Thousands Attend Cost of Living Protest in Cork City
James Kemmy reports on Cork’s large-scale rally and its indication of deeper societal tensions
A demonstration of approximately 3,000 people was held in Cork City last Saturday afternoon to protest the rising cost of living and make demands of the Government regarding the upcoming budget. It is estimated to have been one of the largest protests in Cork for decades, according to Cork Beo.
The march was organised by the national Cost of Living Campaign, a broad coalition of activists, political groups and volunteers aimed at highlighting unsustainable price increases and declining living standards. Taking place at 2pm on Grand Parade, the event involved rousing speeches from Solidarity TD Mick Barry and Sinn Fein TD Thomas Gould, both of Cork North Central, among other radical voices demanding substantial action from the State to tackle these issues. Beginning on Grand Parade, the group of protestors subsequently proceeded up Patrick Street, down Oliver Plunkett Street and ultimately back to Grand Parade where the final statements were made.
Saturday’s demonstration saw a broad range of participants present, as increasing cohorts make the difficult choice between heating and eating, with many fearful of the situation worsening as winter looms. From student groups to pensioners and trade unions to disability rights campaigners, the scale and depth of this crisis was on full display. There were also many first-time protestors in attendance, signalling a profound sense of social indignance and discontent.
“Freeze the prices, not the people” was the key message of the day, alongside other frequent chants such as “the cost of living is rising and so are we”. Calls were also made by demonstrators to halt rent increases, ban tenant evictions, and bring key industries into public ownership. Such messaging speaks to the perception of a widening disparity within Irish society, with calls from opposition groups to implement a windfall tax on corporate profits, something which the Government has now agreed upon under a new European Commission proposal. Speaking in the Dáil during last week's Leaders Questions, Catherine Murphy, co-leader of the Social Democrats said, “it is grotesque to see the level of obscene profiteering by energy companies which is accompanying an energy crisis”.
Also in attendance on the day were Cork City and County Council’s water workers, promoting greater workplace democracy and resisting a privatisation-led transfer towards the Irish Water group. These individuals provided a potent message of dissent against their own trade union, SIPTU, claiming that the organisation has broken key promises regarding their transfer to the company and demanding a referendum on such a move. Throughout the afternoon there were several mentions of the successful national campaign against water charges in 2014/15, one which ultimately forced the government to drop the policy of installing household water meters altogether. With industrial unrest on the rise in the UK, it is very plausible that Irish trade unions could soon follow suit and pursue similar tactics, whereby enhanced pay and conditions are demanded in the face of declining real-terms circumstances.
Other dominant issues of the day included the promotion of food price controls and backlash against the incremental 80c rise in the national minimum wage to €11.30 per hour, an increase which Mick Barry said “wouldn’t be enough to feed the pigeons these days”. Similarly, in a statement given to RTÉ, the Low Pay Commission says the increase will not compensate for inflation, while the ICTU General Secretary has said this rise “fails the test” of providing a sustainable foundation to prepare for the living wage, set to come in by 2026.
Valerie Condon was another notable speaker. A former Debenhams worker and member of the historic redundancy strike in the city, she spoke of the ESB’s record half-year profits of €390 million as cited in the group's recent bi-annual report. On the same issue, Deputy Mick Barry accosted the energy company for recording “two million euro in profit a day” and argued that energy credit measures similar to those in last year’s budget will be inadequate to alleviate the financial constraint on the public.
Also vocal was Antoinette Burke of Families Unite for Services and Support (FUSS), who highlighted the difficulty and expense involved in accessing essential health services for those like her daughter who has cerebral palsy. Burke spoke of the increasing use of GoFundMe, the private fundraising platform, for those seeking basic surgeries and medical equipment, as they cannot afford such services amidst rising prices. According to HSE data recently obtained by Sinn Féin health spokesperson, David Cullinane, there are now over 1.36 million people waiting for some form of operation or procedure, or to see a consultant – the biggest backlog in the history of the State.
On a university-related note, there was a strong showing from UCC’s Student Union, with Communications and Engagement Officer, Sinéad Roche, highlighting the current state of living conditions for students at the microphone. Specifically mentioned were unsustainable rents, scarce and precarious levels of accommodation, and contribution fees, which are now the highest in the EU following Brexit. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) have called for a 50% reduction in fees with the long-term view of abolition.
Such messaging comes with the sense that third-level education in Ireland is becoming increasingly inaccessible to many, and that costs, particularly for accommodation, are accelerating rapidly. As a generation seemingly locked out of home ownership and asset obtainment generally, young adults and students are undoubtedly one of the most aggrieved social groups within this economic environment and consequently, one of the loudest group voices at demonstrations such as Cork’s last weekend.
Undoubtedly, there is an increasing atmosphere of socio-economic discontent within Irish society, something unseen since the height of the 2008 financial crash. This can be seen in the vast and rising number of civic demonstrations held in recent months, sparked by citizens’ financial uncertainty. Although Ireland is a relatively protest-shy nation in comparison to European counterparts such as France and Britain, there now appears to be greater levels of civil disobedience and an emerging grassroots movement aimed at building a more egalitarian society whereby the publicly owned entities direct and operate a greater share of economic output. While instances of large-scale protest in Ireland have typically been centred on specific, isolated issues, recent developments point to a more general societal grievance and an expression of a widespread desire for reform.
Recent suggestions from TDs like Richard Boyd Barrett and Paul Murphy that customers would be justified in cancelling their direct debits to gas and electricity suppliers, similar to that of the UK’s ‘Don’t Pay’ movement (which is set to begin from October 1st), have sparked controversy. Responding to these comments in an interview with Newstalk Breakfast, Micheál Martin warns of “chaotic” outcomes if people are to go down such a route and claims that this action would only trigger further financial turmoil and debt for consumers down the road. Speaking to reporters last week, the Taoiseach announced that EU interventions will stabilise the energy industry soon and that the upcoming budget’s inclusion of a novel cost of living package will help reduce the burden on households.
The budget, to be delivered tomorrow by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath, is set to contain the greatest annual rise in public expenditure in the state’s history. €1 billion has been set aside to create an unforeseen cost of living package, giving the sense that this year’s early budget is being delivered in an emergency environment. The stakes could not be higher for the government at this greatly consequential time, with opposition parties and the public mounting huge pressure on the cabinet to offset the cost of living and prevent deprivation into and beyond the winter months. Undoubtedly, the government will seek to distribute the benefits of their fiscal policies across various demographics, as they try to maintain political support and combat Sinn Féin’s rising popularity.
The next Cost of Living Campaign protest in Cork will be held on Saturday November 12th. This follows the large-scale demonstration held in Dublin last Saturday afternoon. It will no doubt be interesting to observe the collective mindset of the public following the highly consequential upcoming budget and whether or not people’s needs have been perceived to be addressed. Regardless of potential budgetary handouts from the government, it is likely that instances of direct action will persist into the winter as societal hardship endures, possibly indicating a new era of engagement between the public and government.