Today, we open a new part of the blog - the Media Room. Here, you will find links to my appearances on television and radio, as well as where I have appeared in the papers.
You will also find links to YouTube videos of my speeches in the Seanad.
Feel free to take a look. Click here or on the link on the top right of the page.
Senator Alex White has asked the public not to approach the upcoming referendum on the Lisbon Treaty with fear.
The Labour representative in Dublin South was speaking during a debate in the Seanad on Thursday.
“There is almost a ‘Little Ireland’ approach from the No Campaign, who say that if it is out there in Europe, we must resist it and put the brake on because it can only go against us,” he said. “Those arguments have been heard repeatedly.
“We make a decision to give up or share sovereignty. It is not taken from us. The Treaty is not a raid on our sovereignty by this big faceless body. We will make any judgment ourselves.”
Senator White is seeking a Yes vote on June 12 and he told the Seanad that the Lisbon Treaty will mean more transparency in the EU and will increase the strength of the country in any future negotiations.
“The No Campaign have stated that we will not have a Commissioner sitting at the table for five out of the 15 years after 2014. Comparisons are made with TDs. People elect TDs to a sovereign Parliament. We must understand that the European Union appoints Commissioners in a different context. They are not there to fly the flag for their country. That is not what they are appointed to do,” he told the Seanad.
Senator White also dismissed claims that a No vote would send politicians back to renegotiate, saying that “the opportunity to negotiate a deal has been taken”.
“It is clear that an opportunity is available for those of us who want to promote a social Europe, to fight for that at the heart of Europe and the only way we can fight at that heart is by voting in favour of the Lisbon Treaty,” he said.
“A Yes vote on June 12 will mean that Ireland will go to the EU in the future with a strong hand. It is about having the self-confidence, and the people should have enough confidence to vote Yes.”
We had the first of four planned information meetings on the Lisbon Treaty, on Thursday, April 24th at the Taney Parish Centre, Dundrum. All of these meetings are open to the public and we hope that people come along to inform themselves and debate the issues.
Liz McManus T.D. and Blair Horan of the Civil and Public Services Union got the ball rolling on Thursday night. Liz pointed out that the core values of the Treaty are in alignment with the core values of the Labour Party emphasising as they do equality, democracy and social justice. The Treaty will make the European political process more transparent. It will also allow for a Citizenship Initiative, whereby European citizens can mobilise to put an issue of concern to them on the political agenda.
Blair focused more on the role of the Lisbon treaty in fleshing the social and economic rights of European citizens. The Lisbon Treaty, he said, introduces for the first time the prospect that citizens can look to the European Union to vindicate social and economic rights. He said he was optimistic about the potential benefits of this for European workers into the future. A lively discussion ensued.
Barry Desmond, former T.D. and M.E.P. expressed his concern about the changing political landscape in Europe, particularly the possibility of an emerging right-wing bloc lead by Silvio Berlusconi in Italy and Nicolas “Starkozy” in France, and potentially supported by euro-sceptics in Poland, and the U.K. Desmond said that Ireland and other European countries needed to remain vigilant as the EU has the potential to fragment politically.
The meeting also discussed Ireland’s role within the EU peace keeping initiatives, the arguments being put forward by Libertas and the tardiness of the government in getting out and joining in the debate on the Lisbon Treaty.
The next information meeting will take place at the Community Centre, Nutgrove Avenue, Rathfarnham on Tuesday, May 12th. I hope to see you there.
We have not yet begun to get our heads around what is happening in terms of the economic situation. Last week, the greatest increase in unemployment since records began was reported. We have a veritable collapse in the domestic property market in this city according to anecdotal evidence and what has been written. This morning, I saw a “sale agreed” sign on the south-side of Dublin. It was a bit like the first cuckoo of spring but I am not sure whether it will be followed by many more cuckoos. The construction industry will be seriously impacted by this.
According to comments made today by one commentator, David McWilliams, who is hardly a socialist firebrand, we have invested so much in property in recent years that we have exhausted the capital base in the country. We have a serious situation facing us. It is not an exaggeration to describe it as a crisis.
Again and again in the Seanad I have heard the Leader and others reeling off the achievements of the Government. The Government has had achievements but if it is correct to state, as I anticipate the Leader and others might, that the economic downturn is largely the result of international forces, it is incorrect to state the Government was responsible for the boom. As I pointed out before, one cannot have it both ways. One cannot state the Government created the boom but has nothing to do with the issues we now face.
In a compelling piece, David McWilliams also points out that at the heart of the job over which the new Taoiseach must preside is the stunning accumulation of wealth at the top of society. He recalls last year’s wealth of the nation report from Bank of Ireland. The top 1% in the country own 20% of the wealth. The top 5% own 40% of the wealth. Let us pause to consider the fact that 40% of the wealth of the country is owned by the top 5% of the population. This is one of the legacies of the boom and an issue with which we must wrestle as we consider future economic policy.
It is not enough to state we improved social welfare in line with or above inflation. We must consider the opportunities we will present, spread, foster and offer to the young people, whether in Limerick or elsewhere, caught up in social problems and crime. Will the weaker in society suffer with a downturn in the economy? This must not be the case. We must examine this splurge of wealth at the top, whether it is symbolised in the Galway tent or elsewhere. We need to turn this around and ensure economic policies develop the country.
Let us have all issues open, including this extraordinary inequality, which is one of the unfortunate legacies of the boom.
I was part of the panel last night for Radio 1’s The Late Debate, where there was discussion on the work of the Oireachtas. You can listen to the debate by clicking here.
More :: The Late Debate (RTÉ)
Last night, the Seanad had a lively debate on the Protection of Employees (Agency Workers) (No. 2) Bill. This particular Bill was introduced by the Labour Party and was taken in our own time slot. After hearing the speech by the Minister of State, Michael Ahern TD - which you can view by clicking here - I spoke in support of the Bill, its merits and what it would mean for those Agency Workers. Here is some of what I said:
“Despite the talk of people being in favour of the spirit of the Bill, of everybody singing from the same hymn sheet and of the Bill being premature and not thought through, the Labour Party, with the support of others, is proposing a real and practical measure to protect agency workers which is being opposed by the Government.
It is being rejected by the Government which will vote against it. I suggest we cut through the waffle and all the nonsense about everyone singing from the same hymn sheet. When someone presents a practical proposal which has been well thought through and is clear in describing the impact of the measure, the Government informs them this proposal will be rejected and that it might do something in the future and it will discuss it with the social partners.
“I refer to the contribution by the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, which lists at least five or six reasons. He referred to the reason the Irish Government did not support the EU directive on temporary agency work. He spoke a nonsense about the fact there are different industrial regimes across Europe, something we all know is the case. Everyone knows there is a long history of collective agreements at national level in Germany and other European countries. This is not a new discovery. There is employment legislation going back 30 years which applies in equal measure across the European Union in circumstances where different employment law and industrial relations regimes are in existence in those countries, such as the fixed-term work legislation and the equality directives. Much legislation and many directives that have been introduced and implemented in different member states are implemented in countries that have different regimes and different industrial relations regimes. The Minister of State’s argument is a nonsense and an excuse.
