A new action group set up in Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6 in January, 2010 will lobby on the issue of Mental health. The action group is made up of community workers with the local community partnership, community employment scheme workers from local mental health projects, sufferers of depression and mental illnesses, local activists and advisors to the HSE advisory committee on mental health.

According to Amnesty international which is running a campaign for the year on mental health and human rights, rates of suicide in Ireland increased by 43% in the first quarter of 2009. Dublin 6 has the highest instance of users of the mental health services in Ireland.

It was decided at the first meeting to focus on the issue of stigma related to mental health in Ireland, for example 59% of Irish people believe that sufferers of of problems with mental health should not have children.

The lobby group, which is open to all concerned with this issue, will meet the first Thursday of every month.

Please contact Nora Boyle 085-8158879

Rathmines swimming pool, which was officially opened at the beginning of December and is ready for use, remains inaccessible to local people. Local labour Councillor Mary Freehill has stated that the reason for this is a delay in finding a management committee to run it. During her speech Cllr Freehill thanked everybody involved in the building of the local ammenity except for the under-paid, sub-contracted builders who actually built it or the usual builders (who were locked outside protesting during the building) protesting at the front of the swimming pool. The opening of the swimming pool is already long overdue considering it was promised it would be open to the public in November and has taken two years to build-mainly just the building of private apartments above the existing pool.

When questioned local Fine Gael Councillor Eugene Murphy stated that the reason for the delay is that the building was not actually finished (even though he himself was one of the colleages of Cllr freehill thanked for building it!).

When it was put to Cllr Murphy by local resident Nora Boyle of the People Before Profit Alliance that his statement contradicted the statements of the unemployed builders protesting at the opening he later stated that the swimming pool would open in May and the ‘delay is due to staffing shortages and a lack of funding to pay staff’. The citing of staffing shortage is laughable during a recession (even for Cllr Murphy!).

Dublin based graffiti artist Maser has pledged his support to local election candidate Bryce Evans.

Bryce Evans, a first time candidate under the People before Profit Alliance, is running in the Pembroke-Rathmines ward.

Maser - famed as ‘Dublin ’s Banksy’- is working on a piece of street art to encourage locals to vote for Evans on June 5th.

In a statement Evans said ‘I am a fan of Maser’s artwork; he provides Dublin with a youthful aesthetic and I am delighted to have him on board’.

Maser said he was backing Evans because he was ‘an honest and genuine guy’.

The artwork will occupy an unspecified, prominent location on Dublin ’s southside and is expected to be completed soon.

On 17 April the People Before Profit Alliance organised a protest against the government's budget measures outside the constituency office of Chris Andrews TD (Fianna Fail). The protest took place on Sandford Road, Ranelagh and was attended by fifteen people holding placards reading 'Honk if you oppose the budget' and 'Tax the Greedy, Not the Needy'. It drew support from passing motorists, who sounded their horns in support.

Watch video HERE

Bryce Evans, People Before Profit Alliance Candidate, Rathmines

will feature on Dublin South FM, this Monday at 1.30pm.

Tune in to hear what Bryce has to say.

On April 17th the People Before Profit Alliance in Pembroke-Rathmines held a protest against budget cuts outside the constituency office of local Fianna Fail TD Chris Andrews in Ranelagh.

The protest drew great support from passing motorists, who sounded their horns in support.

Local Election candidate Bryce Evans said 'This protest was a great success - we received great support from people and sent a clear message to Mr Andrews that the government's savage cutbacks in health, education and transport will not be taken lying down in this area.'

On 17 April the People Before Profit Alliance organised a protest against the government's budget measures outside the constituency office of Chris Andrews TD (Fianna Fail). The protest took place on Sandford Road, Ranelagh and was attended by fifteen people holding placards reading 'Honk if you oppose the budget' and 'Tax the Greedy, Not the Needy'. It drew support from passing motorists, who sounded their horns in support.

In a statement Bryce Evans, People Before Profit candidate for the Pembroke-Rathmines ward, said 'The budget is unfair because once again ordinary working people are being asked to carry the can for a mess they disn't create. Where's the justice in a budget that lets 6,000 tax exiles off scot-free but doubles the levy on low and middle income people? Every Fianna Fail representative who supported the busget cuts - whether at national or local level - must be made to recognise their own accountability for these savage cuts'. 

Public Meeting

Defend our Bus Service

Stop the Bus Cuts

Thursday 2nd April

Ranelagh Multi Denominational School

Organised by People Before Profit Alliance (Dublin South East)

All welcome

http://www.bryceevans.wordpress.com