Tag Archives: Social Democrats

Social Democrat leaders Catherine Murphy (left) and Róisín Shortall on the ‘plinth’ this afternoon.

Leinster House, Dublin 2

Yesterday, Minister for Education Richard Bruton announced his plans to remove the baptism barrier in Irish schools.

But that’s not enough for the Soc Dems.

Not by a long ‘chalk’.

Co-leader Róisín Shortall said:

“We need to take religion out of the school day entirely. I will be tabling an amendment to the Education (School Admissions) Bill 2016 today to do just that.

Education Minister Richard Bruton’s proposals for divestment are piecemeal and seem like yet another long fingering exercise.

The Citizens’ Assembly model proved to be incredibly valuable in dealing with the issue of how to legislate for access to abortion in Ireland….

…The overwhelming public support for repealing the Eighth Amendment reflects a changed mood in the country.

People are moving towards a sense of civic ethics and increasingly they want to see the separation of the church and state in other aspects of public services, particularly our education system where 90 per cent of primary schools are under the patronage of the Church.

It would be very appropriate and timely for the government to task a Citizens’ Assembly to examine the issue and bring forward recommendations to the Oireachtas.”

GETOUTOFMYCLASSSYESYOUTOOMURPHY

*flings duster*

Social Democrats

Rollingnews

This afternoon.

Merrion Street, Dublin 2

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan with Dublin City Councillor Claire Byrne and Green Party Oireachtas members launching the party’s campaign in favour of a Yes vote in the upcoming referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment.

Earlier: Priorities

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Meanwhile…

This afternoon.

Merrion Street, Dublin 2.

Anne Marie McNally, Social Democrats Political Director and General Election candidate for Dublin Mid-West (and ‘sheet columnist) unveils the Soc Dems’ poster contribution to a Yes vote in the forthcoming referendum. Chivalrous ‘sheet head Aaron McAllorum momentarily holds the ladder.

This afternoon.

Leinster House, Dublin 2

The Social Democrats launch a new Bill – the Consumer Rights (Gift Vouchers) Bill, 2017 – to end the rip-off associated with gift vouchers and cards.

The bill would stop retailers “imposing expiration limits of less than five years on vouchers while prohibiting a range of charges connected to their use”.

Above from left: Pádraig Rice, Catherine Murphy TD, Anne-Marie McNally, spokesperson on Society and Citizenship, Roísín Shortall TD and Cian O’Callaghan, spokesperson on Housing Quality and Building Standards.

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Meanwhile…

This afternoon.

Royal College of Physicians,  Kildare Street, Dublin 2

Labour Employment spokesperson, Senator Ged Nash (Glasses) with the General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Patricia King (third right) at the launch of a bill to tackle bogus self-employment contracts that deny workers the same protection and entitlements as their employed colleagues.

The Protection of Employment (Measures to Counter False Self Employment) Bill 2017 would put all workers on an equal footing in situations where they are carrying out the same duties, but are not legally designated as ‘employees.

Fight, etc.

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Above back row from left: Gary Gannon, Anne-Marie McNally, Tara Deasy, Paul Muville, Rob Hunter, Rory Traynor. Front row: Sarah-Jane Hennelly, Róisín Shortall, Catherine Murphy, Patricia O’Dwyer, Jennifer Whitmore, Carly Rae-Bailey

This morning.

Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin

Róisín Shortall TD (top left) and Social Democrat party co-leader, Catherine Murphy TD (top right) with party councillors and spokespeople gathered for the SocDems Think In.

The theme ‘The Locked Out generation’ refers to young people and families in their twenties and thirties unable to secure proper homes. The party advocates a use it or lose it police for land hoarders.

Ms Murphy said:

“It can’t be business as usual. It has to be a war office-type approach to the area of homelessness.”

Of a possible role in a future coalition, Ms Shorthall said.

“We want to be in Government. We want to be working with other parties in order to change the direction of this country. So we’re not in the business of ruling people in or ruling people out,”

Fight!

Social Democrats ‘very anxious’ to be in government (Irish Times)

Leah Farrell/Rolling news

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Free in Cork tonight?

Darragh writes:

After the misery of Christmas which saw overcrowding in Irish hospitals on a ridiculous scale, an event will be taking place in UCC [College Road, Cork] this evening [details at link below] looking at what can be done to avoid such situations in the future.

