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news report
 Tuesday January 28, 2003 15:21 by Sinn Fein
 Sinn Féin supporting the right to free education
The Dublin South-West TD said: "In tandem with this government's threatening behaviour in regard to the possible reintroduction of fees we have seen an increase in the militancy and profile of the Irish students movement which is to be warmly welcomed. "The introduction of free fees was not the solution the government of the day represented it as. It has done little for many of the young people attempting to enter university from some of the poorest parts of this state, while making it easier for some. But it was a step in the right direction. It was a move towards a fair and open system of education. It cannot be expected to be the sole solution to tackling inequality in Irish education. "We need massive increases in state support for students to bring the grant in line with social welfare levels and we need purpose built and state funded student accommodation to tackle the ongoing student accommodation crisis. These are all problems that were identified years ago and about which the government has done little. "Students are expected to live on the poverty line while this government refuses point blank to consider a fairer taxation system and a more just redistribution of wealth. When students take to the streets on the 5th they will do so with the full support of Sinn Féin and, I am sure, the support of hundreds of thousands of people across the state who support the development of a fair and inclusive education system." |
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Comments (14 of 14)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14What a bunch of hypocrites SF are calling for free education in the south while selling our education and health services in the north through PFI/PPP VOTE SF the Capitalist Party
why dont SF get active in the colleges where they have students? in my experience the SF members in my college do nothing! they even had a full-time SU position a year ago and did nothing!
Sf claim to be very active in the anti war movement and in anti globalisation/capitalism, so maybe they will claim that they are too busy to do work in the colleges?
Well im sure Corporate Irish America will delighted to help the shinners out in their campaign against fees, like in so many of their campaings.
I bet gerry was on the blower to Senator Peter King last night, of the Republican party asking for a nice donation.
The sun is etting on you, King is a Congressman. Not a Senator.
The real issue here is taking grants away from the children of big farmers and professionals. Neither SF or the SP will face up to this. Even Holy Joe Higgins bows before the farmers.
As an interested observer and college journalist i have followed the developments in college politics widely in the last four years.
SF got a huge percentage of the Youth vote in the last election. Polls say about 25%. The reason you ask. Its the amount of work they do , stupid.
SF has had a very successful couple of years in the colleges. This is due to hard work. SF has active Cumann in almost twenty third level institutions around the Island. There is no other party which can match this. SF has also consistently supported student demands for free education and the doubling of the Grant available to students as well as calling for such things as a substantial increase in the level of student accomadation and the development of schemes which help people from marginalised backgrounds gain access to a third level education. SF have ran a number of different poster campaigns. SF have distributed three different leaflets and newsletters on the issue.
No other party has done any of this. So as for the Gobshites. Get a life and do something for students instead of letting your petty jealousies get the better of you.
I know that in UCD Sinn Fein have quite a large membership, and that they do have quite a bit of support amongst a segment of students.
They are not inactive, they do run some meetings and have some events, stalls, paper sales etc.
Its just a little dissapointing that they aren't more involved in grassroots campaigns like the Campaign For Free Education. They have turned up at the odd protest and the odd meeting, but it would be nice to see them more active in building the campaing itself.
Usually when students identify as SF at these protests they are hounded by SY for being sectarian, for selling out the NHS and whatever you are having yourself.
I think it's a shame the Shinners aren't involved in this as well because the Campaign is exactly what is needed but I think people underestimate the paranoia your average Shinner has to Broad Fronts.
Anything that even hints of being a front for another party and their members steer clear, even when they're encouraged to join by their party leadership. There are a variety of reasons for it, personal dislike of the other parties or personnel, dislike of not being i control, in some cases dislike of letting other parties use the credibility they struggled to get in working class areas.
If some other party starts something, even with the best of intentions of getting other people and parties involved, shinners tend not to join.
There is obviously some truth in what Janus says. However the fact is that SF is now in terms of votes the third biggest political party on the Island. The broad fronts that are talked about are usually dominated by parties/ organisations which have little support either electorally or as mass movements. So why do a load of work for a Broad front when you can go and do the same amount of work and as well as having as much effect get some of the credit for it.
SY members have never attacked another group for turning up on a demo!!
We are usually the victims of right-wing attacks on our right to attend the demo as a group, despite doing a large amount of work. I say more people and groups the better in Campaigns like the CFE. No one group has the right to impose the rule of 'no parties' on the CFE. Ger maybe you are confusing members of another organisation as members of SY.
Is the way SY members round on individuals about every topic under the sun. Such sectarianism does not build campaigns.
I'm a bit puzzeled here! what exactly are you trying to say? We have criticisms of the politics of others, so you think we shouldn't raise differences and similarities? The way to build a campaign is to be clear on you politics and be clear on what is being built.
What I mean is that united campaigns can not be built if people are berated in a sectarian manner when they turn up to oppose cutbacks in Education funding.
Do you have to spew out your entire Transitional Program whenever yopu open your mouth? Can you not accept that people may agree with you on the Education issue but disagree on others.