For almost 2 decades I have been aware of the awesome extent of Ivana Bacik's ambition.
Ivana Bacik has found the cash to put up a banner advertisement on the online version of the Irish Times, alledging that only 1 in 3 of TCD graduates voted in the last Senate elections.

It appears to me, that Ivana moving on from her failure to win a seat in the European Parliament is now setting her sights on the Senate. Oh dear - whose seat is she after?
Will it be David's or Shane's? For as a TCD graduate she can only seat on the education panel unless she wants to go on the rubber chicken circuit and find voters all over the country. read full story / add a comment

Cuireann Na Gaeil Óga fáilte roimh chinneadh Fhoras na Gaeilge maoiniú suntasach a chur ar fáil d'fhoilseachán nuachta laethúil. Agus an próiseas measúnachta ar siúl i láthair na huaire, áfach, is cúis imní do Na Gaeil Óga gurb é foilseachán nuachta laethúil a luadh ar fhógra an Fhorais in ionad nuachtáin laethúil. read full story / add a comment

The Blanket new edition online. read full story / add a comment

Is feminism obsolete or is it being re-invented? Today, feminist
engagements and gender-sensitive approaches have proliferated across
a broad spectrum of disciplines and movements. The
de-territorialization and re-location of feminist practices and
discourses in multiple and heterogeneous fields and contexts calls
for a re-evaluation of the (visible and invisible) impact of
feminism on different areas of social praxis and the possibilities
for re-imagining feminist politics as an emergent moment in the
dynamics of social change.
[8-9jul]Barcelona: international meeting on feminisms and activisms.
More info: www.femact.org
To follow the meeting by internet: http://www.radiopaca.org read full story / add a comment

A Public Meeting to discuss Ireland’s Healthcare System

At Donnycarney Youth and Community Centre
Tuesday 11th July @ 8pm

Speakers:
Jo Murphy Lawless
Sociologist
School of Nursing and Midwifery
Trinity College Dublin

Jo Tully
Vice President
Irish Nurses Organisation

Organised by Artane People Before Profit:
For more information contact Martin O’Sullivan Tel: 087 8289243

Your are invited to attend this meeting to share your views on what you think Ireland’s Healthcare System should be. We want to build a campaign, with no political party affiliations, for a Health Service that reflects the views and needs of the public.

The Health Service is in crisis…

In 2001, the Department of Health acknowledged that 3,000 more hospital bed places were needed but the government has done little to provide them. On one day alone recently 433 patients were left waiting on trolleys in our hospitals. 100,000 women are denied screening and early treatment for breast cancer because they have the wrong postal address. But it’s not just patients who suffer.

Support the Nurses

The Irish Nurses Organisation has unanimously passed a motion of no confidence in the Tánaiste Mary Harney. They are demanding actions to save the health service pointing out that many lives are being put at risk because of the condition of A & E departments and that medical professionals are leaving the Irish health service because of work conditions. There are 60,000 registered nurses in Ireland but only 40,000 working in our hospitals. Intolerable conditions and low pay are driving many from the profession.

Privatisation of health is a disaster

Harney wants to build private hospitals on the grounds of public hospitals but this will mean greater robbery of the public purse because the state will subsidise these for-profit hospitals to the tune of €40 million for every €100 million invested. This money could have been used to create more public beds. Private hospitals will only carry out operations where they can make a profit. They will not provide A&E services or long term care. They will not train or educate staff. When the tax breaks run out, the owners of the private hospitals can sell them off as private apartments. This is state subsidised profit.

A campaign of all communities and health care workers

The government is deliberately running down the health service and is trying to force people towards privatised healthcare. It’s time for Harney and the profiteers to go. We need a movement in this country that stands for People Before Profit that can challenge the big-business, privatising agenda of the Dail parties. read full story / add a comment

Zapatista meetin this Tuesday 4th of July at 7:30 in Lasc read full story / add a comment

Green Party Councillor, Brian Wilson, on the Education Board for County Down has voted for the removal of concessionary bus passes for children. read full story / add a comment

famous Galway poetry slams continue read full story / add a comment