This Voices for Change conference takes place in Breaffy House, Castlebar, this weekend, starting this evening, Friday, and will carry on tomorrow, Saturday. The conference will explore the policies and agenda for government for those who are an alternative to FG/FF/Labour. The opening session, titled ’Rescuing Town and Country from The Two Tier Economy’, will also highlight the political culture that has allowed vested interests and political patronage to converge against the common good, and how to undo that, particularly in the areas of renewable energy, water, housing, and regional imbalances.
Another session will focus on the Brexit threat and how Ireland also needs EU reform. It will ask ‘if the spirit of the founding treaties that underpinned solidarity and equality among the member states is broken and if so can it be recovered?’ The organisers believe that the next government must use the opportunity the Brexit debate gives us and "put the Irish people first, unlike the last two that put the euro, bondholders, financial institutions, and the ECB first."
The conference is backed by national movements and groups that are determined to end policies that are causing this lopsided two tier economy joined by representatives from most of the political parties and alliances outside FG/FF/Lab. Panelists from Mayo include Martin Daly, Cllr Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Féin ), Cllr Michael Kilcoyne (Ind ), Michael Farrington (Renua ), and George O'Malley (First Independent Mayo ). Other panelists include Marian Harkin MEP, Michael Fitzmaurice TD (Ind ), Thomas Pringle TD (Ind ), and Prof Ray Kinsella.
