Saturday, January 22, 2011

The First Dail


90 odd years ago an chead dail set out a vision for the southern state. It never got to see the light of day. What followed was 90 years of governance no more imaginative than parochial home rule. Fine Gale and Fianna Fail never heeded these words. These are the principles upon which the new Ireland must be built.

We declare in the words of the Irish Republican Proclamation the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies to be indefeasible, and in the language of our first President. Pádraíg Mac Phiarais, we declare that the Nation's sovereignty extends not only to all men and women of the Nation, but to all its material possessions, the Nation's soil and all its resources, all the wealth and all the wealth-producing processes within the Nation, and with him we reaffirm that all right to private property must be subordinated to the public right and welfare.
We declare that we desire our country to be ruled in accordance with the principles of Liberty, Equality, and Justice for all, which alone can secure permanence of Government in the willing adhesion of the people.
We affirm the duty of every man and woman to give allegiance and service to the Commonwealth, and declare it is the duty of the Nation to assure that every citizen shall have opportunity to spend [23] his or her strength and faculties in the service of the people. In return for willing service, we, in the name of the Republic, declare the right of every citizen to an adequate share of the produce of the Nation's labour.
It shall be the first duty of the Government of the Republic to make provision for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the children, to secure that no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing, or shelter, but that all shall be provided with the means and facilities requisite for their proper education and training as Citizens of a Free and Gaelic Ireland.
The Irish Republic fully realises the necessity of abolishing the present odious, degrading and foreign Poor Law System, substituting therefor a sympathetic native scheme for the care of the Nation's aged and infirm, who shall not be regarded as a burden, but rather entitled to the Nation's gratitude and consideration. Likewise it shall be the duty of the Republic to take such measures as will safeguard the health of the people and ensure the physical as well as the moral well-being of the Nation.
It shall be our duty to promote the development of the Nation's resources, to increase the productivity of its soil, to exploit its mineral deposits, peat bogs, and fisheries, its waterways and harbours, in the interests and for the benefit of the Irish people.
It shall be the duty of the Republic to adopt all measures necessary for the recreation and invigoration of our Industries, and to ensure their being developed on the most beneficial and progressive co-operative and industrial lines. With the adoption of an extensive Irish Consular Service, trade with foreign Nations shall be revived on terms of mutual advantage and goodwill, and while undertaking the organisation of the Nation's trade, import and export, it shall be the duty of the Republic to prevent the shipment from Ireland of food and other necessaries until the wants of the Irish people are fully satisfied and the future provided for.
It shall also devolve upon the National Government to seck co-operation of the Governments of other countries in determining a standard of Social and Industrial Legislation with a view to a general and lasting improvement in the conditions under which the working classes live and labour.

Read more about the first dail

6 comments:

  1. I am wondering why sinn fein have more or less given in to the British and people like Martin McGuinness seem to have given up on a united Ireland. He and Gerry Adams seem to be very quiet on these matters and Martin at least calling people traitors. I can never get a satisfactory explanation for this.

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  2. SF have not been quiet on a united Ireland, nor have they given into the British. SF is in a position of influence in the North and building strenght in the South. Having a major influence in both areas is a key part of the strategy for building a united Ireland. One of the major failures of republicansim over the past 40 years was the way in which there was a failure to build a strong political movement in the South. This is being addressed.

    In terms of Martin's comments about traitors, I agree he was wrong. Many other people have also made that clear to Martin

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  3. Mellows,

    it was you who told us in a pretty forthright piece that if SF implement the cuts in the North which it did, no one would listen to it. In fact you said 'don't let us down Martin' or something along those lines. Are we supposed just to go along as if this was never said?

    Anonymous T

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  4. No Anon, I expect Gerry and others to be put under massive pressure on this point and I look forward to hearing their answers. The public will quickly see what is going on.

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  5. Mellows,

    well what is going on? And what will the public see?

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  6. Wait for the questions and wait for the answers my friend. The people will speak on election day

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