Roisin Shortall TD from the Social Democrats, will be joined by Tom O’Connor, lecturer in economics, public policy and health/social care, and Patricia O’Dwyer, public health nursing consultant, to not only identify problems, but also propose solutions, to the current nightmare of healthcare in Ireland

Building An Irish NHS, Boole 1, UCC

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This afternoon.

A motion, above, tabled by TDs Catherine Murphy (top second right) and Roisin Shortall (top far right), of the Social Democrats.

It calls for “an immediate halt on further asset sales by NAMA pending a thorough examination of how NAMA assets can be utilised to prioritise the social development of the State in the context of the current housing crisis”.

And “an update to the legislation which would change the primary purpose of the National Asset Management Agency Act 2009 to contribute to the social and economic development of the State“.

Meanwhile…

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From left: Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan TD, Catherine Martin TD, Councillor and Justice spokesman Roderic O Gorman outside Leinster House this afternoon.

The State could be liable for illegal home repossessions, according to the Green Party.

Green Party Deputy Leader Catherine Martin said she would seek clarification from the Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald on the matter later today.

Ms Martin said that following the AIB versus Counihan case in the High Court in December, EU consumer law must be considered in repossession cases here.

State may be liable for illegal home repossessions – Green Party (RTÉ)

Earlier: ‘People Would Be Mistaken If They Feel There’s Going To Be No Resistance’

Previously: Apollo, Nama And You

Pics: Anne-Marie McNally

unspecified2Social Democrats Conference 2016. Pic SHARPPIX

Social Democrats Conference 2016. Pic SHARPPIX

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The Social Democrats inaugral national conference took place at the Treasury Holdings Tower, Convention Centre in Dublin over the weekend with Fintan O’Toole among the guest speakers.

Among the policy priorites set out by the party’s co-leaders Catherine Murphy, Stephen Donnelly and Roisin Shortall were repealing Section 7(3)(c) of the Equal Status Act, to remove the baptism barrier. Repealing the 8th and a review of Article 43 of the Constitution to “ensure the measures needed to effectively tackle the housing crisis can be swiftly introduced”.

FIGHT!

From top:  Catherine Murphy and Roisin Shortall (top), Fintan O’Toole, Niall Crowley, Anne-Marie McNally and Philip O’Connor (second photo), Gary Gannon (third), Sarah-Jane Hennelly, Jen Whitmore and Glenna Lynch (fourth); Ms Murphy and Ms Shorthall.

Social Democrats

Rollingnews

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From top: Celtic Media logo; Denis O’Brien, Catherine Murphy

In the dâil yesterday, Social Democrat founder Catherine Murphy challenged Taoiseach Enda Kenny on the sale of Celtic media Group to Denis O’Brien-controlled INM.

Celtic Media owns seven regional titles, including the Anglo Celt, the Meath Chronicle, the Offaly Independent, the Westmeath Examiner, the Westmeath Independent and Forum, a bi-weekly paper for south Meath.

Catherine Murphy: “Last week, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission approved the acquisition of the Celtic Media group by Independent News and Media, INM. It is now up to the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, and presumably the Cabinet, to accept or reject this acquisition. Earlier this year, a report authored by Dr. Roddy Flynn of Dublin City University identified the concentration of media ownership in Ireland as a “high risk”. That was echoed earlier this year in a European Commission report, which found that the position in Ireland was the subject of the highest level of concern and identified a lack of legal barriers as an issue. Nessa Childers MEP held a conference earlier this year at which Dr. Flynn’s findings were reported. More recently, Lynn Boylan, MEP, commissioned an EU Parliament report, the findings of which expressed similarly grave concerns regarding the media landscape in Ireland.

It is difficult to understand how an agency involved in consumer protection could approve the proposed acquisition, particularly in a sector that has the potential to undermine our democracy.

INM publishes the Irish Independent, the Sunday Independent, the Evening Herald, the Sunday World and the Belfast Telegraph. It has a 50% stake in the Irish Daily Star and controls 13 paid-for regional weekly newspapers. If INM’s acquisition of the Celtic Media group goes ahead, it will control 28 regional titles across the country in addition to the national titles I have mentioned.

The radio sector is also relevant in this context. Communicorp, which is owned by the same majority shareholder as INM, controls Newstalk, Today FM, 98FM, Spin 103 and Spin South West, or approximately 20% of the entire radio market. Although I appreciate that print and broadcast media are different, it is essential for the cross-ownership of INM and Communicorp to be considered in tandem.

As the Taoiseach knows, the Competition Act 2002 does not allow competition restrictions on media ownership to be retrospective. This raises further questions about the permitting of the proposed acquisition. If there is already a problem with the over-concentration of media ownership, why would the Government make that situation worse?

