Archive: 14th May 2024

Opening the mind

14th May 2024

A conversation that will stay with me  

Tara St DART was all go before 8am this morning and it set us up nicely for the day. We travelled to Killester, then back to the city centre, out to Sundrive Road, on to the Kimmage Cross Roads (my own neck of the woods!) to canvass with Mary Freehill, down to Ranelagh for the commuter rush hour, canvassing nearby with Cllr. Dermot Lacey, and ending with Paul Gordon in Lakelands, Stillorgan.

A bonus of running a campaign is that you meet so many fantastic, engaging people. At mid-morning coffee in Killester I met Brendan, who handed me a flyer promoting his initiative: the ‘Opening the Mind Conversation Club’. They have a session on Thursday 23 May next in Malahide Library where participants will discuss three questions:

“What purpose does the daily reporting of recent court trials serve? Who benefits?”

“If there was one gift you could give to everyone in the world, what would it be?”

“The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe. (Albert Einstein). What do you think?”

A really terrific idea: get people together to grapple with challenging questions, creating an opportunity to listen, to engage, to “open the mind”.

The timing isn’t great for me but go along if you can next Thursday 23 May.

Quote of the day: It has to be Einstein’s one above (I’m on the side of the friendly universe people).

 

Finishing up in Dun Laoghaire

13th May 2024

IBEC invited European Parliament candidates to a hustings session at 8.30 this morning. After a relatively easy day yesterday it was no trouble to get up and out early, and on such a magnificent morning. We were pressed on a good range of issues including tax sovereignty, whether we would uphold the “Irish business model” in Europe, the creative arts, and funding for education and training - for example through the Erasmus programmes.

Dun Laoghaire canvassing - great weather for it 

We spent most of the day in Sandymount, Blackrock and Dun Laoghaire - in glorious sunshine. Such a contrast to the rain last week. I needed to finish up in Dun Laoghaire this evening to attend the final Council meeting before the election. It has been a real privilege to sit with the Labour group for the past two years. A more public-spirited and decent group of people it would be difficult to find. I respect and admire them all immensely.

There are hard-working, assiduous councillors across the political spectrum. But I wish we could enhance their standing and powers. We do not really have a system of local government; it is more a system of local administration. This is why I am in favour of a directly-elected Mayor for the whole city of Dublin, with a budget and real clout. The Mayor could be supported by a ‘cabinet’ and made accountable to elected councillors with real power and influence. This would require radical change. And it would require political courage on the part of the government and the Oireachtas to decentralise power. How else can we mobilise the people of Dublin to make the changes and advances that our city so clearly needs?

Quote of the day from the man taking a stroll on Sandymount strand: “Can you help me with the drawings for the drainage in my back garden?”

 

 

James Connolly remembered

12th May 2024

On this day in 1916 James Connolly was executed at Kilmainham Jail. Although our world is a very different one from his, Connolly remains an inspiration. My grandfather Martin White was a Clonmel man and a life-long trade unionist. He was a Labour supporter and a candidate for the party in the local elections in Dublin in 1955. I often wonder if he might have been present at the foundation meeting of the party in Clonmel in 1912. He and my Dad Bob White, a railwayman like his father, instilled in me a respect and admiration for Connolly and Larkin that has endured.

Today we commemorated James Connolly at Arbour Hill, where he is interred with the other leaders of the Rising. There were speeches by the Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin and the President of SIPTU Padraig Peyton, followed by a deeply moving reading by Maeve Connolly of her grandmother Nora Connolly O’Brien’s account of her father’s dying hours.  A rousing version of James Connolly by Gerry O’Reilly brought the formal proceedings to a close.

The commemoration is organised every year by the stalwart Joe Costello, who is busy campaigning to return to Dublin City Council. I’m looking forward to campaigning with Joe again for Labour in the week ahead.

Quote of the day: “We are not the country of Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson” - Keir Starmer MP

Festivals and fetes

11th May 2024

After the Darkness into Light event at Marlay Park it was a couple of hours rest and then off to meet Aideen Carberry at Knocklyon Shopping Centre. I’m heartened by the number of times people tell me they remember my time as a local councillor and TD (in a good way!). When the Dail constituency boundaries were adjusted in 2013, Rathfarnham, Knocklyon and Ballyboden were moved to Dublin South-West. It was a big loss for me, and a significant factor in my failure in 2016 to retain the seat I had won for Labour in 2011. Now I am campaigning again on this familiar ground and really hopeful that the goodwill shown will translate into votes. If today is anything to go by, I think it will, but we have a way to go.

From Knocklyon we were off to Tallaght with Aideen and her team for the launch of Tallafest. This is an annual festival that goes from strength to strength. It was lovely to meet Jim Lawlor, Life President of Tallaght Community Council, as well as many other local volunteers. From Tallaght then to Kilternan for the Parish Fete, a tasty hot dog, and good vibes with Lettie McCarthy, our incredibly energetic local councillor for Glencullen, who was accompanied by her actual dog, Homer! Back across then to Rathfarnham for the Whitchurch Parish Fete. There we ran in to Canon Horace McKinley. I love meeting Horace and we always have a stimulating conversation. Like me, he is a really committed European. He is worried about the rise of the far right, and about what history tells us when democratic values are undermined. He told me about a recent piece he has written on the German theologian and ant-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer, which I look forward to reading. Indoors then for tea and cake - always a pleasure.

