A vote for Labour is a vote for SIPTU

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

Your analogy of Labour posters being visible on Liberty Hall can be comparable to their being large political posters on some plots of a farmer's land along a motorway. It doesn't mean that the farmer owns the party, he is merely supporting it.

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

Dear Lord, for the last time Labour have a relationship with BOTH PRIVATE and PUBLIC sector Unions. You're just incurably bitter towards the public sectors, it's actually incredible, you're even taking it out on school teachers who are members of Labour and pointing that out as an extreme connection to the public sector. Look at parties like FG/FF there is a huge public sector representation there, for god sake Micheál Martin and Enda Kenny are both school teachers by trade. There are plenty of former teachers and other public sector workers in FF/FG. By the way, I don't know if you knew this but TD's, Senetor, Concillors, etc.. are by definition Public Sector workers.

Joan Burton - Spokesperson for Finance.
- Educated at UCD
- Qualified chartered accountant, worked
with Price Waterhouse before becoming a
senior lecturer at DIT.

Joe Costello - Spokesperson for Transport.
- Educated at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth
and UCD
- Former secondary school teacher.

Michael D. Higgins - Spokesperson for International affairs
(albeit former)
- Educated at NUIG, Indiana University and
Manchester University.
- Former lecturer at NUIG.

Brendan Howlin - Spokesperson for European Affairs,
constitutional matters, law reform and human
rights.
- Educated at St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra.
- Former primary school teacher.

Ciarán Lynch - Spokesperson for Housing and Local Government,
- Educated at WIT and UCC,
- Former Adult Literacy Organiser with ALO and
Cork VEC.

Liz McManus - Spokesperson on Communication, Energy & Natural
Resources,
- Studied Architecture at UCD,
- She is an author and wrote weekly columns for the
Sunday Tribune.

Brian O'Shea - Spokesperson on Defense and the Irish Language,
- Former teacher,

Jan O'Sullivan - Spokesperson on Health,
- Studied at Trinity College, Dublin and UCC.
- Former montessouri teacher.

Ruairi Quinn - Spokesperson on Education and Science,
- Studied Architecture at UCD and later educated at
the School of Ekistics in Athens, Greece.
- Worked as an Architece but was an active member of
the Labour Party since his University years.

Seán Sherlock - Spokesperson on Argiculture & Food,
- Studied Economic & Politics at NUIG,
- Worked as an assistant to Labour Party MEP
Proinsias De Rossa at the Eurpean Parliament.

Roisin Shortall - Spokesperson on Social & Family Affairs,
- Educated at UCD and St. Mary's College of
Education, Marino.
- Former teacher of the Deaf.

Emmet Stagg - Labour Party Chief Whip,
- Studied at Kevin Street College of Technology,
- Worked as a Medical Technologist at Trinity College,
Dublin.

Joanna Tuffy - Spokesperson on Environmental and Heritage,
- Educated at Trinity College, Dublin and DIT
(Legal Studies)

Mary Upton - Spokesperson on Arts, Sport & Tourism,
- Educated at NUIG and UCD,
- Former lecturer.

Jack Wall - Spokesperson on Community and Rural Affairs,
- No University
- Former Electrician.

(The following are Seanad Éireann Sokesperson running for Dáil
seats)

Ivana Bacik - Seanad Spokesperson on Justice, Arts, Sports and
Tourism.
- Educated at Trinity College, Dublin and the London
School of Economics (LLB & LLM repectively).
- Practising Barrister and teaches classes in
Criminology, Constitutional Law, Feminist Theories
and Law.

Dominic Hannigan - Seanad Spokesperson on Commuter Issues,
Environment & Local Government, Foreign
Affairs and Defense.
- Studied at UCD (Engineering), City University
London (Masters in Transport) and University
of London (Masters in Finance),
- Engineer.

Phil Prendergast - Seanad Spokesperson on Health & Family Affairs,
and Party Spokesperson on Older People.
- Worked as a Nurse and later as a Midwife.

Brendan Ryan - Seanad Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and
Employment,
- Educated at DIT, UCD and DCU (Degree in Chemistry
and Masters' degrees in Food Science and Business
Administration).
- All his working life he has worked in industry
in the private sector, mainly in the technical
and operations areas, and in senior managerial
positions. He has worked in the Food and Chemicals
sectors of industry.

