the alternative to cuts & crisis l Better to ‘burn’ the bondholders than impoverish the innocent l EU/IMF savage cuts will bankrupt the economy l A radical strategy for investment, jobs & better public services

l and Labour are pledged to the same policy of cuts as Fianna Fáil and the Greens, but are cynically pretending that they can turn this rotten deal into a good one.

l Standing in almost half of the constituencies nationwide, the Socialist Party/United Left Alliance fights for a real alternative: l Not a cent toward the billions of gambling debts of bankers and developers. l Public ownership and democratic control of key resources to facilitate major state investment in the economy to end unemployment and emigration.

l On 25 February, you can use your vote to elect to fight the austerity attacks and to build a powerful new party that provides a real alternative.

VOTE NO. Joe OR HIGHEST HIGGINS POSSIBLE1 PREFERENCE SocIalISt Party/UNIted left allIaNce to create jobs & defend living standards we can’t pay the bank debts!

Slashing spending will make the crisis much worse, guaranteeing bankruptcy. The only way to overcome WE SAY: deficits or debt is through economic growth. l Resist the The idea that Ireland attacks on would not be able to get credit living standards, and would financially collapse fight for jobs. if we don’t pay the bondhold - ers is wrong. Working class l Don't pay the people in countries defied IMF and forced them to retreat. bankers’ debts Rather than being isolated, and reject the many people internationally These debts will choke the taking key aspects of the EU/IMF would support such a stand. economy (the interest alone economy into public owner - austerity There are many sources for will be €10 billion in 2014, ship would give the opportu - getting credit, including within 20% of all tax revenue). Not nity to plan major investment diktats. the domestic economy. paying these debts, linked to and create growth and jobs. fIGHt for JobS! fIGHt tHe cUtS! Create tens of thousands Reverse 1of jobs now 2the cuts There are 100,000 unemployed building workers as well as in pay & a need for vital infrastructure like proper public transport, mod - ern water infrastructure, broadband, health facilities and new services schools while billions are being wasted on bankers and specu - lators ( €4.8 billion paid in interest on the debt alone in 2010). People’s rights to pub - lic services and benefits should not be relegated l Create tens of thousands of jobs by behind parasitic specula - investing in building and staffing tors “right” to make super essential infrastructure and the public profits. These cuts will re - services we require sult in a downward eco - nomic spiral of more unemployment, more in - debtedness and more Take control of the banks cuts.

3Reduce mortgage repayments l Reverse all cuts in social With the bad debts welfare, health scrapped, the banking sys - l Nationalise all the banks, guaranteeing the & education. tem should be nationalised savings of all ordinary depositors, and run but not as this government them democratically under public control l Restore pay has done, where they re - and management. rates & the fuse to lend to ordinary Minimum Wage. people or small businesses, l Reduce mortgages & repayments to but publicly controlled and affordable levels. Outlaw repossessions. l Scrap the used for the benefit of so - Take the vacant houses & provide homes Universal Social ciety. at affordable prices in communities fully Charge & Water resourced with public services. & Home Taxes Make tHe rIcH Pay for tHeIr crISIS Tax big business and Develop an economy 4the super rich 5that can create jobs Ireland’s millionaires have approximately €120 billion. Jobs are the key issue. There was a 31% fall in physical in - The top 10% have 25% of total income, 11 times that of the vestment alone, so the idea that private foreign or Irish in - bottom 10%. €18.5 billion was transfered out of the state vestors will get us out of the crisis and create jobs is fantasy. from the bank accounts of rich in 2010. The In reality, they are on strike and won’t use the wealth to benefit idea that multi-national corporations will run at the hint society. The only chance of developing productive manu - that Corporation Tax will go up is an attempt to in - facturing industry and overcoming mass unemployment timidate people. Countries with low tax on is through major investment, including in Research and profits are worst hit by this crisis. Development. Taxing the rich, combined with That will only happen if the major economic re - real economic growth would bridge sources, including gas and oil resources off the west the budget deficit. For example, cor - coast (worth in excess of €500 billion), are taken into poration tax at the Austrian level of democratic public ownership and management and 25% (low in european terms), and used in a planned way for people’s needs not short scrapping tax reliefs to the rich, could term profits. raise e1o billion per annum Attempts to siphon wealth out of Ireland to evade tax must be stopped, if necessary with capital controls. l End the abuse of wealth by the capitalist establishment. Take the l Make the rich & big business pay! economy and natural resources into l Scrap the subsidies and tax reliefs democratic public ownership and to the rich and big business plan the development of a real l Tax wealth and increase manufacturing base, sustainable Corporation Tax. jobs and a secure future for all. for a SocIalISt alterNatIve! End the Mercs, Perks & A government for people’s 6high salaries of politicians 8needs, not profit TDs, Ministers and Senators get huge salaries and “gravy train” We need a real alternative. With the establishment of a new expenses. Retiring Ministers get a pension jackpot! Most of these mass party the struggle for an alternative government for work - are completely divorced from the lives of ordinary people. In turn ing people becomes real, and that combined with reclaiming the more and more decisions at central and local government level re - unions and turning them into fighting organisations can create flect the demands of big business not the public interest. a movement that would be powerful enough to transform society.