Two further stops North of the Liffey. Firstly, a pitstop at the Sustainable Living Festival at the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. The gardens are truly beautiful this time of year. I finished the day with Marie Sherlock (“you are the lady who is on the TV”) and her brilliant team.  We did a canvass on and around the Navan Road, finishing up in time to watch Leinster go down, sadly, to defeat in Newcastle.

Quote of the day: A crie de couer from candidate Aideen Carberry:  “I’d love a hot dinner!”

How to make it ‘sexy’?

10th May 2024

To sunny Leeson Street bridge before 8am to meet commuters.  I’m told by quite a few that they already have my ‘Vision for Dublin.’ Even though we need to reach new people all the time it is heartening to know that it registered.  I do wonder about the extent to which the European elections are featuring in peoples’ minds with two weeks to go. Certainly Brexit creates a new and more urgent context. But persuading people that the European Parliament is critical to all our lives is very much a work in progress.

With Frans Timmermans in Donnybrook

At a mid-morning event in Donnybrook with Frans Timmermans (Commission Presidency candidate for the Party of European Socialists, Labour’s group) a journalist asked me whether I thought Timmermans’s presence in Dublin would have any impact. I recognise that it would not lead the evening news. However, I believe strongly that having him here is a powerful statement that Labour is not a sole player, but rather is part of the broad European movement of social democracy. Frans is an impressive campaigner and it was great to accompany him to the wonderful housing development at Beech Hill.

How to render the European Parliament more relevant was one of the questions the candidates were asked at an event organised later by the Association of European Journalists. Some of us were tempted to put the question back to the journalists themselves. But my answer was the same as it always is: the Parliament and the institutions will be noticed and supported by the citizens of the EU and its Member States when they are seen as relevant to their lives. That’s why the next Parliament has to confront and solve the everyday pre-occupations of ordinary people: insecurities concerning the cost and availability of housing in our cities, the future of work in the digital age, climate change. I believe that social democracy is the only route to making Europe relevant again.

Spent the afternoon dodging hail showers (!) canvassing in Clondalkin with Robert Dowds and in Lucan with Joanna Tuffy and their respective teams.

Quote of the Day: Deaglan de Breadun’s question at the AEJ - “have the panel any ideas on how to make the European Parliament sexy?”

 

 

Canal Bank Walk

9th May 2024

People are surprisingly friendly first thing in the morning and most are happy to take our leaflet. But it’s much harder in the rain, as Brendan Howlin and I found this morning on the canal bridges. Umbrellas are useful but risk defeating the purpose of the exercise - which is at least to be seen. We managed a decent hour and adjourned for porridge in Fallon & Byrne up the road in Rathmines. Back in to town then to attend a briefing on cycling organised by my friend Ivana Bacik, a canvass along Dawson Street, and on to the Grand Canal dock where sadly we were thwarted again by the incessant rain. Just sitting in ‘Fresh’ would normally be a calming experience but for a candidate seeking to “press the flesh” it is a stressor.

Onward to Churchtown for a pleasant hour chatting to many former constituents and being faithfully promised their votes.

I had not one, but two “hot dates” with Ivan Yates today: on Newstalk at 5.30 to discuss broadband, and later to The Tonight Show at Virgin Media. The government’s decision to award the rural broadband contract to the only remaining bidder has been widely criticised, especially the price tag of €3 billion. It is a complete misnomer to refer to a “preferred bidder” when there is no-one else involved. When we were in government we passed legislation that would have allowed ESB to deliver broadband and they went on to express an interest in doing so through SIRO. As Minister I refused to allow eir to cherry-pick for themselves the more profitable areas of rural Ireland. I insisted on maintaining the integrity and viability of the State intervention area. But my decision was reversed by the current government. I think this fatally undermined the whole procurement process. It led to the departure of SIRO. Later eir withdrew, complaining that the process was becoming  too complicated. Mind you they are still getting a big piece of the action under the plan announced this week.

As the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform said in their memo (and it’s my Quote of the Day):

“The lack of a competitive process in arriving at the final bid is…a real concern…in terms of assessing the value for money of the final proposed solution”.

How will we ever know? Not a good outcome at all.

 

Raining on my parade

8th May 2024

Carrie Smyth was right in her text late last night: it would be raining hard this morning. We postponed our morning canvass at Shankill DART. It gave me some time to catch up on emails, and especially on requests from various organisations to sign campaign pledges. We have terrific support from our head office and research team but I still want to make sure I read each of them, and understand clearly the issues they are raising. It’s a good way for NGOs to promote their campaigns and get commitments from future MEPs. All part of this essential democratic process.

