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September 03, 2010
Gilmore praises McManus record
The Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore TD this morning has paid a warm tribute to our Wicklow Deputy Liz McManus TD who has announced that she is not seeking re-election to the Dáil at the next General Election. You can read Eamon's tribute in our press centre and the statement Liz released this morning announcing her news.
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in
September 02, 2010
A Level Playing Field
The Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore TD at the launch of the Labour sporting policy document 'A Level Playing Field'.
A Level Playing Field - by Mary Upton TD
Ireland is a sports mad country. From Italia 90, the Rugby Grand Slam, the All Ireland's or the thousands of local and county leagues sport occupies a central role in Irish society and in Irish peoples lives. As party spokesperson on sports I have been working on a Sports Policy for several months now together with members from across the party.
Participating in Sport and Physical Exercise has huge personal benefits in terms of personal health and community integration. While we are a sports mad country, the research shows your education, your economic status and your gender play a significant role in determining your level of participation in sport and physical activity.
We in the Labour Party believe in equality. We believe that every citizen of this state should have the same opportunities sport and physical activity. Together with continuing to support elite athletes, this is the key to our sports policy.
I believe that the best way to increase participation is to put funding into encouraging people into existing facilities and clubs and not just simply more bricks and mortar.
Getting people involved in sports is about more than encouraging kids in schools. It is about helping seniors walking clubs; it is about setting up basketball leagues for the new Irish, it is about working to provide reduced price admission to sporting facilities for the unemployed.
This is why we are proposing at a minimum, to double the funding to the Local Sports Partnerships. The reality of our perilous economic situation is that sports funding will be at a premium for years to come. While the Sports Capital Programme has played an important role in helping clubs improve their facilities it has been open to political patronage and its time has passed. State funding should be put into capital infrastructure that will benefit entire communities and not just a single club or sport.
We are going to reopen the Local authority Swimming Pool Programme to build pools in towns where there has been a huge population surge.
Our goal in schools is to ensure that Physical Education is considered a core subject. We will work to make PE an examinable subject at Leaving Certificate and to ensure each school child gets 2 hours of PE a week. We are committed to helping our elite athletes achieve success on the world stage. We will ensure that they have the supports to achieve the best that they can for their country.
To access the policy document please visit our policy section. I would be keen to hear your opinion on this policy and how we can drive this forward when we are in Government which you can do in the comments section below.
Mary
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in Arts Sport & Tourism • maryupton • eamongilmore • alevelplayingfield
August 20, 2010
Hannigan volunteers in Nepal
Senator Dominic Hannigan who will be travelling to Nepal to volunteer with the Blue Diamond Society.
Our own Senator Dominic Hannigan is one of four Irish politicans taking part in the 'Politicans for Development' programme where politicans serve as volunteer in programmes in Africa and Asia during the summer recess.
Dominic has travelled to Kathmandu yesterday to work with the Blue Diamond Society, an organisation in Nepal for sexual minorities.
The Irish Independent covered the story today which you can read on their website here.
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in dominicahannigan
August 17, 2010
Labour Youth call for opportunities for Leaving Cert students
Deputy Roisin Shortall joins Labour Youth in their protest calling for more opportunities for Leaving Cert students
Tomorrow is a big day for our 55,000 Leaving Certificate students with the release of the Leaving Cert exam results.
To highlight the lack of opportunities available for those students Labour Youth today organised a demonstration at the Dáil.
Speaking at the event, the chairperson of Labour Youth Rory Geraghty said: "Since this recession began the government has made no serious effort to invest in job creation or education and training. We have seen many of the allowances available for Third Level students slashed, we've seen the availability of college courses decrease and we've watched the introduction of Third Level fees by stealth.
"All we're asking for is that Leaving Cert students be given a chance. This Fianna Fáil/Green government need to put the jobs crisis at the top of its agenda. They need to revoke the cuts to the Department of Education & Science and they need to take some money from the Pension Reserve fund and invest it in job creation."
