Skip to content
Support Us

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Enda Kenny tries to calm crowds at the party's Ard Fheis in Dublin last year. Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

Anti-austerity and pro-life protests expected as Fine Gael conference begins

Thousands of Fine Gael delegates are gathering in Limerick today as the two-day national conference gets under way.

ANTI-AUSTERITY and pro-life protestors are expected to descend on Fine Gael’s national conference which gets under way in Limerick later today.

More than 2,000 delegates are expected at the Fine Gael conference being held at the South Court Hotel on the outskirts of the city as the party members gather this evening.

Protests will include many from pro-life campaigns such as Youth Defence which is angry with the party over the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill which passed into last earlier this year.

The tw0-day conference will hear from party leader Enda Kenny on both nights with the Taoiseach set to give his keynote address to delegates tomorrow night with live coverage on RTÉ.

Talk of next Tuesday’s Budget is likely to dominate the next few days with Cabinet ministers having to delay one of their final pre-Budget meetings until Sunday due to the conference.

With that in mind sessions planned this weekend include a televised discussion on ‘jobs, recovery and exiting the bailout’ involving Ministers Michael Noonan, Richard Bruton, Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney.

Discussions on health, political reform, farming, and The Gathering are also planned tomorrow afternoon.

The party is also holding a special meeting to review its constitution and rules tomorrow with a number amendments proposed including altering the way a candidate is selected to run in the presidential election.

The party is also proposing to abolish its Trade Union Council and its Women’s Group and to designate that its executive council examine the potential to create “new Organs of the Party”.

More: Pro-life campaigners to hold protest ‘witness’ at Fine Gael conference

Read: Taoiseach clashes with Fine Gael TD over Seanad referendum campaign

Read: Jigsaws, ‘The Beatles’ and €20m: Fine Gaelers rue ‘dreadful’ Seanad abolition campaign

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
30 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerry Ivie
    Favourite Gerry Ivie
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 8:40 PM

    Meanwhile, the fatcat bond holders were compensated fully. Didn’t happen though when ordinary working men and women were persuaded by Mary O Rourke to beg borrow or steal to buy shares in Eircom…..

    96
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael G O'Reilly
    Favourite Michael G O'Reilly
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 10:31 PM

    You may be sure that the majority of the managers and higher level workers lost out on nothing . As usual Mulvey, an ex trade union leader, is a disgrace !

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Philip
    Favourite Philip
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 8:46 PM

    Bloody whingers they were happy when the bank was doing well.
    They were happy when the bonuses were coming in.
    Lucky to be getting anything should only be statutory and be glad of it.

    58
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick O'Rourke
    Favourite Patrick O'Rourke
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 8:45 PM

    Frankly, they suffer because they are playing golf with the wrong crowd

    54
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute scooter mcgavin
    Favourite scooter mcgavin
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 8:47 PM

    My heart bleeds

    50
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute gerbreen
    Favourite gerbreen
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 9:40 PM

    No bank in receipt of state funds should have been allowed to offer anything beyond statutory redundancy. Maybe not a reflection on the person but the company was dead. I await with interest to see where John Moran pops up now he has allowed recapitalisation of banks.

    46
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rehabmeerkat
    Favourite Rehabmeerkat
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 10:25 PM

    Staff who resigned not entitled to redundancy… Shock Horror

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Brady
    Favourite Kevin Brady
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 8:52 PM

    my dad got his mortgage from anglo when it was a fella in an office.he got €4000 to build the house in dublin, and in the height the house was worth €650,000. in walkinstown. mental stuff

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chewey Bacca
    Favourite Chewey Bacca
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 9:46 PM

    But he built it in the rare old times yeah ?

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jonny Martin
    Favourite Jonny Martin
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 10:08 PM

    Anglo Irish Bank never offered residential mortgages

    15
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Brady
    Favourite Kevin Brady
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 10:18 PM

    rare old times is right mate. even in walkintown… the house is big and had an extension with utility room and jax. it really makes ye remember how crazy it all was

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kate Foley
    Favourite Kate Foley
    Report
    May 10th 2014, 2:19 AM

    Maybe I’m Missing something, but if you leave a job for a better offer, even if the company you work for is in trouble, you are not entitled to any redundancy. How is this even an issue for reporting in the media????

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Andrew Potts
    Favourite Andrew Potts
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 10:26 PM

    I have no sympathy for Anglo staff they did a crap job building a busted bank, paid themselves well and the country was left holding a bill for their collective stupidity. Just suck it up the same as contractors who never got paid or small business that went bust. I shared a lift with a stupid girl who had worked for Anglo and she could see no connection with the loss of services in society and her former company’s bad business decisions

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Deirdre Whelehan
    Favourite Deirdre Whelehan
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 10:05 PM

    Comments closed for Seanie et pals court case-but open for actual current staff working 9-5 same as u-shame on you Journal

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Owen Kennedy
    Favourite Owen Kennedy
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 9:47 PM

    Good. Finally a little bit of justice. It appears the country is slowly releasing its head from its anoos

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kate Foley
    Favourite Kate Foley
    Report
    May 10th 2014, 2:21 AM

    Maybe I’m Missing something, but if you leave a job for a better offer, especially if the company you work for is in trouble, you’re not entitled to reduntancy!!!!!!

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jeffrey McMahon
    Favourite Jeffrey McMahon
    Report
    May 10th 2014, 12:24 AM

    “The reason for this, according to the IBOA, is because creditors of the IBRC could legally pursue payments made to those who left early.”

    Excellent. They can go after Fitzpatrick then, biggest payout in one person right there.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute mark o leary
    Favourite mark o leary
    Report
    May 9th 2014, 10:28 PM

    The lapdogs for the leprechauns who ruined the country,let them starve,call it the Anglo famine.

    4
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds