The Communist Party of Ireland (CPI) is an all-Ireland Marxist-Leninist party founded in 1933. We aim to win the support of the majority of the Irish people for ending the capitalist system and for building socialism — a social system in which the means of production, distribution and exchange are publicly owned and utilised for the benefit of all.
A party for socialism and democracy
The CPI emphasises the united class struggle of workers in the battle for radical social change, for radical democracy, with the democratic control and active participation of the working class in all spheres of society: economic, political, social, and cultural.
The CPI is committed to building a truly democratic society, to ending sexism, racism, and sectarianism, to building absolute equality between all, regardless of gender, race, or religion, to ending partition and undoing the conquest and the legacy of colonialism and imperialism in Ireland.
We understand that capitalism is, at its core, an economic system based on exploitation. While some groups seek to reform or ameliorate the worst elements of capitalism, the CPI seeks its abolition and replacement with a rational, fair economic system capable of meeting the needs of the people of Ireland. We believe that it is necessary to extend the limited democratic power we participate in through elections into the sphere of the economy; a sphere which dictates so much of our lives.
What do we do?
At present the CPI emphasises active involvement in campaigns which affect the working class and all those who are negatively impacted by the interests of big-business and multinational capital within Ireland. We have been involved in and/or continue to be involved with national campaigns against the Lisbon Treaty, the public bail-out of private banks during the Great Recession, austerity, and have been active in campaigns for public housing, trade union rights and public water being enshrined in the Constitution of Ireland. Internationally we are also involved with anti-war and Cuban, Venezuelan and Nicaraguan solidarity campaigns. Our aim is not to co-opt but to bring our collective experience, organisational discipline, skill and transformative demands to the table to help with the campaigns we are involved in.
Who joins the CPI?
The CPI is a voluntary organisation open to all persons aged eighteen years and over who accept the party’s constitution and work for the implementation of its programme. Our members are like-minded individuals from all walks of life who are committed to working towards building a 32 county socialist republic. We have active branches in each province. (See the Membership page for further information.)