This year has seen a re-energised campaign for abortion rights  in Ireland, starting with the Action on X campaign at the beginning of the year but Youth Defense's awful billboard campaign over the summer invigorated pro-choice activists to take full scale action. On Saturday 29th September the March for Choice was organised to mark International Day for Decriminalisation of Abortion. This has also been organised a month ahead of a publication of a report on abortion from a government appointed expert group, which will examine how the Governement will handle the abortion issue.

Anti-Fascist Action Ireland will be hosting a weekend of events to mark there 21st birthday on the 5th to the 7th of October in Dublin City.

Text of AFA announcement follows.  We have confirmed over 100 international guests so far from Glasgow, Huddersfield, London, Manchester, Liverpool, Brighton, Leeds, Naples, Rome, Venice, Toulouse, Berlin, Hamburg, Stockholm, Malmo, Copenhagen, Split, Bilbao, Oslo and Prague .

Anyone with any illusions in Stormont as a 'progressive' alternative to Tory cuts from Westminster should take note after yesterday’s passing of the devastating Welfare reform bill.  The motion which will impact on thousands in NI and affect disability living allowance, housing benefit and employment support was passed in the second stage by 60 votes to 42. This biggest shakeup of the 'welfare' since 1945 has already been passed in Scotland and Wales and will bring in a single, Universal Credit to replace six income-related, work-based benefits.

273 men, women and children have been left devastated with the news that Lisbrook House asylum centre, which has been home to many people for several years, is to close its doors. The residents of Lisbrook House are playing an integral role in the local Galway community but now are being scandalously moved out from their homes.

*Lisbrook House asylum centre residents and supporters will hold a candlelight vigil tomorrow night (Friday 12 October) at 8pm outside the facility.

The opening of the Marie Stopes clinic in Belfast is a positive step forward for women’s rights and continuing battle for abortion services in Ireland.  While the 1967 Abortion Act has still not been extended to Northern Ireland due to an alliance of reactionary conservative forces from our local sectarian parties to the Churches.  This means that abortions can be carried out only to preserve the life of the mother, or if continuing the pregnancy would have other serious, permanent physical or mental health effects. There is strict assessment regarding any impact on mental well-being and the woman must consult with two clinicians.

We are publishing the following interview with David Harvie of the new English group "Plan C" carried out by Shift Magazine earlier this year. This interview has since been republished on Plan C's new website (www.weareplanc.org) launched this week. But we thought that although the interview is specifically addressed at political actors in England and the UK, the arguments over Austerity (Plan A) and a possible "New New Deal" or neo-Keynesian "Plan B" are also relevant to Ireland, where today organisations like Claiming Our Future are campaigning to build support for an Irish Plan B. We think the following is a useful contribution to that debate. Reprinted with permission from David Harvie.

Protest against attacks on the pay and allowances of Newly Qualified Teachers and against threatened increases in class size.  Organised by the 3 teacher unions

Molesworth St., opposite the Dáil

The first round of letters from Dublin City Council to people in Dublin who have boycotted the unfair and unjust Household Tax are starting to land. Last month we had a very lively protest at the monthly meeting of Dublin City Council.

We were there to remind them that the Household Tax is an Unjust Tax!

This month we are going back to remind them that we are still here and we won't be bullied by Hogan's threatening letters.