!

If I was 70 again and I saw child, adult cast aside in say ABI, I hope my preference would be!!!!!!

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics

Sun Mar 08, 2009 20:26

Michael

Do you remember a recession?

I would like universal health for all Irish citizens. The medical card issue to the 70's was riddled with problems. It meant less GP's, patients with psychiatric problems not being able to find doctors to put them on their list, ad infinitum

This country is part of a financial global crisis but note we add to this our on extravaganzas during the Celtic Tiger and on and on. Try reading the Follow the Money article in the archives.....

the money is in Spain where houses face being demolished.......there is Provence, the US ranch style Life, Switzerland, the offshore accounts.

There are 70 year olds who still work, earn high amounts, have accumulated wealth (as Ireland Corp. itself has - some say 32 million......but where is in the global network.

There is serious fraud in Ireland - it is my belief (and I worked in banking in England) that it is so severed that we are nobbled in proceeding with criminal charges......we have to be humbled to the new ascendency of Ireland.......

There is great scope to sort this out by interested people - honest, compassionate, concerned, nationalistic, patriotic - we all need heads together......we have made it before.....

Indepdence......land property assets were assigned to the land commission in the 1930's to be redistributed (Mugabe, Zimbabwe attempted something similar in the 1990's) to the needy and wanton people of Ireland. Of course, it was not free, some recompense was required. Times were needy - Ireland was on a go it alone policy and had closed its ports to WW2.

The annuities would be a major benefit........so Dev, his legal team took the risk and they stopped payment to Britain and faced the consequences.

Time will tell the significance of this decision and the full extent and contribution of the remittances to Ireland......

A gem: Economic's professor about land in

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Attacks on Benefit Claimants 'Disgraceful' - RSF

Comments (3 of 3)