A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Ex-Labour TD attacks party and announces United Left allegiance
A former Labour TD has attacked the party, while announcing he will campaign as a United Left Alliance affiliate in the forthcoming general election.
Declan Bree, who is contesting the Sligo-North Leitrim constituency as an Independent Socialist candidate, left Labour in 2007 following a falling out over its electoral pact with Fine Gael.
“The main Opposition parties, Fine Gael and Labour, can only offer more of the same tired, old-style, crony-type politics,” he said. Mr Bree is the third ex-TD to align with the umbrella group, along with Joe Higgins in Dublin West and Séamus Healy in Tipperary South.
Call for housing minister in cabinet
Housing charity Respond has said the next government must ensure the minister with responsibility for housing has a seat at the cabinet table, ALISON HEALYreports.
It was “absurd” that the minister for housing was not at cabinet meetings, given the role housing and property had played in the economic crisis, charity spokeswoman Aoife Walsh said.
The housing association will introduce its election manifesto today and will highlight the housing challenges facing the next government. They include unfinished estates, growing mortgage arrears, withdrawal of social housing funds and growing local authority housing waiting lists.
Call to highlight issue of dementia
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland has urged the next government to make dementia an immediate health priority, ALISON HEALYreports.
At the launch its election manifesto yesterday, its chief executive Maurice O’Connell said if action was not taken, Ireland would face a much worse predicament as the population aged.
The number of people with dementia is expected to rise from 44,000 to more than 104,000 by 2036. The society is encouraging people to ask candidates to commit to the development of a national dementia strategy by 2013.
* The Alzheimer Society’s helpline number is 1800-341341.
Greens would bring in gay marriage
The Green Party would introduce gay marriage if returned to power, former minister of state Ciarán Cuffe said yesterday, TIM O'BRIENreports.
Mr Cuffe said “all consenting adults should have the option to marry”. He said the party would first introduce a Bill to affect the change, and if such a Bill was struck down the party would support a constitutional amendment. On Friday last the Labour Party said it too was in favour of gay marriage.