Labour to host roundtable discussion in Dublin on shaping ‘A New Republic’

The Labour Party will host the first in a series of roundtable discussions in Dublin tomorrow as part of a nationwide project to draft and publish a new Democratic Programme for Ireland.

The party intends to publish the document in January 2019, 100 years since then Labour Leader Tom Johnson presented the Democratic Programme to the first Dáil. It will feature a set of ideas, policies and principles to shape Ireland’s next century, with input from representatives of all sectors of Irish society.

Tomorrow morning that process begins, when representatives from housing, health, the arts, community and voluntary sectors, as well as Europe, climate change activists and people from the international development sector, will meet for a roundtable discussion at Buswells Hotel in Dublin.

The Labour Party’s national policy co-ordinator, Alex White, who is chairing tomorrow’s meeting, commented:

“The original Democratic Programme of 1919 was a visionary document for the Ireland of the day, even if the country it envisaged was never fully realised. We think the time is right to reimagine it for Ireland’s second century.

“Tomorrow’s meeting marks the first in a series of events across Ireland aimed at bringing people together from all sectors of society to look at what ideas, policies and principles we need in order to shape the Ireland of tomorrow.

“We are 100 years on from the foundation of our state and are also coming out of a difficult and damaging decade. Climate Change, Brexit and rapid technological advances are just some of the new challenges we face as a nation, while issues such as housing and health have also taken on new and challenging dimensions in the modern age.

“Our day to day politics is marked by soundbites, quick-fix solutions and instant responses, but these challenges deserve deeper consideration.

“We want to bring people together from all walks of life that share the Labour party’s commitment to a fairer Ireland and work with us to put together a new vision for the next 100 years.”