Address by An Taoiseach and Uachtarán Fianna Fáil to the 72nd Ard-Fheis: Part 1

This is a transcript of Brian Cowen's original speech to the Ard Fheis. It is not the speech that was delivered, as greater men than Cowen thought honesty was not in their interests.

Nothing changes!

Related Links:
The text of the speech that was actually delivered by Mr Cowen.
Fianna Fail Ard Fheis coverage on IrishElection.com.
"This is not Normal" article from Cedar Lounge Revolution.

"Good evening delegates, and to all of you watching and listening at home.

I realise tonight as I talk to you that many of you here in this hall and around the country have worries for yourselves, your families and your future. I have no such worries because I am one of the highest paid politicians in the world in spite of the fact that I am head of a very small country with a comparatively small GDP.

According to Wikipedia International Women's Day started in the States in 1909, spread to Copenhagen and other parts of Europe and by 1911 was being celebrated by over 1 million people. Its an official holiday in many countries throughout the world and though it doesn't have this status in Ireland it is being marked by a number of groups and events over the next few days. Heres a selection from the events listed on Indy's Events Calendar.

Links & Views: • InIternational Women's Day - Why we celebrate on March 8th • Amnesty.ie Launches Campaign against Female Genital Mutilation • Ógra Shinn Féin Video: Ní saoirse go saoirse na mBan

A new report based on 2 and a half years of academic study has found that Ireland suffers high levels of “legal corruption”. The Transparency International (TI) report found that: “While no laws may be broken, personal relationships, patronage and political donations are believed to influence political decisions and policy to a considerable degree in Ireland.”

Related Links:
The website of Transparency International (Ireland)
The Global Website of Transparency International

Indymedia Reporters Group:
Mick Burke and the Indymedia Collective are trying to set up a dedicated reporters group to report on the (potential) strike on March 30th. Read about it here.

Don't just sit there, contact someone:
If you feel strongly about this, why not contact some/all politicians - Contact.ie

Although the report is light on banking, it does shed some light on the Galway Races Tent culture when it states that “Business is seen as particularly close to political life in Ireland.” The Galway Races is an annual horse racing social gathering at which the leading political party Fianna Fail had a notorious fundraising tent up until last year. TI do draw attention to the ease at which political donations can be secured. There is no requirement to declare donations under €5,078.98 to a party or under €635 to an individual.

Related Links • Upping The Stakes • Indymedia And March 30th • Irish Working Class Take Action • Waterford Shows How To Fight • ICTU March 30th Strike?

There is no money left in Ireland. At least that’s what you might think after listening to Brian Cowen, Enda Kenny, IBEC and the parade of capitalist economists and pundits who parrot this nonsense. Yes, we are heading into a deep recession but guess who is expected to pay the cost?

Related Links:
• Workers Solidarity Movement Website - www.wsm.ie
• Irish Congress of Trade Unions - www.ictu.ie
• Workers Issues on Indymedia.ie.
• Workers Solidarity Movement articles on Indymedia.ie
• Michael Taft's, from Notes on the Front - The Recession Diaries, proposal Towards a New Economic Narrative

Indymedia Reporters Group:
Mick Burke and the Indymedia Collective are trying to set up a dedicated reporters group to report on the (potential) strike on March 30th. Read about it here.

Don't just sit there, contact someone:
If you feel strongly about this, why not contact some/all politicians - Contact.ie

The Government has no problem finding money to bail out bankers and speculators, it’s only when cash is needed for special-needs teachers, the sick, or to improve run-down schools and hospitals that nothing can be found. The attack on pay and pensions is a class struggle by employers and the government against working people.

It may sound old-fashioned to talk of class struggle, but what else do you call it when one class wants to preserve its wealth at the expense of the other class? When private sector workers see 90% of pension funds they paid into for years going down the tube, Brian Goggin of Bank of Ireland thinks he is hard done by because he will “take home less than €2 million” this year.