Putting People First
(Section 2 - Saturday 3.45/5.15)
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
That this Ard Fheis deplores the failure of both the previous Rainbow
Coalition and the present Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats coalition's
failure to enact legislation guaranteeing all workers rights to join, be
active and be represented by a trade union.
Noble Six/Coen MacManus Cumann, Sligo
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
That Sinn Fein supports the call for a minimum wage of £5 per hour.
Traolach MacSuibhne Cumann, Cork
Mairéad Farrell Cumann, Baile Atha Cliath
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
Sinn Fein supports the Dublin Trades Council initiative for a £5 minimum
wage. Contrary to ISME's assertion this will not lead to a loss of jobs.
Low wage economies lead to sweatshop working conditions and increased
poverty. Workers are also consumers and a decent wage contributes to job
creation.
Markievicz Cumann, Tamhlacht
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
That Sinn Fein endorse a basic income system such as that proposed by the
Conference of Religious in Ireland (CORI) which involves replacing the
current tax and social welfare systems. Instead of tax allowances and
reliefs, workers get basic income payment and those people currently
receiving social welfare payments receive the basic income payment and
instead. A basic income differs from either forms of income support in
that
- it is paid to individuals rather than households
- it is paid irrespective of any income from other sources
- it is paid without requiring the performance of any work or the
willingness to accept a job if offered one.
Traolach Mac Suibhne, Cork
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
This Ard Fheis supports the Bricklayers and Allied Trade Unions (BATU) in
their attempts to unionise the building trade in the 26 Counties. The
union and its members have endured physical and verbal threats, had their
office windows in Blessington Street, Dublin, broken and a recent attempt
made to firebomb the building. This campaign of intimidation comes against
a background of 35 building workers killed on dangerous sites over the last
36 months. In the current building boom, conditions on sites have actually
got worse. Sinn Fein fully supports the unions in their fight to unionise
the sites and for better working conditions.
Markievicz Cumann, Tamhlacht
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
A recent Irish government study into the tax payments of the rich showed
that less than 10 % of them paid the top rate of the ordinary PAYE worker.
32 % of the rich paid less than 25 % tax and 10 % paid less than 5 % tax.
In view of the widespread tax evasion and continued tax burden on the PAYE
sector this Ard Fheis supports the following measures in the fight against
tax evasion:
- All off-shore tax avoidance schemes should be made a criminal offence.
- All tax relief schemes should be measured by whether the community gains
from them.
- Tax avoidance schemes for the rich should be seen as tax evasion - a
criminal offence.
Leona Helmsley an American hotelier said ``only little people pay tax'' she
was put in jail for tax evasion. No Irish tax dodger has ever gone to jail.
This has to change.
Markievicz Cumann, Tamhlacht
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
This Ard Fheis calls on government to implement a lower rate of income tax
for graduates for their initial period of employment.
Upper Springfield, Belfast
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
This Ard Fheis is opposed to the British government's intention to abolish
student grants from 1999.
Jim Murphy Cumann, Fermanagh
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
Sinn Fein opposes the education cutbacks being implemented by the
Department of Education which have resulted in the loss of the only three
Community Teacher positions within West Belfast. This flies in the face of
current thinking, which recognises that any innovative initiatives are
needed to combat the worsening educational standards among our young. We
call for an increase in funding towards Community Education initiatives
which meet the needs of our community and which reflect the potential among
our youth.
Upper Springfield, Belfast
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
This Ard Fheis notes the increasing skills shortage in the Information
Technology and Computing Industries. We therefore recommend that Government
implement more Vocational training and education in these areas.
Jim Murphy Cumann, Fermanagh
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
This Ard Fheis reiterates that if there is to be a just and lasting
settlement to the conflict in the Six Counties, there must be a recognition
of the rights and requirements of the Irish language community and a
recognition of the importance of the Irish language as an inherent part of
the nationalist identity and aspirations.
To this end, we call on the British government to implement a package of
confidence building measures in relation to the Irish language and to
demonstrate that they are committed to the radical changes required to
redress the historic and ongoing state discrimination against the Irish
language and culture. Such a package should address issues relating to the
status of Irish and the statutory rights of Irish speakers, Irish medium
education, the media and arts.
South Belfast Cumann
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
This Ard Fheis commends the tireless work of parents, teachers and cultural
activists in developing and sustaining the growing Irish medium education
sector despite the many obstacles in their path. We recommit Sinn Fein to
supporting this work in a practical way.
This Ard Fheis calls on the British government to adopt a pro-active policy
in support of Irish medium education in the six counties. In particular it
demands that the following measures are implemented as a matter of urgency:
- that Meánscoil Dhoire and the bunscoileanna not yet funded are
officially recognises and funded accordingly
- that Gaeloiliúint is officially recognised through legislation, as the
representative council for Irish medium education and receives state
funding for this purpose
- that an All Ireland Board for Irish medium education be established to
service the needs of the Irish medium sector
Shantallow Cumann, Doire
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
This Ard Fheis calls on the Dublin government to vociferously oppose any
attempt by the European Union to impose water charges as such charges are
unjust and socially inequitable.
