This week Minister for Health, James Reilly, proved that the old ‘stroke politics’ of the Irish establishment are alive and well. Having been given a list of primary care centers by Junior Minister, Roisin Shorthall, he proceeded to add two new centers located in his own constituency. This is an act of cronyism to rival the worst excesses of the Haughey era and it proves that we are no closer to the ‘accountable politics’ promised by the incoming government.

Fine Gael and Labour have the same contempt for ordinary voters as their Fianna Fail predecessors. More importantly, they also have the same class policies, as the recent attacks on home help workers have demonstrated.

Earlier in the year 500,000 hours were cut from home help workers in the HSE. This was then increased to 1.1 million hours to be cut by the end of December. This will have a devastating effect of the lives of thousands of home help workers and on the many tens of thousands of people relying on their service. Care is the backbone of any civilized society and a campaign to defend this vital service has begun to gain momentum.

Resistance is growing

After a series of successful meetings in several communities across Dublin, the campaign held public protests this week outside the Dáil and at the HSE offices in Sligo town. The Sligo protest was particularly impressive with almost 100% participation by the 150 home helps based in the county.

Speaking to Socialist Worker, Noelle Coyle stated that “people’s livelihoods are at stake with most of the women losing between 10 and 20 hours a week until Christmas” she also stated that “people are extremely angry with a government with Labour ministers that put the needs of the banks way ahead of peoples care needs. Carers’ involved in home help have been incredibly loyal to the HSE only to be stabbed in the back. Home help is more than a job for us and it is definitely more than a job for the people who depend on us”.

To loud applause Noelle confirmed that a second protest has been earmarked for Saturday 29 September with the local PBP branch heavily involved in the mobilization.

Dail protests

This week also saw Richard Boyd Barrett (TD) tackling Enda Kenny in the Dáil as a number of home help workers watched from the public gallery. Unsurprisingly, the Taoiseach (with support from his Labour colleagues) expressed plenty of sympathy for the stress being caused to the Home Help workers and the fear and anxiety being experienced by their clients before predictably refusing to reverse the cuts.

Angered but hardly surprised, the Home Help workers have resolved to take this fight further and are in the process of building another series of meeting in Dublin and further afield.

Pre-budget demonstration

Alongside home help the government has recently attacked all manner of people from the unemployed to students and those with severe disabilities. Fortunately many of these attacks had to be reversed as people took to the streets and won the day. This gives a vital lesson to all those currently fighting back against government austerity – mobilisation works if people are united and determined. The Dublin Trades Council and the Campaign Against Household and Water taxes are planning their pre-budget demonstration on 24 November. If we all stand together we can force the government to reverse its attacks on workers and the poor more generally.

To Join the Home Care Community Action Group Campaign or for more information, contact:

John Lyons 0877729292 or Brian O’ Boyle on 0876574100