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Labour TD says party needs to consider if it should stay in government

Clare Labour TD Michael McNamara says the party needs to seriously consider whether it should rem...
Newstalk
Newstalk

05.50 26 May 2014


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Labour TD says party needs to...

Labour TD says party needs to consider if it should stay in government

Newstalk
Newstalk

05.50 26 May 2014


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Clare Labour TD Michael McNamara says the party needs to seriously consider whether it should remain in government.

Deputy McNamara is calling on Eamon Gilmore to resign as leader and, with the exception of Brendan Howlin, says that the entire frontbench needs to be cleared out.

The Taoiseach and Tánaiste are set to meet today with a renegotiation of the programme for government believed to be high on the agenda.

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Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore will have two demands - a refocus on priorities if not a formal renegotiation of the Programme for Government, and for talks on a Cabinet re-shuffle to formally get underway.

Pressure is mounting from Labour backbenchers for a widespread re-shuffle of the Cabinet with Clare's Michael McNamara demanding all of the frontbench - bar Brendan Howlin - be removed.

There is renewed speculation that Mr. Gilmore will leave the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and move to the Department of Jobs and Enterprise.

But Labour is likely to also demand a change in the Department of Health, and other changes on the Fine Gael side of the Cabinet.

Mr. Gilmore will also have to deal with calls at the Parliamentary Labour Party later this week for a discussion on his leadership.

Enda Kenny has acknowledged that the coalition needs to change.

He will be taking soundings around Fine Gael as to what those should be, and will have to see if they fit in with Labour demands.

The Labour Parliamentary party is set to meet later this week with Michael McNamara's comments expected to be raised once again.

Speaking to Clare FM, Mr. McNamara admits he is not expecting the party leadership to be happy with him.

While Member of the Labour Party and former advisor to Dick Spring, Fergus Finlay, says Labour is looking at a potential disaster in the next general election unless drastic changes are made within the next month.

However he was reluctant to say whether he thinks there needs to be a change in leadership within the party.

Labour has so far only managed to obtain 50 seats in local councils around the country, which is half its figure from the last local elections in 2009.

Mr. Finlay told Newstalk Breakfast that a litany of recent controversies have severely hurt the coalition,  especially Labour.

And the Group Political Editor with the Irish Independent, Fionnan Sheahan, told Newstalk Breakfast the handling of recent controversies added to the problems of the junior coalition partner.


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