Presently we are being given a referendum on the 'Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union', ( the Fiscal Compact Treaty), this treaty lays out the 'conditions' of receiving a bailout from the European Stabilty Mechanism, which so far we are not being given a referendum on. These 3 aspects are inextricably intertwined, with the ESM being the mechanism, the article 136 TEFU amendment the instrument being used to enable the ESM to have a legal basis, while the fiscal compact treaty sets out the conditions for accessing finance through the ESM.

There are in fact 3 different aspects, only the last of which we are allowed a say on:
1. The article 136 TFEU amendment to the treaties.

2. The ESM treaty
3. The Fiscal Compact Treaty.

External Links: Fiscal Treaty will copper fasten austerity, make even emergency public expenditure impossible, and worsen poverty | Fiscal Treaty Files: The Fiscal Treaty is Unsafe, Uncertain and Unnecessary | Democracy instead of the Fiscal Treaty! | Do you know what the fiscal compact treaty is all about? | Fiscal Treaty Referendum Poll Result | Fiscal Treaty Files: The Fiscal Treaty is Unsafe, Uncertain and Unnecessary | Generating an Improved Debate on the Fiscal Treaty | Austerity Treaty flies in the face of 1916 Proclamation – Ó Caoláin | Why this really is an Austerity Treaty | EU summit adopts Fiscal Pact for European-wide austerity
Indymedia Links: People's Movment: Ireland has better options | Thomas Pringle Q&A: ESM Constitutional Challenge | Important Background & Analysis on SCG ("Fiscal Compact") Treaty, for Dáil Debate on Irish Referendum (Wed., Thurs., Fri.) | Irish Constitutional challenge to ESM | The Recession, Bank Bailout or our Deficit? | Mandate To Default On The Unjust Bank Debt That Is Sinking Our Economy
Events: EU Permanent Austerity Treaty - why you should vote NO!
Document: The Fiscal Treaty
No Campaign Websites: http://www.nofiscaltreaty.net/ - Fight back and vote No! | http://no-fiscal-treaty.org/ | http://voteno.ie/ - Vote No to the EU Austerity Treaty | http://www.FarmersForNo.eu - Farmers For No

Occupy Galway took part in a protest march over the weekend along with many other groups at the Labour Party conference held in NUIG Galway. Here is some photos from the event

Related Links: Occupy Galway website | Occupy Galway (and friends!) Occupy the Labour Party Conference in Galway | An Interesting Week For Occupy Galway. | Labour Party Conference: "Violence, What Violence" - asks Galway Peace Group | Labour party conference link (yeuch!) | Letter to Irish Times by member | one of the "balanced" headlines from the MSM

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Israeli Apartheid Week is an annual international series of events held across the globe. The aim is to educate people about the nature of Israeli apartheid against the Palestinian people and to build the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement locally and globally. Last year, IAW took place in over 60 cities across the globe and this year the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (http://www.ipsc.ie) is proud to again host a series of events in Ireland.

In the past decade on two separate occasions the government had to call referendums on critical issues relating to the EU and our national sovereignty and in both instances the government wanted us to vote Yes and in each case the country vote No, first for the NICE treaty and then for the Lisbon treaty. Both the Irish government and the EU itself in their fundamentaly undemocratic way rejected both of these exercises in our democratic rights and waited a short while before launching full scale propaganda onslaughts and got us to vote a 2nd time and by using mis-information, fear mongering and lies, they remolded public opinion such that we voted the 'correct' way -YES the second time around.

Now the government probably quite rightly senses it may not be able to fool us three days and in a bid to submit fully to the financial oligarchy which now seem to have the final say over most nations these days, the government are doing all they can to avoid another referendum and if this means running roughshod over the Constitution so be it. But first it is important that people understand what they are doing and should object and the People's Association Watchdog has done a very good job of high-lightling exactly what they are doing and the many sections or articles of the Constitution that they intend to ignore.

A Uachtaráin,

It is my assertion that the current government of the Irish Republic is attempting to initiate changes that will negatively impact the welfare of the people of Ireland.

An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny T.D. is seeking to circumvent the initiation of a referendum by seeking to have a ruling from the Attorney General which will deny the people of Ireland our constitutional right to self determination which is also a principle of international law.

I am hereby petitioning you with respect in your capacity as Uachtarán na hÉireann to invoke your powers under Article 27.5.1 to call a referendum on the ESM Treaty, a proposal I believe is of such national importance that the will of the people should be accordingly ascertained.

Article 15.4.1° The Oireachtas shall not enact any law which is in any respect repugnant to this Constitution or any provision thereof.

A trip down memory lane ... Lisbon Treaty: Three Strikes, You’re Out | The Lisbon Treaty and the triumph of technocracy | 13 things the Lisbon Treaty would do | Nice debate, shame about the treaty? | Nice and the corporate agenda: The changes to article 133 | Article 133 - The Elephant in the Living Room of the Nice II Debate | http://www.indymedia.ie/article133/ | Link 3

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To lighten the tone, here's a special xmas episode of the FKN news.
I think we all need a laugh after the miserable year that we've had so far courtesy of FG/labour.

WARNING:
If you are easily offended, very religious, lacking in a sense of humour, overly serious, or alternatively, pride yourself on how highly intellectual and sophisticated you are then might I humbly suggest you don't click on the video. You probably have better things to be doing!

Best wishes
wageslave (personal capacity)