MINISTER GED NASH has responded to remarks made by his running mate about sexism and inequality in the Labour Party.
Speaking at Labour HQ this morning, Super Junior Minister Nash addressed the grievances expressed by Senator Mary Moran about feeling left behind by the Labour campaign.
Both Moran and Nash are running in the 5-seater Louth constituency.
“I think if there’s one thing that the Labour Party can never be accused of that’s sexism and inequality,” said Nash
“It’s a disappointing remark, there’s no basis for it.”
Speaking to TheJournal.ie yesterday, Senator Moran hit out at the Labour Party over being excluded from a ‘monster canvas’ organised for Nash by Labour Trade Unions.
She said that her exclusion was “another example of the ‘old boys club’ at work”, and that it amounted to sexism.
Labour said that Labour Trade Unions was an autonomous group within the party and that they were satisfied with the support they had given Senator Moran.
Nash today also defended the party and his campaign – saying that he had been canvassing since January 2015 and that he had attracted “support from a wide range of different areas and different interests”.
He said that he welcomed to support of trade unionists and others who came forward to support his campaign:
I understand that offers have been made to Senator Moran from different constituent parts of the party over that last couple of months and it’s her business whether she accepts that offer of help or not.
‘Disparate rag-bag’
Minister Nash was speaking at the launch of Labour’s plan for investment in public services. Also speaking at the event, public expenditure minister Brendan Howlin outlined Labour’s plan for further investment in key areas – while also taking aim at other parties.
The well-worn coalition mantra of there being no credible alternative government to that of Fine Gael and Labour was driven home by Minister Howlin, who openly attacked the Right2Change movement as well as Independents and the bigger parties.
“The choice is between this government and no government,” Howlin said, before going on to state that neither Fianna Fáil nor Sinn Féin had any intention of really taking power.
He then put down the notion that parties under the Right2Change banner could ever form a government.
“Right2Change coalitions are a complete fig leaf.”
As if you could from that disparate rag-bag create a government that would last more than a fortnight.
Howlin was on the all-out-attack – criticising Gerry Adams for not being able to ‘answer even the most basic questions on the economy or on policy in his own party’ and Michéal Martin for failing to address questions of who he will go into power with.
Irish Water
Ahead of today’s anti-water charges protest, Howlin also reiterated his party’s position on the necessity of a water utility, saying:
“The notion that we are going to abolish [Irish Water] and put it all back into each local autority is a daft idea.”
Keeping up the attack on other parites, he accussed Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil of not having a ‘bull’s notion’ of what they were going to do after they abolished Irish Water.
Labour’s plans for investment in public services include plans to:
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