Noble Six/Coen/MacManus Cumann, Sligo
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
Because the full implications of joining the EMU has neither been fully
investigated or publicly debated and because of the probable negative
economic effects and the surrender of autonomy inherent in joining this
monetary union, this Ard Fheis expresses its opposition to joining the EMU
on January 1, 1999.
Noble Six/Coen/MacManus Cumann, Sligo
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
This Ard Fheis deplores the lack of commitment by successive Dublin
governments as well as state bodies, to the North West region. The
continued failure of the IDA to locate major industry in the Counties of
Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal is mirrored by the fact that unemployment has
remained constant, even increasing amongst the under 25,. despite the fact
that surveys show that the skills base of this region is significantly
higher than anywhere else in the state.
Their unofficial policy of placing industry in large urban centres
especially on the East coast is causing a serious population imbalance
which will result in severe implications for the North West in the coming
decades. The inevitable acceleration of rural decline must be immediately
tackled by both government and state bodies in tandem. This must include
the greater effort by the IDA to attract jobs into the North West,
deliberate targeting of funds to rural areas to provide a proper
infrastructure essential in the attraction of industry.
Noble Six/Coen/MacManus Cumann, Sligo
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
This Ard Fheis congratulates and sends its solidarity to all those
communities who have continued the fightback against the drug epidemic. We
will continue to support those communities in their campaign against the
drug dealers and reiterate our support for the establishment of treatment
centres for addicts.
Upper Springfield, Belfast
Markievicz Cumann, Tamhlacht
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
That Sinn Fein undertake research on the question of:-
- ownership of the foreshore of Ireland with special reference to
foreshore granted by Charters to people in lieu of services rendered to the
British authorities
- who owns the airspace above the foreshore not owned by the Irish government
- by what yardstick is the commercial value of foreshore measured
- at the setting up of the Free State did the foreshore ownership feature
on the agenda
- has the constitutionality of these ancient charters claiming foreshore
ownership been challenged
- is Sinn Fein prepared to proceed with a legal challenge to these charters
- that Sinn Fein explore taking legal proceedings
- that Sinn Fein explore the possibility of a legal challenge
McDonnell O Shea Cumann, Corcaigh
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
Sinn Fein is opposed to the cutbacks in the Public Spending Budget for
Community Services and Projects in the city. Making Belfast Work which has
been amalgamated into the Belfast Regional offices, has had a cut of
£5,000.00 in its current financial year and indications are that an
additional £8,000.00 will be cut from the 1998/99 budget. If these cuts go
through, the most disadvantaged will suffer. Innovative Health, Education
and Employment Projects which are aimed at improving the quality of life,
will be lost. Such cuts are clearly targeted against the most
disadvantaged. They are an attack against those who attempt to regenerate
local areas. Sinn Fein calls for a greater investment to be made into
projects which impact on improving the quality of life within our
communities. It calls for true working partnerships with the community to
sustain future economic and social development.
Upper Springfield, Belfast
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
While we are aware that all reactions to this topic at previous Ard
Fheiseanna reflect significant opposition, the upsurge in incidents of
irish women having to emigrate for abortions makes it incumbent upon us all
to address this matter with the utmost care. According to statistics,
increasing numbers of abortions carried out in Britain on women giving
Irish addresses rose by more than 15 %. Most recent data indicates that
12% of pregnancies in Ireland result in women going to England for
abortions. The easiest way to deal with such an issue is to reject it at
the outset without responsibly facing it realistically as part of the lives
of so many women - in other words not to deal with it at all. We are
compelled, as a political party, to at the very least familiarise and make
ourselves aware of its frequency and of the wide web of factors
precipitating its use. To expect that we can simply oppose the use of
abortion, turning our backs on the stark realities involved, is in our
perception ideologically immoral and irresponsible. It would be to our
credit if as a political party, we were to face up to the challenges
offered by this highly emotive issue.
We propose that this Ard Fheis accepts that women have the ultimate right
to control and make decisions concerning their own bodies. We perceive as
hypocritical the provision to women of information and travel rights, while
denying them the right to have abortions in this country. The exportation
of this issue is a very serious evasion of the emotional and financial
suffering incurred by so many women, republican and otherwise.
We further propose that this Ard Fheis sets in motion
a programme at national level designed to seriously debate the matter throughout the party
in a way that shifts us from, what we view as the party's current
oppositional stance.
Cumann Maghaberry, Co. Aontroma
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
While we recognise that abortion is a sensitive issue which arouses strong
emotions we believe that individual women should have the right to control
their own fertility. We ask this Ard Fheis to accept that right.
Cumann Maghaberry, Co. Aontroma
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
Sinn Fein calls for special legislation to be introduced to make it less
traumatic for a victim to go to court and to protect children against sex
abuse.
- Court cases should be dealt with more quickly
- Judges and barristers should be educated on the effects of abuse
- There needs to be changes made to the national register of abusers so
that it is impossible for an abuser to change address or name without the
authorities being notified
- The national register should be made available to the general public to
enable them to protect their children. More money must be allocated for
the counselling of victims. Victims need help immediately to help them
deal with the affects of the abuse.
- It should be made compulsory for all schools to educate children about
child abuse, and how to protect themselves
Coalisland Martyrs, East Tyrone
- Support the motion Oppose the motion
That a register of all convicted paedophiles be available to relevant
authorities.
Ceannt Breathnach, Gaillimh
