EUROPE SUPPORTS COUNTRIES STEALING JOBS FROM EACHOTHER

Fergus Byrne,Sinn Féin representative in Balbriggan, expressed his and Sinn Féin's outrage at the latest rediculous decision of the European Commission. The Commission has just given the green light to the Polish government to grant €54.5m in aid for a factory. This is the same factory to which giant US company Dell is moving production from Limerick with the loss of 1900 jobs.

The EU Competition Authority claimed the aid was compatible with EU rules.

“Our assessment shows that the project’s contribution to regional development and job creation in a disadvantaged region of Poland outweighs any potential negative effects”, EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in a statement.
“For cases like this, which could present a high risk of distorting competition and where job losses in other member states have been pointed to, we need to conduct a detailed economic analysis of the market and of the impact of the aid before taking a decision”, she added.

Early this year Dell announced it was relocating to Lodz with the loss of 1,900 jobs in Limerick.

The Commission claimed its investigation had shown that job losses in Ireland would not be a consequence of the aid granted by the Polish authorities to the Lodz factory.

Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD said:

“This will be greeted with outrage in Limerick and across Ireland. It is another example of the folly of EU policy which prevents governments from investing in State enterprises to secure jobs but which allows massive subsidies to multinational corporations which abandon workers in one country in order to make greater profits from lower paid workers in another.”

Fergus Byrne said: "This is a decision which has consequences for communities across the whole of Ireland. What is to stop any multi-national from simply shutting down here and moving to Eastern Europe, where they can receive massive grants. What is Fianna Fáil doing to preserve jobs here? How hard is the Government fighting for Irish jobs? This government can spend billions to help its banker and developer friends, but what did they do for the Waterford Glass workers or SR Technics? The answer is next to nothing. We need a government that will fight for our jobs in Europe. We need to say No to Lisbon on Friday so the EU knows we are not a country that can be pushed around and if Fianna Fáil, Labour, Fine Gael and the Greens aren't prepared to push for Ireland's interests, then it must be the people that do that. For that reason I urge everybody to vote NO to Lisbon on Friday.

Don't be fooled - The Lisbon treaty will impact on Irish neutrality

Sinn Féin Vice-President Mary Lou McDonald has accused the Government of misleading the public on the implications for Ireland's neutrality if the Lisbon Treaty is passed. Ms. McDonald accused the Government of applying a very narrow definition of neutrality in order to avoid the detailed implications of the Lisbon Treaty for the states neutrality.

Speaking as the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) launched its No to Lisbon Campaign Ms. McDonald said:

"The Lisbon Treaty has serious implications for our neutrality. Article 28 for the first time makes clear that the EU will have a common defence policy. The same article obliges member states to increase their military spending; draws us further into a military alliance; states that any future defence policy must be compatible with NATO; allows for the formation of mini military alliances; and expands the list of permissible military actions well beyond peace keeping and humanitarian missions.

"The Government, in an attempt to side step the issue, are applying a very narrow definition of Neutrality. Neutrality is about much more than what a country does with its troops. It is also about the alliances you are part of, the obligations created by those alliances, what you do with your resources, and what can happen in your name.

"Sinn Féin has never argued that Irish troops will be sent overseas on military missions without the consent of the Oireachtas.

"However if Lisbon is passed the significant developments in the area of common defence policy contained in the Treaty will further erode our neutrality."