Labour Party plans structural changes

The Labour Party today announced it intends to adopt a plan to implement changes to the organisation.

In a statement issued today, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said the National Executive Committee of the party, which met in Dublin over the weekend, adopted the report of the 21st Century Labour Commission.

Mr Gilmore said he will be proposing the adoption of the report, and a new party constitution based on its recommendations, at the Labour Party conference which will be held in Mullingar in March.

Mr Gilmore said he was "delighted" with its analysis and the recommendations contained in the report of the commission, adding the implementation of the report will be vital to allow Labour "to compete on level organisational terms with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael".

The report recommends a new Central Council and a new Executive Board, and Mr Gilmore pledged to "put in place a modern decision making process that is both representative and delivers efficient management of the party's organisation".

Mr Gilmore noted there was "a recasting of the relationship between the party and the trade unions".

"The principal change in this respect is that in future delegations from affiliated unions at party conference will be based on the number of Labour Party members within each union, rather than the total number of union members.

"The report recommends an overall greater role for elected representatives at national and local level as well for constituencies which do not currently have a Labour Oireachtas member," he said.

He noted, however, the report rejects the notion of centralised candidate selection, as used by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, "and recommends instead a balanced system that will ensure that local members will continue to select candidates from a panel of qualified applicants".

Mr Gilmore said he had "no doubt" that Labour members would adopt the new constitution in Mullingar. The Commission on 21st Century Labour was set up in March 2008, chaired by Greg Sparks.