Labour Youth Chairperson Rory Geraghty speaking at event
For some tomorrow will bring a relief as they attain enough points for their desired courses while others who don't get the points they should not stress as there are supports available to guide them through what to do next.
The major newspapers will have special exam supplements with loads of advice and students and their families can also call a dedicated helpline with expert guidance and councillors on hand to help on every area relating to the exams. The exam helpline is 1800 265 165 and 1800 946 942.
You can see more photographs from today's protest on Flickr, and if you are on Facebook do take a minute and 'like' our new Facebook page.
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in Education • labouryouth
August 10, 2010
Deputy Róisín Shortall supporting the case for second-level Educate Together school - Where to Next?
Educate Together recently launched its Where to Next? research on the kinds of secondary schools children from Educate Together primary schools progress to. The research found that children progressed to all types of post-primary schools, but with a preference for co-educational models.
The research also surveyed the opinion of parents on where they would like to send their children if an Educate Together secondary school were available and 90% of parents expressed a preference for a second level Educate Together School.
Established in 1978 with the opening of the Dalkey School Project, Educate Together is patron to 58 multidenominational primary schools nationwide. It applied to open its first second level school in Lucan in 2007, where it has five primary schools in operation.
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Posted in Education
July 30, 2010
Mayors in Chairs 2010 - 2011
Once again this year we have an impressive list of Labour councillors as Mayors in local authorities around the country, you can see the full list below, well done to everyone.
Trim Town Council
Cllr James O'Shea Leas Cathaoirleach
Granard
Cllr Sean Howard Mayor
Thurles Town Council
Cllr John Keenan Mayor
DunLaoghaire Rathdown
Lettie McCarthy Cathaoirleach
Fingal County Council
Ken Farrell Cathaoirleach
Cllr Peter Coyle Deputy
Athy Town Council
Cllr James McMahon Leas Cathaoirleach;
Westmeath County Council
Michael Dollard chair
Mullingar Town Council
Detty Cornally
Tralee Town Council
Cllr Arthur Spring Mayor
Gillian Wharton Slattery Deputy Mayor
Drogheda Town Council
Paul Bell Mayor
Ged Nash Deputy
Gorey Town Council
Cllr Robert Ireton Mayor (first Labour Mayor in 28years)
Tipperary Town Council
Cllr Billy Bourke elected Mayor
South Dublin County Council
Cllr Eamonn Maloney Mayor
Cllr Pamela Kearns Deputy Mayor
Kerry County Council
Cllr Pat Leahy Mayor
Marie Moloney Deputy
Cork City Council
Cllr Mick O'Connell Mayor
Cllr Denis O'Flynn Deputy.
Wexford
Cllr Joe Ryan Mayor
Trim Town Council
Cllr James O'Shea Leas Cathaoirleach
Permanent link | Posted in mayor • council
July 29, 2010
We're recruiting
EDIT: August 9th, the deadline for applications has closed.
We're recruiting for a parliamentary assistant (12-month contract). You can find out more details of the job brief including where to send applications and deadlines on our recruit page.
Permanent link | Posted in recruit
July 28, 2010
Thornton Hall - a shocking white elephant, says Rabbitte
Today's headline in The Star about Thornton Hall
Almost ten years after the Thornton Hall plan was announced and after the expenditure of vast sums of taxpayers money, Thornton Hall has been confirmed as one of the most expensive, misconceived and poorly planned projects in the history of the State, our Justice Spokesperson Pat Rabbitte TD said yesterday. It will 2014 before a single prison place becomes available.
He said Thornton Hall has become a 'shocking white elephant' for which Minister Ahern and Mr McDowell must share responsibility.
"We know that a total of €42.24m of taxpayers money has been spent on this project to date, including the astronomical €29.9m approved by Michael McDowell for the purchase of the site. To this we will have to add the costs of continuing to service and develop the site up to 2014."
You can read what the papers say about this in the Irish Times, the Examiner and the Irish Independent as well as see Pat speaking about the issue on yesterday's Six One News on RTE 1.
Permanent link | Posted in Justice
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