Who Is to Blame?

send in the marines to put down an uprising in the Dominican Republic, its capacity for military adventures overseas is reduced since the Vietnam war. Overcoming this so-called "Vietnam syndrome" is one of the tasks the new Reagan administration has in mind - hence the stepping up of attacks on Cubans and Nicaragua for their wholehearted solidarity with the fight against tyranny . These attacks include the cutting off of economic loons to Nicaragua and attempts to organise an economic blockade of Cuba.

The stakes for U.S. imperialism are so high in El Salvador that they are willing to help perpetrate any number of atrocities to achieve their goals. We must prevent further horrors.

The Limerick El Salvador Committee may be contacted c/o Sean Loughran fire at Artane, a cloud of gloom settled over Dublin city.

know who to blame at first -the non-implementation of the existing laws, the failure to ban certain inflammable materials for use in public places, or the appalling lack of social facilities, a lack which drove mable death trap as their only form of leisure.

When the ash settled and the 46 bodies were buried, we were removed the Department of Environment, which was in charge of the implementation of fire regulations, from all responsibility. The Dangerous SubJohn Street stances Act ([972) is Limerick. 3) piece of lepislation dealIng with, among other the danger of In tne aftermath of the Stardusrc In such a tragedy it is hard to the weak fire hazard legislatior 800 young people into an inflamleft with a public enquiry which tiened in the Dail.

La mwinim-items, polyurethane in furniture and ceilings. Since its passage in 1972, this Act has been ignored by proprictors and the Department alike.

Ten new inspectors have been added to the fire protectorate - but inadequate staffing has been constantly pointed to be Fire Officers. As long ago as 197%, John Connolly, the Chicf Firc Officer pointed this out in the course of legal proceedings against the Department of the Environment. Despite the warnings of Whiddy and Bundoran, the complacency evident in 1978 continued until last month, In 1976, a Bill dealing with Building Regulations Was Wen That Bill, in Vive yveurs, never got beyond the draft stage, and buildings have continued to be built on the old capitalise maxim of "what's ¢he: best" pest is late for the killer to repent.

The night after the Stardust tragedy, the clubs and discos of Ireland were full again, although the papers informed us: that "a cloud of gloom hung over them", Again the Government must be held responsible for a situation in which young people h have no outlet®for their scarce leisurg but dangerous vverpriced and privately owned discos. Even now the provision of genuine and diverse lacilities for young people is not thought worthy of government finaneing and the youth clubs which exist depend on the Church. As Tony us the Government sces secisl yetivity as outside their finaneial realm, voting people will entinue to go in large numbers co under-facilituted and dangerous clubs like the Stardust.

Inevitably then, there will be other tragedies.

SALLY SHOVELS

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC PAGE 6 Last year the North's trade union leaders predicted that unempMy ment would reach 100,000 under Thatcher's Tory Government. Two months into 1981 that forecast seems to have been much too optimistic,for unemployment has already reached that figure. Coopers and Lybrands annual survey of the Northern economy, published mid-January, estimated that by the end of this present year the North's unemployment will have climbed on to a staggering 125,000 or 21.5% of the insured population.

With 1 in 5 workers now signing on the dole, the numbei® out of work are the highest the 6 counties has ever witnessed, higher even ‘than during the "hungry thirties". In fact, the North has almost as many people unemployed as the 'Free State’ even though the latter has double the population. The Northern economy, as Eugene McEldowney put it in the Irish Times is staring disaster in the ers Impotent = -~ x yor 2 Sn — That's why a fight to change this leadership is central to the Fight for workers‘ unity in action. Such o Fight requires the militant strength of workers in the 26 Counties 3s well as the North. The only reason NICTU can get oway with kowtowing to imperialism is because the leadership of ICTU as a whole supports this policy.

Developing an alternative to the present leadership of ICTU will not be easy. Despite widespread discontent with the sell-outs of the trade union leaders there is no orgonised opposition within the unions. Socialists and republicans will have to wage a political battle against the bureaucracy, exposing the latter's accomodations with imperialism and explaining the relevance of on onti-imperialist perspective.

The demand for affirmative action to redress the misery of youth in the