That is the obvious question. While media concentration is an issue in its own right, the ownership of such a large proportion of our print broadcasting and digital media by someone who has consistently used the courts to create a chilling effect on journalists and other media outlets has to be questioned in the most serious terms.

The person to whom I refer, Denis O’Brien, was the subject of adverse findings in the Moriarty tribunal, as the Taoiseach is aware. This media acquisition is clearly against the public interest. It is essential that vested interests are not once again placed ahead of the public interest. Will the Taoiseach oppose this acquisition?

Given the changing nature of media, does he support the National Union of Journalists’ call to initiate a public commission on the future of the media to examine ownership, editorial control, employment standards including pension rights and measures to protect editorial independence?

Does he believe State supports may be appropriate to ensure there is diversity of media ownership across all platforms?

Enda Kenny: “No, I do not support the call mentioned by Deputy Catherine Murphy. This report was commissioned by Lynn Boylan MEP and was based on a legal opinion from two firms based in London and Belfast, both of which primarily work in the field of human rights. The report seems to have been prompted in part by the 2015 report of the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom, a centre based in Florida and funded by the European Commission, which was published in March 2016.

I think everybody can agree that a free and pluralistic media is an essential component of a modern democracy. The report mentioned by the Deputy is being examined by the Minster for Communications, Climate Action and Environment on the basis of his responsibility for media plurality.

I understand he is to answer questions in the House tomorrow on that. In addition to operating the media mergers regime provided for in the revised Competition (Amendment) Act 2012, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment engages with the European Commission and the Council of Europe on all issues relating to media freedom and plurality.

It is also important to say that many of the issues and conclusions raised in the report were debated in the House during the passage of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014, which revised the Competition Act 2002. As the Deputy is aware, the 2014 Act gives the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the power to block any media merger that is deemed likely to be contrary to the public interest in maintaining the plurality of media in the State.

Therefore, I do not see any reason for the setting up of a commission of inquiry into the matter. The Act did not give the Minister the power to act retrospectively or to assess a media business in the absence of a proposed merger, as to do so would be to interfere with the property rights enshrined in Article 43 of Bunreacht na hÉireann, which would raise a myriad of legal complexities.

Simply stating that it is legally possible to do so does not address any of the legal complexities involved and does not recognise the effect such a move could have on freedom of expression and investment in the sector.

In fact, the report itself recognises this is an extremely difficult area that would raise issues regarding property rights, market effects, procedural fairness and freedom of expression considerations.”

Murphy: “I am not entirely sure what to make of that response. The Constitution certainly does include a section on property rights but all rights have to be balanced and, indeed, the section in the Constitution is balanced by a second section which deals with the common good.

Essentially, the point I am making is that there is no reason for the Government to make matters worse where there is already a demonstrated difficulty with the excessive concentration of media ownership.

Why would it do that when retrospection is not permitted, according to the Taoiseach, although I believe that is open to challenge in the courts?

To take the position in rural areas, which I do not need to describe to the Taoiseach, the more concentrated media ownership gets in rural areas, the less informed people are going to become. What is proposed is that the current CEO of Celtic Media would become the managing director of all 28 INM regional titles.

This would mean the possibility of cross-selling of advertising and the possibility that people in rural areas will not be able to go into Eason’s, for example, and pick up alternative newspapers. The retrospection aspect is one that must be taken very seriously. What is the Taoiseach’s view of this acquisition of the Celtic Media group?”

Kenny: “I misinformed the Deputy in that the Minister is not here tomorrow due to the climate business in Marrakesh and the Minister for Education and Skills has a swap arrangement for tomorrow. Obviously, the most important of the considerations involved is the potential impact on media freedom if a Minister effectively has the power to break up a media business at any time. That could also have a severe impact on investment in the sector.”

Murphy: “What is the Taoiseach’s view?”

Kenny:“The issue was well debated here during the proceedings relating to the Act of 2014. The assertion that there are no representatives being appointed to the MSI-MED committee and none of the independent experts on that body are based in Ireland is misleading.

That committee is a sub-committee of the larger steering committee on media and information society and there is a principal officer of the Department who sits on it as well. Given that all these matters were discussed already in the context of the review of the Act, the Minister does not see what a commission of investigation or inquiry into this would be based on.”

Róisín Shortall: Does the Taoiseach agree with the merger now?

Kenny: “He does not have the power to act retrospectively on this, as I have pointed out.”

Good times.

