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Finian McGrath Press Conference on his withdrawal from Government |
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Tuesday, 21 October 2008 15:22 |
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Good evening everyone and welcome to my press conference.
Thank you all for coming. I am not going to beat around the bush. I am here to announce my withdrawal from supporting the Government. It is with the greatest regret that I do this but I feel I have no other option.
In recent days we have seen an amazing attack on our elderly, our senior citizens and particularly the over 70s. This is not acceptable particularly after 11 years of high economic growth.
In recent days I have pushed for the complete reversal of the decision to withdraw the automatic entitlement to a medical card from Citizens aged over 70 years. Tinkering around with the issue is not an option. I am calling for a total reversal. I have talked to our senior citizens and I have listened to them. I have also talked to parents and teachers about the class size issue and further cuts in education. Again hitting the weakest sections in our communities. This is not an option when it comes to the economic development of this State. I have worked hard in my agreement with the Taoiseach and I have managed to deliver on many worthwhile projects both locally and nationally.
However, I made my agreement to deliver but also to protect the weakest sections of our society. That is always my agenda.
I never entered politics to debate issues. I will leave that to the philosophers and intellectuals. My object was always to change things. I have worked in the inner-city for 25 years, a former fulltime voluntary worker and soup runner with Simon Ireland and it was these issues that led me the political side of my life. I also worked with Tony Gregory T.D. for many years and learned the trade from him. We come from the voluntary community sector. Our roots were always with the people and the community. These decisions on the medical cards, education cuts and the levy against the low paid are totally against that ethos and against a Just Society. Hence my withdrawal from Government.
I hope that my action will add a bit of weight to supporting our elderly, our disabled and our young people. If that happens I will be satisfied that I have had an impact in the interest of our people. And that is what this issue is about tonight. Let me also add that thank the Taoiseach for his support and cooperation over the time of our agreement. It is important too that people know that many worthwhile matters were delivered.
These include:
1. €2.5 million Beaumont Hospital Cystic Fibrosis Services.
2. €6 million to clean up Dublin Bay.
3. €3 million to Northside H.S.E for essential repairs for the Elderly living on their own.
4. €1,165,485 for Disabled Project in Coolock.
5. €980,000 in grants to North Central Community Groups.
6. €2.5 million extra to provide additional residential respite and day places for people with a disability.
7. €760,000 on the Independent examination of the Stardust Fire including €300,000 provided to the Committee.
8. Final Phase of €16.6m to the Orthopaedic Hospital in Clontarf currently under construction, which will result in 32 Rehab and 32 long stay beds.
9. 110 staff members appointed to Frontline services at Beaumont Hospital.
10. 117 new employees in frontline services since September in Health on the Northside.
11. Improved educational resources and services in Marino and Fairview. Schools have been informed.
12. Extra Gardai on the beat in our area. 20 more recently in Coolock.
I also welcome the new eight bed temporary Cystic Fibrosis unit at St. Vincent’s Hospital (Monday, 4th August, 2008) St. Christopher’s Ward is a step in the right direction and I look forward to the completion of €34 project in 2 years and confirms that the new unit is part of the deal with the Taoiseach.
I am delighted to say that this project should be completed in 18 months. I am happy to have made a contribution however small to making this happen. These projects have shown that Independent T.Ds can make a difference.
Finally I want to thank the Taoiseach Brian Cowen for his cooperation and support during his time in office. I wish him well in the future and I stress that I have always worked well with him personally but this decision tonight is strictly a political decision because we disagree on some major social matters. Finally, I end my few words with a quote from my election leaflet in 2007. “Society is people – without people there is no society. Join me in the crusade to redevelop respect, trust and community spirit by insisting on people-centered policies and actions” That is what I am doing tonight.
20th October 2008
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