Ruairí Fahy is an influential member of the People Before Profit party in Limerick, known for his active role in both environmental and labor movements. He is deeply involved in initiatives aimed at preventing the region from becoming a dumping ground for harmful industries and combating the expansion of data centers, which he argues have detrimental health and social impacts.
Fahy has been a staunch supporter of workers' rights, notably standing with former Debenhams employees to fight for their redundancy rights and aiding security workers in their struggle to raise wages to pre-2008 levels. His advocacy extends to organizing efforts to support these causes actively.
As the chair of CATU (Community Action Tenants Union) in Limerick, Fahy plays a critical role in supporting tenants against illegal evictions and promoting tenant rights. The union's work includes high-profile cases like the Shannon Arms, highlighting widespread housing issues in the city.
Representing Limerick City North, Fahy is committed to organizing community efforts against local council shortcomings in maintaining and improving housing, retrofitting programs, and the development of public spaces to enhance community engagement and welfare.
People Before Profit–Solidarity (PBP-S) is a left-wing electoral alliance in the Republic of Ireland, known in Irish as Pobal Roimh Bhrabús–Dlúthphairtíocht.
People Before Profit (PBP) and Solidarity, which was formerly known as the Anti-Austerity Alliance until 2017. In September 2019, the RISE party, founded by Paul Murphy, also integrated into the alliance.
Each group retains its separate organization and identity, with PBP maintaining its own registration in Northern Ireland.
The alliance was specifically formed to increase speaking rights in Dáil Éireann following the 2016 Irish general election. It replaced the individual registrations of AAA and PBP in Ireland’s official register of political parties, although both entities still operate separately within the alliance.
PBP-S supports anti-capitalism, socialism, and eco-socialism, advocating for Irish reunification through a socialist European federation. Unlike in the Republic, the PBP and the Socialist Party (part of the alliance) do not form a single electoral front in Northern Ireland, where the PBP competes independently.
PBP-S fundamentally opposes capitalism, critiquing it as a system that inherently leads to inequality and exploitation. They advocate for a socialist society where the means of production are owned and controlled by the workers, aiming for a fairer distribution of wealth and power.
The alliance promotes eco-socialism, integrating environmental considerations into their socialist agenda. They argue that the current environmental crisis is largely a result of capitalist policies and that a shift to eco-socialism is necessary to address these issues effectively.
A significant political goal of PBP-S is the reunification of Ireland, which they hope to achieve through a socialist framework within a European federation. They believe reunification under these terms would lead to a more equitable and just society in Ireland.
PBP-S is committed to abolishing austerity measures like water charges and the Universal Social Charge for lower to middle-income earners, which they argue disproportionately impact the working class and the poor.
The alliance prides itself on representing the interests of the working class, particularly the 57% of people who boycotted the payment of water charges. They aim to provide a genuine working-class voice in the parliament, addressing the often-overlooked needs and rights of this demographic.
People Before Profit–Solidarity aims to forge a pathway towards a socialist and eco-friendly Ireland, advocating for systemic changes that prioritize people over profit and environmental sustainability alongside social equity.