l Abolish the Senate & end exorbitant l For a government based on working class salaries & pensions of TDs & Ministers. people that implements socialist policies & Pay them the average industrial wage & puts people before profit. verifiable expenses only. Establish a new party for 7working class people “the day has passed None of the Dáil parties repre - for patching up the sent working class people, (workers, l Elect Socialist the unemployed, pensioners and Party/ULA TDs capitalist system; it the young). Labour now accepts the so we can market. Sinn Fein is implementing launch a new must go.” huge cutbacks in the North. Vote party to organ - United Left Alliance and help found ise working James connolly a powerful new party to represent class people working class people. VOTE SOCIALIST PARTY NUMBER 1 Joe HIGGINS UNITED LEFT ALLIANCE North needs real change - break up their cosy club

l Dublin West has critical issues to fund our hospital. that call for a fighting response. United Left Alliance (ULA): Joe Higgins is a proven cam - l Despite nearly two decades of a Challenge the consensus paigner for the rights of ordinary building boom, nearly 7,000 of austerity working class people households languish on waiting Big business has many parties. Workers, lists. However, there are nearly unemployed, students and pensioners l Funding for our local hospital has 1,000 empty, or nearly completed, have no mass force to fight back against been savagely cut from €103 mil - houses in Dublin West. We believe attacks on jobs and living standards. lion last year to €87.7 million this these vacant homes should be That's why the Socialist Party initiated year. There is persistent specula - taken over by the state to begin to the launch of the ULA, unifying fighters tion that the 24 hour A&E service house those in need of a home. like Joe Higgins, local campaigners and will be downgraded to 12 hours combative trade unionists. ULA candi - We also believe the government dates stand in 20 constituencies nation - and then phased out. This would l ally: For TDs promoting mass action to be the beginning of the end for should commence a house-build - challenge big business and its parties. Connolly Hospital as a vital acute ing programme to house the re - Be part of the start to launch a new general hospital. mainder and end waiting lists, and mass working class party in the best by doing so, put hundreds of con - tradition of James Connolly and Jim l Joe Higgins says, “we stopped at - struction workers back to work. To Larkin. tempts to close Blanchardstown that end we have brought forward www.UnitedLeftAlliance.org Hospital in 1987 with a powerful a ten-point jobs programme for show of people power. If elected Dublin West, which would create to the Dáil, I pledge to lead a thousands of more jobs by deliv - Joe can be contacted 01 6795030 major campaign, including mobil - ering schools, health facilities and [email protected] / ising the local community, to force infrastructure that is sorely miss - www.socialistparty.net whichever government is in place ing fro our communities. text ‘Join’ to 087 6684616

WOMEN’S On other issues... RIGHTS: Women often bear the brunt of the crisis, like the Laura Ashley strikers (left). Trade unions must take action to defend all workers. EUROPE: We stand for a joint fightback by workers across Europe against austerity and cuts and for a Europe for NOR THERN IRELAND: Build unity the millions not the millionaires. betwee n Catholic & Protestant work- ers & f ightback against the cutbacks and attacks on the working class. HEALTH : For a publicly owned health services, funded through a progressive tax system to provide prompt healthcare for ENVIRO NMENT: State must invest to all. en sure that by 2020, more than 5 0% of Ireland’s energy is from renewable sources. ty EDUCATION: The Socialist Par imary, opposes all fees and cuts at pr secondary and third level. For more information, check out socialistparty.net