Michael O'Brien (AAA politician)

Michael O'Brien
Dublin City Councillor
Assumed office
May 2014
Constituency Beaumont-Donaghmede
Personal details
Nationality Irish
Political party Anti-Austerity Alliance

Michael O'Brien is an Anti-Austerity Alliance politician currently sitting as a Beaumont-Donaghmede representative on Dublin City Council. He has appeared on national media (including Newstalk and TV3) and has been described by journalist Michael Clifford in the Irish Examiner as one of the AAA's "leading lights".[1][2]

Ahead of the 2014 local elections, O'Brien represented the Anti-Austerity Alliance at the launch outside Dáil Éireann of a loose left-wing alliance of 100 candidates representing five disparate groups.[3] In August 2014, he was arrested while participating in a protest against the Greyhound waste collection company. Afterwards he said he had been "peacefully blockading" alongside the families of 12 Greyhound workers on strike who lived nearby.[4]

Since his election, O'Brien has been a prominent opponent of the new water tax being implemented by the Fine Gael and Labour coalition and has often been cited by the national media on this issue.[5][6][7][8][9] He also has been critical of restrictions against buskers exceeding 80 decibels, saying he himself had hit 90 decibels in the chamber.[10][11]

References

  1. ↑ Clifford, Michael (10 February 2015). "Were the dawn swoops really necessary?". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  2. ↑ O'Connor, Alison (19 December 2014). "With political parties in transition, something will come out of ‘left’ field in 2015". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  3. ↑ Hilliard, Mark (13 May 2014). "Left-wing alliance agrees on local election policy: Candidates believe they can dent Labour in the ballot box". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Hennessy, Michelle (29 August 2014). "Dublin City councillor arrested at Greyhound protest: Michael O'Brien was released with a caution and said he will continue to protest in support of workers on strike". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  5. ↑ Holland, Kitty (13 October 2014). "Water charges march a ‘tipping point’ after ‘years of hurt’: Grassroots campaign shows 'huge anger' and 'massive revolt against this Government'". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2014. “People's inhibitions about getting involved, getting active, are gone,” says Dublin City councillor Michael O'Brien (Anti-Austerity Alliance). “They understand the Government is weak, the Labour Party is being peeled away and if we keep chip, chip, chipping, seismic political shifts are happening.”
  6. ↑ Bardon, Sarah (5 November 2014). "Fiasco continues as coalition partners can't even agree on the amount families will be charged". Mirror. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2014. Some have reacted angrily to the order, with Michael O'Brien from the Anti-Austerity Alliance urging people to ignore it in a bid to prevent the hated charges coming into force.
  7. ↑ D'Arcy, Ciarán; Carroll, Steven (9 December 2014). "Preparations under way for Wednesday's water protests". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Jail sentences imposed on five water protesters found in contempt of court". Newstalk. 19 February 2015. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015. AAA Councillor Michael O'Brien said in a statement that “these jailings will not deter people from protesting against the installation of water meters and will be met with a firm response by the communities and the anti-water charges movement.”
  9. ↑ "Water charge protestors to stage rallies in Dublin and Mayo". Irish Examiner. 21 February 2015. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  10. ↑ Madden, Marie (2 February 2015). "Dublin City Council introduces new limits on city centre buskers". Her. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  11. ↑ Kelly, Olivia (2 February 2015). "Dublin's buskers will be allowed to use amplifiers, rules Council". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
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