War of words over protest in Trim

A protest in Trim last week over government cuts organised by Sinn Fein to coincide with a visit by Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been criticised for "turning its back on honouring Meath's war dead". Last Thursday, 15th December, Sinn Fein protestors, armed with placards, gathered at the Dublin Road roundabout demonstrating at the Taoiseach's visit to the launch of local historian Noel French's 'Meath's War Dead' book at Knightsbrook Golf Club. Speaking at the demonstration, Sinn Féin Navan Cllr Caoimhe Ní Shlúain said: "The reason we in Sinn Féin organised this demonstration here today is to campaign against the Fine Gael and Labour cuts to incomes of people with disabilities. "This government is doing away with many concurrent payments which allowed many individuals to keep a disability allowance in certain circumstances. Government TDs are also reducing the Hearing Aid Grant from €750 to €500 and are reducing the number of times it can be applied for." She also criticised the reduction in invalidity pension, disability benefit cuts, and others which would mean a reduction to many. "There are alternative ways in which funding can be raised such as caps on wages of over €100,000 in the public sector and a tax of 48 per cent on wages above €100,000. We are calling on local Fine Gael and Labour TDs here in Meath to stop voting for these cuts that are hurting our local community," she said. However, the protest did not go down well with Trim-based Fine Gael TD Ray Butler, who accompanied Mr Kenny first to a constituent's home and then to his own constituency offices before arriving at the launch. "The few protesters who did show up for the 'demonstration' organised by Sinn Féin were not local to my constituency or area," said Deputy Butler. "Also, I was exceptionally disappointed that Sinn Féin saw fit to organise such a demonstration on what was a very special occasion to honour the war dead of Meath from the First World War. "It is important to note that Mr Tóibín, the local Sinn Féin public representative for Meath West, was also invited to this event, as were all local TDs but unfortunately, Mr Tóibín chose not to attend and, in my opinion, by doing so, he turned his back on an opportunity to honour those Meath men who gave up their lives in one of the biggest conflicts in history," he added. Deputy Peadar Tóibín said he met with representatives of local CE schemes again in Navan on Friday morning as part of his party's campaign to defend the schemes from government cutbacks. "The Fine Gael and Labour cuts will have a devastating effect on hundreds of participants of the schemes and the sponsored services for who they work for," he said. "The savage cut of 66 per cent to the Material and Training Allowance will make many CE Schemes unviable. They depend on this money to pay for training, insurance, rent, equipment and tools, ESB and telephone bills. "Training money is vital to enable participants to make the transition from unemployment to employment. Hundreds of people in Meath are empowered by these schemes and it helps to defend whole communities from Oldcastle to Summerhill against marginalisation and isolation.," added the SF TD.