Trocaire and Social Justice Ireland had their hustings in the Mansion House mid-morning, with a good turnout of candidates taking refuge from the rain. I admired the way two closely-aligned agendas - climate justice and advancing equality - were combined in one meeting, really well moderated by journalist Mick Clifford. Global tax justice, the Stability and Growth Pact and ‘leaving it in the ground’ were amongst the questions we were asked to address.

Next stop Ranelagh. RTE were along to record for their Six-One package on Dublin. The rain was never far away for the rest of the afternoon but it didn’t get in the way of a strong canvass at teatime at Stephen’s Green LUAS.

Final stop tonight was to attend a function to celebrate three years progress of the exceptional community initiative ‘Imagine Dundrum’.

The halo effect: Nice to accompany Mary P. Corcoran at ‘Imagine Dundrum’ 

Quote of the day: the only person at home on an entire street in Ranelagh who leaned out her upstairs window saying “I’m working to a deadline, I’ve no time to talk to you”.

 

No ‘one way’ to be Irish

7th May 2024

Tonight I attended a hustings event organised by the Migrant Rights Centre. Representatives of immigrant groups and communities questioned candidates on our views, and recounted their own experiences of Irish immigration laws and processes. There was a good deal of frustration in the room, and a sense that the system is unfair, painfully slow, and too often insensitive. I spoke at tonight’s meeting about the importance of safeguarding labour standards, wage levels and social security for all workers. As an employment lawyer I have a sense of the particular vulnerabilities faced by immigrant workers. They need additional supports in order to achieve their basic employment rights.

I believe strongly that Europe must strive to be a welcoming continent. This will be a guiding principle for me if I am elected to the European Parliament. The laws and procedures applied by Member States, including Ireland, must also reflect this principle. I also believe that Irish MEPs - no less than others - must challenge and confront racism and xenophobia, and do so directly in the European Parliament when necessary.

A very positive development in the local elections is the number of candidates we are seeing from immigrant communities. They include Labour’s Yulia Ghumman in Swords, and others around the country. Having councillors like Yulia as members of local authorities can only enrich our democracy, as well as raise awareness of the many obstacles and difficulties faced by immigrants and their communities.

As I said at the meeting: there is no ‘one way’ to be Irish.

We hit the ground running today, with an early stop to meet city centre commuters (interrupted by BBC radio for a short interview), a mid-morning trip to Drumcondra, walkabouts on Henry St. and Grafton St., finishing up at a city centre LUAS stop. And there’s 16 more days of this?

 

Politics on the East Pier

6th May 2024

The May bank holiday was an initiative of the Labour Party in government back in 1993. It marks May Day, which has long been celebrated as international workers’ day.

The world of work is changing rapidly. Many people nowadays have little or no “switch-off” time because even after normal working hours they are for example seeing emails pop up on their phones. It is becoming more and more difficult to achieve what the 19th century social reformer Robert Owen sought in his famous slogan: “Eight hours’ labour, Eight hours’ recreation, Eight hours’ rest”

We all benefit from time with family and friends, time for recreation, time to contribute to our communities, and time away from work to recharge the batteries. European measures like the Working Time Directive have ensured that workers have guaranteed rest periods, maximum working hours, and decent holidays. We should extend these rights. Ireland has one of the least number of public holidays in the European Union. A new public holiday to celebrate the achievements of the European Union would be a  great idea.

I’m afraid I didn’t take my own advice today to fully observe the holiday. Instead I spent time on the campaign trail with Juliet O’Connell, one of our two great candidates in Dun Laoghaire. Lots of banter at the East Pier!

It’s a dog’s life

5th May 2024

Dogs seem to be featuring prominently this weekend in on-line coverage of the European election campaign so I thought I should add two stories of my own.

“Buffy is the most famous dog in Clontarf” announced Ruth Shanahan, when we ran in to them both. Ruth recounted how she became custodian to Buffy - apparently the entire story was covered by a national newspaper last year. Across in Rathfarnham, canvassing with Paddy Cosgrave, we truly were involved in a lost-dog event. Paddy’s daughter phoned the grateful owner and held on to Ollie until she arrived. No need to alert social media though; all in a day’s work!

      

Bluffy of Clontarf (Jane Horgan-Jones in background); Paddy’s daughter handling the Rathfarnham Rescue 

Most important business today was an appearance on RTE’s The Week in Politics. It’s always stressful trying to prepare for television debates because you simply do not know how things will unfold. Aine Lawlor had an opening question for each candidate. Naturally (and properly) we were given no advance warning as to what it would be. Mine was about a piece I wrote early in the campaign about Fine Gael’s decision to run Mark Durkan as their second candidate in Dublin. It was a curveball. I survived. The debate went on to cover defence issues, climate change, and the tech companies. It’s all on the RTE Player.

Quote of the day: “We have shirked the question of taxation of tech companies and digital taxation for long enough” (that was me on the telly).

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