We have to stop the handover

Dear Editor,

We the undersigned are totally opposed to the handover yesterday of €1.25 billion to Anglo Irish Bank.

The Government’s decision to go ahead with this colossal payout is grossly unfair and unnecessary. The current policy of austerity is strangling the Irish economy and causing severe hardship for many Irish families.

In Galway the patients and staff of UCHG continue to endure atrocious conditions with the situation in the Accident and Emergency Department past breaking point. We see continued difficulties in Merlin Park Hospital due to staff shortages and budget cutbacks.

The proposed closure of St Francis’s Nursing Home would result in the loss of Galway City’s only public nursing home. This proposed action is viewed by many as a forerunner to similar such closures on other nursing homes in the Galway region.

Devastating cuts have been made to the education and social welfare sectors.

Meanwhile, those already struggling have been asked to pay more stealth taxes, a household charge, higher VAT and motor taxes, fuel and excise duties.

Rural dwellers have been asked to pay a totally unfair septic tank charge.

Water charges and property taxes look certain to follow.

This payout today does not serve in the best interests of the Irish people. It does nothing to alleviate the pain and suffering imposed by this government’s conservative, austerity budget.

This Government is under no legal or moral obligation to hand over such a huge body of taxpayers’ money to Anglo Irish Bank.

Despite pre-election promises to the contrary, this Government has chosen to make the ordinary person responsible for the banking collapse.

However the repayment of these unsecured, unguaranteed bonds is both economic and political lunacy.

It is now that we need our leaders to act with conviction and show courage to do the right thing. They must face down external pressures and put an end to this outrageous billion dollar giveaway. The next payout of €3.1 billion to Anglo Irish Bank is due in March.

In the meantime we are calling on people to make their voices heard, stand up for the ordinary citizen, and tell this Government to stop the handover.

Yours,

Professor Terry McDonough

(Department of Economics, NUI

Galway)

Michael Donnelly (Workers’ Party, Galway)

Dr. Paul Michael Garrett (School of Political Science and Sociology, NUI Galway)

Dr. John Cunningham (Department of History, NUI Galway)

Paul O’Connor (Retail worker, Mandate)

Jim Aherne (Project Co-ordinator, Ala Galway)

John Carty (Divisional Organiser, Mandate)

Cllr Catherine Connolly (Galway City Council)

Senator Trevor ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Féin)

Cllr Seosamh ó Cuaig (Galway County Council)

Conor McGuinness (United Left Alliance)

Carina Harkin (Occupy Galway)

Conor Burke (United Left Alliance/Socialist Party)

Mairéad Farrell (Sinn Féin)

William O’Brien (Equality Officer, NUIG)

Senan Mac Aoidh (Oifigeach na Gaeilge, NUIG)