Previously: Same Old Firm

Transcript via Oireacthas.ie

 

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A short video outlining alternative Budget 2017 proposals from the Social Democrats.

Fight!

Social Democrats

Meanwhile…

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This morning.

Labour launches its Budget 2017 proposals. From left: Joan Burton, Brendan Howlin and Sean Sherlock.

Labour’s Alternative Budget (Labour)

Eamonn Farrell/Rollingnews

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Stephen Donnelly TD

This morning

Following his unexpected departure from the Social Democrats Stephen Donnelly went on the Pat Kenny show on Newstalk where he spoke with Jonathan Healy (sitting in for Pat) about his future plans.

Jonathan Healy: First of all, after all that’s happened this week, has the dust settled somewhat?

Stephen Donnelly: “Yeah, I think it has. It’s been a tough few days, the decision on Monday was a very sad decision for me, personally. It was some time in coming, y’know, I’ve been considering it, I’ve been talking to some people, but I’ve been immersed in the Social Democrats for the best part of two years, and it was a very intense thing to do. I’m very proud to have done it, very proud to have worked with the people that were involved with it.

..it was a sad day, but yeah, life moves on. The country moves on, there are important things to be doing. We’d #appletax on Wednesday, we’ve the new vulture fund amendment for Minister Noonan, which is a great first step, a lot of additional work, so life moves on. There are more important things than the soap opera of politics.”

Healy: “Well, we’ve all been through dramatic breakups in our lifetimes. This was quite dramatic, as your fellow co-leaders, if I can call them that, were suggesting you were workshy, did that hurt?”

Donnelly: “No, it didn’t hurt at all, I grew up in Ireland with a mop of red hair, you learn to get a fairly thick skin pretty quick.  I’m more than capable of throwing stones across the House, I have done so many times over the last six years, so not at all.”

Healy: “Were you workshy, that’s the question!”

Donnelly: “No. One of the comments I made to one of my colleagues was ‘if they’re going to have a go, you’d think they’d pick something with a little more credibility’. There’s nobody involved in setting up a new party, and to be honest, Jonathan, very few people in politics that are workshy. It’s an intense job, it’s a very rewarding job, but no, clearly there was no merit to that. Look, it was a tough week for everybody, they felt they had to say something. I think it was disappointing, they let themselves down, it’s irrelevant.”

Healy: “Have you spoken to Roisín [Shorthall] or have you spoken to Catherine [Murphy] since this happened on Monday?”

Donnelly: “No, no we haven’t. We had an awkward session in the Dáil with the three of us in there as we’re all still in the same technical group. But we’re all there to serve, you know, and we’ll move on. We’ll all do the best we can as TDs, the best we can to our ability, so we’ll just move on.”

Later…

Healy: “You want to be in government, you’ve made that clear…”

Donnelly: “Sorry, can I, sorry to cut across you there, I haven’t made that clear, that’s not why I’m in politics…”

Healy: “No, your motivation is, if you’re in government in whatever capacity, you make more of a difference.”

Donnelly: “Sure.”

Healy: “That’s what I’m saying.”

Donnelly: “Sorry, yeah.”

Healy: “You have more of an opportunity now, perhaps, to do that, because, we know the arithmetic in the Dáil. There are many people now outside of your own constituency, who would like to see you serve some way in government. And let’s face it, you’re hot property, in political terms, Fine Gael might want you, Fianna Fáil might want you, is the phone ringing?”

Donnelly: “No, the phone isn’t ringing, I’ve had a few texts from a few friends of mine in some of the other political parties, I haven’t been approached on John [Halligan], and John is a Minister of State, not said that he’s resigning, but he has obviously sent out a few warning shots, and is taking the situation in Waterford very carefully. But, y’know, Minister Halligan has a job, and no-one is taking his place, because he’s doing it.”

Healy: “I was asking more about Fianna Fáil, who seem to be linked to you in some way. Has a call come through from Mícheál Martin yet?”

Donnelly: “No, no call has come through, I have taken soundings, I will continue to take soundings both in Leinster House and more importantly here in Wicklow. I was around the constituency yesterday, around Arklow town and Wicklow, talking to supporters, and talking to people on the street. Just listening. You know, ultimately, I work for them, we work for them. So, it’s important that I hear what they have to say on the best thing to do…

Healy: “So for now, you’re staying as an Independent, for now, but the future will probably hold something different, you just don’t know what that is yet, you’ll have to consult widely.”

Donnelly: “Yeah, yeah. Exactly.”

Listen back in full here.