Supporting Councillors and Local Goverment

I will be a strong voice for local government and better conditions for Councillors, including pension entitlements. See Labour’s ambition for local government on page 50 of our manifesto here.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCING

Financial independence of local councils in Ireland needs to be strengthened. A key principle of local government reform must be that Councils have greater control of their finances and more discretion for local priorities, alongside the power to raise revenue. This can be done by:

• Introducing a legal guarantee that all of the Local Property Tax raised in a local authority is retained there independent of other revenue streams from central government and ensure decisions on LPT are made at the same time as the annual council budget.

• Providing more revenue raising powers such as tourist levies, vacant and derelict site taxes, and increase the discretionary level of the LPT.

• Allocating the revenue raised from the national Vacant Homes Tax and Residential Zoned Land Tax to the council it is collected from.

More iDEAS FOR STRENGTHENING lOCAL gOVERNMENT:

• I am in favour of restoring Town Councils for all defined urban areas with a population greater than 5,000, and over 1,000 dwellings to strengthen local democracy.

• Re-municipalise waste collection as a public service by amending the Waste Management Act to allow local authorities carry out a single tender for waste collection in designated areas.

• Give oversight of local community policing to Councillors through reformed Community Safety Partnerships, including approval of local policing plans.

• Devolve the allocation and awarding of local sport capital and community grants to local authorities rather than controlled by central Departments.

• Increase transparency by live streaming all council meetings.

• Devolve control and delivery of investment projects to Councillors in areas such as housing, climate adaptation and transport to reduce bureaucracy.

• Provide Councillors with stronger powers to initiate and deliver housing and urban renewal projects, CPO vacant and derelict sites, and improve transport services.

Industry and Commerce

Labour’s mission is an entrepreneurial, regulated market economy where enterprise is supported, hard work is rewarded and the interests of working people – the real wealth creators – are secure, and where the focus is the creation of a good life through a good job. Labour believes that only the development of a sustainable economy will ensure Ireland’s economic competitiveness into the future and rejects the notion that economic policy and our climate strategy are in competition with each other.

See our full policy in Industry in our manifesto from page 42: Labour-Manifesto-2024-Building-Better-Together.pdf

Childcare

I am in favour of the delivery of a universal, publicly provided system of early childhood education and care with a guaranteed place for every child that needs one, where costs are capped for parents and professional staff are valued and paid properly, while ensuring all children are protected and cared for.

See Labour manifesto page 71 for further details: Labour-Manifesto-2024-Building-Better-Together.pdf

Education

Education must be properly funded at all levels and those who work in education must have proper pay and fair conditions. As someone who works in the higher education sector and as a former president of USI, I have a particular interest in education and students’ rights.

It is unacceptable that every school year hundreds of children with additional needs cannot access a school place near where they live or must travel for long distances every morning. Labour advocates for the introduction of an Autism Guarantee to secure an appropriate school place for every child and develop a fully inclusive model of education that vindicates the right to education for all children across the range of disabilities and complies with the UNCRPD and UNCRC.

It’s vital that additional financial and support systems for educational staff are put in place when they are assaulted at work. Assault leave must be extended for the duration of medically certified leave. I recently met with Sophie Cole in Cork who is campaigning on this issue and if I am a Senator, I will continue to advocate in support of her campaign. See a piece featuring Sophie in the Examiner here.

You can read more about what Labour stands for on education from page 63 of our manifesto here: Labour-Manifesto-2024-Building-Better-Together.pdf

Gaeilge agus an Ghaeltacht

Teanga Bheo do gach saoránach in Éireann - An Ghaeilge sa Todhchaí. Is é an misean atá againn ná an Ghaeilge a chosaint agus a fhorbairt mar theanga bheo, aitheantas a thabhairt don ról ríthábhachtach atá aici in ár bhfeiniúlacht náisiúnta agus cultúrtha agus tabhairt faoi shochaí atá dátheangach amach is amach a fhorbairt.  Is cuid lárnach de shaol agus cultúr na hÉireann í an Ghaeilge, agus tá sí tábhachtach ní hamháin ar leibhéal náisiúnta ach i gcomhthéacs níos leithne na hEorpa mar cheann de na teangacha labhartha agus liteartha is ársa ata fós á labhairt sa lá atá inniu ann. 

Ta níos mó daoine óga ag labhairt na teanga agus tá an deis ann cur leis an bhforbairt sin. Ach tá údar imní ann freisin. Sa daonáireamh deireanach leirítear go bhfuil laghdú beag tagtha ar an líon daoine a labhraíonn Gaeilge ar bhonn laethúil nó seachtainiúil.  

