Irish Left Archive: Brendan Ryan, Left Independent, 1989

An unusual addition to the Archive on this the day of the Budget in the form of a leaflet contributed by AK of Irish Election Literature Blog. As AK writes both here and at IELB…

BRENDAN RYAN – INDEPENDENT

In 1989 we faced similar challenges than those we face at the minute. It is remembered now as a time of national consensus, the early days of ‘Social Partnership’ and ‘The Tallaght Strategy’. It wasn’t.

This leaflet from Ryan is especially interesting as Ryan challenged the economic consensus of the time.

Ryan wrote of challenging the economic ‘consensus by publishing strategies for dealing with economic problems and by pointing out the human cost paid for some countries “solutions”.

So much of it being repeated today. It is a consensus in certain layers of society.

Ryan (after completing and publishing a report on it) writes of the JOBSEARCH scheme ‘often used simply to force people off the unemployed register’

With todays bank focused consensus, topics such as homelessness and penal reform often don’t get a second thought. Bar a notable exception or two, who is there in the Dail or Seanad that we could trust over such issues?

Is there “A Voice for the Voiceless” in government?

Why are they in office? Why do they only appear to look after certain interest groups?

“I promise nothing …and continue my commitment not to gain financially from membership of the Seanad”

In twenty years of Social Partnership, who was offering a “A Voice for the Voiceless” and being listened to?

Were they fobbed off as ‘pinko lefties’?

Amongst Ryans commitments “FOR THE FUTURE”

“The assault on the poor of the past two years will be reversed.”

“Cutbacks in education which will heighten inequality in Ireland and are both economically and socially disastrous are challenged and overturned”

“Our social welfare recipients are treated with the dignity they deserve”

“The cruel values of selfish competition, greed, individualism and indifference, which currently dominate our country are resisted. Our country must be drawn together and this can only be done if the cult of greed and selfishness is resisted.”