Alex White - Seanad Group Leader and Seanad Spokesperson on
Children,
- Educated at Trinity College, Dublin and the King's
Inn.
- Barrister.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee members are listed here.
Dublin Office

General Secretary - David Begg

David Begg became General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in 2001. For five years prior to that he was Chief Executive of Concern Worldwide, an international humanitarian organisation working in 27 countries and with offices in Dublin, London, Belfast, New York and Chicago. He is also a Director of the Central Bank (since 1995), a Governor of the Irish Times Trust, non Executive Director of Aer Lingus, a member of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), and of the Advisory Board of Development Co-operation Ireland. He also sits on the Executive Committee of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

Sarannej3 wrote: »

I am most unclear about Labour- they want to defer our Government finances correction, and thus borrow more for future generations to repay; then they want to burn the bond-holders- so who do they think will want to lend them more money?
They don't want to cut public spending, but rather favour increasing tax; with taxes of incomes over €100k at between 62 %and 65% they will certainly drive our more ambitious young folk abroad very quickly; at current elevated tax rates, the black economy is already taking hold, and with Labour's increases, this will rise and rise.
We are trying to attract knowledge based economies- with high personal tax rates, we will not succeed in this area.
I can't see myself voting Labour.

1. Labour (as Fine Gael) want to renegotiate the IMF/EU bailout do that Ireland can have a fairer deal. They want to reduce the interest rate on the loan and extend the period to pay it off. In essence they want a less cribbing deal. Labour don't necessarily want to burn the bond holders (that's more of a United Left Alliance approach) but they believe that they should incur some losses. The strategy is basically to create a fairer deal and have it negotiated in such a way that will not hinder the countries ability to borrow money in the future. To clarify Labour doesn't hold the ULA's stance on the IMF/EU bailout.
2. Labour want to increase the tax for people earning over a €100,000. I don't know where you are getting these figures from, it's more like 40-45%. Also, to clarify, it's not going to be 40-45% of your total income if you earn over €100,000. Let's say you earn €120,000, you will pay a higher tax rate on the amount over €100,000 which in this case is 40-45% of €20,000.

1. Labour (as Fine Gael) want to renegotiate the IMF/EU bailout do that Ireland can have a fairer deal. They want to reduce the interest rate on the loan and extend the period to pay it off. In essence they want a less cribbing deal. Labour don't necessarily want to burn the bond holders (that's more of a United Left Alliance approach) but they believe that they should incur some losses. The strategy is basically to create a fairer deal and have it negotiated in such a way that will not hinder the countries ability to borrow money in the future. To clarify Labour doesn't hold the ULA's stance on the IMF/EU bailout.

1. Labour want to increase the tax for people earning over a €100,000. I don't know where you are getting these figures from, it's more like 40-45%. Also, to clarify, it's not going to be 40-45% of your total income if you earn over €100,000. Let's say you earn €120,000, you will pay a higher tax rate on the amount over €100,000 which in this case is 40-45% of €20,000.

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

Oh so Berties love for the Unions brought us to our present situation (???).

How about him being in bed with the developers who pumped up the construction industry. What about the banks who gave them the money. This is what created the boom which eventually bust. First the construction industry was destroyed then the banks, etc.. it was like a domino effect.

Have we forgotten this already?

06/01/2011 - 14:15:29
Former Taoiseach John Bruton claimed today that Ireland is run by civil servants who use TDs and Senators to administer their rule

Sarannej3 wrote: »

I am most unclear about Labour- they want to defer our Government finances correction, and thus borrow more for future generations to repay; then they want to burn the bond-holders- so who do they think will want to lend them more money?

I can't see myself voting Labour.

Flashgordon197 wrote: »

Much better to have your party funded by business interests-like developers. That will see us right!

Flashgordon197 wrote: »

Parties cost money to run. Its that simple. You -the tax payer pay or a vested interest does. You don't seem to grasp this. Not an attack-just trying to clarify how you think they will pay staff/research? Especially an opposition party. Not fair to zero in on Labours links to SIPTU alone. Given a toss up between liberty hall and the Galway Tent-I take the Union shilling any day.

If you reduce vested interest money then taxpayer must fill the void.