Unfair Ireland: Cost of living up while income is down

Cllr Anthony Kelly has said that we are living in Unfair Ireland. The Sinn Féin candidate for County Wexford, who many believe is set to become the first SF TD in the county for 90 years, as said that a "system of corruption and neglect" has led to a a situation where the cost of living continues to rise while the income of the ordinary man and woman is on a steady decline.

Cllr kelly said;

"People in this country are struggling to survive. Most people have received pay cuts but are paying far more in tax. Those are the ones lucky enough to still have a job. Those on benefits are now dangerously close to falling below the UNs internationally accepted poverty line. Those on the minimum wage have been cruelly cut. Mortgage interest has gone up. Transport has gone up. VHI went up over 15% for most families. This cannot continue. An obvious gap is growing rapidly between the cost of living and the average income of an Irish family. It is an economic certainty that a consumer economy relies upon disposable income being spent to survive. How many Irish people have disposable income to spend now?"

"There is a better way. Sinn Féin has outlined an economic plan, that despite the protests of gombeen politicians, has been accepted by leading economists around the world, and has been costed by the Department of Finance. Sinn Féin is talking sense. We want to grow the economy because we know that extreme austerity and unfair taxation cannot bring us out of this slump. We want to create jobs. We want to stop the tide of emigration. We want to keep our people here, get them working and get them spending their disposable income here. That will bring us out of this recession. That will make Ireland strong again."

"Our whole economic policy rests on this principal. Stop Irish money being handed over to unguaranteed bondholders and toxic banks, and instead reinvest this money in our republic. Lets transfer money from the NPRF into a job creation stimulus. Mr Martin claims theres none left there, but thankfully hes mistaken once again. Although Fianna Fail managed to waste alot of the money taken from Irish taxpayers over the years, there is some still left. This money must now be reinvested back into the Irish people and national infrastructure. Lets hire our unemployed to create a new national infrastructure. Lets build new schools and medical clinics. Lets improve secondary roads. Lets get faster broadband across the nation. All of these things will help grow our economy. This is our better way."

Universal Social Charge must go - Kelly

Speaking while canvassing in the Bree area earlier today, County Wexford Sinn Féin candidate Anthony Kelly said that his party was committed to scrapping the Universal Social Charge, and to reversing cuts to the minimum wage and social welfare implemented in the last budget. He went on to say that Sinn Féin believes that an alternative, people friendly budget must be brought in to replace the failed fianna fail/green one in the days following the general election.

"Its not enough to simply say something is bad and that it has to be scrapped," Cllr Kelly told supporters in Bree, "You have to provide a viable alternative, and that is what Sinn Féin has done. We have declared our opposition to the spineless consensus for cuts which included Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour, and their policy of austerity aimed at the vulnerable in our society. We have condemned them for their actions, but we have also provided an alternative. If elected to Leinster House, I will support my party in moving our alternative budget to replace the failed budget 2011. Our budget is based on those who can afford to pay more paying, while the vulnerable in our society are helped back on their feet through a mass job creation policy."

“Ireland faces into this year with an exchequer deficit of €18.7 billion. It is imperative that we close that deficit and Sinn Féin is committed to doing just that. However you cannot close the deficit if you do not grow the economy and tackle the jobs crisis."

"The Universal Social Charge must go now. Cuts to the minimum wage and social welfare must be reversed now. The policy of austerity against Irelands vulnerable must end now. Sinn Féin have the alternative policies. Sinn Féin is the only alternative in this election."

Kelly calls Fianna Fail “economic illiterates”

The Sinn Féin general election candidate in County Wexford has labelled Fianna Fail “economic illiterates”.  Cllr Anthony Kelly made the statement following deputy Sean Connicks scandalous accusations about Sinn Féin’s economic policy on South East Radio last week.

“Deputy Connick had the audacity to claim that Sinn Féin’s economic policy for recovery was not sound when he knows only too well that our policies have been costed by the Department of Finance, and broadly welcomed by respected economists such as Michael Taft and David McWilliams,” an angry Cllr Kelly said. “I find it strange that Deputy Connick would sneer at Sinn Féin economic policy when he stands firm as a representative of a party whose own failed economic policies have reduced a once prosperous Irish state to bankruptcy.  Deputy Connick is fond of saying that the numbers don’t add up.  It’s a pity he didn’t tell Brian Cowen and Brian Lenihan that when they were engaged in reckless auction style budgets that were eventually to leave this nation crippled.”

