Pack your blankets and sandwiches and make your way to Eyre Square for the Galway Community Picnic.

The debts that Ireland owes to the IMF/ECB have been repaid in ful, less than four months after they were borrowed. Mark C of Contact.ie decided it was time for someone to step up to the plate and payoff the debts that were ratcheted up by the follies of speculators, builders, and the mismanagement of the economy by successive Fianna Fail governments.

Speaking at the handover of the cheque, Mark C had the following to say: "I just looked in my bank account and had some spare money left on my over draft, and thought, 'let's get this paid'. The debt is going up at a rate of €35,000 a  minute, so if it's not paid soon, it'll never be paid, and since no political party is willing to seriously discuss (or threaten) default, then I thought, I might as well pay it myself".

Now, with the debt cleared, we can start talking about real political reforms, proper control of our workspaces, resources and economy utilising direct, particpatory democracy.

Here's the cheque, just for proof:

I've started work on a site for a Robin Hood Tax in Ireland. I need people and organisations to get involved to create Ireland-related content for the site. Here's a preview of the site (unfinished) - www.rht-ireland.org.

Here's how it works:

It's quite simple: if someone makes a financial transaction in a business manner (such as speculating on shares or currencies) we take 0.05% as a "Robin Hood" fee. This money is then used to help the poor, set up social systems, and fight climate change - in Ireland and abroad.

It's a tiny fee to charge and is not charged to individuals who are simply buying holiday currency or buying a few shares as a college fund for the kids.

Here's a guest post from Gary Dunne. 

Hi all,

I have pledged, to myself and to those who like my music, to release a new track every month in 2011.

This is the first of them – ‘What Kind Of Country Are We Living In?’

This stemmed from a comment that I posted on Eamon Gilmore's Facebook wall, and was developed further having posted the same comment on Colm Keaveney's.

I'd love to think that Labour would re-negotiate the IMF deal, or, better still, reject the IMF and tell them to go F**K themselves (in polite terms, or otherwise), to revisit the Budget (if not the last four Budgets), to tell the bondholders that they took a risk and can now join the IMF F**King themselves, tell the banks that we are no longer in a position to nationalise their debts (go F**K yourselves, banks), and are going to follow our own path to prosperity without outside interference.

I love to see this kind of thing. It's a great method to create community spirits and encourage others to engage in activism.

Irish TDs are being asked to vote for or against the EU/IMF bailout. 92% of respondants to a Contact.ie poll said they would vote NO to the EU/IMF deal if it was put to a referendum. This is about as close as we are going to get to a referendum. Phone your TD and demand that he/she votes NO to the EU/IMF deal, and remind him/her that you will not vote for him/her in the general election unless he/she votes NO.

These phone numbers were gleaned from Indymedia.ie.

Alan Kelly MEP - 087 6792859
Barry Andrews - 086 8361396
Batt O'Keeffe - 087 2508242
Billy Kelleher - 087 2580521
Brendan Howlin TD - 087 2314671