Adams warns of more austerity in address

The Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has said that despite the Taoiseach's recent address to the nation marking its exit from the bailout, the Troika policy of austerity continues.

Mr Adams was responding on RTÉ after both Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin and TD Shane Ross, on behalf of the Dáil technical group, were given air time to do the same.

In his short address, Mr Adams hammered home the message that generations of Irish people would be saddled with the debt incurred by the country.

"On Sunday the Taoiseach heralded the Troika's departure. But under Fine Gael and Labour, the Troika policy of Austerity continues," he said.

“Irish citizens will continue to pay back a debt that is not ours. The old, the young, the sick, citizens with disabilities, carers and mortgage holders will still carry this unjust and unfair burden. Public services, including health, will be cut.”

In a broadside against the Government, Mr Adams listed a number of potential threats to ordinary people.

He warned that wages would be lowered, medical cards cut, an increase on taxation of family homes and all of this would be followed by the introduction of water charges and the continuation of food poverty.

“Meanwhile those at the top, including the Government, pay themselves and their cronies obscene salaries and huge bonuses, in breach of their own guidelines. This is wrong.”

Instead, Mr Adams said, a “change” was needed that would bring about a different approach to cutting Irish debt while improving the lives of those who have shouldered the burden.

Citing a “fairer” way forward enshrined in the approach of Sinn Féin, he said there should now be fair taxes, “real and meaningful” investment in jobs and a “proper deal on bank debt”.

Mr Adams also raised the spectre of emigration, a particularly provocative issue during the Christmas period.

People had a right to live and work in Ireland, he said, adding: "Not Australia, Canada or Britain.

“This Christmas will be a hard one for many families. Skype is no substitute for spending the festive season together. Our history is replete with great injustice.

“We will come through this crisis despite this Government. But we have to break the cycle of boom and bust, where only the elites prosper. We need to stand united against Austerity.”

Last night both Mr Martin and Mr Ross addressed the nation through similar short addresses.

Mr Martin welcomed the exit from the bailout but warned against the growing risk of a two-tier economy “where some prosper but many are left behind”.

Mr Ross used his airtime to say it would be “premature” for the country to celebrate its exit from the bailout programme.

“The exit may bring political satisfaction to the Government but it would be premature to hold a national celebration,” he said.