Friday 27 April 2012

Tynan says council is trying to silence him


Workers Party councillor Ted Tynan has accused the pact parties on Cork City Council of stifling debate and trying to silence him and other left wing councillors and prevent them raising important issues such as water metering and cuts in local government funding.

A motion from Cllr. Tynan, rejecting the proposed metering of domestic water supplies and the establishment of a new company, Irish Water, to take over the water supply system, has been referred to the council’s Corporate Policy Group.   This committee will then debate the motion in private and Cllr. Tynan will not be allowed to attend or speak on his own motion.

Cllr. Tynan said that the move was an attempt to gag him and to subvert the democratic process whereby the elected city council carries on its business in public unless it is discussing sensitive issues such as individual citizen’s housing needs.

“The motion I submitted to the council is about the future of the public water supply and opposes plans to impose water charges and privatise the system.  This is a very topical issue of huge public interest and there is no reason why it should be discussed in secret with the proposer, myself, barred from being present for the debate”

The Workers’ Party councillor said he would be challenging the decision at next Monday night’s meeting of the City Council and would also be calling for the suspension of Standing Orders to have the motion debated at the public council meeting.

Thursday 19 April 2012

Water metering is Trojan Horse for privatisation and job losses


Workers Party Councillor Ted Tynan has said that the government’s decision to make the new Irish Water company a subsidiary of Bord Gáis is merely a diversionary tactic as both it and its parent company will be privatised within the next few years with thousands of job losses, poorer quality water and huge increases in prices for both water and gas.

Cllr. Tynan said it is no coincidence that today’s (Tuesday) announcement takes place on the same day as the Troika is visiting Dublin and the launch of Irish Water is designed to satisfy Ireland’s economic masters in the EU, IMF and the European Central Bank.

He said that the claim that the installation of meters would create 2,000 temporary jobs had to be viewed in the light of inevitable job losses that will take place in Bord Gáis and in the local authorities once privatisation takes place.

“We already know”, said Cllr. Tynan,  “that Bord Gáis was earmarked for full or partial privatisation in the government’s review of the sale of state assets published last February.  Therefore, if Bord Gáis is sold, Irish Water will be sold with it or more likely as a separate lot.  We will then have some of the vultures of multinational water companies take it over and prices will sky-rocket”. 

“There is plenty of evidence from other countries which have privatised their water services that it is a recipe for huge increases in cost, serious declines in water quality and safety, and job losses.  Water privatisation, and water metering which they require to make it possible, will be met with massive resistance in this country.  People have been bled dry in the name of austerity and can pay no more.  The Household Charge campaign and the brave resistance of a million householders has shown that people will no longer roll over for this government. The campaign has built a powerful base and will be a formidable force that will meet the government head on when meter installation begins”, Cllr. Tynan declared.

Friday 6 April 2012

Workers Party Easter 1916 Commemoration


The Cork Region of the Workers’ Party will hold its annual Easter 1916 commemoration this Sunday at the Republican Plot of St. Finbarr’s Cemetery at 12.00 Noon.
The oration at the Republican Plot will be given by political science lecturer Michael Donnelly from Galway and the event will be chaired by local Workers Party councillor Ted Tynan.
The party will mark the 96th anniversary of the 1916 Rising and reassert the values of socialist republicanism which were contained in the 1916 Proclamation of independence.