“It was Sinn Féin who condemned the hair brain schemes of Fianna Fail Inc. These schemes included the Bertie Bowl, electronic voting and a new economically friendly public transport system for Dublin which resulted in a two track waste of money called the LUAS.  We told Sean Connicks party then that the numbers didn’t add up.  They called us economic illiterates.  Now it’s time to set the record straight.  The leadership of Fianna Fail are the economic illiterates, not us.”

Cllr Kelly recently outlined Sinn Féins alternative budget and economic plan at mass meetings in Gorey, New Ross and Wexford Town.  These plans include the immediate reversal of cuts to social welfare and the minimum wage, the burning of high risk foreign bondholders and a seven billion euro job stimulus package to get Ireland back to work.

“I met a group of young chaps the other day who were leaving for Australia because they can’t find a way to live in their own country,” Cllr Kelly said.  “Their story and stories like it are breaking the heart of the nation.  We are in this position because the people who were running the country were unfit to fulfil their commitments.  They were economic illiterates.  It gives me no pleasure to say it because I am suffering the same as everyone else for their mistakes.  Sinn Féin offers change.  Our plan has been welcomed by people who know what they’re talking about; economists, business owners and the ordinary people who have been left on the scrap heap of Irish society.  I would appeal to people to read our policies and make up their own judgement.”

There is a better way - Kelly

County Wexfords Sinn Féin General Election candidate Cllr Anthony Kelly has said that there is better way to sort out our country's finance than what is being put forward by the other political parties. Cllr Kelly was responding to comments made by new Fianna Fail leader Mícheál Martin in which he said the rise of Sinn Féin is a threat to the economy.

Speaking today Cllr Kelly said;
"Yesterday  the Central Bank revised down its growth projections for 2011 to 1%, down from 2.4% three months ago. Today Mr Martin attacks the economic policy of my party! I find it incredible. This predicted reduction in economic growth is a direct result of the Government’s budget cutbacks and means that the targets the government set itself in the four year plan are now in serious doubt as it is based on predicted growth of 1.75%."

"I find it bizarre that Fianna Fail and the other parties spend so much time worrying about Sinn Féins economic policies, when we are the only party who has got it right so far. We correctly predicted that Fianna Fail auction style budgets of the early noughties would lead to disaster. We correctly said that the government would bring the IMF in when they could no longer see a way out themselves. We were right then and we are right now. The only people who need to worry about Sinn Féins economic policies are the bondholders and speculators who gambled on Ireland’s economy."

Cuts to minimum wage must be reversed immediately

Wexford Sinn Féin Dail hopeful Cllr Anthony Kelly has said that cuts to the minimum wage which came into effect from today, must be reversed immediately as they will only heighten our economic crisis.

Cllr Kelly said;
"The cutting of the minimum wage is further example of economic recklessness from the people who mismanaged our economy during the Celtic tiger era and left us with a broken country. It is the typical mentality of these people to cut the lowest paid workers in our society while paying vast pensions to retiring TDs. Should the ordinary man and woman be forced to pay for the mistakes of these politicians when they can simply retire and claim a three hundred thousand plus pension?"

"Sinn Féin supports the reversal of cuts to the minimum wage and demand that the next government of this state impose budgets that put compassion for their fellow citizens before extreme austerity measures. My party is not living in cloud cuckoo land. We have put forward an alternative budget that has been costed by the department of finance and endorsed by leading economists. Our measures prioritise job creation and economic reform, instead of cutting the most vulnerable in society. Surely that makes more sense."

New research vindicates Sinn Féins economic policy

New research from Social Justice Ireland has vindicated Sinn Féins economic policy, and proven its necessity to the future of this nation, that's according to County Wexfords Sinn Féin general election candidate, Cllr Anthony Kelly.

