Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

That is effectively what he said. I assume Deputy Martin will take action against the Fianna Fáil Sligo-Leitrim TD who on 23 June tabled a parliamentary question to the Minister for Justice and Equality asking how many Muslims had applied to come into Ireland. Will the Deputy be moving against that type of racism? There has been a stoking up of immigration issues in this country since this vote took place, including by Deputy Michael Healy-Rae and some Fianna Fáil TDs over the weekend. I hope Deputy Martin will look into that matter and take appropriate action.

There are politicians here who stoke up racism. It is unfortunate that Jeremy Corbyn and the left of the Labour Party in Britain did not have the courage of their convictions and opt to advocate for a Brexit from the EU, which is a capitalist club of the 1%, thereby allowing the debate to be dominated by racists and the two wings of the Tory Party. Points could have been made. There are genuine fears that people have in relation to immigration that should have been answered but were not because the left stood aside from the debate. That is unfortunate.

On the call by Sinn Féin for a Border poll, which we heard again today, given the existing level of sectarianism that exists in the North this could be particularly divisive and polarising. The so-called democratic voted would be, in essence, a coercion of 1 million Protestants into a united Ireland. Such sectarianism is not helpful at this time. It creates a huge illusion in the EU, of which I heard no criticism, which is effectively a neoliberal project. We need real unity of ordinary working class people North and South.

What we have seen happening in Britain since this vote took place is an incredible pace of events in that the Tory Party could be effectively split into two right wing parties and the Labour Party is attacking its leader, Jeremy Corbyn. In effect, Jeremy Corbyn is being blamed for everything in Britain, including the weather. There is an attempted coup by a cabal of people who pressured him to take the "remain" side and are now blaming him for the result. I hope that he will stand up to that coup and will use this opportunity to lead Britain out of the EU and in the direction of a general election and that he will win that general election and move Labour in a real left direction.

As far as the Socialist Party and the Anti-Austerity Alliance are concerned there is no future for working class people on the basis of the current economic system, be it in or outside the EU. As has been said, the EU is a neoliberal straitjacket enforcing undemocratic decisions on member states. We have to fight to create a different society, a socialist society where the massive wealth and resources that exist in the EU would be used for the majority and not the 1%. We need to build homes cheaply and on a large scale. Imagine if we were allowed to spend the resources we have in this country to end our housing crisis rather than privatise our housing system in the future. Imagine a system that would not ban public ownership but would invest in public services, health and education and would not dictate to people that they must charge for water. The total ignoring in this debate of the diktat from the European Commission that this Parliament ignore the democratic mandate given to it by the majority in the recent election not to implement water charges is incredible. Imagine a society where the European corporations were taken under the control of the majority. European corporations are currently sitting on and hoarding €1.1 trillion. This cash pile, apparently the largest we have seen since 2001, remains uninvested while working class people in Europe suffer huge cuts to their living standards.

One hundred years ago James Connolly mentioned not patching up the capitalist system. We cannot patch up a system that is based on economic crisis, inequality, racism and war and the misery that is being inflicted on the majority in Greece. We need to build an equal, social society organised for need not profit; for solidarity not division.

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