THE LABOUR Party has vowed to use every parliamentary tactic at its disposal to oppose the legislation that will establish the National Asset Management Agency (Nama).
Leader Eamon Gilmore said the party hopes to mobilise public opposition to the proposed agency by holding a demonstration outside the gates of Leinster House next Wednesday. The protest is set to coincide with the start of the debate on the Nama Bill in the Dáil.
At the conclusion of Labour’s two-day parliamentary party meeting in Faithlegg, Co Waterford, Mr Gilmore said that the decision on Nama would be the biggest economic decision ever undertaken by the Dáil.
“We believe it’s the wrong decision. We believe it will mortgage the future of our country, not just [for] today’s taxpayers, but [for] our children and possibly our grandchildren for decades ahead,” he said.
He alleged that the purpose behind the Bill was to bail out bankers and irresponsible developers who had caused “economic carnage” in Ireland.
The party’s TDs and Senators agreed unanimously during the final session of their two-day “think-in” that it would use “every available parliamentary tactic to block and to try and defeat the Government’s Nama legislation”.
TDs told the meeting that they had been struck by the large number of constituents who had contacted them to express opposition to the idea of the agency and its functions, particularly the buying of loans at long-term economic value rather than market value.
Mr Gilmore said that the party will mount a protest at lunchtime next Wednesday, an hour before the Dáil returns early to debate the Bill.
He continued: “We will carry that fight into the chamber of Dáil Éireann. We will make the case on behalf of the taxpayers of the country and on behalf of the people whose futures are being mortgaged.”
He said that every Labour TD and Senator would seek speaking time. Nor did he rule out filibustering tactics.
Mr Gilmore also dismissed the new draft of the legislation, published yesterday, as a sop to the Green Party. He said it would do nothing to address what he portrayed as the “toxic triangle” of Fianna Fáil, bankers and developers.
“Our view is that the changes are window-dressing and designed to provide political cover to the Green Party in what is in essence a Fianna Fáil measure. The main change that has not been provided for is temporary nationalisation of the banks which is the one measure that takes the gamble out of the exercise,” he said.
Mr Gilmore also responded to comments by economist Colm McCarthy who argued for the necessity of pay cuts across the public service.
He said that the party had put forward proposals for a cap of €200,000 on public sector pay. When it was put to him that that would not yield savings of the level outlined by Mr McCarthy, the lead author of the recent report proposing cuts in public expenditure, Mr Gilmore said the party was preparing its own proposals.
He said that he did not agree with proposed cuts of 10 per cent in public pay. He added that there could be a reduction in the pay bill but refused to be drawn on the extent of the cuts.
“We will not accept and not agree to wages and salaries being cut from those who can’t afford the cuts,” he said.
The party discussed the Lisbon campaign and the future direction of primary education during its two closed sessions. Education spokesman Ruairí Quinn said that no policies have been agreed as yet but said the party agreed with the call by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin that a forum be held to discuss the future role of Ireland’s religious denominations in primary education.
