Gilmore dismisses ‘Real Labour’ threat
The Irish Examiner first revealed the organised Dáil challenge to Mr Gilmore last Saturday after the group met the Ceann Comhairle to press for greater parliamentary speaking time.
The “Real Labour” block comprising of ex-minister Roisín Shortall, party chairman Colm Keaveney, Patrick Nulty, and Tommy Broughan, expressed satisfaction they would get a bigger role in the Dáil after presenting their case to the Ceann Comhairle.
The rebel TDs will now press the Tánaiste to release taxpayer funding that goes to Labour under the leader’s allowance scheme to them — despite being outside the party whip.
The Real Labour TDs say funding should be handed to them so they can mount a more effective opposition to the Government.
Mr Gilmore moved to dismiss the threat to his position when asked who was the “real Real Labour” party in the Dáil.
“The reality is that there are always some people in the Labour Party who are more comfortable in opposition than they are in Government,” he said.
“The Labour Party undertook after the last election the participation in government to bring about the recovery for our economy.
“We always knew that was going to be a difficult job of work to do.
“We have a job of work to do and we are going to carry it through — that’s what the people of this country want, and that is what we were elected to do.”
The four rebel TDs all quit the party whip in anger at the direction Mr Gilmore was taking the party.
Mr Keaveney remains chairman despite being outside the parliamentary party for voting against cuts in the budget. He can only be ousted by a ballot at the Labour conference, which may be postponed until April as party leaders fear a “bloodbath” row if it goes ahead before the budget.
The rebel TDs have pledged to work together as a quasi-party to combat the thrust of the Government’s austerity agenda.