"This new research published by Social Justice Ireland proves what Sinn Féin has been saying for many years - That the policies of previous Irish governments have contributed to a growing gap between the rich and the poor in this state," Cllr Kelly said. "Government policies since 1987 have been increasing the income of the richest ten per cent of households and widening the gap between these and the rest of society. The bottom ten per cent receive only 2.28%. The number at risk of poverty would be more than three times higher if it weren’t for social welfare . Overall the share of the top 10% is nearly 11 times the share of the bottom 10%. There are more than 620,000 people (14.1% of the population) at risk of poverty in Ireland today. What kind of republic has this become?"

Cllr Kelly said that Sinn Féin intended to change this rotten system when in government, and that their alternative budget plan was a reflection of that. "Sinn Féins economic plan has been praised by leading economists and social protection groups, while being condemned by the consensus for cuts. Why? Because our policies mean changing this system and making a better country for all the people of this island, something that scares many vested interest groups.

According to Social Justice Ireland and Sinn Féin, the EU/IMF Bailout and the Four-Year Recovery Plan are continuing the process of supporting the better-off and seem set to produce a dramatic increase in poverty and social exclusion. Welfare rates are being reduced, services are being cut and charges are being introduced and/or increased.

Anglo Bondholders take social welfare money from Irelands vulnerable

Cllr Anthony Kelly has criticised the transfer of money saved due to social welfare cuts to a maturing bond in Anglo Irish Bank.

"The cuts to social welfare have ripped the heart out of this nation," Cllr Kelly said, shortly after being briefed by Sinn Féins Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty on the situation. "The effects of those cuts will cause more unemployment, more emigration and more misery for the people of Ireland. Now we find out that money cut from social welfare is going to senior bondholders in Anglo Irish Bank. This is another day of shame for the political establishment in this country."

“Tomorrow Anglo Irish Bank, the bank that is being paid for by Irish taxes, will pay out €750 million for a maturing bond despite the fact that the debt is not covered by the state guarantee. This is the result of the Government’s refusal to burn bondholders in Anglo. Sinn Féin is the only party that has called for Anglo’s bondholders to be burned, for the introduction of a bank resolution bill to guarantee deposits and for a reversal of the savage cuts implemented by this Government. That is the political choice that is before the people in this election.”

Kelly rebukes Fianna Fail TDs scandelous statement

Cllr Anthony Kelly has expressed his disappointment at comments made by Junior minister Sean Connick on South East Radio last Thursday. The Sinn Féin candidate, who is detirmined to stick to the policies in this campaign and not be dragged down into the political gutter with other parties, broke his silence this morning on South East radio, when he reminded Deputy Connick that Sinn Féins economic policies had been costed by the Department of Finance and leading economists.

"I find it strange that Deputy Connick would sneer at Sinn Féin economic policy when he stands firm as a representative of a party whose own failed economic policies have reduced a once prosperous Irish state to bankruptcy," Cllr Kelly said. "Deputy Connick is fond of saying that the numbers don’t add up.  It’s a pity he didn’t tell Brian Cowen and Brian Lenihan that when they were engaged in reckless auction style budgets that were eventually to leave this nation crippled.  Sinn Féin alone spoke out against the careless spending of Deputy Connicks administration.  It was Sinn Féin who condemned the hair brain schemes of Fianna Fail Inc. These schemes included the Bertie Bowl, electronic voting and a new economically friendly public transport system for Dublin which resulted in a two track waste of money called the LUAS.  We told Sean Connicks party then that the numbers didn’t add up.  They called us economic illiterates."

"Today there are over half a million unemployed people living in this state, though many of them are not entitled to state benefits due to a incompetent bureaucracy bred by years of mismanagement by the likes of Deputy Connick.  We have surveys telling us that over fifty thousand more young unemployed people will emigrate this year.  They are part of the lost generation, reared in a booming economy that was exploited to the point of collapse by the friends of Fianna Fail Inc.  Today we can look at one survey that ranks us fifth richest nation out of fifteen European countries, while another equally authentic survey tells us that we rank 27^th out of thirty one nations in terms of social justice.  I put it to Deputy Connick that the numbers don’t add up. I put it to Deputy Connick that the people of Ireland know who the real economic illiterates are - the leadership of Fianna Fail."