Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Roger Cole of Peace And Neutrality Alliance pictured at a press conference last year. Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

Irish anti-war activists to hold meeting ahead of planned protest

The Peace and Neutrality Alliance will host Ian Chamberlain of the UK’s Stop the War Coalition and Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairéad Maguire at the meeting in Dublin this afternoon.

IRISH ANTI-WAR CAMPAIGNERS are to hold a public meeting today to drum up opposition to military intervention in Syria and plan to protest at the US Embassy if any air strikes take place.

The Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) will host Ian Chamberlain of the UK’s Stop the War Coalition and Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairéad Maguire at the meeting in Dublin this afternoon.

Organisers claim that Stop the War Coalition played an instrumental role in the ‘historic’ decision by the UK parliament not to give Prime Minister David Cameron a mandate to engage in military action.

PANA say that opinion polls in both the UK and France have shown a majority opposition to military action and the group say they have commissioned a Red Sea poll to gauge the mood of the Irish public.

Roger Cole was the chair of the organisation during the protests against the Iraq war in 2003 and says that he feels that the majority of Irish people will oppose action. Cole says that previous interventions by western forces in the Middle-East should serve as a warning for world leaders:

If I was them I’d have a really good look at what’s happening in Iraq and look what’s happening in Libya, the place is falling apart. If you look at the real world that I live in, these interventions don’t work. They leave the situation having intervened much worse than they were.

Cole says that the Irish government’s  position is not too far removed from that of his organisation in accepting that the UN is the only authority that can provide the legal basis for a war. He says however that the Irish government should make a clear statement that they will not support action in Syria if it is not supported by a UN resolution:

This war will be an illegal war. I haven’t heard anyone ask Eamon Gilmore, “In the event of this war, do you accept that this is an illegal war and will you stop the United States of America using Shannon Airport?” Armaments will be passing through Shannon Airport on the way to this war.

The PANA public meeting will take place at Connolly Books on Dublin’s Essex Street at 3.30pm.

Read: G20 fails to heal rift on Syria at Russia talks >

Read: Anti-war protest planned outside OSCE dinner at Dublin Castle >

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
39 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Monkey Boy
    Favourite Monkey Boy
    Report
    Sep 19th 2013, 6:34 PM

    If a pre school is short 1 plaster in a box of 10,thats an automatic fail in 1st aid compliance on the report,the current report will just say 1st aid fail,it does say its because its short of a plaster. Thats hardly fair,i hope the new reports actuly report the proper issues discovered in pre schools that are not up to proper standards. Will the new laws assist the low paid staff with proper working hours,pay and entitlements ??

    64
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Poppy
    Favourite Poppy
    Report
    Sep 19th 2013, 7:20 PM

    Couldn’t agree more. I personally know of a case where the preschool inspector complained there were too many varieties of plasters & dressings. All the new regulations will not prevent nasty people who don’t like children been mean to them like we saw on the Prime Time programme.

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute chalk8down
    Favourite chalk8down
    Report
    Sep 19th 2013, 6:40 PM

    New legislation is all well & good. Maintaining appropriate carer:child ratios, training staff properly & paying them a credible wage is more paramount, imo…

    55
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute CAM
    Favourite CAM
    Report
    Sep 19th 2013, 6:45 PM

    Perhaps some regulation for childminders too, who look after children in their own home. I have come across many wonderful childminders who treat the children they look after impeccably, however they are not all the same. This is a largely unregulated area and I feel there should be some sort of inspections/reports similar to the UK.

    33
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Taylor
    Favourite David Taylor
    Report
    Sep 19th 2013, 7:40 PM

    No one cares for a
    Child better that his or her parent but unfortunately during the credit tiger we lost the run of ourselves and required 2
    Parents working to support ridiculous mortgages and the introduction of the chain crèche with high running costs etc
    The whole country needs an overhaul not just childcare and plenty of crèche’s who pay staff fairly and treat children well they are just harder to find because the pull of the larger crèche with the so called reputation is a greater pull ….inspectors need to inspect what’s really important not tick a flip board actually sit in the crèche for few days to observe properly

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sheelagh Reid
    Favourite Sheelagh Reid
    Report
    Sep 19th 2013, 7:55 PM

    Creche or preschool?

    2
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds