Labour Youth call on the Labour Party to honour pledge to students

[drummed]

They probably should cut lecturers salaries, although I imagine the result would a lot of the best ones would go to the UK, if they cut them too much. However the bigger problem is, there isn't that many Lecturers and it'd never come close to closing the gap.

Yes it would. And the lecturers would be in for an unpleasant surprise in the UK. The vast majority of costs are payroll. Major savings to be had but no chance of this goverment taking it on.

[Molotov]

Classic Labour Youth. Say one thing and support the other.

[Rocky]

Yes it would. And the lecturers would be in for an unpleasant surprise in the UK. The vast majority of costs are payroll. Major savings to be had but no chance of this goverment taking it on.

Without slashing them massively it wouldn't.

Most staff in Universities are administration as well and they aren't paid that much. There isn't that many lecturers on that big pay.

[drummed]

The Librarian in Trinity is on 147k plus expenses (?) and pension.

Cut by 50%.

[Molotov]

Absolutely no mention of how they think third level education should be funded instead. Our universities desperately need more money and the state doesn't have it, so the choice is between bringing in fees or some other funding means or letting our third level institutions fall apart. From that statement it appears Labour want them to fall apart.

A bit like Michael Collins. He went around shooting Brits with absolutely no idea what should happen afterwards

[borntorum]

A bit like Michael Collins. He went around shooting Brits with absolutely no idea what should happen afterwards

Yes. Fine Gael's third level policy is exactly like the war of independence

[drummed]

Yes. Fine Gael's third level policy is exactly like the war of independence

How so?

[Nicky O Donnell]

Labour youth will be lucky to even exist this time next year. Only way I see it surviving is if it repopulates itself with former ogra FF and acknowledges the senior party's shift to the right. They're non existent in most colleges, even falling behind the likes of SF, SP and SWSS. A party that has no identity can't really have a youth wing.

What amazes me is how LY actually expected the party to uphold their promise not to raise fees or cut student supports while at the same time being committed to implementing austerity!

Anyone that remains in LY at this point is either just another aspiring certre-right careerist/politician, a complete moron or both. In fact I've already begun to see a few members of Labour Youth come out with polticial/economic arguments that would be worthy of the FG/FF locker rooms.

[Concerned Irishman]

I wouldn't be so sure Nicky - LY have been around an extremely long time at this rate in one form or another. Your party (I'm assuming you're SP given the profile picture) had a not insignificant number of LY Activists expelled during the crackdown on Militant amongst their founding members if I'm not mistaken. They will survive, in one format or another - of this I'm sure.

Any members I have talked to at events (and perhaps I'm only meeting the minority of them) have seemed articulate, well-infomed, steadfast in their beliefs and generally (for better or worse!) a long way to the Left of the party proper - more in the mould of Dermot Looney than Dermot Lacey. They also seemed to suffer from a from a bad case of well-intentioned naievity however, especially when it comes to the intentions of their own party. I think that's where their current stance comes from and presumably the LP Madarins are going to be quick to re-leash them on the off-chance that they become too much of a problem. I'd be surprised if Mr. Ryan hasn't gotten lashed out of it already for that article to be honest dispite LY's irrelevency, just to keep them polite and on script...

[SeamusNapoleon]

From today's Irish Times, a letter from the brave boys and girls in the Labour Youth National Executive:

Sir, – Today, the Union of Students in Ireland will hold a demonstration in protest against any further cuts to student grants, the reintroduction of student fees, and any further increase in the student contribution. Labour Youth will stand shoulder to shoulder with the USI to march in defence of the right to universal provision and equality of access in education, in accordance with 15 years of Labour policy.

The letter goes on and on; children and young people etc. shouldn't be liable to pay these debts etc. perspective on budgetary issues etc. 'In the years to come...' etc.
It is a true and crying shame that they did not [and why not?] cite their very own Labour website:

Labour Leader, Tom Johnston, TD., was the author of the programme for the first Dáil

You won't find that programme being sold outside Landsdowne Road of a Tuesday evening, nor would you find it as a supplement with the Sunday World. No no. God forbid.

We, in the name of the Republic, declare the right of every citizen to an adequate share of the produce of the Nation's labour.
It shall be the first duty of the Government of the Republic to make provision for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the children, to secure that no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing, or shelter, but that all shall be provided with the means and facilities requisite for their proper education and training as Citizens of a Free and Gaelic Ireland.

'Mere poetry', in the words of Kevin O'Higgins.
Labour Youth - a slimmer, not-so-jolly-looking Willie Penrose.

Good on ye, lads. Good on ye.