The accusation made by Aodhan O Riordain that the Anti-Budget protest by People Before Profit Alliance and others from the community in the North Inner City outside Cyprian Brady’s clinic intimidated constituents from consulting their local representative is ridiculous.
Speaking after the protest People Before Profit candidate in the North Inner City Colm Stephens said "If Cllr. O Riordain had bothered to turn up he would have seen that we actively encouraged people to go into the clinic and make their views known."
"Nobody, not even Mr. Brady who left the clinic before the scheduled start time and went canvassing for the local election, made a complaint to us at the time or since! We also explained to the staff of the Larkin Centre that we were not protesting at them. They informed us that they had no problem with the picket."
Instead of providing real leadership and voicing ordinary people’s concerns at the budget cuts, new levies and taxes, Mr. O Riordain is rushing to help out Fianna Fáil. The voters that I and other People Before Profit candidates are meeting on the doorsteps are extremely angry at the disastrous Budget and they are telling us that we are right to be protesting at the cuts in social welfare, education and health services while the Government is preparing to bail out the banks yet again.
Mr. O Riordain’s outburst raises the question whether the Labour Party is trying to align itself with Fianna Fáil to do a deal after the elections.