PBPA said the government had refused to acknowledge the enormous level of further cuts and austerity that would be necessary to meet the deficit and debt targets contained in the Fiscal Treaty, even though the figures were well known to them. PBPA said also that the government had utterly deceived the public about the ESM in claiming that it represented an “insurance policy” for the Irish people.

PBPA said the ESM was simply a permanent version of the EU-IMF austerity programme, designed to bail-out the European banking system, where any funding would be conditional on imposing further brutal austerity, and which could cost the Irish people €11 billion or even more to access. A NO vote is a vote against the failed and disastrous policies of bailing out banks and savage cuts. It is a vote demanding that jobs, economic growth and fairness become the priority for dealing with the current economic crisis. We urge people to raise their voices this Thursday to demand that alternative by voting NO.

Richard Boyd Barrett TD said: “The government have lied and utterly deceived the public about the actual contents of the Fiscal Treaty and the ESM. They have failed to acknowledge the enormous level of cuts and austerity that will be imposed on the Irish people in order to meet the debt and deficit targets in the treaty. This is despite the fact that the government’s own figures make clear that billions of such cuts will be needed for years after we exit the current EU-IMF programme in order to meet those targets. Inadvertently the government actually admitted the truth about this when they said recently that there was nothing new in the treaty. This was an admission that the treaty is simply more of the same disastrous austerity policies that have been pursued over the last four years – except now those policies will be written into law.

So it simple: If you want more of the same austerity that we’ve had for the last four years, vote for the treaty – If you want an alternative, vote NO. The government have also lied utterly about the ESM claiming that it is some sort of benevolent fund that will keep money in the ATM’s if we need help. There is nothing about ATM’s or paying pensions or social welfare in the ESM treaty. In reality, the ESM treaty sets out clearly that it is a mechanism to bail-out the European financial system, that any funding will be strictly conditional on further austerity, and that it may cost the Irish people €11 billion or more.

Joan Collins TD said, “With the commitment to 11 billion in the ESM and more cuts on the way, where are they going to get the savings from? Are they going to hit healthcare, are they going hit more public services, are they going to attack pensions and other vulnerable sections of society? The Government keep dodging this question and instead of telling the truth about the treaty are trying to bully and scare people into voting yes”

Ailbhe Smyth, chairperson of People Before Profit said, “The government has refused to debate the contents of the treaty openly and more importantly they are being dishonest about the implications for our society and the impact this treaty will have on our communities and the most vulnerable in society for many years to come. There is an alternative to austerity and a rise in resistance across across Europe reflects the desire for an alternative. We need to link up with that mood and vote No on Thursday”. Economist Brian O’Boyle said, “The government needs to get its general balance below 3% by 2015 but this relies on a growth projection of nearly 4% which is incredibly optimistic. Over the last 3 years the economy has actually contracted and with projected cuts of 8.6 billion cuts it’s difficult to see where growth will come from”.

Thursday 24th May, 8pm, Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire

On the NO side: Richard Boyd Barrett TD (People Before Profit) & Ailbhe Smith (Feminist Open Forum)

On the Yes side: Jim Power (Economist) & Stephen Donnelly TD (Wicklow Independent).

Local TDs were invited but all refused.

Organised by People Before Profit – Dun Laoghaire

Speakers: Richard Boyd Barrett TD & Ailbhe Smith (Feminist Open Forum), Stephen Donnelly TD & Jim Power (Economist)

Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire

Thursday, 24 May, 8pm

“We are trying to facilitate a debate that the government is avoiding. The Government is running away from a proper debate on the crisis and today the Dail was adjourned for a week – the week before the referendum vote. Government triumphalism that there will be no changes to the treaty is completely irrelevant. The main issue is what will be the impact of the austerity required to meet the debt and deficit targets on the Irish economy.

It is very telling that it looks like Angela Merkel will be unable to get the treaty through the Bundestag before autumn because the SPD and Green Party are not willing to sign a treaty that will result in austerity until they hear commitments to jobs and growth and none of these are forthcoming.

The crisis in Greece and possible impact for Europe is coming to a crunch particularly in countries like Spain and the government is trivialising these issues. The real nature and structure of the ESM is not clear and certianly not democratic and the government is trying to avoid debating it.

We are delighted to have Stephen Donnelly and Jim Power debating this evening and at least they have a respect for the public that the government clearly does not have”.

For info/comment:

Richard Boyd Barrett TD 086 7814520

Cllr Melisa Halpin 086 3805793

 

Read Deputy Boyd Barrett’s statement on the matter here:

http://richardboydbarrett.ie/2012/05/10/government-position-on-esm-bizarre/

In a statement Richard Boyd Barrett TD, People Before Profit/United left Alliance said the government were deliberately deceiving the public about the Eurocrisis, Greece and the ESM in order to scare the Irish public into voting for the Fiscal treaty.

Deputy Boyd Barrett said it was increasingly apparent that the EU would continue to support Greece with funding because the fate of the European economy depended on it and that EU funding of states such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal was a matter of “self-interest and necessity” for the Eurozone and the wider European economy. Against that background, he said it was “utter nonsense” for the Irish government to suggest that Europe would deny Ireland funding if the country voted NO to the fiscal treaty.

Deputy Boyd Barrett also pointed to reports in the Financial Times today showing that the ECB was now providing €100 billion in ‘secret’ liquidity funding to the Greek banks as the latest piece of evidence that Europe would continue to fund countries in difficulty because it had no choice.

He said reports in German newspapers that Minister for Finance Michael Noonan had attacked Greece at the recent ECOFIN meeting for not robustly enough imposing austerity measures on its own citizens exposed the disgraceful role the Irish government was now playing –siding with the Euro bullies and Angela Merkel rather than with ordinary European citizens and the growing political revolt against austerity in Europe.

