“The member states whose currency is the euro may establish a stability mechanism to be activated if indispensable to safeguard the stability of the euro area as a whole. The granting of any required financial assistance under the mechanism will be made subject to strict conditionality.”

- Amendment to Article 136 of the EU Treaties (TFEU) which was decided on by the 27 EU Member States at the March European Council summit and which licensed the 17 Eurozone States to sign the European Stability Mechanism Treaty on yesterday week, 11 July.

This ESM Treaty would establish a permanent EU bailout fund from 2013. The ESM Treaty and the Art.136 EU Treaty amendment which authorises it now go around for ratification by the Member States. The Government has decided not to put it to referendum here even though it means more power to the EU. The ESM Treaty can be downloaded from the internet.

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Considering the dismal economic state of a growing number of EU nations, it is more important than ever for them to protect their cultural heritage, as it is firmly linked to their economies in the form of tourism.  Though one tends to think of cultural heritage as something taught in schools and preserved in museums, it goes well beyond that, as evidenced by the attraction of archaeological and cultural World Heritage Sites to millions around the world. Though sites such as the Bend in the Boyne and Stonehenge play a significant role in our understanding of who we are and where we came from, every site, however small, is just as important, and they deserve to be indentified, excavated, restored and preserved for future generations.

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Following the surrender of the Labour Party in Cabinet on JLCs, SIPTU has described the proposals as “relatively positive” on RTE Television News, July 28 and has given the government plan “a cautious welcome” (Martin Wall, Irish Times July 29).

This is a dark day for Irelands biggest union which was built by Larkin and Connolly

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Labour's Shame on Low Pay-Labour Party has capitulated to Fine Gael by agreeing to cut low pay

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Renowned UK based Academic Eilis Lawlor explains why Cleaners are more valuable to society than Bankers! ... read full story / add a comment

'Fracking' is a term that not everyone may be aware of. It is used to describe a method of shale gas extraction known as Hydraulic Fracturing. Unfortunately it is a term we are very likely to hear a lot more about in the coming months and years. ... read full story / add a comment

An article exploring the cultural effects of several decades of neoliberal ascendancy in the political arena. Previously published in the the 'Social and political review' of Trinity college Dublin; just putting it out there... ... read full story / add a comment

From "The Floodgates of Anarchy" to the fan of a state that boils people to death... ... read full story / add a comment

The Israeli killings of Nakba Day and six june war protesters is not an incident, but part of the systematic violence of Israeli occupation
Palestinians only get their rights by the armed struggle against the occupation army
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Conflict over resources has been a particularly strong feature of the last 500 years or a period regarded by some commentators as the five centuries of global capitalist expansion, begun by Christopher Columbus and followed up by the brutal conquistadors such as Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro, who searched for 'Eldorado', the city of gold. Millions of indigenous Indians from the islands of the Caribbean down the spine of Central America to the mountains of Bolivia, toiled the fields and mines to serve European monarchies who, on the back of exploited labour, built ostentatious cathedrals and palaces as, according to Eduardo Galeano in 'Open Veins of Latin America', tens of millions of souls perished from this earth. ... read full story / add a comment

Fine Gael & Labour politicians abandon yet more pre-election promises. This time in relation to the restoration of breast cancer services to Sligo General Hospital within 100 days of taking office. ... read full story / add a comment

Convicted garda walking free after leaving man he brutally assaulted for dead exposes corrupt two-tier nature of what passes for 'justice' in this state ... read full story / add a comment

This is an article published on the éirígí sligeach website in response to Labour party TD Colm Keaveney's attack on éirígí for protesting against the Windsor visit. It highlights the hypocrisy of Keaveney and the Labour party who insist they are following in Connolly's footsteps yet have abandoned all that Connolly stood for ... read full story / add a comment

Some readers will be aware that for some time I have been advocating the construction of a cross-union grass roots network. A meeting has been convened tomorrow to discuss such a project. Unfortunately for me (and for any other with similar interests) a conference to discuss Republicanism & Socialism has been scheduled for some time now to take place on the same day. I publish these draft principles for discussion not to promote bureaucracy but with the intention that any such network formed remains a broad and militant organisation, the property of its members and not of one political party or another nor as a sectarian battleground. ... read full story / add a comment

This item gives the results of the recent poll in different countries in relation to attitudes to capitalism. It then discusses the roll of the left and radical movement in the US and why in this context the left and radical movement is not growing. ... read full story / add a comment

Last Saturday, 26 March saw up to half a million take part in a TUC organised anti-cuts protest in London. In the aftermath of the protest there has been much controversy about the 700 strong black bloc that broke away from the protest to throw paint at and break the windows of banks, luxury car dealers and the 4,000 a night Ritz hotel in Central London. ... read full story / add a comment

There is not one word on his literature about his position on abortion, civil partnership, his opposition to gay rights in general, his opposition to sex education. Not one word about religious values. No reference to his support for the Iona Institute and the right wing economic policies of its director David Quinn (overspending on public services was the problem)

His Brief CV makes no mention of his period as sec to archbishop Connell. He is only for adult stem cell research etc

You would think he was a soft-hearted liberal!

When will he come out as a catholic extremist? ... read full story / add a comment

Recent events in Japan and revelations by wikileaks regarding the nefarious and corrupt activities of the nuclear industry working in India should be a wake up call for those considering the arguments of vested interests who are quietly pushing the nuclear agenda in our media. It would certainly be a nice profitable centralised earner for themselves and their friends but a panacea for our future energy woes it certainly ain't! ... read full story / add a comment

FF, FG, Labour, ex-PDs, and other shades of establishement opinion are putting themselves forward as 'independents' in the upcoming election to Seanad Éireann. The mask of 'disability campaigner' or 'human rights advocate' is unfortunately the last refuge of some of them. This is most obvious on the university constituencies. Here I have outlined the party loyalties of some of them. ... read full story / add a comment

A very timely and useful analysis of how Sinn Fein policy has moved significantly to
the right in relation to the EU has appeared in the current edition of the Socialist Voice. It looks at how the party is now heading towards the right on the EU and that drift to the right is not an accident and will not end there. This has implications for republicans and socialists in this country and for all Irish people especially with the projected increases in SF support in the national elections next week.
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