Ba mhian le Páirtí an Lucht Oibre an deis a thabhairt do gach saoránach an Ghaeilge a labhairt ar bhonn laethúil.Bíonn daoine báidhiúil don teanga ach bíonn sí ina hábhar conspóide freisin. I bhfianaise saol domhandaithe, ní mór a bheith san airdeall ar  thodhchaí ár dteanga. Níl an méid atá déanta ná na seifeanna ar baineadh triall astu éifeachtach go leor chun cur le húsáid laethúil na teanga. Beidh cur chuige nua ag Páirtí an Lucht Oibre chun stop a chur le meath ár dteanga náisiúnta agus chun dlús a chur lena húsáid mar ghnáththeanga labhartha laethúil.

See Labour’s manifesto page 100-104 for full details on our policy in relation to the Irish Language: Labour-Manifesto-2024-Building-Better-Together.pdf

Housing

I’m a board member of Threshold and a long-time housing campaigner. Housing must be treated as the national emergency and you can count on me to be a strong voice for housing in the Seanad. My housing priorities are:

• Address dereliction with strict penalties

• Prevent homelessness by safeguarding tenants’ rights

• Increased ambition to meet our housing targets and making affordable homes genuinely affordable.

Labour’s manifesto from page 5 outlines our detailed plan for housing: Labour-Manifesto-2024-Building-Better-Together.pdf

Planning for a United Ireland

The Irish government must recognise that a unity referendum could be held on our island within the next decade, as provided for under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, and that a task of this magnitude requires careful planning. See a piece I wrote for the Irish Examiner on this topic here.

The Labour Party proposes the following as part of such a framework:

• Acknowledge that only the Irish State can lead on the political and administrative processes leading towards a unity referendum, so this task will have to be taken up by the next Government to ensure adequate preparation.

• Substantial civic dialogue must be facilitated well in advance of a poll to prepare for this, through Citizens’ Assemblies or similar type models like a New Ireland Forum, informed by recent practice, with as broad a range of voices and political actors as possible from across the island.

• A new, cross party Joint Oireachtas Committee should be established to oversee, assist, and advise on the preparatory work of the Government, and to also work on transitional and political issues.

See Labour’s manifesto page 52 for further details: Labour-Manifesto-2024-Building-Better-Together.pdf

Climate Action, biodiversity and nature restoration

I will be a strong voice in the Seanad for climate action and nature. The climate catastrophe is the greatest existential threat facing humanity. Climate breakdown is already impacting Ireland and climate models predict that things will continue to get worse as the Earth exceeds 1.5 degrees of warming. Storms, flooding, rainfall events and droughts are all becoming more frequent and severe. Sea level rise and tidal surges are eating away at our coastlines.

As a small nation, we cannot solve this crisis on our own. Ireland can, however, take a leadership position in all international negotiations in solidarity with other small islands and developing countries to ensure that global climate action is aligned with science, and that it is fast and fair.

We must reverse biodiversity loss and restore nature to create a sustainable and resilient natural environment so that species and habitats can thrive with clean waterways, rich forestry, and healthy land. Our biodiversity is in a critical state with 85% of habitats in an unfavourable condition and 15% of protected species in decline. The State must take a leading role in restoring and enhancing Ireland’s biodiversity to protect the future of our island and planet.

See detailed plans on tackling climate chaos and ensuring a just transition on page 20 of Labour’s manifesto and read about our plans for nature restoration on page 56: Labour-Manifesto-2024-Building-Better-Together.pdf

Transport

Much more ambition is needed from the government and state agencies if we are to transition towards more healthy, active, and sustainable modes of transport and to cater for Ireland’s growing population.

We need a clear plan to make active travel a safe, convenient option for all. You can read about Labour’s ambition for public transport here on page 76: Labour-Manifesto-2024-Building-Better-Together.pdf

As a Councillor, I have been very active in advocating that Cork City needs a bus service that is reliable, a light rail for Cork, and for the extension of the public transport bike scheme. You can read Labour’s plan for Cork Public Transport here: Get-Cork-Moving.pdf

DECRIMINALISATION OF DRUG USERS AND INVESTMENT IN ADDICTION SERVICES

Labour has campaigned for many years for a change in approach to addiction and drugs use. I believe in a health-led approach instead of the current failed policies. Labour wants to repeal Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, introduce a new National Drugs Strategy and act on the other recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly and interim committee report. It is vital that we invest properly in addiction services across Ireland.