Deputy Boyd Barrett said also that the Irish government’s attempt to present the ESM as Ireland’s salvation was utterly ridiculous. He said the ESM was not a mechanism to help countries in trouble but rather a mechanism to protect the Euro and to force even more austerity on countries that were forced to access it.

Richard Boyd Barrett said: “The Irish government are deliberately deceiving the Irish public about what is happening in Eurozone, the situation in Greece and the reality of the ESM, in their desperate attempt to scare the people into voting for the austerity treaty.”

“It is absolutely clear that Europe’s interest in Greece is purely to protect the Eurozone and has nothing to do with providing the Greek people with a helping hand. On the contrary, Merkel and the ECB have, up to now, been trying to have their cake and eat it – protecting their own interests and unloading the cost of that on the Greek people. Finally, the Greek people are calling the bluff of the Euro bullies and exposing them.

The EU simply cannot afford to throw Greece to the wolves if they want to protect the Euro, yet the Irish government continue to peddle the lie that Ireland might be cut loose, if we vote NO to the treaty. It is now absolutely clear that Europe cannot afford to force countries such as Greece and Ireland out of the euro without risking a melt-down of the Eurozone and the wider European economy.

The report that Michael Noonan berated the Greek government at the recent ECOFIN meeting for not robustly enough imposing austerity on its own citizens really exposes what a disgraceful and utterly treacherous role the Irish government are playing in the deepening Eurozone crisis. Instead of supporting the growing political revolt against the austerity agenda in Europe, our government are supporting Merkel and the austerity bullies.

It shows that Minister Noonan’s disgraceful jibes about Greece and feta cheese were not an aberration but indicative of the fact that our government are on completely the wrong-side of the debate now taking place in Europe.

For our government to take this position in relation to Greece is not only a disgraceful act of treachery against the Greek people, it also completely undermines Ireland’s position in seeking relief from the disastrous austerity that is being imposed on people in this country. The government’s position really is shameful.

The dishonesty of the government when it comes to the ESM is equally disgraceful and is again designed to bully and mislead the public. The government is presenting the ESM as some sort of benevolent fund that we desperately need to have access to. In reality, the ESM is yet another mechanism to bail out the European financial system and ram further austerity down the throats of countries that are forced to engage with it. It is also a monstrously undemocratic and unaccountable structure which will have huge power over the states it lends to but will be completely immune from legal or political oversight. Far from being a reason to vote for the Fiscal treaty, it is one of the best reasons to vote against it.

The government’s position in relation to the crisis facing Europe and this country is increasingly bizarre. A NO vote is critical if we are to point Ireland back in the direction of economic and political sanity and to join forces with the growing chorus of voices in Europe that are standing up to Merkel’s failed and disastrous austerity policies. “

Deputy Boyd Barrett said Greece was calling Europe’s bluff and it was working because Europe’s real interest in Greece or Ireland was the protection of the Euro and the European financial system.

Deputy Boyd Barrett said that Europe’s climb-down before Greek resistance demonstrated clearly that Ireland has the leverage to say NO to the Fiscal treaty without fear of being denied funding or pushed out of the EU.

Richard Boyd Barrett said: “The G8 meeting and the comments of the ECB confirm that the TROIKA will do everything in their power to prevent Greece’s exit from the Eurozone. This is what all the frantic maneuvering to keep Greece within the fold clearly illustrates. And if that is true for Greece, it is equally true, maybe more so, for Ireland. There is simply no way Europe would cut-off funding from Ireland in the event of a NO vote because they know such a move would be the beginning of the end of the euro.

The powers that be will move mountains and seas to make sure that Greece does not exit the Eurozone, because if it does the entire EU financial system will take a tremendous blow from which it may not recover. Spain would possibly become the next to crumble and the biggest losers would be the banks.

All of this shows that Ireland has the leverage to say NO and that all the blackmail and bullying of the Irish public by the government is dishonest and hollow.

The G8’s emphasis on a jobs strategy for Europe represents a sharp departure from Merkel’s insistence on slashing government spending. Obama’s statement that jobs must be the number one priority flies directly in the face of the austerity agenda that has been pursued by the EU over the last four years. Merkel’s only companions in the EU now seem to be our own Fine Gael and Labour government. It makes no sense now to sign up to the austerity agenda contained in Merkel’s treaty. Even Germany has postponed ratifying it!

Greece has already ratified numerous austerity agreements and the Fiscal Treaty itself. These were shoved down Greece’s throat with threats that it would be denied funding. Far from improving the situation for Greece these austerity agreements are what has brought Greece close to disaster. The lesson for Ireland is obvious: it is false to think that funding for a second so-called bailout would be denied to us if we reject the proposed austerity Treaty. That’s because the European banks would be the biggest losers if funding is not provided when and where it’s needed.

We must ask ourselves to what extent the threats given to us by this government -who may as well be Merkel’s personal mouthpiece at this stage – are in any way credible. The TROIKA’s fear of contagion if Ireland is not funded – regardless of how we vote on the austerity Treaty – means that Ireland has enormous bargaining power which can be used to demand a write down on the illegitimate bank debt. It is inconceivable that our government does not recognize this – they do. They simply don’t have the guts to stand up to Merkel, even now when everyone is calling her out on the failed austerity strategy.

It is clear now that Merkel has become isolated. Across Europe the message is being forced by people into the heads of leaders that austerity must end. The statements by the G8 summit are a belated recognition of what we on the left have been saying for years: jobs must be prioritized in order to regain economic growth. Slowly the message is getting through but a NO vote is vital if we are to continue to hammer that message home.”