The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley TD has just confirmed to the Dáil that the government will move the writ so that the by-elections in Dublin South and Dublin Central will take place on Friday June 5th.
I welcome the announcement and after what will be 11 months, the people of Dublin South will finally have a full representation in the Dáil.
Last Saturday saw the official opening of our new office in 1 Bird Avenue, in the heart of the Dublin South constituency. It was a glorious sunny day and plenty of visitors popped in for a cup of coffee and to meet with Party Leader Eamon Gilmore, Deputy Ruairi Quinn and our local election candidates in the forthcoming local elections.
Deputy Gilmore emphasised the importance of not only the local elections, but the by-election which is planned for the same day - June 5. With the current economic situation, he said, this may well be one of the most important byelections in recent times.
He also told the audience that if the weather stayed as beautiful as it was, then it would be ideal for a spot of canvassing!
The new office will be open for constituency queries every Friday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm and by appointment.
Alex (Left) and Cllr Paddy Cosgrave (Second Left) weet locals at last night's meeting
Last night, my colleague Cllr Paddy Cosgrave and I met with a group of local people from the Whitechurch area of Dublin South. It was an opportunity for those in the community to come together and discuss problems that are occurring at local and national area and where possible, myself and Paddy sought to accommodate those concerns.
It was a successful evening with topics such as local parking and refurbishment coming up for discussion as well as issues such as pay for TDs and Senators and the cumbersome way the grant system works.
This is only the first of quite a number of public meetings we plan to do in the constituency in the run up to the local elections and, of course, the Dublin South by-election on June 5.
Keep an eye on the blog for further updates.
Statement by Eamon Gilmore TD:
The Labour Party has tabled a motion moving the writ for the Dublin South By-election. It is expected that the motion will be taken in the Dail early next week.
The Party Leader, Eamon Gilmore TD, said that Labour had made the decision to move the writ because of the failure of the government to take any decision as to when the by-election would be held.
“It is now almost seven months since the death of the much-respected Seamus Brennan. I have, on several occasions, raised the matter of the by-election with the Taoiseach, but the standard response I have received on each occasion has been that the matter had not yet been considered by the government.
“On the last occasions when vacancies occurred in the Dail, the by-elections were held within a matter of months. John Bruton and Charlie McCreevy both resigned as Deputies in November 2005, and the writs for the by-elections in Meath and Kildare North were moved in the Dail by the Government Chief Whip on February 15th.
“The people of Dublin South are entitled to the full level of representation in the Dail provided for under the constitution. It is simply not acceptable that the government should deny them that level of representation by refusing to hold the by-election.
“Furthermore if the government believes that it has the confidence of the people in terms of its performance in office so far and particularly in regard to its handling of the economy, then surely it should put this to the test by having the Dublin South by election as early as possible.
“The fact that the country is experiencing serious economic difficulties is no reason to suspend normal democratic procedures. Nor is the possibility of an embarrassing result for Fianna Fail and the Greens sufficient justification for the continued refusal to hold a by election.
“I hope that there will be support from all parties for the moving of the writ and the setting of an early date for the by-election.”
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Last Friday, I participated in a Senate debate on the current economic situation. Watch the video above and leave a comment if you wish.
Eamon Gilmore gives his keynote speech at the Labour Conference on Saturday night
We had a busy and productive conference this weekend in Kilkenny. The mood among party members was one of optimism and bouyancy, much encouraged by Eamon Gilomore’s superb speech on Saturday night.
I got to speak myself over the weekend and the videos are below. Firstly, I spoke as Party Spokesperson on Children in relation to the National Recreation Policy and the lack of forward thinking on policies affecting young people. View this video by clicking here.
Secondly, I spoke on the aftermath of the Morris Tribunal report and in particular, the unwarranted criticism of my colleague Deputy Brendan Howlin. View this video by clicking here.
Finally, I was priviliged and honored to be asked to introduce Leader Eamon Gilmore to the stage for his keynote address. View this video by clicking here.
More :: Visit the Labour Party Conference website by clicking here
More :: Watch the RTE’s ‘Week in Politics’ special from the Conference including my interview
More :: Labour beginning to savour political freedom of single life (Irish Times)
I compliment the Minister of State, Jimmy Devins TD on the comprehensive treatment he gave to the topic. However, ringing in his ears and in the ears of all of us are the demands and very strong suggestions from a number of bodies for regulation to be introduced, and for legislation in this crucial area. As recently as this year, the Irish Council for Bioethics made such a demand. Regulation is the way in which we should approach this matter.
I am sure Senator Mullen has a continuing interest in this topic. However, it is probably true that this debate was triggered by the decision of UCC some weeks ago. Whatever one might say about the particular call made by the ethics committee in UCC and, ultimately, by the governing body of the university, at least they wrestled with this question and came up with actual decisions. Some people may believe it to be a good thing to be uncertain, as it were, about where they stand. This may not be something to criticise. From an intellectual point of view, I understand and appreciate someone who takes that viewpoint but ultimately it is the case that decisions must be made.
