Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Féin)

candidate EU elections
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a chara,

Sinn Fein recognises the role played by An Post in delivering the Universal Service Obligation. We have seen hundreds of local post offices disappeared from rural Ireland, mostly in the west. In the past ten years, more than one in four post offices in the state have closed, and this trend is accelerating, with few full-time offices remaining. These closures are hitting those in rural areas hardest, especially older people who have to travel longer and longer distances to receive their pensions.

Sinn Fein is totally opposed to the full or partial privatisation of An Post, as it provides a vital public service, and we are on record as strongly rejecting the deregulation of the postal service. Public assets such as An Post should be kept in public ownership and under democratic control, with universal service provision guaranteed. Big business is the only winner from privatisation and liberalisation while society as a whole suffers through lack of universal postal services and job losses.

There are many options for keeping An Post and rural post offices viable, through the diversification of its services. For example: providing door-to-door delivery of parcels and welfare payments such as pensions to people with impaired mobility; providing a daily necessities ordering service for elderly people; combining postal services with council services to provide an insurance and taxation one-stop shop; combining postal services with Business Points; developing post offices as centres of community service information for example on local transport and childcare; and providing space for community activities such as community meetings.

Without a national strategy backed by local leadership, the local post office as we know it is in grave danger of becoming extinct. We believe there should be an overall reform package to enable postal services scheduled for closure to deliver more social services. All public services, delivered well and delivered equally to all, can play a crucial role in raising the quality of life for whole communities, as well as the families and individuals within them. They must meet communities´ real needs. As well as this they have the capability to deliver important, decent and stable jobs which must be protected.

We are committed to doing whatever it takes to end the inequality in postal service provision within and between local areas, and to ensure that these services are used to strengthen the fabric of our communities. We are also committed to ensuring that jobs are retained. Moreover, we are committed to empowering local residents so that their own voices on these matters are heard by decision-makers.

There is no demand, no logic and justification for the liberalisation of postal services. It is time to call a halt towards the ideologically driven march towards privatisation. There has been no assessment of the social impact privatisation would have on employees or consumers. Privatisation will mean local post offices closing because the market offers insufficient profit for the private postal companies.

Is mise, Mary Lou McDonald MEP.

a chara,

Thank you for your query. Sinn Fein gave a general welcome to the firearms section of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009 but have not yet taken positions on each individual provision.

During debates on legislation on this issue in 2006, my colleague Aengus Ã? Snodaigh TD called for an effective and modern licensing regime to allow for gun clubs and sport to continue while ensuring prudent gun control in the interests of public safety.

The ultimate objective of Sinn Fein´s approach to this legislation will be to achieve the right balance in terms of gun control and public safety while allowing the legitimate use of firearms, in particular sporting competitions and farm use to continue.

Is mise le meas,

Mary Lou McDonald MEP.

Julie a chara,

Thank you for your query. The Lisbon Treaty, like many of the treaties that went before it, does not deliver reform, efficiency or democracy. It is a bad deal for Ireland. We deserve and can achieve better. This is why Sinn Fein campaigned for a "No" vote on the Lisbon Treaty.

The Lisbon Treaty will involve the most substantial transfer of powers from member states to the European Council and Commission to date. The influence of smaller states will be reduced as the dominance of larger states is consolidated. It significantly accelerates the militarization of the EU and advances an economic agenda based on a race to the bottom for wages and workers´ rights.

Sinn Fein believes a specific protocol in the Treaty protecting neutrality is required and opt outs from other aspects of an emerging EU common foreign and security policy such as an end to taxpayer´s money being diverted to the European Defence Agency or being used for any EU military purposes. We also need a protocol to opt out from the European Atomic Energy Treaty.

The Lisbon Treaty is a charter for the policies of failure. Ireland and Europe need a new treaty for a new time.

With regard to the public sector pension levies, we believe they should be scrapped and the government should have open discussions with unions, employers and the voluntary sector to produce a real national recovery plan based on principles of equality and solidarity.

On the issue of educational equality in schools, we believe that education is an essential tool for building an Ireland of Equals. Government has an obligation to enable learners of all ages and life stages to achieve their full potential through access to the levels of curriculum, institutions and type of teaching and learning best suited to their personal success and hence ability to contribute to the economy. We need to see an end to education budget cuts and a significant increase in public investment in education to at least the OECD average (6% of GDP), to eliminate the need for private fundraising.

Is mise le meas,

Mary Lou McDonald MEP

a chara,

Thank you for your representation. Sinn Fein believes that there should be a proper investigation into the toxic loans which were given out by Anglo Irish. The Government, the Central Bank and the Financial Regulator had the PWC Report on Anglo Irish for five months before the Gardai raided its headquarters.

We stated at the time of nationalisation that Anglo was a poisoned bank and the extent of corruption was endemic in the institution. The fact that the Government declined to tell the public about the extent of the loans given to its own directors before asking the tax-payer to take the burden is a scandal.

We need to sort out the banks - this means sacking the bankers and not letting them retire with golden handshakes. Investigations of Anglo Irish and other banking institutions must be referred to the DPP for prosecution. We need a new, robust financial regulatory system.

There is no silver bullet solution to the banking crisis, but as part of a short to medium term response, we propose immediate nationalisation of any banks needing government aid - without public liability falling on the tax payer for the imprudent lending and corporate failures of the management of these enterprises.

Is mise le meas,

Mary Lou McDonald MEP