In 2012 public opposition forced the ditching of a plan for a "retirement village" on the side of the Dublin mountains, isolated from services and public transport and cut off by the M50, in an area normally zoned for agriculture and public amenity and widely used by the public. A previous plan for a private school on the site had been rejected for similar reasons in 2005. After the local elections the plan is back in a lightly tweaked form, with the developer's sister among a number of newly elected councillors supporting the project.

Related Links: Selling off the Dublin Mountains | Evening Herald Retirement village plans get shot down -shot down in 2012

As the year draws to a close, we highlight some of the news stories that made it to the pages of Indymedia during the year. We are certainly living in "interesting times" as old the Chinese curse goes! Events in north Africa and the middle east related to the "fake arab spring" remained in the headlines and also as we head into 2013 the Irish economy is still saddled with enormous burden of debt by a criminal layer of developers, bankers, politicians and an international financial elite dictating to government and the promise of many more austerity budgets to come which will have the effect of stripping away all the social safety nets.

On 29th July we interviewed Fionuala Cregan on the Paraguayan crisis, its background and the Latin American context in which it takes place. She is based in Argentina and works with the Latin America Regional Office of Church World Service. She has also written for the Irish Times on Paraguay and has extensive research on the impact of agribusiness on Paraguayan peasants' lives. She has been a long term supporter of LASC. The views expressed here are her own. We hope that this interview will give a better insight into the developments in that country.

Related Links: Paraguay: Obama's Second Latin American Coup | LASC statement on the Paraguayan Coup | Paraguay: Election ends six decades of one-party rule (WSWS) | Don't fence us in: Modern-day land grabs | Irish times article on coup | LASC website

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)

Below is the first in a series of articles relating to social welfare within the twenty six counties. Amongst the specific issues dealt with will be cutbacks, 'fraud' and the broken promises and hypocrisy of the Fine Gael/Labour coalition less than 100 days after taking office

Related Links:
Jobs not dole! - Donaghmede Public Meeting | Jobs not dole! - Phibsboro Public Meeting | Respect the Human rights of all people living in Sub Standard Local Authority housing | Show me the money | Why going Dutch is going for broke | Kenny and Gilmore merely Puppets On A String | New Cabinet faces, same tired politics |
Eirigi Links:
Main Eirigi website
EirigiSligeach website