Senator Maria Corrigan referred to President Bush. I remind the House that President Bush vetoed a Bill passed in the Senate in respect of the promotion and funding of stem cell research. President-elect Obama proposes to reverse that veto. These are decisions made in a much more complex and wealthier country which, no matter what way one looks at it, is likely to be at the forefront of these issues more quickly than we ever will be. Americans have faced up to the fact that they must make decisions.
At a time when the predominant mood in politics and public life is one of pessimism, I join others in conveying our congratulations to President-elect Obama. It is a moment of considerable optimism, which is an antidote to the deep pessimism we all see around us with regard to our economy and the world economy. It is a fantastic moment and it is truly the end of an era.
It is not just the end of the Bush era but of a somewhat longer era in American politics, which has an impact on world politics. I see it as the end of the Reagan era, an end to the neo-liberal model of capitalism, which was fostered by President Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and which has its apostles in this country, or at least it used to, although they are disappearing. It is truly a political moment of considerable importance.
There was an overwhelming sense of joy on the part of many millions of people that we saw last night on television. In many cases these people felt in the past that they never had a stake in their own country or in the political system, society and communities of which they were part. Now they feel this is their moment and they can truly engage with their society and their country.
I have criticised the US in the past, as have other Members of the House. Sometimes we are accused of being anti-American when we criticise American foreign policy. I never thought there was anything so absurd as the suggestion that because one criticises the foreign policy of a country, one is against that country in some way or is guilty of being anti-American.
It was nonsensical. We have criticised the US, but this is a moment to remind ourselves of its considerable achievements and the democratic experiment under its constitution. It is an amazing and extraordinary achievement, and this moment is one to relish, not just for the US but also for us.
This may not be a moment simply to calculate the gains and losses for this country. Illegal Irish immigrants and foreign direct investment are important issues, but we might reflect on the larger international picture. This is a huge story. Unfortunately, the contribution of the US in recent years to the international stage has not been good and has often been divisive. There is now real hope that there will be a reversal in that contribution because the great institutions of the United Nations, its human rights achievements and other institutions are nothing without the support of the US.
They are, and have been, seriously undermined by the US in recent years, and we now have the prospect that the US will again become a force for good.
The Labour Party will urge the Government to reverse the cuts affecting children with disabilities when it tables a motion in the Seanad next Wednesday.
The text of the motion reads:
Despite not being referred to in the Budget, the Minister’s callous move to stop disability allowance for 16 and 17 year olds has caused great upset for those families affected.
The Minister told the Dáil he was looking out for those most vulnerable in society. Children with disabilities, and their families were not even considered. Instead we have an insensitive and unsympathetic Government whose cuts have been aimed at those they hoped would not complain.
Get in Touch :: I have already received numerous calls and emails in relation to this issue. If you are affected, or have any issues or concerns you would like us to raise in the Seanad, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Remember :: Labour’s Private Member’s Business in the Seanad onchildren with disabilities takes place on Wednesday 29 October at 5.30pm. You can watch the proceedings live by clicking here.
I welcome the publication of the Hunger Task Force’s excellent report. It contains not just an account of the problem but also contains quite a few compelling and clear pointers as to what might be done by countries, including Ireland, to attack this problem. I noted in particular the reference in the report to hunger being a failure of governance. If anything this is an understatement. The distinguished authors of the report state, “This amounts to a governance failure at many levels.” Perhaps the most devastating statement in the entire report is a self-evident statement but which bears repeating. “Despite numerous commitments, there appears to be a willingness amongst both the international community and national governments, to live with the current extent of global hunger.” It is unfortunate but this appears to be true. Whereas practical steps have been taken and many more can be taken, this is not a problem that we can say, with hand on heart, has in any sense been genuinely or substantively tackled by the international community with any kind of clear results in recent years, despite a considerable amount of good intentions at international level.
The Minister of State for Overseas Aid used the term, “war on hunger”. I agree with his use of such a phrase. However, it may seem a strange view but in the context of the war on terror, the notion of an international war on something has been devalued in many ways because of the manner in which that rhetoric has been used in the past six or seven years by some world leaders. The idea of a war on terror has been reduced to a rhetorical notion. When the Minister of State refers to a war on hunger I know he does not intend that to be a rhetorical statement but one that has real meaning. His reference to the question of political will is well taken because it is a question of political will. We can outline and describe the problem and give examples and recall the historical significance of hunger and famine in our own country. I do not mean to devalue the contributions but it is more difficult to ensure that the fundamental problem is dealt with.
I congratulate the authors of this report and I congratulate the Government for publishing it. We have had in recent days a good deal of political debate and argument about a certain other matter, described by a Minister as “the current position” regarding the banking and economic crisis. There will be political disagreement on that issue but there will never be political disagreement with the Government on the part of my party in so far as the Government is dealing with this issue. There will not be one moment of disagreement nor a moment of opposition from my party.
