Sinn Féin and anti-austerity movements on the "hard left" contain some who are politically active yet do not work or make a contribution to society, Labour deputy leader Alan Kelly has claimed.
He said there needed to be a conversation “about work in this country and the value of making a contribution to society”.
“I believe everyone should, if they are able, make a contribution to society.
“There are a certain amount of people who believe in not making a contribution to society but allow for taxpayers to fund this indulgence.”
While the Tipperary deputy said he was not connecting his comments to the anti-water charges protests, he said others were making the link.
“I am not connecting those issues at all,” the Minister for Environment said. “I meet people all the time who have issues with the protesters, have issues with the way they behave. They are the people who are going out every day working, they are the people who have to make their own contribution to society.”
Get back working
“It is not sustainable whereby so many people are trying their damndest to get back working, get back a decent standard of living, pay their mortgages.”
A Sinn Féin spokesman rejected his comments, describing them as “outrageous” and claimed they came from “the deputy leader of a party that has forced thousands of young people from these shores”.
“Now he seems to be attacking the people who have stayed behind but still cannot find work.
“For a Labour Party deputy to make such comments shows how far removed the party is from its traditional base. He should withdraw this comment and apologise to those he has offended.”
Chaos and instability
Speaking ahead of the Labour Party conference in Killarney this weekend, Mr Kelly also said comments made by
Socialist Party
TD
Ruth Coppinger
earlier this week proved she “doesn’t represent workers”.
Ms Coppinger, a TD for Dublin West, defended protests against workers installing water meters. "The workers for Irish Water are being put in an invidious position," she said. "They obviously need work but also the community do not want the metres that they are installing. At some point, if you are doing a job you have to consider the consequences of it."
In an interview with The Irish Times, Mr Kelly said the comments "accentuated what I always knew: Ruth Coppinger doesn't represent workers, Ruth Coppinger represents a desire to create chaos and instability".
“It’s all about creating insurrection, trying to make the country into chaos,” he said.
Ms Coppinger did not return calls last night.
“Sure people can protest but having issues with the workers themselves and speaking about them in the way she did, she showed her true colours. Ruth Coppinger and her band of people will lead people up to the top of the hill and then abandon them.”
