Politics

Today Sinn Féin launched its budget proposals for 2011, which includes a €7.6bn economic stimulus package over three and a half years. Funding for the stimulus plan would come predominately from the National Pension Reserve Fund (€7bn) with the remainder being raised through tax increases and cost-cutting measures in areas such as healthcare and education. By Alison Spillane.

Among the measures proposed are the introduction of a higher rate of income tax (48%) on earnings in excess of €100,000 and an income-linked wealth tax of 1% on assets of over €1 million, excluding farmland.

There is not a twinge of embarrassment on the part of the government about the criminal neglect of one of its agencies responsible for the care of children, writes Vincent Browne. 

The Health Service Executive (HSE) flagrantly neglected the care and protection of six children who were obviously endangered in a dysfunctional home.

Mary Harney, the Minister for Health and Children, has not bothered to even make a statement about the revelations of delinquency by an agency for which she is responsible.

Sandy Hazel reports from recent Dublin City Council meetings. Questions remain unanswered on  the Poolbeg incinerator licence; the abject failure of the DDDA; renaming Merrion Square Park and the Queen's visit to Ireland. Please get in touch should you wish to report from meetings of other Councils.

Labour Affairs Minister of State Dara Calleary has come under pressure to change  the work permit system that leaves migrant workers vulnerable to exploitation. By Christina Finn

As we stand on the edge of the abyss, it is business as usual for our bumbling and inane Cabinet members, writes Vincent Browne.

Today the Dáil meets at 10.30am and there is scheduled to be Leaders' Questions for 14 minutes. Then at 10.44 there will be statements on macroeconomic and fiscal outlook.

This will continue until 8.30pm, although with a "sos" of undeclared duration at some stage. Sos, as we all recall from our school days, is Irish for "rest". They like their sos in Leinster House.

There is an apprehension now that the crowd who have caused such terrible damage to this society over the last decade might be about to go one better and do fatal damage to this society - and they could do this in the next few weeks. By Vincent Browne

There can be no confidence in a government that was talking a few weeks ago at the lock in in Galway about budget adjustments of €3 billion and now are talking about budget adjustments of €7 billion.

The growing number of European 'working poor' was a focus of concern at the Ninth Annual Roundtable Meeting on Poverty and Social Exclusion held in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday this week. Despite the deteriorating financial situation of many Irish people, the Irish contribution to the meeting was weak. By Deirdra O Regan

Speakers at the meeting argued that the financial crisis must not serve as an excuse for government inaction on poverty. Indeed, the need for urgent measures to counter poverty was highlighted.

The representation of women in the Dáil has hit crisis levels, two leading academics told the Equality Authority conference yesterday. By Christina Finn

"There is no doubt Ireland will fall to the hundredth place in the world in the representation of women in government if the presence of women in government does not increase," said Susan McKay CEO of the National Women's Council of Ireland (pictured).

There is a lack of understanding about the connection between taxation and the provision of public services according to The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) General Secretary David Begg. "People do not associate them at all," he said at the Equality Authority conference in Dublin. "There is a complete disconnect."

Belinda Pyke, European Commission Director for Equality between Men and Women (pictured), denied that the power or size of France would deter the EU from its objective of protecting equality. By Christina Finn

Following the European commission's statement yesterday that it would temporarily suspend a human rights complaint against France for its expulsions of Roma people, Ms Pyke said it was "fair to say" that the EU Commission would act as guardians of the legislation that protect those from inequality regardless of the size of any member state.