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Labour November conference to be re-focused to deal with economy

Issued : Friday 10 October, 2008

The Leader of the Labour Party, Eamon Gilmore TD, has said that he is to bring a proposal to the next meeting of the National Executive Committee that the Special Delegate Conference scheduled for Kilkenny at the end of November should be refocused to deal with the economic situation and that the consideration of the Report of the 21st Century Labour Commission should be deferred until the next full Labour conference which will be held in March.

"I am making this proposal because I have now been advised that it is unlikely that the Commission will have completed its report in time for it to be submitted to the planned Conference which is due to be held on November 29th and 30th next.

"I met this week with the Chair of the 21st Century Commission, Greg Sparks who informed me that they have made significant progress on a wide range of issues arising from the mandate given to them at the last Labour Party conference to 'examine and report on all aspects of the Party's organisation, campaigning and political activity and in particular to make recommendations on the role which Labour should undertake in the modern Ireland'.

"However he feels that they need more time to finalise their discussions and furnish the National Executive Committee (NEC) with a report. Specifically he reported to me on the establishment of a sub group to explore directly with representative of the Trade Unions how our historical relationship will evolve over the coming decades.

"The Commission will not now be in a position to finalise their report for submission to the NEC by 10th October, as intended, for its consideration at the end of the month. Given the breadth of the mandate given to the Commission, I accept that the target date set for completion of its work was very ambitious. I would also be concerned that any slippage on the current timeline would leave little opportunity for branches and constituencies to consider this important report before the conference in Kilkenny.

"I am anxious to progress Party reform, but I believe that the Party membership in our branches and constituencies must be given adequate time to consider the Commission's report.

"Another significant consideration is that the growing economic turmoil, quite rightly, requires our undivided political attention. The proposed bailout of the Irish banking sector, the bursting of the housing bubble, the crisis faced in the public finances as well as the fall out from the toughest budgetary situation in a generation will form the backdrop for Irish politics for the foreseeable future.

"It is my intention therefore to bring a proposal to the next meeting of the Labour Party's NEC that detailed proposal of the Commission's report should be deferred to the following Labour Party conference that will be held in Mullingar next March. A progress report on the Commission's work should form part of our discussions in Kilkenny. I also intend to propose to the NEC that the Kilkenny conference should be re-focussed to deal primarily with the shocking economic and social problems now facing the country.

"I wish to commend the Chairperson, Greg Sparks, and all of the members of the Commission for the diligent way in which they have applied themselves to the task given to them. The report of the 21st Century Commission will be crucial to the future of the Labour Party. I hope that they can conclude their consideration at the earliest possible date and I look forward to receiving their final report in due course."