Safe and secure communities

Posted on May 02, 2007

The right to feel safe and secure in one's own home and one's own community should be a given in any civilised society, but there are many people and many communities in Ireland who currently do not enjoy that right.

This is why we are launching our plan for Safe and Secure Communities which is one of Pat's Commitments for Change, read more here. We are also launching the next of our internet video campaigns.

Permanent link | Categories: Elections • Policy

Day 3 - Have your own Countdown to Change clock

Posted on May 01, 2007

Many people have been asking if we could make our Countdown to Change clock available for use on their websites and here it is, thanks to our webmaster.

<script src="http://www.labour.ie/common/js/countdown2.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

Place the code on the desired part of your site and you'll have your own Countdown to Change widget.

Permanent link | Categories: Elections

Day 1 - Countdown to Change

Posted on April 29, 2007

Pat launching our countdown to change in the press centre of our campaign headquarters.

Countdown to polling day has begun with the announcement this morning that the Dáil has been dissolved and the General Election has finally begun.

Members of the Parliamentary Labour Party, staff and the media all piled into our campaign headquarters where Pat launched our Countdown to Change digital clock and answered various questions from the assembled crowd about the changes we will bring to people's quality of life in Government.

Once again Pat highlighted his five Commitments for Change which are:

• More beds in clean hospitals
• Pre-school education for all our children
• More Gardai on the beat in neighbourhoods
• Abolish the means test for carers
• Enable more people to buy a home

Read the full entry »

Permanent link | Categories: Elections • Policy

Margaret

Posted on April 24, 2007

'Margaret' is the first of our internet video campaign highlighting the continuing crisis in our Accident and Emergency units and to warn of the dangers of a potential deterioriation in A&Es if the Government goes ahead with its plans to build super private clinics on the grounds of public hospitals.

We have made clear our intentions of making the health service, and the failures of Fianna Fail and the PDs in this area over the past ten years, a central plank in our election campaign. One of Pat's Commitments for Change is a guarantee to deliver 2,300 more beds in clean hospitals.

Permanent link | Categories: Health • health • Elections • Policy

The Labour Battle bus

Posted on April 23, 2007

If you were out and about in Dublin over the last week you may have spotted our battle bus. Pat took the bus to Meath East to meet up with Councillor Dominic Hannigan on Friday as part of his Make A Change tour where we received a fantastic welcome. During the visit we went to Ratoath, Dunshaughlin, Dunboyne and Ashbourne. You can see it for yourself here on the video, there's another one on Dominic's blog here.

We will be travelling all over the country in the battle bus, coming to a town near you. Do stop by and say hello.

Permanent link | Categories: Elections

On your bikes

Posted on April 23, 2007

Roisin Shortall, Councillor Alex White, Councillor Oisin Quinn, Councillor Aodhan O'Riordain, Councillor Andrew Montague and Senator Derek McDowell.

Over the weekend we launched Pedal Power our 10-point plan for promoting safer cycling.

Despite the many positives aspects of cycling there has been a downward trend in cycling numbers in Ireland for many years. Among the benefits of cycling aside from the obvious health benefits include speeding your way through rush hour traffic leaving cars trailing behind, no nonsense looking for parking spaces, low-cost maintenance and bicycles also produce no pollution.

Cycling is popular in other countries and there is no reason why it cannot be so in Ireland.

Read the full entry »

Permanent link | Categories: Transport • Elections • Policy

Protecting the progress

Posted on April 20, 2007

Pat addressing delegates to the party conference

You'd think there was an election looming. Yesterday we announced details of our economic plans and proposals.

Sound economic management is a fundamental requirement of good Government.

A prosperous economy brings higher levels of income, higher levels of employment and generates the resources we need to improve our quality of life to create a Fair and just society and to lay the foundations for future growth.

The document which you can read here sets out the measures that Labour and Fine Gael will take to recover our competitiveness, protect prosperity and growth and ensure more and better jobs.

Some of the key points include:

Read the full entry »

Permanent link | Categories: Finance • Elections • Policy

Labour's 10-point plan for Dublin

Posted on April 16, 2007

Labour's plan for Dublin will help Dubliners to create a city which is an engine of economic growth.

Dublin is the third most visited capital in Europe, after Paris and London and has spearheaded the growth of the thriving Irish economy. Dublin is no longer the town we all knew so well, but we have yet to make it a great city.

Across the greater Dublin area we have housing estates with hundreds of new homes that have been built with no shops, schools, doctors, childcare, public transport, recreational facilities, or job opportunities nearby.

Many parents cannot find a place for their children in a school and young parents find that they are forced to spend more time in the car than with their children.

Dublin can do better. Dublin has all the ingredients to become a great European city.

Read the full entry »

Permanent link | Categories: Elections • Policy

Why women should vote Labour

Posted on April 16, 2007

Deputy Joan Burton and Sinead Ni Chulachain, chair of Labour Women at the launch of Why Women Should Vote Labour.

"In a Labour government, childcare and education will be at the top of the political agenda. That's one good reason why women should vote Labour", Joan Burton said at the launch of Labour Women's 'Why women should vote Labour'.

Of any political party, the Labour Party has the absolute highest number of women among its parliamentary representatives. Out of a total of 21 Labour TD's, 7 are women and out of a total of 5 Labour Senators, 2 are women.

The emphasis in the forthcoming Labour Party General Election manifesto on issues like childcare, education and violence against women clearly shows the influence of women within our Parliamentary Party in putting the issues that matter most to women at the top of our political agenda.

Read the full entry »

Permanent link | Categories: Equality • Elections • Policy • Labour Women

Climate change - Labour's Blueprint for a Low Carbon Ireland

Posted on April 12, 2007

Eamon Gilmore TD and Party Leader Pat Rabbitte at the launch of Labour's blue print for a low carbon Ireland.

We all face the biggest challenge of our time, climate change. What kind of world do we want our grandchildren to live? Why should people in the already desperately poor developing world suffer first and most because of the carbon-intense habits of the First World?

A cross-departmental working group within Labour has developed the policy document Labour's Blueprint for a Low Carbon Ireland.

Contained in the policy are proposals for:

A new Department of Energy and Climate Change

An environmental pillar in Social Partnership

A National Forum where all interested stakeholders can come together a debate and determine what measures we need to face a future where the need to reduce our carbon burden will dominate.

Read the full entry »

Permanent link | Categories: Environment • Elections • Policy