Latest news from MIJAG

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday March 04, 2002 16:45 by Finghin

Motor Insurance Action Group

News from Dublin,Cork,Limerick and Tipperary plus an update on David Green's Campaign.

Car Insurance and the Road Accident Rates are seen as major issues now in
the General Election. Car Insurance was mentioned as one of the top six
issues on the phone in to Questions & Answers last week. The outgoing
Government is getting a lot of stick for its poor record on Road Safety and
Total In-Action on the Insurance issue.

MIJAG is continuing to take the issue to the Politicians on the run up to
the Election. The following is a report from around the Country on the work
being done.

Tipperary.
75 People turned up at the Public Meeting with Politicians in Clonmel last
Monday. Councillor Billy Shaw from the Clonmel Corporation is the Tipperary
organiser of the campaign. A Car Protest is to be organised in Clonmel as
soon as the General Election is called.

Cork.
The Cork Campaign has a Public Meeting with the Candidates invited. The
meeting is organised for Monday, April 8th in the Silver Springs Hotel. Kick
off is at 8pm.

Dublin.
The Dublin Campaign has a major Public Meeting Organised to take place in
the Green Isle Hotel on the Naas Road at 8pm on Thursday, April 11th. All
the Political Parties are being asked to send a spokesperson. We will be
targeting Mary Harney in Particular as the meeting is in her constituency
and is the same area David Green is running.

Limerick.
The Limerick Campaign was represented at the Tipperary meeting and are going
ahead to organise a meeting in Limerick. The details have yet to be
confirmed.

David Green.
Last but not least the MIJAG Candidate David Green has a good solid Campaign
now behind him. In the 4 weeks since the Election Campaign work began, an
Election Leaflet has been produced and distributed to almost 4,000 homes in
the Dublin Mid West Constituency. The 22 Pubs in the Clondalkin, Lucan and
Newcastle area have been leafleted on Saturday nights. The response in the
pubs has been great. Great from the punters that is. The Bouncers have been
the last ones to know what we were up to.

Every Shop, Cab Company, Video Shop, Chipper etc. in the area were asked to
leave David's election material on their counter and all bar a few agreed
without hesitation.

Money for the David Green Campaign has been coming in slow but steady at the
rate of 200 euro per week. If you have made a pledge please send a cheque to
the Campaign c/o 78, Whitechurch Way, Dublin 16.

If you would like to join our hard core of active members who turn out every
Saturday to do the Election Work just turn up outside the McDonalds in the
Car Park of the Mill Shopping Centre, Clondalkin on Saturday's at 6pm.
Leaflets are dropped in houses or shops from 6 to 8 and anyone who can stay
back hits a few of the pubs. Even if you can only do one or two nights
please come along. Every bit helps.

Cork Protest and Election Campaign Meeting.
The Cork Campaign has a Protest on Sunday March 10th starting from the
Ballyphehane Community Centre on Tory Top Road at 3pm. There will be a
discussion after the protest to discuss the work of the Campaign during the
General Election. Four options have already been discussed by the Cork
Committee. They are:- To Run a MIJAG Candidate in Cork, To Lobby
Politicians, To endorse Mick Barry the Cork Organiser who is a Candidate for
the Socialist Party in Cork, or finally not to endorse Mick Barry but to do
work for his Campaign. A decision will be made at the General Meeting to be
held after the Car Protest.

To a lot of our supporters the idea of endorsing a Party Candidate is
something they may not agree with. However that seems to be the course of
action favoured by the Campaign Committee in Cork. They do not feel able to
run a MIJAG Candidate. They want to do more than simply lobby Candidates.
Mick Barry is very prominent in Cork on the issue. Mick himself has argued
in favour of a cautious approach and does not want division in the Campaign
over this but does agree that the Campaign needs a focal point coming into
the Election. Supporters should be assured that all the options will be
fully considered before a decision is made.

The General Election in Dublin.
Young Drivers outside of Clondalkin and Lucan where David Green is standing
will be looking for ways to vent their anger on the issue. All the
Candidates should be given plenty of stick when they call to your door.
Leaflets explaining about the David Green case should be distributed outside
Dublin Mid-West but calling for support for local Candidates prominently
associated with the Campaign. I include Lisa Maher (MIJAG Chairperson in
Dublin) and myself in that.

Regards
Mick Murphy (National Organiser)