Government re-election campaign insults teachers

Derogatory remarks at a Fine Gael election event could be the ‘Black and Tan’ moment of this year’s 26 County general election.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary was launching the election campaign of Fine Gael Minister Peter Burke in Mullingar when he attacked the Dublin parliament and said he wouldn’t employ a lot of teachers if he wanted “to get things done”.

O’Leary said: “The Dáil is full of teachers. Nothing wrong with teachers, I love teachers but I wouldn’t generally employ a lot of teachers to go out and get things done.”

O’Leary’s comments were followed by cheers and laughter from those who attended the event. But there was intense criticism from teachers unions, who said they showed how Fine Gael viewed the dedication and hard work of the average worker.

The INTO, which represents primary teachers, said in a statement: “Teachers are the backbone of our country, shaping futures, inspiring minds, and driving the success of our society. The recent remarks are both outrageous and deeply insulting to the dedication and hard work of Ireland’s teachers.”

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald also defended the teaching profession, saying: “Teachers get the job done every day in the classroom for our children, and I think it is completely inappropriate that they were jeered and demeaned.”

Public outrage recalled the disastrous faux pas of Fine Gael’s Charlie Flanagan who, weeks out from a general election almost five years ago, infamously organised a commemoration for those British forces who had occupied and oppressed Ireland during the War of Independence, causing an enraged Irish public to vote for Sinn Féin in record numbers.

But housing remains the dominant election issue, and one which has been synonymous with the failures of the coalition parties since the crash of 2007, when Ireland was forced into an international bailout due to the collapse of the property and banking sectors.

Since then, the failure of successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments to build homes has seen a stratospheric increase in house prices which is now causing an even greater social disaster. Average statewide rent is now €2,000 a month, and thousands are emigrating or being made homeless by the impossibility of finding accommodation.

Speaking at an event to launch the party’s affordable and social housing proposals, Ms McDonald said:

“Making housing affordable and bringing homeownership back into the reach of working people will be the priority for a Sinn Féin led government.

“We have the game changing housing plan, the plan that sets the course to end the housing crisis, the plan to restore hope for a generation.

“Our plan starts from a core belief – Everyone should have a home.”

Ms McDonald slammed the performance of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil on housing, describing it as a record of failure and broken promises.

She said: “Fine Gael has been in government for fourteen years, joined by Fianna Fáil for the last eight years. Far from making things better, they’ve only made things worse.

“They’ve spent more than a decade making promises and breaking them. They will make all the same promises again during this election campaign, but the facts speak for themselves – neither Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil can be trusted on housing.

“It’s time for a Sinn Féin Housing Housing Minister because only a Sinn Féin led government will fix housing.”

Unveiling its slate of candidates in Dublin on Monday, Ms McDonald also vowed to remove the USC tax on the first €45,000 of income for all earners. The party also indicated it would have a mini budget on childcare, health and housing in its first 100 days in office, and a new tax rate for those earning over €140,000,

Meanwhile, Aontú have launched “strict, speedy and practical Immigration policies” as the government’s lax approach to immigration is still proving to be a hugely controversial issue.

Aontú have vowed to create a new border agency to enforce deportation orders, which are currently being ignored; a policy that would refuse the right to land for those who have deliberately lost or destroyed their travel documents; and a new court to hear asylum application appeals within six months.

Party leader Peadar Tóibín said Aontú’s tougher policies would cut the numbers of asylum seekers coming to Ireland and make sure that if their claim failed, they would be deported as quickly as possible. But he also said the numbers of people coming from foreign countries legally on work permits should come down.

The Aontú leader stressed that many people here on work permits were “making a very valuable contribution to Irish society”, citing the number of foreign-born people working in the health service as “the biggest example of that”.

“There’s no doubt our plan is to provide help for those who really need help but in making it stricter we will see fewer people coming to the country, and that would be an important outcome of this plan,” he said.

Asked about people from foreign countries coming here on work permits, Mr Tóibín said: “There’s a physics to this. There’s a physical resource limits to the state currently ... The reality is, there is significant pressure on communities and it’s important that we try to have a manageable, sustainable system, and I think most people in the country would see that.”

Urgent Appeal