Austerity Report - Hot Press meets Ruth Coppinger

While the issue of water charges continues to control the tide of public opinion, Ruth Coppinger is determined that it isn't the only issue around which people are rallied.

“The budget has been completely overshadowed,” says the Dublin West TD, who was elected in a by-election in May of this year. “But people are saying to me that it’s an insult. The government called it a ‘turning point’ – but the idea that it ends austerity is laughable. There was €30bn taken out of people’s pockets in the last few years, and the amount returned is minimal. The child benefit is the best example: they took out around €200m in the last budgets, and put back a fraction of that.
“If austerity was ending,” she adds, “why not remove the Universal Social Charge? That, after all, was the bailout tax that we brought in, and one that’s hit people hugely.”
For Coppinger, even the positive moves in Michael Noonan’s budget address come with an asterisk attached.
“One of the things would be the abolition of double Irish,” she says, in reference to the controversial tax avoidance strategy the government has pledged to abolish by the end of 2020. “That’s a good thing, but they’ve brought in other loopholes to favour multinationals, like the Knowledge Development Box. It’s a budget skewed towards the rich, but somehow it’s passed without comment.”
A former schoolteacher, Coppinger served on Fingal County Council for 11 years. Her experience in local politics has been important in shaping her sense that there's a fundamental disconnect between the government’s rhetoric and the reality of life in Ireland.
“They say there’s a recovery while we’re facing the most horrific housing crisis in the history of the state," she proffers. "It wipes out any claims of recovery for me, when 95% of my time with my constituents is taken up dealing with what amounts to a genuine housing emergency. It can be very upsetting, talking to these people.”
Few will need reminding of what happened the Coynes, pensioners who found themselves evicted from their house at dawn because their previous landlord had defaulted on the mortgage. The images of the couple — Violet Coyne in a dressing-gown, not even allowed the time to get dressed before leaving — offered a vivid illustration of just how bad things are at the coalface.
“Banks are moving in to repossess properties and turf the renters on to the street," Coppinger says, "and it’s only getting worse as the talk of recovery leads to house prices rising. Michael Noonan claims it’s a sign of recovery that house prices are going up! It’s a recovery in Ballsbridge, maybe, but it’s a double-edged sword: the more they talk it up, the more dangerous it is. I’ve a folder full of cases where landlords and banks are telling people that they have 42 days until they’re no longer in their homes.
“We’ve had crises in housing before,” she continues. “In 1975, in response to a crippling emergency, we built 8,500 new houses. Last year, they built less than 300. There’s an ideological aversion to council housing, and a lot of the money they announce is for private housing agencies. Councillors won’t have any way to help people. It’s just another example of a quango over which the Irish people have no control.”
The Anti-Austerity Alliance is planning to publish a document, in which they will outline proposals to deal with the housing waiting list which now runs to 90,000 families. According to Coppinger, the funding required to build the necessary housing is readily available.
“There’s a Strategic Investment Fund, financed from what used to be the pension reserve. A lot of it has been lost in the banks, but there is in the region of €6bn left. We’re talking about investing in projects around the country. What is more strategic than investing in the urgent need for housing? Even €1bn could build around 8,000 homes.
“Just look at the budget,” she continues. “They threw money at landholders, landlords and developers through cutting the windfall tax, and by extending the grant scheme for landlords. There’s massive amounts being handed out in rent supplement, which is a very expensive way of housing people.”
Does Coppinger have an issue with the private builders?
“I don’t have anything against these agencies, per se, but from 11 years on the council I know it’s very hard to get anything done with them. I have an estate where tenants are up in arms because they can’t get their windows replaced. If it were council housing, then I and the local councillors could do battle to get it done. People give out about the housing list, but it’s fair; it’s about who is next on the list. There’s no strings to be pulled; it can be scrutinised.”
It’s not just economic policies that have energised the Dublin West TD; this year has also seen her take a strong stance on abortion.
“In my election campaign, I stated that I supported a woman’s right to choose and got no flak whatsoever," she recounts. "I’m not saying that everyone agrees but there’s certainly been a sea-change there. We saw it with the migrant rape victim recently, which was truly reprehensible, and the public reaction spoke volumes. The repeal of the 8th Amendment is a burning necessity.”
Coppinger doesn't have a lot of faith in Dáil.
“It’s like a time warp in there,” she sighs, gesturing towards Leinster House. “The major parties have leaned on the church for 90 years. It’s embedded in their parties, as we saw with the kick-up over the Protection of Life Bill. That was the most pathetic change in the law, and turned out to be as much about preventing women from having abortions as allowing them.”
Like the housing crisis, the water charges and plenty more besides, Coppinger is ready for the fight.
“We will have to struggle, because nothing will be given easily. But it’s not enough to say ‘down with this sort of thing’. The only way to address the problems in the system is by changing it.”