LABOUR LEADER Eamon Gilmore has predicted that if his party wins seats in the 12 western constituencies it will be the major party in the next government.
Mr Gilmore was addressing a regional party meeting – entitled Winning the West – which discussed what strategies would be needed if the party were to make gains in the north midlands and the western seaboard.
The conference was held in Castlebar on Saturday, and was attended by senior members and candidates from 12 western constituencies from Kerry North to Donegal South West. It was aimed at building up organisations in constituencies where the party has had no traditional footprint.
It was also designed to facilitate the merger of the organisations of former independents – Jerry Cowley in Mayo; Jimmy Harte and Frank McBrearty jnr in Donegal; Mae Sexton in Longford; and John Kelly in Roscommon – who have joined the party and will contest the next election under the Labour banner.
The party had expected 60 members to attend but the attendance was closer to 200. Officials said this was reflective of the huge surge of support the party has had in the west. Mr McBrearty has brought in 200 new members in Donegal South West in recent months, said the party.
Delegates also discussed cutbacks in HSE West, the unemployment situation and its plans for the rural economy along the western seaboard.
In his speech to delegates Mr Gilmore predicted that it would quadruple its representations in the constituencies from three to 12 and predicted two seats in Longford-Westmeath.
“If we win a seat in each of these constituencies we will lead the next government,” he said. “More and more we are seeing people turning to Labour, including west of the Shannon,where we have not traditionally polled well.
“Recent polls have put Labour in the high teens in terms of party support – a standing that gives us the opportunity to win a seat in every constituency.”
Opening the conference, Galway West TD Michael D Higgins said there had not been a proper debate on what citizenship means. “In a republic the right to shelter, food security, education, a good environment and freedom from fear and insecurity at different points of the life cycle from childhood to old age must be the benchmarks.”
The party’s health spokeswoman, Jan O’Sullivan, said the party was still in the process of fleshing out the detail on its policy of universal health insurance. The money should follow the patient and primary care should be free for all citizens.
On the €100 million shortfall facing HSE West, she said a radical restructuring of all health services was required. She criticised the layers of bureaucracy and very high salaries on the administrative side of the HSE.
“There are 11 national directors who earn more than €145,000. They are completely unnecessary in my opinion. There are 687 grade eight employees earning a minimum of €71,000. There are layers of management that starve the front line. Under Labour that will no longer be the case.”
The 12 constituencies represented were: Galway West; Galway East; Mayo; Sligo-North Leitrim; Longford-Westmeath; Roscommon-South Leitrim; Kerry North; Limerick West; Limerick East; Clare; Donegal South West; Donegal North East.